How good are 4 runners? (1 Viewer)

[BAMF_CT2004]

This is a simple decision. If you are concerned about gas mileage, then get a 3rd gen. If not, the get an 80 with the factory lockers.

I have owned and 80 and currently own a 3rd gen because of the 80 gas mileage. I need to use mine for work, and it just wasnt cost effective. You can easily fit 33s on the stock suspension of an 80. I know a guy that put on 37s with the stock suspension. Just had to do a little cutting.

More than likely when you pick up an 80 you will have to do quite a bit of maintenance to it. Probably a front axle rebuilt to start with. As long as the motor hasnt been stressed with heavy towing, it should last to 400k miles easy.

But if gas mileage is you concern, you can pick up a 3rd gen with the factory rear locker to and mods are cheap compared to the 80. When searching for a 3rd gen, could be a gamble. Take it to a reputable mechanic, to be inspected for signs of the milkshake in a tranny. The only flaw in the 3rd gen is the original radiator. A new radiator in a 3rd gen says that there is a pretty good chance it was milkshaked and someone dumped it before the trans gives. If you do find a 4runner with the original radiator, this is a good thing. You know it wasnt milkshaked and when you get it, change it IMEDIATELY!!!

 

[d0ubledown]

i went from 3rd gen to 80. reason being was that it accommodated 3 kids alot easier than the runner did. the extra width helped with car seats, as did the optional 3rd row seats. ive always wanted the 80, but they were still pricey at about 22-25ish grand when i was looking back in '04ish. once the 3rd baby came, in '09...80s became less expensive.

room wise, the cargo areas are similar, of course the cruiser being slightly wider. you can sleep in the rear, single without removing the 2nd row seats sleeping on an angle, or side by side removing the 2nd row, or adding a platform/drawer type setup to clear the wheel well arches.

if youre concerned about the cost of gas then go with a runner. i use mine as a DD...and checked my concerns regarding fuel at the door when i signed the dotted line. my commute to work is a 15 mile drive, mostly city. my oversize tire-corrected ultra-guage shows my average as 14.2mpg. i was getting about 16ish with my runner that was similarly built with 35's armor and 4.88s, so the cruiser wasnt much worse. or the 4runner wasnt much better.

the cruiser is a much different beast than the 4runner. its HD (3/4 or 1T), where the runner is considered half ton. theyre two different beasts. the AWD and size/running gear of the 80 makes it feel like a tank vs the runner. that said, the runner performed well for me, and i wheeled it alot harder than the 80. not for lack of wanting to, but family time has greatly minimized the hardcore wheeling time to more family outing expeditions. i still try to wheel the 80 as hard as i can...when i can.

maintenance: the runner has less 'issues'. no HG, PHH, EGR gremlins that like to frequent 80 owners. the IFS is less maintenance than a SFA, especially in a vehicle that is permanent 4wheel drive. building up an 80 vs runner is comparable for like sized lifts. the 80 being on coils n links all 4 corners, springs, shocks and caster bushings could be had for cheap. same with a 4runner lift. but once you want more lift on the 80, you need to look into more complicated caster correction/link/spring/shock upgrades, etc. with the runner, you can spend much more on a set of front coilovers, or a lame drop bracket lift which is not recommended. an axle swap on the runner is doable should you want to go that route.

...but there are reasons why people choose the land cruiser. its world renowned as the off road vehicle of choice. they hold a certain image that the rest of the toyota 4X4s dont have. not that they're all inferior or anything...maybe its because they dont have the history the cruisers have.

you cant go wrong with either.

 

[Combat Chuck]

personally, I'd only own an 80 if I could get an H151F behind it, which is unobtainium and a half here in the 'States, which means that if I had to own a modern "SUV" I'd take a 4Runner, though preferably with a 7M-GE instead of the 3 or 5VZ-E. I'll always perfer a straight block over anything V.