Ya know, I thought long and hard about looking for a runner or truck, everyone I talked to and everywhere i researched said to run away from the 3.0 and 2nd gen runners. I looked all over for a 3rd gen but found that it was to small for my tastes, so I bought a 3.4L T100..

The vehicle is 17 years old, so what the guy was a tech-doesnt mean he did it right by the sound of it.

 

my dream ride is 1981 PU with manual transmission and the lil 20r (right? maybe its 22)

 

Tailgate vs hatch is a personal preference.

What problems are you referring to on the 3.4? HG issues were fixed by '99 and there aren't really any other common probelms with the 3.4s. 3rd gens hit 60mph over three seconds quicker and DOHC means more available power and a higher revving motor.

Factory paint is better period but that's also due to how the car industry updated paint quality and techniques in the mid '90s.

If you can afford a 3rd gen I don't see any pluses in the 2nd gen.

 

Not to start a war or anything... I bought my '91 4Runner new in 1991. It now has over 200,000 miles on it. That said, it has been almost totally trouble free since I drove it home from the dealer. The HG recall was done, put 80,000 more on it and it still runs like new. I even commute 120 miles 4 times a week to work in it and get 21-24 mpg depending on how much of a head wind there is.

I'd probably get rid of it but it just won't die. I've own many 4WD trucks from many manufactures. I truely believe none of them would have lasted this long. I'm shooting for the 450,000 mile mark and it will probably make it with ease. My 3.0 summed up: good, reliable, capable, dependable transportation with reasonable comfort. Besides.... I always have the Sequoia if I get bored!

 

My '94 4Runner has been a great vehicle from day one when it was bought new. The 3.slow motor isn't the greatest, but I got 226k put of it before the HG blew and put me on the road to a 3.4 swap. When I fix the HG the motor should be fine. I might swap it into my '89 2wd pickup. The super strong box frame and the tailgate are two things I like a lot. The 3Gens I have ridden in seemed to flex the frame more than mine ever did.

 

I have no experience with the 2nd Gen. Well, except for when I decided I would buy a 4Runner, my buddy had a 2nd gen and mentioned that the 3rd gen was a little bigger inside - so that got me looking for a later model.

At the time I was replacing a Cherokee that I absolutely hated. Thats another thread, anyway my 4Runner has been exactly what I was looking for... Reliable everyday driver with decent mileage. It hauls 4 people comfortably, hauls all my gear (music or camping) when I need it to. Hauled a 4000lb trailer from DC to AZ. Hauls two quads on a trailer at 65mph easily. Aside from regular maintenance(timing belt,oil,tires) and a little preventative maintenance, the only thing that went bad were the front rotors warped at 115k. Now at 140k its time to do a little suspension work. That's pretty reasonable. I still have the stock exhaust!! As you may know, 10 years for an exhaust on an east coast vehicle is a LONG time.

I grew up fixing things, and was a commercial jet mechanic (777,A320, etc) for over 10 years. That said, I'd rather not be working on my own car if I don't have to. I don't love cars. But I'd say a 3rd Gen is hard to beat.

 

I have 2nd Gen also
3.0 motor underpowered? for drag racing and speeding from stop light to stop light with the rest of the herd, well yes
with 4:56 gears and 4 lo hell no. It all in how you drive it
3rd gen does have more powerful motor and more perks
you got a lemon unfortunately. toyota lemons are few and far between.
get a 3rd or better yet step up and get a 4th gen

 

I drove my friend's '93 Runner and it barely has enough power to get out of the way of a Prius.

They took 13 seconds to get to 60mph (3rd gens are around 9 seconds with only 33 more ponies) when they were new and that's rediculous on today's roads since the 3.0 struggles up in the mountains and can barely stay at 60 in a 65mph while my 3rd gen can hit 75 on the same grades.

I ran my truck up at Bandimere here in Denver (remember our altitude strangles HP) and I ran a wimpy 19.0 while my friend's 2nd gen took almost 23 seconds to do the 1/4 and that's what tractor trailers were running that day at the Truckfest.

2nd gens are really showing their age but they do still make a great trail rig.

 

Plus - around here at least - they're like half the price of a similar-condition 3rd gen!

 

There really is more to a truck than its 0-60 times...

 

daily and more interior space and if you get frustrated easily ......third gen. trails rig, still good daily, and your patient......the good lookin 2nd gen.........nooooo....im not biaist

 

Is it just mine, or is the 3.0 a really loud engine? I had to take our company '96 Blazer to a job site today and I couldn't believe how quiet the engine was.

 

I love my 3.slow 4runner.

IS the 3.4 more powerfull, yes.

