endcl

Hi I'm currently a Jeep YJ owner and have realised the error of my ways so I want to get get a 4runner to be my daily driver and trail rig. I can't decide between the 1st 2nd or 3rd gen so I would like some advice on which to buy.

I want a truck that is reliable and comfortable with good offroad ability. I plan to add a locker, winch, skids and sliders. I don't want to do extreme stuff just to be able to get up most trails.

Gas mileage is a big concern, so I was thinking a 4 cylinder manual would be a good bet in either generation, what tire size would be a good compromise in terms of gas mileage and off road ability?

Any advice will be much appreciated!

camo31_10.50

i would say get a 1st gen...u will love the straight axle of the EARLY 1st gen...like the 85...get a 22RE...5spd manual...i would go with 31" tires...or 33" with 4.88 gears...that seems to be a pretty good set up too..

4rnr

he wants comfort



I would say 3rd gen. Find one with the e-locker, 31-33's, and some armor. done.

Plus the 3.4 is an awesome motor and gets 20+ MPG.

black runner

3rd gen. good power engine & good for off road

pitpatt

yea go with a 3rd gen, my personal fav., but i might just be biased since i have one

bigarms23

i would buy a 1992 4runner and you can do a sas later

tc

right

wrong

Offroad, get a 1st gen - lightweight, removable top, 84 & 85 were SFA from factory

Onroad, third gen - better motors, drivetrain, and IFS suspension than the previous models.

IMHO, 4th gens are too porky for my taste- wouldn't want to take one offroad.

You absolutely don't want a 2nd gen (90-95). They are some of the heaviest and the most underpowered.

endcl

Thanks for the posts, it looks like the 3rd gen is a favourite.

I was very interested to read that the 3.4 will get 20+mpg. Is the 2.7 even better or is it not worth bothering with since they seem to be rare.

I prefer a manual but I haven't seen many around is the auto much worse on gas?

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

I think 20+ MPG is extremely optimistic. Could happen on long highway runs but not around town. I seriously looked at getting a 00 or 01 and most of the owners I talked to said 16-18 and seemed to be pretty honest folks. Edmunds rates them at 16/19 EPA and IIRC some did better with AT over the MT. I don't think any of the newer ones have the 3.4 mated to a MT.

I was thinking 2000/01 as they DON'T have the rear e locker but have the center "diff" lock instead. This reportedly is good on road in foul conditions but not so great for off road. (though I've met a guy on one trip that did quite well with it off road) My plan then was to lock both front and rear with ARB's, armor up a bit with sliders and Budbuilt skids, and throw on a very mild Sonoran Steel lift. Leave it with 31's and stock gearing and have at it.

Paul H.

If you are that concerned about mpg then get the 2.7L 5-speed.

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

It's not really any better. Per Edmunds.com a 1999 4runner 4wd gets:

3.4 17/19 MT 17/20 AT
2.7 17/21 MT 18/21 AT

endcl

That was my original thought, I just don't see many 2.7s around. I'm not in a rush though so I'll wait and find the right one.

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

Yeah good luck on a 2.7. In all the time I looked at them I think I saw 3, 1 was a MT. Otherwise all the 2.7's were 2wd. Also didn't see many with the e locker, and when you did it was like a bidding war. Thats why I thought I'd go the 2000/01 route.

4rnr

TC,
Ouch. I love my 2nd gen. It is heavier than the 1st gen and less powerfull than the 3rd.....well minus the power to weight ratio issues I love them.

As for the 3.4 not getting good gas milage. what motor gets better? 3.0? no. 22re? maybe but you better not want it in a auto (A FAR SUPERIOR OFFROAD TRANS BTW) AHHHH then again I am getting 19/24 out of my 3.0 5spd 88 runner. And 13/15 out of my 3.0 auto 92 runner (see specs below) so maybe Im blessed in the MPG arena......or I failed 4th grade math....

endcl

So first gens are very good on gas. Your driving style must also be a factor, that sounds very good. Just saying I did get a IFS first gen with 22re (manual) how comfortable are they compared to the others for traveling long distances. Most of my wheeling trips involve a 200+ mile drive you see and at the moment in my soft top yj it is torture.

So the more modern 3rd and 2nd gens seemed appealing, if the first gen was adequate then maybe it is an option again.

Also is it difficult to get a first gen in good condition, what do you think I should pay to get a clean one.

Sorry so many questions.

Djlarroc

I think you will get the best gas mileage out of the 22RE of course. You will pay for it on power, but if you decide to do some gearing, that can be taken care of for the most part. The solid axle and removable top would be my pick. So look for an '85. You will find them, and as a matter of fact, a new member here was selling a very nice clean 1 from TX. It's old and the least comfortable of all the Runners, but will ride WAY BETTER than the YJ you're used to.

tc

200+ mile drive? I would definitely want the creature comforts and nice smooth power of a 3rd gen with the 3.4.

If you go with a 3rd gen, auto or manual doesn't matter as much since you have the extra power at lower RPMs. In the first and second gens, the auto is very badly matched to the engines IMHO.

4rnr - I guess what I'm saying is if I had more of a choice and known what I know now, I would not have got a second gen 4Runner for how I use it. Too top heavy, too much glass, poor power/weight ratio, harder to carry stuff ... I would much have rather had a truck instead of a 'runner...

YotaFun

I will drop my .02 into this.

Honestly I think a 3rd gen would be your best bet.
You say you don't want to do anything to extreme, you want good gas mileage and comfort.

If you look around out of the 3rd gen I think the best year to get would be the 99&00.
The 999&00 are the highest sitting runner our of all the 3rd gen Runners 1" higher then the 96-98 and 2" higher then the 01&02.
Also try to land one with the stock Toyota E-locker (i regret not getting on with the locker)
I know your partial to manual, but if you find an Auto in the Limited trim, it comes with one of the best t-cases I think Toyota ever had as far as functionality.

There is plenty of after market for the 3rd gen to make it even more off-road capable.

The 1st Gen you wont get much comfort, but if you land a 85 with the Solid Front Axle it will be the best for off-road performance.

As for the 2nd gen, I personally don't mind them, I have had the pleasure to drive an 95 with the 3.0 Auto and 4.88 gears and really had no issues with it. It was comfortable enough but gas mileage is gonna stink...

Again just my .02

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

I guess "comfort" is pretty subjective. I think the seats in my 1st gen are very comfortable. To me the 2 things that make it a PITA for long drives is the lack of cruise control and cupholders. It's a little cramped but not remarkably more than the 2nd or 3rd gens. Even with the IFS the ride isn't that great compared to the 3rd gen, but it's acceptable. I haven't ridden a long distance in a SA or a 2nd gen to compare. The 2nd gen is exactly the same up front and I'm not sure how much the rear coils contribute to ride confort. Someone else would need to address that. Oh and good luck finding a 4 cyl 2nd gen. Seems your choice is 1st or 3rd and you give up alot to go first gen.

OK. 200 mile trip.
22re @ approx 22MPG = 9.09 gal of gas @ $3/gal = $27.27
3.4 @ approx 17MPG = 11.76 gal of gas @ $3/gal = $35.29
$8 for great power and complete comfort. Skip a couple Starbucks that week.
Of course the killer will be in the daily driving where the insidious costs of the lesser MPG will really add up.

naksukow

I would buy a 1999 5speed with e-locker.