Whitey

After all the ballyhoo and the long awaited "just released" pictures of the "new and improved" 2003 4Runner, and after having seen an 03 Runner recently on a dealer's lot I have come to the following conclusion --- If you are in the market for a new SUV do the following. Purchase what I consider to be the Flagship of all SUV's --- GM's H2. Now before everyone has a kaniption and rounds up a posse to tar and feather me, let me explain. Regardless of Toyota's history of superb reliability and historic popularity, it has lost what it stood for for so many years. And that is being unique, good looking, tough, and a vehicle for the true off roader. Now, the new 4Runner is just another one of the MANY suv's out there. Basically it looks no different than the Lexus, the Trail Blazer, Sequoia, Highlander, etc, etc, etc. And that is why I would purchase the H2. It looks nothing like any of the suv's on the market today. In other words, it stands alone. It's unique, it's tough, it's everything an off roader wants and needs, but on unique thing about it is, it isn't cut from the same "cookie cutter" mold as all the others. Plus it comes with a good warranty just like the 4Runner does. To me, the H2 reeks of manliness. It looks like a guy's suv. Where as the new 4Runner looks like it's meant for your wife and her bridge club friends. Like I said.. before you string me up, read up on the H2 and read up on the 4Runner. The H2 is where it's at! Check it out.

CTB

However, I know the 03's are expensive, but add another almost $15-$20K to buy an H2.

NerfHerder-97SR5-

Those two vehicles arent even in the same league.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

The H2 will not fit on any of the trails I go on around here.
It's way too big.

They only way it could make it is if it tooks lots of damage to the body. Even then, it still would not make it.

http://www.pnw4runners.net/vid_temp/h2.mpg

LSUMatt1514

I saw two sport edition '03s this weekend at a dealership and they were ugly as sin!!! I absolutely hate the Chevy Avalanche-esque fender trim that comes on the sport editions. The limited has kinda grown on me a bit, but of course it is about $45,000. I didn't get to drive one because it was Sunday, but take my word for it, the sport edition sucks in pictures or in person!!!

Matt

sleepy1405

I second that......uglier than words can describe

Whitey

Where are you guys wheeling? Bicycle trails???!!! I mean for crying out loud. Ever hear of logging roads? River beds? Fields??? C'mon, you guys make it sound like unless you own a Jeep or 4Runner, your 4 wheeling days are over. Not every opportunity to do 4 wheeling consists of narrow trails in the mountains. If that theory held any water then people in Kansas, Nebraska, Dakotas, and any other non mountain state has no business owning a 4X4. And in response to the fella that said "an H2 will cost ya 15 to 20K more than a 03 Runner". Not true. Go buy a decked out 03 Runner and you'll fork over close to 48K. H2 is around 48 - 52K.

DavidO06

hey...i checked out the '03 4Runners at my local dealership(actually one here in College Station as well as back home in Houston). The price range was the same as when i bought my car. The limitted was 37k and the sports was about 33k. I dont know where you guys are coming up with these numbers. I agree that the fenders blow on the sports eddition. But other than that i think that they look pretty good. As for the H2....they are not too bad. They are, in my opinion, in a differnt class than the 4Runner. As for off road capabilities, i dont think they are much differnt from a Tahoe, considering they are built on the same platform (not to say that is bad).

DavidO06

LOL...actually i have some friends that do some 4 wheelin on bike trails. this is in wraglers of course.

Whitey

The H2 can do this easily:

CAPABILITIES:

Scale a 20 inch Vertical Wall

Fjord 20 inches of water

Ascend a 60% Incline

Traverse a 40% Side Slope

Can the 03 Runner do these things? Like I said, before you tar and feather me, read and compare the two vehicles. This site has it all and details EVERYTHING the H2

http://www.elcova.com/h2/

SpecializedBrder

I personally like the H2 too. Whitey that is all very nice that it can do those things in a nice wide open path. realistically someone who can afford a 4runner not always can afford an H2. Plus if its built on a tahoe platform...well chevy sucks so reliability will come into play. you could spend 48,000-51,000 on a beautiful car that falls apart.(as most chevys do)

sleepy1405

I can see it actually being more expensive then the 02 limited because the 03 limited is supposed to come with the optional screen and navigation right? that'll probably be a couple of extra thousand, my screen that i'm putting in without navigation is costing me about 2000, not to mention installation

TooEZgoin

Both rigs have features that the other can't do, both on and off the street.
Before they sold any Hummers to the public, I drove the 1st ones out, because they issued them to us in the Army. There are places that I traveled where no other vehicle could go, as long as it was a large open area. Likewise, my 4 Runner has done some impressive things both on and off the street that I know other 4WD rigs fall short.

