Goodbye to my 93' Toyota pickup. Which vehicle is a good replacement?
 

I've had my little '93 Toyota Pickup since 80K miles and probably 2003. We shared so many adventures, but with 318 K miles and a recent engine head replacement that didn't entirely fix the mechanical problem, it may be time to find a newer more reliable vehicle. I could potentially invest in a total overhaul, but recently moved to South Florida where having no AC installed in the truck is pretty brutal in summer. The idea of parting with such a simple trusty truck is truly heart breaking.

I need room to carry quite a bit of recreational outdoor equipment, a vehicle that can take dirt roads with clearance, and decent gas mileage. Would love a vehicle that has potential to last 200+K miles, Is there anything you all can recommend that would be equally as reliable and last as as long as my 93 pickup? Maybe a certain year of RAV4 ? An older model 4 Runner, specific year? Something else?

Thanks

In my experiences with Toyota vehicles once the correct fix is done they are as good as "new".
What part of the fix isn't right?

Any of the small SUVs are good. If you're fine with a small all wheel drive SUV then a RAV 4 or a Honda CRV would be great. Are you ok with the clearance your little pickup has? Because a newer 2wd Tacoma would obviously be great.

Available budget is the biggest factor in what people can recommend to you. If you can afford almost new, then there are one whole set of recommendations. If you can only spend $5,000 or something, then it's a whole different set...

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The engine overheated not many miles ago and a whole new head was installed by a reputable shop specializing in engine work. Afterwards there was a louder than normal ticking from the engine that sounded more like a diesel engine. The mechanic took it back and investigated. Sorry Im not a mechanic but, his reasoning was along these lines. Prior to the engine overheat, I do know that one cylinder didn't have full compression. He said over time this caused damage to something that affected rods? He said once the cylinder was fully compressed, there was now slop inside that lead to the ticking. He said it was fine , the cylinders now have full compression and the truck might go another 100K miles but I haven't had confidence to drive far distances since then as Im often back off road and in places where reliability is important. Im semi-tempted to invest in it rather than purchase a new truck.

However, the truck never came with Air Con, and its super brutal having no aircon during summers in South Florida. Reading old threads here, seems installing a system from scratch would be costly,

Additionally, I do need to do some body work for rust up around the windshield and a repaint (which is not an issue) but does add consideration to how much its worth investing to keep my truck.

I bought my little truck with around 80K miles for $4,300 and it lasted till over 315K miles. Wish I could find that deal again :).

I'd prefer not to saddle myself with debt so thinking of finding something used with low miles, around $15K is the top I'd like to spend, but would be happier if I can find something basic and simple that will last for the next 15 years closer to $10K or less. I certainly don't need fancy, and would prefer less gizmos to break. The 2wd truck saw plenty of rough roads,and did pretty darn well. That clearance is fine but might consider 4wd if the gas millage is reasonable.

In the $10k range I would think you have a lot of options. For whatever reason, "4wd Toyota" and "good gas mileage" just don't go together. It's pretty pathetic that my little 6 cylinder truck only gets 15-17mpg around town, and 19 on the highway. And I'm averaging more like 13-14 this winter.

I love pickups so I'm biased towards them. But the RAV 4s and Honda CRVs are really good. All wheel drive, good mileage, and of course Honda and Toyota are the best...I don't have experience with Hyundai Santa Fe or anything of those types. Nissan Frontiers aren't bad, either. Most expensive truck I've bought is my current one, at $7,000 with 189,000 miles, so I don't know much about what's out there for $10K with under 100,000. Out here in the west, nothing has under 100,000 miles. Hopefully it's different in Florida.

If it were me I'd stick with Japanese, and just look around craigslist to see what's there at what price.

I think you could easily sink $2-3K into your current truck and still not be able to completely trust it.

Kathy - I'm in Broward County, Coral Springs, so I know exactly what you mean about having AC down here. Adding all the AC components could definitely get pricey, if it were me, I'd look for a Tacoma on craigslist. If you don't mind sharing, where exactly are you driving down here that is far off road?

Well, with the budget you mentioned you can do quite a bit and you have tons of options.

