hey, i am looking into buying a 1999 4runner, and doing some serious off-roading in it. Do you recomend getting a 5speed or automatic? Also, how hard is it to flip a 4runner off-road? I see tons of pictures of jeeps that roll, but I wonder if 4runners do the same so easily. Thanks!

 

if i were you, i would buy a 1st gen runner if you are ognna do some serious offroading. get one with a solid axled and put some money into it and get yourself a nice trail rig. i wouldnt get an almost new car and do some serious offroading in it.

 

stick vs auto is mainly your preference. i like manual transmissions and won't drive an auto, myself

any high centered vehicle will roll if you drive like an idiot. a 4runner will probably be less prone to it than a jeep, however. always be careful in those kind of situations, no matter what you drive

 

thanks! Yea a 1st gen would be cool, but i guess when i said serious off-roading, I wasnt that serious, because i still need a good daily driver!

 

Go auto, unless you plan on adding a 2nd transfer case ($$$$), I would go auto if I had it to do over. Rock crawling in a 5 speed is a pain.

 

I agree with Jim- go auto , and you wont have to worry about a duel case setup. I have wheeled my wifes 02 w/ an auto , and it does pretty well. If I were looking for serious hardcore then a older 4runner would definately be wise. It should be noted that I deal more & more with people really starting to wheel late model Tacos & 4runners , and these same people are for the most part happy that they have newer rigs for a multitude of reasons.

Oh , and a couple of months back I installed a MC09 duel case into a 02 Tacoma xcab(5spd) w/ less than 10k mi on the ODO. Right after the installation the owner , and I promtly went out into some VERY nasty rocks- I was truly impressed & very nervous too!

 

While you do need to replace a clutch with a 5 speed call a repair shop and compare costs of replacing/fixing an auto tranny vs a manual. That alone can be a deciding factor.