Looking at "upgrading" from the 4Runner to a Sequoia. Pretty much strictly for more room inside and a bit better towing capacity.

Anyways.. I found this one in town:

http://www.showitandsellit.ca/Vehicle.aspx?id=86

Had a look at it yesterday.. it's in pretty good shape other than the cosmetic stuff. Has a big nasty gouge/scratch on the rear drivers side bumper that you can see in the pics. 222,000km (138K miles).

I'm a bit worried that the lack of care to the exterior could mean that the mechanical care wasn't there either.. i.e. - no regular maintenance. I've asked a few questions to see if I can get some service records, etc.

I'm curious what you guys think.. obviously it's priced significantly lower than other Sequoia's around of the same year. I'm fairly confident that I could fix most of the cosmetic stuff myself.. do you think the price is worth the hassle?

 

I absoutley love my 04 sequoia. its an sr5 as well but has some limited upgrades that the previous owner bought it with from the factory. there is gobs of room in the back. my 6'2 buddy was in the middle seat and his knees couldnt hit my seat with it all the way back. the only area that i was disappointed with was the power. seems that with that big of a suv and the 4.7 it lacks a little but still much better than the 3.4! i cant say a bad thing about mine at all. i love it.

 

You said you're looking for an upgrade for towing... if it's 3-4k that you just want to move around faster, Sequoia will do it. 5k+ and it really isn't happy, only ~230 horsepower, no low end torque, 4 speed auto. Hey, at least it's not a Dodge auto

The 01-02's had weak transmissions. NEVER tow in OD, even if it's just a jet-ski. Make sure it's had the timing belt done. Check for rust on important suspension components (rear swaybar links to be specific). Check for ball-joint recall having been performed.

 

I guess i'm going to have to write down a bunch of questions regarding the maintenance history when I go back for a test drive.. make sure I don't forget anything. Thanks for the comments guys.

Yeah, our travel trailer is ~2500-3000 pounds depending on what we have in it. The 4Runner can handle it alright at lower speeds, but on the highway it's a chore to keep up to speed. The main highway we take to drive to our regular camping spot is mostly one lane each way and very small shoulders.. I feel like a jerk when there's a line up of cars behind me and I have no room to pull over..

*edit* Did a quick search and answered me own questions.

 

I'd buy it, i like the sequoia and there is alot of potential in it.