shopping for a 96 - 2001 4runner

[UglyFJ60]

not ready to buy right now so unless you can wait untill feb don't try to sell me your rig. I am looking for 96 - 2001 (those are the years in my price range) mostly stock, it will be replacing my Wife's 99 town and country. it will be a family car and set up for light trail riding with the family, camping, towing behind the motorhome.

what should I be looking at besides normal used car stuff?
what kind of mpg should i expect from the auto
same question for the 5spd (leaning towards 5spd)
whats it cost to rebuild the automatic?
any Toyota specific issues?
I had a 2000 taco and it had the worst seats I have ever sat in, how are the seats in the 4Runner? I am thoroughly impressed with the build quality on Taco but not impressed with the fit and finnish.
possible to install a 3 point seatbelt in the middle rear seat?

looking to buy from outside the rust belt.

Would I be better off buying my wife an 80 series?

 

[slow95z]

mpg kinda sucks but thats to be expected from any SUV. anything from 15~18 from what i have seen
seats are fair, nothing to brag about but much better than a tacoma.
no idea on tranny problems or cost since none of my friends have ever had any work done other than regular fluid changes and filters
an 80 would be much nicer (lx450 even better) but the mpg would then go into the lower teens but you could then tow more and have a much better rig for camping.

its up to you on what to get really but if you are limited on price to that range for a 4runner then i think the 80 would be a bit more than you could afford unless you find a killer deal.best thing to do is find a friend with one or a dealer and then test drive one to see if the seats are up to what you want and if ther power is ok for you. i know its not the best info but no matter what you hear on a message board only you can decide if you like the car/truck and if it meets your needs which is why they make so many different types and options

 

[UglyFJ60]

thank you

 

[GRM]

what should I be looking at besides normal used car stuff?
-Not much, they are really good trucks
what kind of mpg should i expect from the auto
-Every time I have driven one, I would range from 17-18.5. If I kept it slow for a long time on the highway, it would get 23
whats it cost to rebuild the automatic?
any Toyota specific issues?
-Tend to have the rack and pinion go out, The starters also go out more regularly than other toyotas (every 100k or so)
I had a 2000 taco and it had the worst seats I have ever sat in, how are the seats in the 4Runner?
-The limited with power seats have noticeably better quality seats than the sr5 trucks.
I am thoroughly impressed with the build quality on Taco but not impressed with the fit and finnish.
-4runner is a slightly higher build quality, and better fit and finish (despite being an almost identical truck)
possible to install a 3 point seatbelt in the middle rear seat?


looking to buy from outside the rust belt.

Would I be better off buying my wife an 80 series?
-I think the 80 is a better truck, but gets 4 mpg less fuel economy. Both are good vehicles. Drive both, and see which one better fits your needs.

 

[UglyFJ60]

talked it over and she decided 4 runner because while I only drive 8 miles a day she drives 100 miles on friday and we put about 50 miles on it through the weekend. From what I can tell the 4Runner is lighter than the 80 series and it will fit on my trailer.

 

[Ian Rogers]

I have a 5 speed with a Super Charger , URD'S 7th injector. I get 18 in the city and 21 on the freeway I drive like a a-hole in the city and am shocked every time i fill up that i don't need more fuel. If you want a 5 speed the last model year they were available is 2000 non-Cali speck, or 99 in Cali. I search for a long time to find a 2000 5 speed and drove 350 mi to pick it up, I love it and would do it a again in a second. I have added the e-locker to my truck in july and think if you could find a 5 speed w a e-locker i would jump on it.

 

[hoch]

If it's going to be driven by your wife, I suggest a 2001-2002 (both should be in your price range) Limited. It's got traction control (all trim - SR5, SE, Limited) and anti-skid control (all trim). Limiteds just have a bit more lux in the options.

Oh, and all of my 3.4L Toyota's have averaged about 21 on the freeway and 17 in town. All have been solid and one was supercharged.

 

[vtcruiser60]

We have a 2001 limited and like it very much. Its very comfortable and performance is excellent.

This summer we drove across country and back, 9700 miles, and I had a lot of time to think about its performance. On average...we could easily do 22 mpg...two adults...two kids...fully loaded...hitch cargo carrier, thule box, and a disassembled metal tech cage strapped to the roof on the way home.

If you buy 87 octane or less, and are in some mountains...your average can dip right down to 15 mpg. The v6 is really quite strong on that truck, so keeping the tach under 1500 when accelerating really helps with the mpg.

We have had no troubles what so ever....but again, only have 96k on the truck. I don't really expect maintenance issues for another few years.

HTH

 

[slow95z]

i guess i was a bit off on the mpg but i dont know anyone who has a truck with stock size tires so that does kinda throw things off. seems you got the answers you were looking for. go buy one and drive it like you stole it.