Determine what type of use you plan to make of your vehicle most of the time, and then decide what will best suit your needs.

Beowulf

H2

03 4Runner

1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen 4Runners

Jeep Rubicon

A jeep Rubicon will outwheel an H2 for half the price. If I wanted to go wheeling in a Bus with Lockers I would buy an H2

Everyone knows that a light trail rig will go more places than a big bus any day. With a light trail rig at least YOU HAVE the option to go wheeling in dense trails ... with an H2, you don't.

Ask any well experienced wheeler what he would rather take to the Rubicon ... an H2 or Toyota Truck? Ask any desert runner what they would rather take to the baja dunes ... an H2 or a Toyota Truck?

Just keep sippin your Latte and parking your H2 at Starbucks because it aint going no where ... that a Jeep Rubicon or Toyota Truck can't go.

p.s. I'm just giving you a hard time Whitey, I would take an H2 any day .... yea to sell it and buy mods for my 4Runner

Cheers

Whitey

Hmmm that's funny, I thought those were Hummers I saw and stilll see in our military. I don't recall seeing Toyota 4Runners, Toyota Trucks, or Jeeps kickin' ass in today's modern military. Y'all keep refering to the H2 as a "school bus" type suv. Not true. It seats five. - The 4Runner seats five. It has a Vortec V8. - The 4Runner has a V8. Auto transmission on both, full time 4WD for both, leather seating on both, kick ass sound system in both, etc.
And getting back to my original suggestion -- I would much rather own and go wheeling in the 03 H2 versus the 03 Runner because like I said -- The 03 Runner looks like a Soccer Mom's SUV. Where as the H2 actually still looks like an SUV for a guy. Imagine spending 40K for your sissy looking 03 Runners and taking "wheeling" and scratching it, denting it, etc.? At least the H2 looks ready to accept some minor damage without feeling like you damaged the family heirloom! And what an assinine statement about H2's being outside of Starbucks and never going off road! Like every 03 Runner is being bought for off roading ONLY and never being used for daily driver/soccer games/java shops? To each their own, but I would take the H2 any day over the 03 Runner.

Erc

Would I take H2 over 03 Runner? Hell yeah!! They DON'T, however, cost the same and gas milage on H2 is pathetic. Some of us use our trucks as daily drivers.. it would cost me addition 1.5K a year for gas to drive H2.
Here are True Market Values for H2 and 03 Runner without any add-ons

4WD Runner:
Limited $33,869
Sport $29,774
SR5 $28,246

H2
Adventure Series Styles $51,015
Lux Series Styles $51,375
Base Styles $48,800

We're talking 20k difference! I do agree that 03's are much less truck looking and the huge gray overfenders are not at all attractive. That's why I just got the last 02 SE I could find

UKMyers

This is a nice heated discussion going on here. Beings both these rigs cost more than I make in a year I am not too worried how they perform. I love my paid for 2nd Gen!

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Same here.
I hate payments.
More money for mods that way

DavidO06

Hey, i was just wondering about this fording 20" of water. My 4Runner is almost stock(no lift or anything) and i have driven across a river where the water was up to my grill. Thats more than 20"s. Oh, and about the price of the 4Runner limited. that was w/out the nav. Im sure with nav it would be about 40k. But thats an option. I think stock, a 4Runner could be the Rubicon off road. The rubicon doesn't have much ground clearence right. Correct me if I'm wrong, i could be thinking of a different jeep.

Whitey

ERC - You quoted the prices for the 2 wheel drive models. Here are the prices for the 4 wheel drive models straight off the Toyota.com website.

SR5 - $30,790
Sport - $32,585
Limited - $36,900

The difference is NOT twenty thousand dollars between the Runner and H2.