To buy or not to buy 1997 Toyota 4runner with turbo diesel (1 Viewer)

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Sep 24, 2019
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I recently sold my beloved 2003 Toyota 4runner, the only vehicle I've ever kept for longer than a year and bought a salvage 2018 Subaru Crosstrek with 9000 miles. I rebuilt it ( bumper, hood, airbags, radiator support) investing a total of 12000, including buying the car. I have been driving it for the better part of 6 months. It's a fantastic vehicle and gets wonderful mpg (34 hwy) while having 9 inches of ground clearance. It's a perfect vehicle for commuting which I am currently doing 30-50 miles a day, 6 days a week. Despite this, it simply isn't the same as my 4runner and doesn't feel like my type of car. I got my cross to get better mpg, as my 13-15 mpg was dismally disappointing. I have the opportunity to get a 97 4runner with a turbo diesel kz-te engine for 8000. It looks like a very clean swap maintaining most of the original Toyota parts. It has 300,000 miles but only 70,000 on the engine. It gets 27 mpg hwy. It's almost my dream vehicle. Which would be the 4th gen with a turbo diesel, as I find the 3rd gen slightly dated. Which brings me to my question, should I sell my Crosstrek and go for it and try to update it as best I can? Or should I sell my Crosstrek and find a 2016+ Tacoma to rebuild and be content with 20mpg? Just looking for opinions, also do you think I would have any problem reselling the 4runner if I decide to go for it?
 
IMO so take it with a grain of salt, you'll have to save a lot in gas money in order to offset the cost of purchasing another vehicle. $12k would've bought a lot of gas even at 15 mpg.
However if you are in a position to purchase the 4Runner then go for it. Any flexibility in your budget to go up to a diesel 80 series? If not, the 4runner wouldn't be terrible. And why worry about resell, keep it and if it isn't mpg friendly spend $2k on a crapbox to drive to work in.
HTH
 
I Which brings me to my question, should I sell my Crosstrek and go for it and try to update it as best I can? Or should I sell my Crosstrek and find a 2016+ Tacoma to rebuild and be content with 20mpg?..

I would not sell the Crosstrek. If you still want a real truck, but a cheap old 4Runner or Hilux/Tacoma.
Wouldn't buy the diesel swapped 4Runner unless it was quite a bit less than that asking price.
 

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