If you like the trucks, a Tacoma would be a no-brainer. I don't really care much for the 2nd gen Tacoma, but the 1st gen is pretty awesome - it's very similar to the 3rd gen pickup and it would be a direct upgrade to what you have now. The size is the same, interior is similar, engine is way more peppy than the 22re (especially with a 3rz and 5spd, 2rz with auto leaves a lot to be desired), whereas the 2nd and 3rd gen Tacomas got changed a lot and became a different truck. If I could afford it, I would own the new 3rd gen Tacoma, but it's expensive and I'd want it in a style that doesn't exist unless you make it - a 4dr XRunner.

Another choice I would personally lean toward is the Rav4. I really like the aesthetics of these for some reason and love the look of the older 1st gen. They get great fuel economy for their size, they're taller so you can see and have good cargo room, they come in electronic "4wd". I've always wanted to see what the hype is about the Rav4 v6....supposedly they stuck the 3.4L in them for a few years and they're sleepers.

I picked up my 93' Toyota as a vehicle for rock climbing and lazy car camping. Drove it from Canada to South Baja multiple times and through many beautiful wild places around California. Onlyoccasionally was limited by the clearance and 2wd.

Now I'll probably drive this car back to the west on extended summer vacations, I tend to enjoy remote desert and mountains. Will also end up on semi rough dirt roads here and there up in the North Florida Springs, when cave diving and hauling a lot of heavy dive equipment. Most of these roads can be handled by a 2wd with decent clearance, if you are careful. But it's a not a good place for an unreliable vehicle.

A newer small Tacoma would be great, I'm not a fan of the current mid sized ones

I thought only pre-1995 Toyota Pickups were exceptional, but just read that '95-'04 were also known for lasting 300+ miles (and don't appear to have the frame rusting issues) .

Any thoughts?

I picked up my 93' Toyota as a vehicle for rock climbing and lazy car camping. Drove it from Canada to South Baja multiple times and through many beautiful wild places around California. Onlyoccasionally was limited by the clearance and 2wd.

Now I'll probably drive this car back to the west on extended summer vacations, I tend to enjoy remote desert and mountains. Will also end up on semi rough dirt roads here and there up in the North Florida Springs, when cave diving and hauling a lot of heavy dive equipment. Most of these roads can be handled by a 2wd with decent clearance, if you are careful. But it's a not a good place for an unreliable vehicle.

A newer small Tacoma would be great, I'm not a fan of the current mid sized ones

I thought only pre-1995 Toyota Pickups were exceptional, but just read that '95-'04 were also known for lasting 300+ miles (and don't appear to have the frame rusting issues) .

Any thoughts?

I just don't think you can go wrong with a 2.7 4WD Tacoma. The AC in them kicks ass and they're even more reliable than a 22RE. The timing chains are good for a much longer time than 22REs and they're just built sturdier, more comfortable, but all in all just as capable. I wish I had one lol...

It's taken me a while to come around to this idea so I'm not surprised other people are taking a while, too: there are much better engines out there than the 22RE. The 22RE is legendary, and was amazing for its time. In reality most people "only" got closer to 200,000 miles out of them. Some definitely went longer (my favorite truck still to this day, a 86 4wd xtra cab 22RE, went 240,000 before blowing the engine), but in general they went 150,000-200,000. People can argue that and obviously there are exceptions -like yours- but I'd ask what engine repairs they've done. Once you've rebuilt the engine, bragging about mileage loses quite a bit of its sway...

These days, even in domestic vehicles 200,000 is pretty common.

Like anything else, all Toyota engines seem to have some issue. I guess the 2.7 cracks exhaust manifolds and seems to have an issue with piston slap. But put up against an R-series engine (20R, 22R/RE), it wins. And the 3.4L V6 seems to have no weakness. Mine has 207,000 on it right now. Never even had a valve adjustment. Works like new. All my R-series engines (I've had four of them) were feeling their age long before that mileage. Some were crapping out at 150,000. It comes down to maintenance of course. The 86 still took me all the way from Montana to New York and back, at 200,000 miles. But it didn't "drive like new" the way my current truck with the 3.4L V6 does.

Anyway, don't be afraid to upgrade. These days there are better engines than the 22RE, especially if you stick with Toyota. If you grabbed a well maintained 1995-2005 Tacoma with under 100,000 miles, you can be pretty confident of 100,000+ reliable miles. Heck I pretty much plan to get that out of my truck. Bought it at 189,000 and have almost 20,000 on it so far. 'Course the fact that I tow with is probably going to shorten its life a bit... :nopity:

Given that and the other things you've mentioned a replacement sounds about right for your situation. I would imagine your current truck would be a good basis for someone's project. What you get for it will help finance your Toyota upgrade.

