crazed412

Hey all,
Ive been doing some research and ive come up dry. Im trying to find out what year for the 4runne was best preferably 03+ i know the 04's came with a 4 speed auto and in 05' they had the 5 speed. To me thats a very good improvement. Any other "major" upgrades between the years up to 06' ? Im having a hard time deciding which year to chose. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks all!
Jeremy

scuba

I believe in 06 they made the fenders more appealing a circular.
Other then that I dont know much about them.

Although, If you ever plan on lifting it stay away from the Xreas.

Check out This forum as they have a butt ton more 4th gens and should be able to help you a bit more..

TC4RNR

http://www.top4runners.com/runhist/runhist42003.html

crazed412

thanks for the links! How can you tell if you have Xreas on the runners? Ive read that its standard on all sports but optional on the limited. Ive been reading quite a bit but theres still those questions out there that i need your all's advice and help on! I apologize for my newbie questions haha I would rather ask questions then be kicking myself in the butt later for not asking at all!

Thanks!
Jeremy

scuba

To tell if it has Xreas all of the shocks will have a hose running from it to a central unit under the truck, Where that central unit is IDK.

whoosh

On my 06 4runner you can look on the frame under the doors and you'll see metal lines that look like a brake line. Also, to tell if you have xreas you can look at the bottom of the front or rear shocks and you'll see that same style metal line coming off the shock.

As for the best year 4runner, I've had a 2003 , 2005 and 2006 all of them v8 4x4. My favorite styling wise was the 06 because you get projector headlights, led taillights and a different style grille and front and rear bumper. It's all personal opinion but my 2nd favorite for performance reasons was the 2005 since it has more horsepower than all other years. Just an fyi the v8's all had 5speed auto's from 03+. Only the v6's went to 5speeds later. Anyway, hope that helps.

crazed412

thanks whoosh!
I was looking at the 05' and 06's. I like the 06 mainly because like you said its more stylish then the others. I like the led taillights the most for some reason, Is there anyway to get a set and put them on an 05 if i end up getting that year? And thank you for clarifying my question about the transmission. The website i read that from didn't state specifically whether it was for the v6 or v8. Ive read a few threads on here about the XREAS and how its a pain to deal with when trying to put on new suspension. Im hoping to find one that doesnt have it so i can save me the time of having to tear it out.
Thanks all for your help!
Jeremy

crazed412

Hello again,
Havent been on here in awhile and was thinking about some stuff. What are some of the bugs the v8 engines have? Is there a limit as to what all you can do to them? How much power could you possibly get out of the stock block with a few bolt on mods, exhaust etc.. ?

Thanks
Jeremy