Toyota 4runner

[NS Capital Man]

Just turned 18 and looking at getting a 4runner, first or second gen, for my first car, anyone on here got one? After some feedback on them, better getting petrol or diesel? how do they run on lpg? how are they generally on fuel? how many bikes can they carry in the back? How many km's on the car is too many to be worth buying? common problems? etc etc .... Just any knowledge on em would be appreciated

cheers

 

[trh510]

If you're also looking at the Jap import Surf turbo diesel version I know two people that have the cylinder heads crack after overheating. Would need to keep an eye on the cooling system. Slow as shit too but not a bad old truck.

 

[NS Capital Man]

thanks for that but not looking at the surfs because insurance on them is a pain and expensive (even more so for a p plater) because they're an import

 

[t510]

I had a Jap import turbo diesel Surf
First cylinder head cracked after 2 months of ownership.
Had it replaced and went through the whole cooling system and made sure it was up to spec.
Second brand new head cracked 9 months later in Halls Creek in WA.
Both times I was driving along all fine one minute then the temp gauge just went off the clock, no real warning and no time to do anything to prevent it.

I also had a 2.8 diesel Hilux dual cab ute, wasn't bad, wasn't great but it was dreadfully slow. Overtaking at highway speeds required a lot of planning.

Got a 4.2 Diesel Patrol now and I love it, especially since I put a turbo on.

 

[johnny]

Mate, I can't recall what year model mine was, I bought it in 2005 an it was a good few years old then.

Biggest lemon ever. The starter motor shits itself and the whole exhaust needs to be removed to replace it. I had troubles with my clutch, the line of which caught fire whilst doing shuttles and the whole motor eventually seized needing a full replacement. fuck-a-forerunner.

 

[moorey]

What's your budget? I considered all the options 18 months ago, and just found toyotas to be overpriced unless they were fully clapped out...and then still.
I decided on a 4yo Navara str dual cab diesel. Only 110,XXX on the clock, with service history, for $14k with rwc.
Goes like a top, great on fuel, and comfy (if not very vanilla, being the most common car on the road)
My couple of rides in a 4runner were pretty rough.
My 2c

 

[Kingshill]

Get the real thing, buy a Ford Bronco. The 4 runner is a cheap imitation!

No one complains about a bronco.:boink:

 

[treble]

What's your budget? I considered all the options 18 months ago, and just found toyotas to be overpriced unless they were fully clapped out...and then still.
I decided on a 4yo Navara str dual cab diesel. Only 110,XXX on the clock, with service history, for $14k with rwc.
Goes like a top, great on fuel, and comfy (if not very vanilla, being the most common car on the road)
My couple of rides in a 4runner were pretty rough.
My 2c

Im with Moorey on this one. I was in the market for a dual cab diesel a couple of years ago, I really wanted a Toyota. But you end up paying so much more solely for the badge. In the end i bought a Rodeo, I was able to get one that was nearly 10 years newer than the Toyota equivalent in my price range. The Rodeo has been faultless. It's no race car, but it 's been happily shuttling 4 people and 4 bikes all over Victoria since i bought it.

 

[Duane]

Had an '85 ten or more years ago. Mine was heavily modified and only got used for four wheel driving. Had a 2.4 diesel, usual things like clutch, starters. Did two front main seals, after the 2nd one I found there was a groove in the shaft. The window in the tailgate helps the tailgate fill with dust and water creating a great rust bath. The old gutters are prone to rusting, as is in behind the window trims. The diesel is gutless but apart from regular servicing and starters/alternators from submerging constant rivers and bogholes it ran ok. The alternators are a pain to rebuild with the vacuum pump on the back. I crossed a river with water lapping up the windscreen once and it got through but nearly floated away. The carpet was a pain for serious 4x4. It served me well but was pretty clapped out by the time I got rid of it, unless you are getting one for free I'd probably look for something newer.

 

[MelbRod]

Just turned 18 and looking at getting a 4runner, first or second gen, for my first car, anyone on here got one? After some feedback on them, better getting petrol or diesel? how do they run on lpg? how are they generally on fuel? how many bikes can they carry in the back? How many km's on the car is too many to be worth buying? common problems? etc etc .... Just any knowledge on em would be appreciated

cheers

So the general gist is....Everyone who ever owned one has blown it up and sold it, probably to an 18yo as their first car. These 18yos have then thrashed them for 3 years, blown them up, and sold them on to new 18yos. I hear there's a whole heap of 21-22yo guys out there, just busting to sell theirs on.

