.....just another suv that has gone the way of EVERY other suv out there. It has all the looks of the other "cookie cutter" suv's that Ford, GM, Nissan, Lexus, etc, have done to their flagship models. Perhaps they should rename them as of NOW to -- SV's. Sport Vehicle. Utility has gone by the wayside in my opinion. Or better yet, maybe they should rename them -- DUV's - Daily Urban Vehicles. For me, I think I'll go as high as a 2001 Runner for ownership. That is until I reach the age of 55. Then I might think about the plush "new" Runner. I'm out!

Whitey

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what's wrong with it other than the looks? Tech-wise, it looks pretty sweet.

Chris

 

I agree too, it's descent mechanical wise, it's like 4-wheeling in luxury. I do hate though the rear side extera stylying, that's just ugly in my opinion!

 

the only weak things i see are a 9" ground clearance, highway tires, and an ugly exterior. the interior is awesome. the t-case and 4wd system is the best they've created. the braking and steering system makes it safer and more realiable.

but lets face it guys, the demographics of the market for SUVs these days is mostly the upper class and mostly women, or more genaricaly, someone who isnt planning on using it as a trail rig/daily driver. so i will keep and cherish my 3rd gen for my trail and DD needs, but buying one for the wife wouldnt be such a bad idea.

just my $.02...lata!

 

Instead of typing it over Ill cut/paste...

 

Chris, I don't think my opinion of a particular vehicle is necessarily a "crap opinion" just because I disagree with how it looks. Like I said, it certainly is a far cry from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation runners. I'm sure the engineering that went into this machine is state of the art. What I think most of us that have posted in here about it is saying is -- It has become just another Soccer Mom type SUV. Or, like the one guy called it -- A Yuppy SUV.
Seems like it is very in vogue now days to be seen in an suv, so of course the manufacturers are making a product for that market and group of people.

My only beef with Toyota is why they did this to the Runner in the first place. They have the Highlander and Sequoia for the yuppies and soccer moms. They should have in my opinion just put the V8 as an option into the 2003 ( and left it a 3rd Gen Runner), and maybe done a few other mods. But to bastardize it like they did is just a shame. By the way.... have you ever seen a Lexus SUV at Moab? Or off road period? Put the 2003 Runner right along with the Lexus!

Whitey

 

yeah, i was thinking about that the other day - there are some SUVs that you just don't see offroad, or ever with modifications. the 2002 4runner may become one of those, one that people don't buy to do some serious 4x4 driving. maybe the 5th generation will come out sooner than previous new ones and will be the best one yet.

 

Well my opinion of the 3RD gen limited was "yuppie" and it will be the same for the 4th gen.. Leather and JBL reek of yuppie..But wait, arent a majority of 3Gen owners yuppies? Isnt that the only people who can afford them??

Anyway......
Just like the previous 4Runners, Toyota was trying to fill the best of both worlds, something you can take out on the town yet something that will function above the rest off road, to me they have achieved this result!! I’m not saying I dig the 4th gen at ALL, but you will see the 4th gen is setting a standard (as the 4Runner has ALWAYS done before), now the crap domestics can shoot for something!!

To slap a V8 in a 03 3gen is a band aid, and would have proven fatal to the 4Runner, this thing is already 2+ years over due for a face lift and with all the competitors releasing new models the 4Runner sales would have been null....

All I’m saying Whitey is give it time to soak in and see what the entire picture is about, its not always about trophy wife's getting groceries!!!

 

I'm with Whitey on this one, even though I have a 2002. It doesn't have all the extra plastic trim crap because I wanted a vehicle that I can drive hard. I don't want to worry that if I decide to go off the pavement or on a mtn trail I won't take a hard bump and crack a plastic bumper or trim. And I didn't want all the luxury options because most of them break after a while. If you want a nicely overdesigned vehicle with all the bells & whistles get the Highlander car type vehicles. But I think the 4-Runner should stick to the simple and tough design. And then mod-out to fit your personality. My .02 on my 02.

Cindy

 

I have yet to see anything about the 03 3runner as the stopped selling them in about 1996 even if they sold them over here i could not afford a new one the same goes for just about all other 4x4s thet are on the market and if i could would i realy want it scratch it up on the trails but hey if the soccer moms want to drive it around for a few years and then flog it at a price that i can afford then its on to the trails i go , so if it wernt for the yuppies that bought the earlier 4runners then how many of us would have thenm to day?

 

Exactly. Even if I could afford it, I wouldn't buy any SUV new to take offroading. It's just too much money to risk like that. However, I'll take my used (but new to me) 1997 4Runner offroad now. In a few years, when the 2003 is showing up on the used lots for a decent price, I'll take a look at them.

Besides, why spend so much money for a new rig when you can buy a good used one and use the savings to mod it up.

Chris

 

I agree, I should be able to buy a 2003 by 2007.

 

what's the definition of yuppie? I think the interior is nicer, but i can't believe they made it so that it's less cargo space....I like to have plenty of space......... I looked at the picture of the cargo area and i don't like that at all, i haven't seen the back seat yet but they said it has more room and that i like, I think i'll have to actually sit in one to really like the inside though, I like mine pretty well right now, the only problem is that sometimes when i'm going into the back seat i hit my head.

 

Like I said about a month ago..... I would much rather own the 2003 Hummer H2, instead of the 2003 4Runner. I would feel much more at ease taking the H2 off road than the '03 Runner. The '03 runner just looks too much like a Lexus RX300 SUV. The H2 looks sweet and bad enough to go to the Opera in, and then the next day head to the wildnerness.

Some day, I'm gonna get me an H2

Whitey

 

ya know just looking at what my 4runner would look like if I had bought a sport edition makes me want to cry.... I could have gotten a HOOD SCOOP!!!!!!....oh well.....guess i'll just have to guy the hood scoop seperate....that's the only thing I want from the sport package I think, I can buy a different skid plate

 

But having to stay under 19MPH regardlessly you will not be able to go with bigger tires as you would need that clearance full time not just once in a while.

Because of its low 9" clearance and anything over 2.5" of lift will wreak havoc on the CV's, the maximum lift you could go on the 2003 is around 11" (the stock height of a 3rd gen). Which basically means that you will never be able to go with any tires larger than the stock and you will have to put a 2" lift on the 2003 just to match a stock 4WD 3rd gen. So say goodbye to anything other than light trails and logging roads. Why should you have to pump it up in the first place, why not just leave it at the 11" and cut 2K off the price and just have that feature as an option used for towing? (which is what it was originally designed for anyways)

I'm not disliking it because of the new design asthetics, I like some of the new interior, exterior features and the new powerful engines, these features have been long over due ... I dislike it because it's not made for off-roading anymore! Toyota forgot the 4Runner's heritage and it's reason for even being here in the first place. Let's face it the 3rd gens are the last of a legend. The 2003 has gone by the way side of every other fat car wanna be mall runner.

IMHO the 3rd gen 4Runner was the only SUV left on the market that could keep pace with a Jeep Wrangler for off roading but still had the room for more than 2 people and all your stuff.

The only real off-road Utility Vehicles left in the U.S. Market is the Jeep Wrangler and the really expensive Hummer.

 

Yea, there you go Darren get out the blue wrench!!! We've got work to do !!!

 

You guys were all soooooo wrong! Who'd a thunk it?

 

Any word on when the 5th gen 4Runner is coming out?

 

Thread from Sept. 2002.

damn it's true, women never forget an argument!