Does a 3rd gen suffer from the same "poor engineering" you mention, crossover, waterpump/fanpully thats on the 2nd gen.... yep.

but i wouldnt trade my tailgate for the world. why they put a lift hatch on it is beyond me. the tailgate is 10 times more usefull than the lift gate.

other than engine, and lift gate and some cosmetics, everything else is the same.

 

Steering column seal? Hole in the muffler?

And ten times less reliable! I dunno - I have very mixed feeling on that. I think the tailgate is incredibly useful - it's great for carrying long pieces of lumber, I use it as a counter for cooking, etc. when I go camping, I use it as a bench for doing all sorts of things - having lunch, fixing things, whatever. It's great. I really don't know if I'd want to give it up to upgrade to a newer truck. But that rear window seems to be my truck's only achilles heel. It would get used very rarely if at all if I had a 3rd. gen and when it gets stuck up I can't open the back at all!

 

"Is it just mine, or is the 3.0 a really loud engine? I had to take our company '96 Blazer to a job site today and I couldn't believe how quiet the engine was."


Yeah i think its loud too but I love it cause i feel like I have power under there somewhere! lol

 

Of course but I was showing it's compared power to a 3rd gen and the 3 slow lack of it shows up in everyday driving. My Runner takes 9 second or more to hit 60 and I'm used to a car that does it in a litlte over 4 seconds so I think my '99 is slow so a 2nd gen is rediculously slow to me. Plus it's a dated truck and 3rd gens can be had for around $7k nowadays and your getting so much more for your $$$.

I still don't see any of the comparable problems on the 3.4 or at least the frequency of the problems you read about on this board associated with the 3.0. C'mon,Toyota made strides with the 3.4 and it's design is almost 7 years newer.

 

Really? Well, if you figure out where, you'll tell us, right?

 

i have a 92' 4Runner and my 3.0 has enough power for what i do. I removed the EGR, did the ISR mod, have a Flowmaster 40 Series cat back exhaust and she gets up just fine. I go wheelin every weekend and have pulled a Ford F150 out of a mud pit where he was frame deep. My headgaskets were done when the truck had 46K miles on it, it now has 130K and still goes strong. The 2nd gen also comes with a good 3 inches more of ground clearance then the 3rd gen. And i think someone said something about paint being crappy well my factory metallic blue paint still has a showroom shine after 15 years so..But i take extrememly good care of my 4Runner and she takes good care of me. I think it all depends on how you take care of your truck. If you want 0-60 acceleration then buy a Ford Lightning or a car. And AWDRIVER what kind of car do you have that goes 0-60 in 4 seconds a ferarri??

 

My modded '93 Eclipse GSX:350hp and AWD and took down Vipers and Z06s in the 1/4 mile with relatively little mods and stock engine. I drag raced it over 8 seasons up here in Denver and I really miss the power. Very low 13s in the 103mph range with just a bigger turbo,real clutch and some fuel mods on all season radials.

Where do you get 3 more inches clearance over a 3rd gen? I'd really like somebody to clarify this since mine has about 10" at the rear diff and my neighbors stock 2nd gen down't look any higher than my '99.
I want adequate acceleration and a 2nd gen is slow period and it's well documented. Also consider safety of the 3rd gen with ABS,better crumple zones,bigger brakes and airbags.

Yes,the 3rd gens are significantly improved and that's what the thread title is about and the proof is in the pudding. Show me where the 2nd gens are truly better than a 3rd for a DD and off road truck in stock trim. Oh yeah,did we mention the rear locker? if a 2nd gen can pull out a Ford then the 3rd gen will do it easier due to bigger displacement and you could also use your locker.

Hey,I do enjoy this argument so don't take my comments as jerk comments,I just love the babble and it is a good discussion.

 

"if a 2nd gen can pull out a Ford then the 3rd gen will do it easier due to bigger displacement and you could also use your locker."
more power isn't always better unless you have bigger tires to support that extra power otherwise youll be spinnin your self into china. Yes i DO have a locker in the rear not factory though. And the factory locker for the 3rds wasn't standard it was optional so you still had to pay for it extra. I never said the 3rd was a step down from the 2nd im just saying you put it down more then you should. And yes (before my lift) my 2nd was a good 3 inches higher from a 3rds i had 32" tires but still. Yes it lacks power as opposed to the 3.4 but big deal for some of us that doesn't matter. I feel with my 4.88 gears 32's and my rear locker i can do pretty whatever i throw at within reason with IFS. I just want to defend the 2nd generation because when well takin care of its an awesome truck. I just hate when we talk about 0-60 times when this is a truck/SUV forum i mean who cares this isn't a rice burner forum.