For a rust free vehicle you'll probably have to do your shopping here in the southwest, like the Phoenix/Tucson area. Just a thought.

Yes I do love my truck though and will look for a new owner willing and able to restore her, if at all possible.

So Im not expecting any $ from the old truck any time soon, although who know.

Good idea - I have thought about that, and looked around a bit. Picked up my first truck when I lived in Southern California. But it's hard for me to travel cross country at the moment and there are also state auto registration fees on out of state vehicles.

I would think a well taken care of urban car in Southern Florida should be in reasonable shape and without rust. I'm carefully scanning car fax reports to steer clear of all that have spent time in salt belt states..

Thanks for the advice everyone! It's quite helpful. After this thread I'm less depressed at the the thought of loosing my truck and hopeful that I'll find a newer 2000 ish-2005 Tacoma with low miles :). Starting to look.

A newer Rav4 or even recent Tacoma seem reasonable options too (if I can't find a good older truck). But compared to my 93 Toyota, they just seem to have way more electronic and luxury items to break or go wrong. Would rather stick to as simple as possible.

Highonpottery,
My wife drives a 2010 Rav4 V6 with the 3.4L and I can assure you that it is indeed a rocket. Way more engine than it needs, but really fun. Off the line you have to be careful to REALLY ease on the gas or the thing absolutely jumps off the line. Thank god for AWD so you aren't smoking them off. Cruising I-90 at just under 80mph, pack of idiots all around you, give the gas a slight push (I don't believe I've EVER floored the pedal) and you're at 90-95mph before you know it. Pulls hard even at highway speeds. It's a blast to drive but, due to my wife's heavy foot, I occasionally think it might have been smarter to get her the 4cyl. No tickets yet so I'm super happy with the V6.
On a side note, I've heard that they put the same engine in some Camry's of the same vintage.

Nice. I can only imagine my engine in little RAV or Camry...

I mean it's no monster, but I think it's perfectly matched to my truck. Which is a first for Toyota pickups...Just the right amount of power, without losing much (of the already unimpressive) gas mileage.

Ahh, it's not your 5vze 3.4 engine (great engine, not knocking it)
It's this in the Rav4 (from Wiki)
The 2GR-FE is a 3.5 L (3456 cc) version for transverse FWD, 4WD, or AWD mounting.[1] Bore remains at 94 mm but stroke is reduced to 83 mm. Reported output varies depending on the vehicle application, but is approximately 268 hp (200 kW) to 296 hp (221 kW) at 6200 rpm with 248 lb·ft (336 N·m) to 260 lb·ft (353 N·m) of torque at 4700 rpm on 87 octane (R+M/2).[2] This version features Toyota's Dual VVT-i, variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams. The cams are driven using a timing chain.

Same engine family as what they're putting in the 2015 and up Tacos.

Whoa. Nice. Even just slightly more power than my engine. Crazy!

I did manage to find a little single cab 2002 Tacoma with around 70K original miles, in good condition. It has a 2.4L engine and is 2wd. Since it's at a dealership, the sales price + dealer cost $9,400 seems pretty high for a 15 year old truck. Just wondering if it makes more sense to purchase a truck this age or go with a 2010-2012 more modern Rav4?

The Rav4 obviously has more complex mechanics and electronics, but I do not know how often these need repair and how much this sort of repair would add to the overall cost of operation.

The 2002 Toyota seems a good idea. Just curious if there are issues that may tack on cost to a truck this age, even with low miles? Does rubber break down with age? Does this affect things like engine seals?

I simply want a reliable vehicle that will function for many years and miles with few problems and would like to purchase a vehicle this weekend.

Advice is appreciated :).

This is a used car guide. I set it up with the info you just gave her for the 02 Tacoma - fill in what else needs to be completed and you will get a ballpark number
http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2002/...4-Cyl/Base-2WD

Local prices vary. My truck is a 98, I bought it with 189,000 miles. Believe it or not, my friend gave me a bit of a deal at $7,000. Mine's a 4x4, and this is Montana, but that may give you some idea. You can check craigslist to see what other people are asking for something similar.

Obviously you aren't going to get the best price from a dealership, but if it's in good shape and has been looked over and maybe even has a little warranty, it's likely worth it if it's not too much more expensive than what private parties are asking.

