Hey guys, I'm needing some opinions on which vehicle to purchase. I have narrowed it down to two 4Runners that are slightly different.

Option #1: 2000 4Runner SR5 Sport- 4X4, forest green, tan cloth interior, 91K Miles, very clean. The owner just had the 100,000 mile service done, new timing belt and brand new tires. She has it listed at $11,500 but is willing to "take a couple thousand off" because she wants to get rid of it.



Option #2: 2000 4Runner Limited- 4x2, Black with tan trim, brown leather interior and wood grain trim, 79K miles and I have the service records up to 58K miles. Asking price is $9,950.



I am not a person who needs 4x4 per se, but there are probably a few times per year where my family and I could use it with mountain trips and other things. The SR5 Sport is less optioned but has 4X4 and the owner just did probably $2,000 worth of service to it. The Limited is 4X2 with lower mileage and nicer features, but I am not sure on the status of it's recent service.

What do you guys think? Can anyone shed anymore light on the issue? What type of difference can I expect in 4x4 and 4x2? Especially concerning gas mileage?

 

4x2 FTL

Plus, you know the Sport was serviced recently. Should be good for another 100k !

 

Well the one that was recently serviced is the 4X4, and what does FTL mean?

 

If you don't really need the 4Runner's offroad capability, forget them both and look for a good used Highlander instead.....but if the Highlander has the 3.0 L V6, be sure that oil changes are documented.

Why do I recommend the Highlander instead? Better ride, steering, handling, stability, and overall comfort as a daily driver. Highlanders, like 4Runners, are also available in 4x2 and 4X4 versions.

To answer your question about the difference, 4X2 will be easier to service, cheaper on gas, have slightly more payload, and deliver more of the engine's power to the drive wheels, but will not have the foul-weather traction of 4X4.

The 2WD Highlander is front-drive and will have better wet and snow traction than the 4 Runner's 2WD that drives the rear wheels. However, that is balanced out by the 4X4 4Runner's ability to switch from 2WD to 4WD and back with a dash switch......a feature that the 4WD Highlander, without a transfer case, lacks.

If it boils down to a choice between these 2 specific 4Runners, be careful with the one with brand-new tires, and have the alignment checked. Sometimes previous owners try to hide tire-wear problems caused by frame or suspension damage by covering it up with new tires that have not had a chance to wear unevenly yet. And just because this one had the 100,000 mile service, what other documentation do you have, and how many other times has it been serviced? You may not know. At least with the black Limited, you know the car's history up to 58,000 miles....and it has a lot less total miles than the green one.

 

Option 1 IMO. I would rather have 4wd. Just never made sense to me to purchase an SUV without 4wd (though who knows when you will actually need it in Georgia). She also seems to have taken great care of the truck as well. The front bumper of the second one seems to be detached a little bit as well. They both guzzle gas as well.

A friend of mine had an 01 4Runner. I hated riding in that thing. Its tall and narrow with very little room. Felt like it was going to roll over every time he made a turn.

 

I am not an offroad person, I had a 4runner limtied 4wd and never once used the 4wd, so to me, 4wd is just a nice option to have and it cost more gas...
I would rather have leather and sunroof....
it is all depends on what you want..

 

mmarshall- I looked at Highlanders, but they are still relatively expensive for my price range and I also don't care for them as much. I know they are smoother and better driving trucks, but I don't mind the change of a 4Runner from my Camry.

I'm really not that concerned with 4X4 or not, but more so with the overall condition of each vehicle. The black one seems to have some awkward gap between the body and the front bumper in that picture, but I am not sure. I still have to see both in person. The SR5 looks solid for several more miles and has brand new tires, but I am not sure about the last 20K on the Limited.

Whatever vehicle I get, will be checked throughly by a Toyota dealership before I purchase, so I'm trying to avoid any lemons or wrecked ones. I'll keep you guys updated.

 

If it's leather interior that isn't to your liking, go with the Sport. The only problem I had with the Limited model for that generation 4runner, oak was the only interior color available. I dislike oak/tan interiors. I do however have always liked the two tone trim of the Limited. Also the Sport model has the hood scoop which is purely for aesthetics. It does hinder your forward vision if that may be an issue. Good Luck.

 

It means that 4x2 SUV's are a waste - ie: if u don't need the 4x4, then do yourself and everyone else on the road a favor and buy a crossover, a hatchback, or a wagon.

 

EXCELLENT points!

 

In Georgia, he's rarely ever going to need 4x4 unless he's going offroad. Otherwise he might as well save the weight (and associated small reductions in fuel economy, handling, braking, acceleration, etc), complexity, and added parts to break.


You forgot towing. You can forget towing with a unibody highlander unless it's a tiny utility trailer.

Additionally some people prefer the feel of a body on frame type ride. Why? I don't know, but they just do.

 

LOL, the poll is tied at 5-5. Glad we could help!

 

Yes, you're correct that a 4Runner will generally out-tow a Highlander, but, of course, if you REALLY want to tow a load, you're not going to be looking at mid-sized SUV like that anyway.....you're going to be looking at Suburbans, Expeditions, Tahoes, etc.... or full-sized, frame-rail pickups.

 

I guess it depends on how much you want to tow.

Unibody vehicles just generally don't make that great of tow platforms by default because towing tends to put excessive wear on the structure of the vehicle. BOF setups see little if any wear from towing within their limits.

So the highlander "can" tow 3000 pounds or so if really necessary, but realistically you'd be being far kinder to the integrity and longevity of your car if you could avoid doing that or tow more like 1500 pounds.

Take a BOF structure like a 4Runner and the frame typically isn't bothered at all by the towing - the transmission, motor, and gearing become moreso the limiting factor. As far as how tow-worthy the 4runner motor and transmission are, I really don't know.

And yes, if you wanted to tow more than 5000 pounds or so, you'd be better off getting something bigger/stronger like a Tahoe or whatnot... though I'd say the typical family trailer with jetskis or 4wheelers or a little runabout boat for the lake would be well under that limit.

 

Hey guys. It turns out that the 4X2 Limited is a salvage title/rebuilt car, so I'm going to take a serious look at the green one in a while. I'll let you know!