Plan on purchasing a 96+ 4runner
 

I am dead set on more power and comfort from my daily driver so my pickup will be up for sale soon enough. I have looked at quite a few different SUV's but I would really like to stick with Toyota since my pickup has NEVER let me down. Only a few questions first....First off what kind of life (miles) do people see out of a well maintained 3.4 liter motor? What about the transmission? Reason I am asking is b/c my price range is around 10k and all of the runners have 100k miles or more. Please give me some honest feedback!

Thanks.

i have about 134k miles on my 4runner and it still runs like new

100k on a well maintained 4runner is nothing. You can expect to get well-over 200k with a properly maintained 4runner. I have got about 120k on my 3.4 and its still runs like new.

are you looking for a 5spd or a auto

i would really like to find a 5 speed, but autos are what i seem to be finding. I guess it doesnt matter for my daily....i have the 6 speed ls1 camaro for kicks haha. Are the automatic transmissions pretty durable? Or should I expect a rebuilt somewhere short after 100k?

I am loving what i am hearing about the mileage though! Makes me have no doubt that I will be looking more into 4runners than Grand Cherokee Limited's like i was. Keep the comments coming and post up any kind of intense maintenance problems you all have had.

ya the autos are great but i like manuals so much better just keep looking there out there

Don't forget to look for the E-Locker too...

I have 216K on my 96 4runner. I have beat the hell out of it since 90k. Running great still...knock on wood

Sold my last 1997 v6 4x4 auto 4rnr w/211k ran great. I had also had a 1999 JGC limited w/ the 4.7ltr. Pretty nice motor but WAY too many recalls. W/in the first 18k they replaced rear diff,t case, driveshaft,etc. I sold it to my brother, it's been good to him but the brakes are warping constantly. Right now I have my 1999 rnr and love it. It has 138k 4x4 v6 auto. Yeah the 4.7ltr in the jeep is fun but the quality is not there. The 3.4 ltr is just adequate, but will last long if taken care of. if you need speed, get the S/C later down the road.

What year did the e-locker become available? Is it a pretty common option?

Oh and are the 4runner limited model available with a 5 speed tranny?

I wanted a 5spd when I purchased my 4Runner. Took several months of searching, but finally found one native to the south. 123k miles, still original clutch. Perfect maintenance. I was the first owner to get it dirty after 100k of those miles. :)