 

[UglyFJ60]

yeah I like the 3.4L, in 18 months I put over 100,000 miles on my Tacoma, the only reason we don't still have it is because I had a 5 year lease and had to get rid of it so I didn't get hit on the mileage. If an engine can survive the way i drove 9 years ago (before kids) then it should last the normal person well over a million. I averaged 19 mpg and spent alot of time in 4wd and beat the dog snot out of it.

but I know from experience that just because 2 models share a front clip and an engine does not mean the rest is the same. IE...... a 91 ford ranger is not a 91 ford explorer. there are alot of mechanical differences that lead the explorer into being a more reliable vehicle so I was wondering if the same is true with toyota

guess I am just going to have to look inside one to get an answer on the seatbelt question. I seen a thread on a guy that put 3 point seatbelts in his 60.

 

[Happy Trails]

We have a 2001 limited and like it very much. Its very comfortable and performance is excellent.

This summer we drove across country and back, 9700 miles, and I had a lot of time to think about its performance. On average...we could easily do 22 mpg...two adults...two kids...fully loaded...hitch cargo carrier, thule box, and a disassembled metal tech cage strapped to the roof on the way home.

If you buy 87 octane or less, and are in some mountains...your average can dip right down to 15 mpg. The v6 is really quite strong on that truck, so keeping the tach under 1500 when accelerating really helps with the mpg.

We have had no troubles what so ever....but again, only have 96k on the truck. I don't really expect maintenance issues for another few years.

HTH

Sounds like our 4Runners and experiences are near identical, mine with a Yakima space case on top at times. Most I have gotten is 22MPG. Just love the VSC in inclement conditions. Very high build quality, no problems so far at 86,000 mi. I much prefer the styling of the 3rd Gen to the new ones. Hope the
5th Gen looks more like mine.

 

[slow95z]

how in the hell are you guys getting 22 mpg with an auto 4runner is what i want to know lol. is it 4x4???

 

[UglyFJ60]

I don't know what the norm is for a 4Runner but my taco averaged 19 and i got as good as 26 out of it with a 3.4L and 5spd on a road trip from AZ to Seattle to visit the inlaws.

 

[Happy Trails]

I must have had a good tail wind. Most of the time I get 18 at best hwy. Thing I like best about them is they feel rock solid. Everytime I get home from a vacation where I had to rent a car, I can't believe
how nice my 4Runner feels. Go for the Limited if you can, they have a few more luxuries, sound dampening insulation and nice seats(I agree, my tacoma seats are horrible.)

 

[slow95z]

yeah because 18 is about what my friends get on the highway with autos and 4x4. 22 mpg is just insane if its 4x4 all the way down to the low teens when loaded on road trips.

 

[apeterson]

I have gotten as good as 23.6 mpg that is going about 63-65mph on a longer ride... but I get 19.5 everyday and I drive mostly highways and drive like a grandpa. love my 98 limited... wish I could get an 80 but I drive 50 miles per day and getting 13 mpg is not in my game

 

[hoch]

Few other things I thought of:

Maybe it's just me, but I think my 4Runners were put together better than my Tacoma. Maybe because the 4Runner is made in Japan and the Tacoma is made here? I don't know. But I have rattles and such on the Tacoma where I didn't have any in my 4Runner with even more miles. But overall, they are all solid.

If you don't need the extra room or will be wheeling hardcore, I wouldn't get the 80. Maintenance and gas alone would scare me away. Besides, when I was looking into getting an 80, I looked for a solid year before giving up. Most were trashed or the owner did not take care of them at all. The clean ones were snatched up quickly. As time progresses, it will get harder and harder to locate one that will be in great shape (without them asking for lots of cash for them).

Also, even if you wanted to get the 4Runner more trail ready. it's plenty capable. So much you can do and so many quality aftermarket companies for support. Couple that with cheaper parts (than the 80), less maintenance costs, and better MPG, you've got a winner.

 

[UglyFJ60]

yeah. it will be a 4Runner for the wife dd/ family car. I plan on replacing my 60 with an 80 though.

 

[hoch]

UglyFJ - Even some 4th Gen's are coming way down in price. Check those out, too. The 4.0L is a much nicer engine, IMO. Same MPG, more power, simpler oil changes and timing chain.

 

[UglyFJ60]

UglyFJ - Even some 4th Gen's are coming way down in price. Check those out, too. The 4.0L is a much nicer engine, IMO. Same MPG, more power, simpler oil changes and timing chain.

not far enough though. only got a max of 6k on one. same deal for an 80 series. been sing alot 3rd gen for 5K or less around the 120,000 mile mark........ leaning heavily on the 5spd too.

I forgot about the damn oil changes ........ having to pull the skid plate on the Taco to get to the oil filter............ you should see what I gotta do on the Chrysler T&C.