Yes things deteriorate with age. But I was driving a 1978 Toyota pickup all over the country just a couple years ago.

You'll have to weigh those other questions. None of the options you're thinking of are "wrong". Just depends on what you want. That's the lowest power engine Toyota put in those, right? I think there was the 2.4, 2.7 and 3.4. But as a little 2wd it might not matter much, and it's what you're used to anyways.

If you're in a rush and nothing worries you about the quality and condition of that truck, I don't think you could go wrong. But obviously when it comes time for you to lay down nearly $10,000, we aren't going to tell you "yes!". Not without being there to see it personally. Hopefully you can get them to come down on the price a bit? I mean I'm sure they're shooting high on that price.

I have no experience with dealerships or haggling, but it seems like you could get the price down plus maybe some kind of warranty. I think if you show even a little resistance and ask for at least one or the other, they ought to give you some kind of deal...

From someone who knows, though...unless you really do need a vehicle soon, don't let an arbitrary, self-imposed date at which you must have a new vehicle lead you to make a rushed decision. If it's not what you want, think of waiting it out. I know when I'm looking for a vehicle, I want it now, and have rushed a decision because of that in the past. Sometimes it comes back to bite me, sometimes not...

So happy! Found a 2001 (nearly new) 5 speed from a private owner with only 58,000 miles. Had a full check out and compression check done. She's in great shape & has AC, so bought her today for $5k :). Thanks for all the help & advice! Looking forward to another 200+K miles in my new little truck !


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...2cd7f50e96.jpg

that looks like an excellent truck! it will last a long time!

Niiiiice. What engine does it have?

That's great. Ought to be just like your old truck, only newer and nicer.

Congratulations it's a Toy

3rd gen 4Runner is my go-to or maybe a 4door Tacoma. The 4door Tacoma will cost twice as much as the 4runner though. I love having the 4 doors and would rather have the rear cargo bay over the bed. You can get a good 3rd gen runner for around $6K here in Arkansas. I actually only paid four for my 02 4WD with 140K miles but that was quite a deal. North Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee are also good places to find one without rust and are a little closer to you. Also consider north Alabama and North Georgia. Just stay away from the coast and away from regions that get snow every year.

Thanks :). It's my first "new" car in 15 years. So happy driving it today :).
Sure, it's a lot like my old truck, but MUCH newer & nicer :). The old one never had AC or power steering/brakes. This one has all three and still has the same 5 speed manual transmission (which I love).

It has the small 4 cylinder 2.4 engine, which is fine for me.

The 2.7 engine is mentioned quite a bit in this thread but not much about the 2.4. Curious, is the 2.4 engine as good as my old 22RE?

That's how I felt when I got my 98. Was driving a 78 before that... :)

As far as I know, it's better than your old engine. Nothing anyone is going to rave about. Just boring, underpowered and reliable, like the 22RE.

I could be wrong but I believe it still was a 22RE in 2001.

I found this on the internet, so it must be true... :)

2RZ-FE[edit]

The 2RZ-FE and 4RB1 o 4RB2-engine Chinese is a 2.4 L (2,438 cc) version. Bore is 95 mm and stroke is 86 mm. Compression ratio is 9.5 to 1. Output is 142 hp (106 kW) at 5000 RPM with 160 lb·ft (217 N·m) of torque at 4000 RPM. This engine does not feature balance shafts. It has four valves per cylinder and DOHC. Valve adjustment is by shim over bucket.

Applications:

• 1995–2004 Toyota Tacoma 4x2
• 1998–2004 Toyota Hilux

Congrats. That should be a perfect replacement, it's basically the same good 'ole truck, just updated.
If someone were to offer me a trade between my 22re pickup and the equivalent Tacoma with 3rz, I would do it in a heartbeat. One thing for sure is that it's not only OBDII for smog, but if you get 2000 or newer the smog is just a plug-in deal. I get worried every time I take my 22re in for smog here in CA.

The 2rz is a good engine, but the 3rz blows it away (in my opinion, but perhaps it's also the difference between 5spd and auto factoring in). My inlaws have a 98 4wd/5spd with 3rz and an 03 2wd/auto with 2rz, the 4wd will run circles around the other truck.

The 5 speed 4 cylinder seems to have plenty of power for me. Happy with the better gas mileage. I guess the true test of reliability will come with time. The odometer is about to roll over to 60K, I'll check back here in another 200K miles if she's still on the road :).

Thanks for all the advice!