My wallet sees it slightly differently.
Talk me out of a 5th gen Runner
- Thread starter dividedan
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My wallet sees it slightly differently.
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What is your budget for 5th gen 4Runner?
An early 200 will blow any 5th gen 4Runner out of the water. ISYN.
An early 200 will blow any 5th gen 4Runner out of the water. ISYN.
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I’m looking at 2013/14, trying to keep it under 20K so I’m not in 200 league at all.
13/14 4Runner for sub $20k? Hmm, don't think you're in the range there unless it's salvage title.
I think it depends on what you want. Do you just want a nice ride for some camping and light wheeling or are you an enthusiast that wants a Land Cruiser?
The 100 series are getting some age on them and all are going to need some work. If you like wrenching yourself they're great and in my experience, not terribly expensive or difficult to maintain. The build quality is in matched, IMO. You're going to have more room in the 100 as well.
If you just need a good ride, a T4R is definitely a solid choice.
Edit to add: for $20k you could buy and build a heck of a rig out of a 100 series.
The 100 series are getting some age on them and all are going to need some work. If you like wrenching yourself they're great and in my experience, not terribly expensive or difficult to maintain. The build quality is in matched, IMO. You're going to have more room in the 100 as well.
If you just need a good ride, a T4R is definitely a solid choice.
Edit to add: for $20k you could buy and build a heck of a rig out of a 100 series.
Just a heads up, but the 4runner doesnt have that great of a crash rating for small overlap. We were looking at them back in December and that small overlap crash test scared us away.
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Why do so many people think it has to be 100 series or 5th gen 4Runner?
What about 08-10 200?
200s are amazing.
What about 08-10 200?
200s are amazing.
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They’re pushing 30 if they have decent miles on em. I’ve found lots of early 5th gens for 18-20.
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What do you call “decent” mileage?
Mileage means nothing if a cruiser has been property maintained.
Paying a premium for low mileage is a great way to waste money.
You vs the guy she told you not to worry about
trdcorolla
SILVER Star
You can compromise and get a 4WD 4th gen 4runner with a 4.7 V8. You'll have a 4runner with the same motor and transmission as a similar year 100, 
.
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True, I’m sure mileage as a surrogate for truck condition is not a good one, especially in a vehicle pushing 20 years and many of the low mileage examples did a lot of sitting around. I didn’t realize the older 200s were in that range, but unfortunately it’s just out of mine at the moment!
I am pretty familiar with both vehicles, as i've owned 3 100 series and my brother has a 5th gen that i drove for a bit and let me tell you, the ergonomics of the 4Runner is just plain weird, the seating position, i never got used to it, can't imagine driving for long distance without hurting my back. The 100 i can drive to the moon and back and still be fine. Also the power delivery of the 4runner is not as smooth, i dont know if it's faster than my 100, but it didn't feel that way to me. You'd have to really get on it to get it to move, this is in stock form, i can't imagine loading it up and driving it.
Everything is beefier on the 100, take the knuckle off and you'll see what i mean, i almost crapped my pants when i had to remove that to do my axles. The suspension in my LX is like riding on a cloud, and the truck is so smooth and quiet i can hear queefs when someone uncross their legs. Offroad, they're both very capable, not sure why some people say the 4runner is smaller and should do better on trails, they're pretty much the exact same length and width, the 4gens are narrower and nimbler. 4th gen 4.7 V8 > 5th gen any day.
I see 100 series maybe once a week, i see 4runners on the road 5-6x a day, they're like jeeps, everywhere. They sure do look good when decked out with the right mods however, i love the way they look, much more modern, but it's not for me.
This is hot
Everything is beefier on the 100, take the knuckle off and you'll see what i mean, i almost crapped my pants when i had to remove that to do my axles. The suspension in my LX is like riding on a cloud, and the truck is so smooth and quiet i can hear queefs when someone uncross their legs. Offroad, they're both very capable, not sure why some people say the 4runner is smaller and should do better on trails, they're pretty much the exact same length and width, the 4gens are narrower and nimbler. 4th gen 4.7 V8 > 5th gen any day.
I see 100 series maybe once a week, i see 4runners on the road 5-6x a day, they're like jeeps, everywhere. They sure do look good when decked out with the right mods however, i love the way they look, much more modern, but it's not for me.
This is hot
Yes, 13-15 mpg sucks.
Tireless conversations from admiring fans wanting to know more of that sweet cruiser instead of your average joe 4 runners.
More expensive parts.
Wider so you will get more pin stripes if you plan to follow jeeps around tight trails
its going to take a long time to find a perfect cruiser because of limited availability so if being frugal its cheaper and easier to find a 4 runner.
Tireless conversations from admiring fans wanting to know more of that sweet cruiser instead of your average joe 4 runners.
More expensive parts.
Wider so you will get more pin stripes if you plan to follow jeeps around tight trails
its going to take a long time to find a perfect cruiser because of limited availability so if being frugal its cheaper and easier to find a 4 runner.
Ended up with a 2017 SR5 as a rental car for a week of exploring in the deep South. After a 1000 miles in that tinny, hard to be comfortable in, poor visibility, gutless silver slug I was thrilled to climb back into the 100 and be reminded why the Land Cruiser is the best 4wd SUV on the planet.
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The truth is a don’t want a 4Runner and I want a Cruiser. But that decision is not purely logical, a lot of it is based on the intangibles that all of you recognize already. Am I a Land Cruiser enthusiast? Not yet! (Figured you should own one before taking that title.) But owning a vehicle with that kind of following and reputation seems special in some way. I just wanted to know the details of the differences and what you give up buying a 15 year old truck for it’s history. I’m glad it came down to “it’s just not a Land Cruiser” actually. Thanks all!
This was about what I was going to say. 4Runners are fine economy SUVs. They do it all "right". But they are not a Land Cruiser.
Ok after your first post, i was with the majority, get a 4Runner. I can 100% empathize with your comment about having the will, but not the time, to maintain it yourself.
After this post, as a guy who has gone through WAY too many vehicles in his 20 years as a driver, get the car that you will look back at with satisfaction after you park it. If you don’t lust after it before you buy it, you will loathe it down the line. I don’t even think you need to drive them. Just sit in a competitively priced 100 and 4Runner back to back if possible. Set it up so you can test drive one to go see the other. The choice will be easy.
If the Landcruiser speaks to you in some intangible way, then you will likely enjoy it longer.
If you feel uncomfortable about it financially, then pause. Both are gas guzzlers. I think maintenance is a wash. You’re always rolling dice with a used vehicle, but with a Toyota truck the odds are better to be in your favor.
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- #40
@LandCruiserPDX thanks for the perspective. I should also say I have a good friend who runs a Land Cruiser shop and is stoked to help me learn how to wrench on the thing. You can't go around making decisions by trusting your gut all the time, but sometimes you have to!
