I want to solicit some feedback on this.
We've got a 2003 4Runner. It's pretty good. It's paid for, and I don't care if it gets scratches on it. We use it to tow the boat, go on trips, drive on the beach and carry big items. If I want to carry something that I don't want to put inside, I have a 5x8 utility trailer that I can chuck things on. It's working pretty well.
The only two quibbles I have about it is that it doesn't have a bed and the gas mileage suuuuucks. I know that going to a truck isn't going to improve the gas mileage very much, and that we'll lose the enclosed cargo space, but being able to chuck things in the bed or haul mulch and stuff back there is kind of tempting. Additionally, having a more up to date vehicle with modern safety features won't make me sad, either.
I'm considering looking at something new-ish- probably 5 years old. I'd like a 6 foot bed and the ability to tow at least 5000 pounds without worrying about it. It'll have to be 4x4, because it will become the beach vehicle.
Tell me why I shouldn't consider getting a newer truck.
Because if you don't get 350k out of your 4Runner you've been cheated? Our 2005 V8 is the newest car in the fleet, has 200k on it and I'll take it anywhere, any time.
How about buying a better trailer?
In reply to paddygarcia :
I've got about 40k more miles to drive in order to hit 350k.
A different trailer isn't something I'd actually considered. I'll look at those options.
In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :
Selling your 4Runner now, in this covid confused used car market will bring max dollars but be sure to price and source a 5 yr old truck before making a move. You may be surprised by what it costs to get what you want, if you can even find it.
I've had SUVs and pickups, and I have a pickup now. I like the open bed for chuckability, hauling stuff like firewood and potting soil, gas cans, etc. The flip side is that the SUV has storage that you KNOW is dry even in the worst weather. Even with high end bed covers, there's always a good chance of leaks. I'm not sure one is better than the other, just know your use cases.
the truck's full size so it tows more, but that's more size than layout.
I've had a 4Runner and an FJ Cruiser, both great vehicles. A few months ago I sold off a Sienna van and replaced it with a 2013 F-150 Crew Cab with the 3.5 Ecoboost. It is a fantastic truck. Tows a race car trailer like it's barely there. Gets 17.5mpg highway. The backseat is huge, making it very great for family road trips or big cargo that must stay dry/secure. I have a tonneau cover and a Bed Rug on mine, so it's basically like having a giant trunk. The bed stays dry unless there's sideways, biblical rain- and even then only a little bit of water gets in. Possibly the best vehicle I've owned.
This weekend I took it up to the mountains. In the bed I had firewood and SoloStove, two mountain bikes, big cooler and fishing gear. Proceeded to load filthy/wet/muddy stuff in and out all weekend. I used a blower to clean out the bed on Sunday and in 10 minutes it was good as new.
The only downside I can think of is that the used truck market is very, very tight right now and clean ones are fetching top dollar.
Get a better trailer (DUH), COVID pricing for trucks.
I also thought of "Just rent a pickup if you really need a pickup."
Getting mulch isn't an impulse purchase, rent a truck for that kind of stuff.
I have an '05 4runner V8 sport we affectionately call "The Foreigner 4". It's got some damage on every body panel, and when the dealership air freshener spray wore off and the moon roof drains clogged and the passenger footwell carpet got wet, it smelled awful inside - purchase of an ozone generator pretty much cured it. Early in The Great Corn-teen on a trip to Tractor Supply for a couple 5 gallon cans of actual solvent type parts washer fluid, the oil light flashed a couple times and to my horror, it was off the bottom of the dipstick; troubling as it never before used any oil to speak of between changes. I bought enough for an oil change at the Tractor Supply, then ended up putting most of it in to get it home. It turned out to be a pinholed oil filter. The powdercoat or paint film was intact but salt had gotten under a blister, and made a pinhole on the top, which made a fast drip at idle. While I was there I discovered a torn inner CV boot, so while at NAPA buying MORE oil and a filter the next day I got a boot kit which went surprisingly easily. With it no longer about to grenade, I found both a good used moon roof assembly on Craigslist and a whole pleasant day to install it. It has about 130k miles now, and there was no evidence the timing belt had ever been replaced, so I finally bit the bullet and did it, and it too was not nearly as awful as I'd anticipated. Immediately on completion the trans cooler hard line set that routes from right to left under the core support blew a leak, unsurprisingly from a corrosion pinhole. That Dorman makes the part and it was in stock at nearly every Advance Auto near me informs that this is a totally normal failure mode. So it's nearly sorted except for the exhaust header cracks that all the 4.7 V8s get, and the coil cap bolts realistically will all need to be drilled out to do the plugs. I reckon at some point I'll throw down for a set of Doug Thorley headers, and do the rest.
