FINOCJ previously posted:
"Jakie - what generation (year range) of 4runner are you looking for? Like many vehicles, they seem to have grown in size over the years, and the latest generation (pretty square and boxy) looks pretty large (but also pretty sweet). Think the newest ones have no option for v8 if that is a concern - may very well not be a concern to you. I have the 4.0 v6 in my taco and its fine - not a towing or heavy hauling powerplant but works great otherwise. Since you are not looking to wheel it much, I would guess the SR5 package is fine as compared to an offroad package. I believe the SR5 package is more about conveniences and interior options as opposed to any external performance upgrades (unlike the trail/offroad packages which may have lower gearing, rear locker etc). I believe our member 'the gobbler' has a nice runner with the trail package and says its superb. But again, for your needs it might be unnecessary expense.
Guessing you could find an previous generation of 4runner for much less expense - but it will be at least 3-4 years old and may have higher mileage than what you want? I feel like with a bit of maintenance and the expectation that you might have some repairs every once in a while, you can't go wrong with a well cared for used toyota. I bought my taco used with low miles and its nearing 120k with only repairs being one coil pack and one wheel bearing (which may have been induced by the driver smashing it into a washout ravine - although the control arm seemed to hold up fine). I use it pretty hard and wheel it quite a bit as well, and I also tow my jeep around with it. I don't see any reason not to get to 200k, probably with a few unexpected repairs, but that is cheap compared to the cost of something new (not to mention CO insurance and registration cost savings)."
Thanks for your input James. Not sure what year yet. Low miles and no modifications are a high priority. V8 will not be necessary. We looked at one over the weekend that looked sweet, but the super beefy after-market front bumper had stories to tell right off the bat!!!
We're not completely sold on the 4Runner yet. There are other models that have good headroom, offroad capability etc. that we have yet to go try out. For the kind of money we know we'll have to fork out, we will be shopping around a bit, but for him to simply sit in the drivers seat for a minute to see if it's tall enough for him is a pretty quick decision-maker as far as elimination goes!
We still have to go see an SR5 and then test-drive both the SR5 and the Trail versions for sure. Anything more than that would be over-kill in the 4Runner family I think. Also considering checking out Pathfinders.