Doing research

Hi, my name is Gary, wife and i are retired. I was lucky to grow up in the late 60s and early 70s with some of the greatest cars ever made. I've always loved cars, still do. Joined this forum looking for help. We live in Maine with snowy winters. I have a driveway that my four wheel drive Kubota can't climb without chains. My PU is rusting out. Downsizing to one vehicle seems to make sense.
Went looking at a Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander, saw a 4Runner and stopped there. This seems to be exactly what I want. I dont want a lot of bells and whistles and i don't want a computer driving for me. So im looking for knowledge from car lovers which is what forums like this are all about. Thanks

 

Welcome. There's a lot of good choices in vehicles these days but the 4Runner is really a fantastic choice. Hope you decide on one.

 

I'm 84, a dual citizen and I've lived in Ontario, Connecticut, Maine, Washington State and now B.C., Canada. I've owned 10 different 4x4s since 1960, American (5), British (2), Japanese (3). The '16 Toyota 4R Trail is, far and away, the most comfortable and best handling on the highway of any of them. It is also absolutely as capable off road as the British Land Rovers I had in the 1970s when I lived in Maine, or the '15 Jeep Wrangler 4 door that I traded on it last September. You can't go wrong with a 4Runner. - Ted

 

Out in California and throughout the Rockies, Sierra Nevada's and via a couple cross country trips, in the Green Mountains of my home state, and the White Mountains next door, as a hunter, wildlife photographer, and certified nut job in the pursuit of everything outdoors in the most nclimate weather, I can tell you that 1. With the proper driver, there is nothing more capable off-road that's a daily driver than a forerunner. 2. If you want to get away from computer assisted driving then check out the 3rd gen models or mod the 4th gen so you can kill ABS and the dozens of other granny stuff the truck will do for you. I have no experience with the 5th gen so I can't comment there. I too built the 60s and early 70s cars; the SSes and the Hemi's when the choices were simpler. These trucks, and there gas guzzling big cousins, the Landcruizer, are the top of the heap. Nothing else to consider for multipurpose, and "making that driveway" will seem strange to you as a problem once you own one. Unmatches capability out of the box, and you can mod to meet your needs. T