I'm stopping at my nearest Certifit (Sorta-fit) in a couple days for a new front bumper cover and marker lights, and I'll paint all the plastic cladding texture black.
The sport has GIANT brakes, and diagonally linked shocks, so it drives like a car, pretty much. I tow my sports racer on an open trailer, so the ridiculous tools and spares inventory rides in the back, and the access through doors and hatch is excellent. When I towed with a Tacoma with a cap my knees were always hurtin' from crawling in and out all weekend to get stuff.
I consistently regret having to sell our 2008 4Runner SportEdition. Such a perfect size for nearly everything. Except 2 kids and a dog, so my wife wanted something bigger, so we have a Sequoia now. But the 4Runner was a far better driver.
Go get an inexpensive utility trailer (4x8) for when you need to get mulch or stuff....
First dibs in case you sell?
Love our FC Cruiser Trail team. Especially now that's it's a 7 passenger, thanks to Mazdadeuce -Seth on this forum
that said I love our tacoma 100x better than my FJC. Because having a truck with a 6.5 bed is what we need and use.
utility trailer is a pain in the butt.
Keep the 4runner and get a cheap beater truck. Being able to just chuck stuff in the back and not worry about getting your interior filthy and scratched up is worth the piece of mind
One of my biggest automotive regrets was getting rid of my T4R. I purchased a Tundra to replace it and it was a GREAT truck, but I still prefer the enclosed cargo area. When I needed to haul, I pulled a trailer(utility, open car or small dump). I also made good use of a heavy-duty hitch hauler for many years.
Placemotorsports said:
get a cheap beater truck.
not really a possibility any more. Beaters are wrecked... 200K mile chevy's are $5-7k... Hence why I bought a suburban instead of a truck.. Can do most of the things and cost me $3k instead of $7k... for same miles.. the market is weird right now.
As for the Op.. I'd keep what you have until things level out a bit.. the prices are out of whack.. you'll pay $30K for a 5 year old truck wtih 100K miles on it.. Want a toyota version of that and you're looking near $40k.. not my idea of a bargain..
Once the printer stops going brrrrrrrrr... The prices will drop.
Fueled by Caffeine said:
Placemotorsports said:
get a cheap beater truck.
not really a possibility any more. Beaters are wrecked... 200K mile chevy's are $5-7k... Hence why I bought a suburban instead of a truck.. Can do most of the things and cost me $3k instead of $7k... for same miles.. the market is weird right now.
They are out there, at least in my neck of the woods. You just have to be quick and have cash ready. Facebook yard sale pages are riddled with them. For cheap expect rocker rust and miles but if you just want a hauler for once in a while they do the trick.
when i finally got rid of my 4runner it was for the fuel economy and too much offroad capability I would realistically never use. It would have happily given me another decade of use as long as I was happy putting 15mpg fuel ups into it. Which I wasn't. I ended up replacing it with a honda ridgeline which was a good compromise with the trunk and magic seats in the rear. With the size of the rear seats on half-tons these days, the dry cargo thing is not as big of a deal anymore.
Placemotorsports said:
Fueled by Caffeine said:
Placemotorsports said:
get a cheap beater truck.
not really a possibility any more. Beaters are wrecked... 200K mile chevy's are $5-7k... Hence why I bought a suburban instead of a truck.. Can do most of the things and cost me $3k instead of $7k... for same miles.. the market is weird right now.
They are out there, at least in my neck of the woods. You just have to be quick and have cash ready. Facebook yard sale pages are riddled with them. For cheap expect rocker rust and miles but if you just want a hauler for once in a while they do the trick.
For under $10k, if you're not towing heavily, the 2005+ Frontier is a great option. You have to be careful for early years with the "SMOD" issue, radiator and trans fluid contamination, which was fixed in later years. But they are a great value if you just need a bed and do light towing. No tacoma or 1/2 ton tax, dirt simple, and the 4.0L is quite peppy.
Now is the time to sell, but not buy, a used truck (or any vehicle). If you can sell the 4runner at a decent price, buy something cheaper for the short term and revisit a newer truck once the market settles down.
