Greetings all

I am interested in buying a 4Runner that will be used as a daily driver. We get snow and ice in the winter so a good 4 wheel drive is required. I wil be transporting a young child daily so it must be safe and dependable. I am mechanical and have basic garage tools but at 55 I would rather not do more than general manit. My finances put me in the market of a vehicle that will have over 150,000 miles.

I am looking for advise on what to look out for. I will research the forum but I will appreciate your feedback.

Thanks

 

welcome to yota tech,
You have a few different generations to choose from
1st Generation: 84-85 will have a straight axle up front and a removeable top, 86-89 looks looks the same but has indepedent front suspensions=IFS and rear leaf spring suspension

88 brought out the 3.0 V-6
2nd gen 90-95 gives you the 4 door option, IFS and coil spring rear suspension

3rd Gen 96-02 had the 3.4 v-6

after that I forget

I would recommend staying away from the 3.0, some folks love it, but it is a turd..head gasket issues, bad mileage and gutless...

you can find good deals on 3rd gens, which would also give you airbags( to the best of my knowledge)

Good luck in your search

 

Great , this is the kind of info I am looking for. It sounds like 3rd gen is my targer. I need 4 doors for car seat access.

I have not kept up on recalls or issues like the head gasket you mentioned.

I confess I do not know al lot about Toyota other than reputation. We bought a FJ a couple of months ago and I love it but it is my wifes DD.

 

I have/had all 3 generations with all the different motors and all are great. I definetly like the 22re as it is easiest to work on from my view.

The 3.0 does get a bad reputaion, but look at the high miles they will go. The 3.4 has power and dependability, but can cost a little more to work on, but that goes with V6 territory.

Some have the rer heater option I would check into. I like having mine.

Occasionally you can find a 22re in a 2nd gen runner.

A second or third gen is probably the one you would be intrested just for 4WD and 4 doors.

This is just my opinion, I have liked them all. Try testing 2 or 3 in each generation and see which one would best work for you.

Also, I wont even look a domestic model with 150k miles but on a well maintained Toyota, dont let it bother you.

 

1st gens are the best for wheeling, especially an 84 or 85 with a solid front axle. They only have 2 doors though. which sucks with car seats. Also mine does awesome in the snow off roading, but driving on a road with snow sucks. No advanced traction controls and my brakes lock up on ice with little pressure applied on the pedal. But I dont have a lot of experience in the snow.

2nd gens are nicer and 90 percent(?) were 4 doors. But also the greater majority were the 3.0...which really is a turd. The 22re though is a great engine. I ran mine with 1-2 qt of oil for 300 miles at 3500 rmps and it is still fine.(valve cover gasket went bad driving from new mexico to colorado) My first engine had 250,000 original miles till I blew it wheeling in the snow due to another low oil situation.(Bad oil pan gasket....only a couple cups were in there when I noticed a bad knock on the way home.)
3RD gens are my favorite. Still good wheeling, safer, and I beleive they had maybe an ABS system or something similar. Four doors. A 4 cyl engine was offered, but I believe the 3.4 V6 was more popular.and it is a great engine. lots of power and the reliability of a toyota still. 4 grand(?) could get you a nice one with 150,000 miles.
Happy hunting and welcome to an addiction if you decide to offroad it

 

Get a 96-02 4runer with the 3.4.... auto or manual, doesn't matter.

Keep up with regular maintenance (change all fluids, etc.) make sure the t-belt / bearings / waterpump are in good shape, change the rad if it hasn't been (search: strawberry milkshake), probably will have to change the o2 sensors at that mileage (buy new ones from urdusa.com... good place to deal with)
These things are tanks, my 99' limited has over 210,000miles and runs like a top...
3rd gens are much safer than the older ones, much less tippy, more traction, etc... plus easier to get parts because it's newer...

Also, working with lots of 88-99 4runners... everything is made "better" on the 3rd gens... wiring harness connectors and protectors are much nicer, clips/screws are tougher, pieces are designed to last... and they do not rust near as bad as the 84-95's...
I love my 89', but i'm swapping as many "newer 3rd gen" parts over as i can, (motor, axle, clutch, centre console, etc etc etc)

 

You are going to want a 2nd gen 1990 or newer with the small child. I have an 89 (first gen) and...well its a pain to get my kids in and out of the back seat. Also with the age of the vehicle there is generally more maintenance required. If I were looking for a family rig I would look for a 96 or newer with 150k miles or less. That should be reasonable priced and still give you a lot of reliable miles left.

But either way you go you are making a good choice with a Toyota! Welcome to yotatech.

 

What are your thoughts on the 2004 models? I am looking at 2, one has a V6 and one has a V8. They are both around 70,000 miles. I like the lower milage but I do not know what work has been done, like the timing belt.

 

IIRC the V6 has a timing chain

The newer trucks are nice too, safer, mileage may be a bit better, more power, and probably better DD's.

Not enough headroom or legroom for me tho (with the sunroof)... i'm 6'4...