Even Moorey, whose other car is a Peugeot, couldn't convince himself to buy one.

So if you genuinely want some advice, take it from here, and stop the senseless cycle of 4runner-ism now. A twin cab anything, even a 10-12yo Hilux is a better option. (No, you can't have mine.) Fits four bikes in the back under the canopy with the front wheels off. (26" 100mm)

Failing that, for less money, look at a Falcon wagon. Not very sexy, but the closest I've ever come to driving around in a lounge room, and the supreme road trip machine.

 

[NS Capital Man]

Cheers for the help guys, looks like i'm gonna stay away from the 4runners

 

[stirk]

I've got a first gen in reasonably good condition. Petrol engine and very thirsty!

I just love that I can take the roof off and I then drive around in a convertible ute.

I think the pick of the 4runner is 2nd gen Deluxe, 2.8 litre diesel, if treated kindly a great truck.

Biggest problem is not the car but the owners.

 

[Flow-Rider]

I have a 2.4D., Hilux, single cab, 4x4, other than being pathetically slow, it has been a perfect vehicle. I have been using it for beach trips to Fraser island for the last seven years.

 

[stirk]

I have a 2.4D., Hilux, single cab, 4x4, other than being pathetically slow, its been a perfect vehicle. I have been using it for beach trips to Fraser island for the last seven years.

Pathetically slow is perfect for a teenager!

 

[taquar]

The 2.8 and 3 litre straight diesel hilux engines go forever, even if they're slow. The 3 litre TD ones are awesome, but you won't find one cheap. A courier, bravo or rodeo would also be an awesome choice. If there's no turbo who cares, less shit to pay to fix when it breaks.

Its your first car, who cares how much power its got as long as its cheap to run.

 

[freddofrog]

Back in the day in our 20s my brother had a forerunner and I had a hilux extracab. Both worked fine. Both did heaps of 4x4, beach work, camping etc. Never had any major dramas. Toyotas in general are extremely reliable. Thats why every mining company uses them. And the majority of 4x4s out bush will be toyoto or patrol.

 

[rearviewmirror]

There's a good reason that Toyotas cost more, and it's not just because of the badge. Anyway, I've owned numerous 4Runners with either the 3.0 or 3.4 petrol engine, all of them were rock solid, never a single issue. Engine is a bit anaemic, but reliable nonetheless. Buy one and enjoy it, if you want a Toyota stay the course, don't stray to another brand to save a few bucks, it's not worth it.

 

[taquar]

Agreed. I've got a 3ltr straight diesel hilux, 03 model. Its slow as fuck on the road but on the dirt it goes as hard as everything else. Beats a friends patrol which is great for laughs ound:
Don't forget that most utes of that era are all alike, petrols are thirsty and diesels don't have many balls. But they'll all last forever.

 

[fatboyonabike]

picking a good 4wd ute 2nd hand is probably twice as hard as picking Melbourne cup winners 6 years running....good luck.
do your research, check out the vehicle, and try to compare as many as you can before you decide on dropping the cash.
buy with your head, not your heart..and always sleep on the decision.
modern 4wd utes are all massively overpriced and poorly constructed, guess that's what you get when 90% of the market is made in Thailand!

 

[floody]

I've had Hiluxs and a Navara.

Hiluxs are frankly pretty fragile and vastly overpriced. The 3 litre diesel is good, the 2.4 and 2.7 petrol 4 cylinders are good, the V6s suck, the 2 litre, 2.2 litre petrol forklift motored things suck, all the 2.2-2.8 diesels suck. The big selling point in the pre '97 ones is the live axle front end, but in all reality that's no advantage until you're doing stuff that WILL break it in standard form anyway. They will go forever, yes, but nearly everything on them will be clapped out.

Have been driving a 4x2 '96 Navara for a while now (I call him 'Che') and everything in it is massively overbuilt compared to the Toyotas. The V6 petrol motor is great (and a mate's 2.4 petrol is much more refined and nicer to drive than a 2.4 petrol lux), diff in it is same as Patrols run (huge), gearbox is massive overkill, chassis are thick and deep channels, and overall it drives a lot tighter and seems more ruggedly put together than a similar era Hilux.

Another vote for the Navs. D21 and D22 are very rugged vehicles and come in a lot cheaper than Hiluxs. Some of the diesels may be problematic, don't know much about Nissan diesels.
Parts are cheap, primarily because they just don't smash diffs, gearboxes etc as regularly as Hiluxs do.