you think that's bad, just FYI i had my 2nd gen weighted few weeks ago at a certified scale, 4280lbs withOUT my 180lb a$$ in there. i did have a fullzie 32" spare and roof rack on top at that time, plus a full tank of gas. that's 2 tons for the 150hp 3VZE to haul. 15mpg mixed hwy and local.

thanks for all your replies, i still have some ?'s. when was the first e-locker come out? and supercharger?

 

haha i hear you... def going to be about 250 at the wheels, not the crank
Unless i sell it for an 07 taco with the trd blower... but i can supercharge/urd/etc the 4runner for sooo much less.... (dont have to sell my truck)

 

I like my 97, mostly because i own it and its a 5speed 4wd with the 3rz

I think the best year would be the 98, you get some updated interior, but not as much electrical stuff as the 99+. You may sit lower than the 99, but you can always lift it.

 

kinda bring back a dead thread.

how do you know if one has the factory diff. locker? some sort of switch on the dash or i have to get under the truck to check out. if it does have an e-locker, how to test it?

thanks.

 

there is a RR diff lock button on the left side of the steering wheel for trucks that have the locker.

To test it just press it when in 4lo and you should hear a click from the rear.

 

99 Highlander 5 speed with e-locker

 

I'd have a hard time changing from my '99 to any other 3rd gen since I prefer the skiny black flares since they deal with brush rubs off-road better than painted plus the ergonomic upgrades were in place and the seats have better fabric than my '97 did and seem a bit more comfortable plus the Highlander models of '99 weren't so common and came in only two colors.

The big standouts in the ergonomic department IMO were:

cupholders (duh)
better headlamps
multiple power outlets (3 up front,1 in the rear)

 

"auto climate control, big fender flares, fully color matched and the selectable AWD... 2hi, 4hi, 4lo, and AWD... could you get any better than that"

That's only on the Limiteds in 99-00,the SR5s were the same as the older models except for the bigger flares which made it onto the SR5s in 2000.

 

I thought this had already been settled? Of course its the 99 w/ locker.

 

well........ jumpped boated on friday, i bought a '99 3.4L 4WD, no locker but it's a 5spd, sweeet! new clutch, 4 non-brandname yet brand new A/T tires

here are couple pix with the new ride side by side with my "now for sale" '94. gotta change my sig. soon.

 

I love my 2000 Limited, the clear headlight, the 4x4 package and the lockers, you can't go wrong. Only thing I wish I had was a set of 01 tail lights. They look alot better then the prior years. The Limited package is great too, climate control is great!

 

I wasn't sure about what a 4runner 'highlander' edition was until I found this page. Just a FYI
http://www.top4runners.com/ja/highlander.html
1999 is the first year the Highlander was introduced by Toyota. A 1999 Highlander is a Toyota 4Runner SR5 with the SP or SX Option Package. In 1999 it's exterior was available only in Black or Imperial Jade Mica. The Mica Jade came with an Oak interior, and the Black version came with either an Oak or Grey interior.

In 2000 the 4Runner Highlander was additionaly offered in Millenium Silver.