Looking to buy my first T4R - questions

I'm planning on buying my first T4R. Looking for an 2008-2011, less than 200k miles, and under $16k. Don't plan on doing much off-roading. Had some questions:

1. Is that a realistic budget?
2. All things equal, any reason to get a 5th gen over 4th gen or vice versa?
3. What things should I be on the lookout for when inspecting?
4. What options/packages really matter and which ones don't?
5. Any tips on finding good mechanics for a PPI? Good chance I am going to have to go out of town to find exactly what I am looking for.

 

Maybe you should invest in a 3rd gen? They are more closely related to a Land Cruiser than these newer models....

 

I'm not looking for something like a Land Cruiser or something that old. This is going to be my daily driver so I need something with as few miles as possible. Thanks!

 

Go for a new SR5 V6. It will last forever. Just the basic for $35,000.
What! a 5 year warrantee.
I own a 2005 I bought new and it still runs like new with 150,000 miles.
Same exhaust system.
Just change the oil every 5000 miles and tranny at 100,000.

 

A 4th gen 2008-2009 model years can be had for that price and mileage.

I like the V6 for reliability and fuel economy. The SR5 package is nice. Limited has a few more bells and whistles. I’m not a fan of the Sport package appearance.

 

Sale price: these rigs have good resale value, so you'll pay the going price for any year/mileage combination unless there's something amiss; plan accordingly

The 5th gen are pretty rock solid, but feel "slow"
The 4th gen have a v8 option, which some love
There are a few bells and whistles on the 5 gen
4th gen with XREAS should be checked out and may be near replacement; you'll likely be going with a different setup, since XREAS is $$$
KDSS on some 5th gen is a love/hate item, so test drive accordingly
Watch for rust in certain areas; can't tell you how to check, since we don't get that here, but it's a thing of course
Buying a used 4x4 is something everyone has an opinion on; make sure all drives engage, some 4Rs that don't get used often won't engage well (or at all) in all drives

That's enough to get you started... not sure how to find a mechanic, but maybe a national site like cartalk.com or one of those pay to play sites (don't remember any names, but you can search them out)... good luck