Thinking of trading in the 4R...

I've been wanting to move to a fullsize truck for a while, I think I'm going to pull the trigger soon. I'm looking to go brand new this time, I've never owned a brand new vehicle. I tend to buy them closer to 100K and then mile them out. Be nice to start with something new that I can take care of correctly from the start.

Rather than trying to sell the 4R first, I think I'm just going to trade it, assuming I get a fair offer.

It's going to hit 200k in 60 miles, and needs a set of tires and the needle bearing is going. Is it worth fixing these issues, or at least throwing a cheap set of tires on it before trading?

I'm under the assumption that they're just going to wholesale it anyway and any money I spend will be wasted, but with how popular 4Rs are, I dunno. I hardly ever do this stuff, lately. It's been about every 7 years or so that I get a vehicle and have to deal with dealers.

 

I don't think I would bother with the tires. I suppose you could always stop at a dealership and see if they will do the needle bearing for you. As long as there is no cost in that to you, there's no reason not to do it.

What type of full size are you looking at?

 

spending the money for repairs just to get rid of it to trade isn't going to benefit you any. If you were selling privately, yes fix it.

 

I am in a similar situation. I need a full size truck given my current situation. My 4runner has comparable miles to yours.
Since you are buying new, get any that you like with a solid extended warranty.
From my extensive survey they are all trash. Even the new Tundra. However, I ve been told the 2025 models are finally working okay.
I am only looking at the used market and my
option is limited to the 19-21 Tundra but people are asking absurd prices for them.

I, however will hold onto the 4runner. I have put in too much into it, and it works just fine for me to sell/exchange it for 10k.
Thankfully, the 4runner commands a huge premium in the used market but I am not sure it also extends to the OG 5th Gen with higher miles.
If you can sell it privately at a decent price, you can then use it towards the new car unless you getting a great exchange deal for it.

Put a for sale post at a price you are comfortable and see what feedback you get. Price it in a way where you can discount it some if someone says it needs new tires.
Needle bearing you can ignore.
If you want to just sell it, do not spend money on it.

 

It's almost 13 years old with 200k... The needle bearing is still covered?

There's an off-road shop that does the ECGS bushing fix for $400.

You guys are going to hate me, but F150. I'm thinking STX with the 2.7. The 2.7 is supposed to be very solid and gets better mileage than the 4R. With a 36 gal fuel tank, this thing will be a road trip beast, haha.

My buddy has an 18 with the 2.7, he loves it. No issues so far, and he just got 24mpg on a road trip.

Another big plus: aluminum body won't rot out here in the Northeast.

 

My company uses Silverados. I'm on my second one with the 5.3 V8, and I really can't complain. We did have a few trucks that had issues with lifters due to the cylinder deactivation. I'm not really sure on the details of what the issue is. But, Chevy did repair them.

I just got a new one 6 weeks ago and got rear-ended last week with 3200 miles on it. Incidentally, the rental I got to use during the repairs is also a Silverado. It's more of a civilian trim, and it seems pretty nice to me. But, take that with a grain of salt as I've only had it for a day so far.

Edit: I just wanted to add; I get better fuel economy with the V8 Silverado than my 4Runner, and it has plenty of power when you floor it.

It's unfortunate to say, but I would avoid anything with that turbo V6 in it, personally. It's too bad, as the Tundra with the 5.7 was so Bulletproof.

 

I'm not a Ford fan. LOL. That was the longest stealership part dept I worked at, was busy for a reason. LOL.
That said, don't expect the ecoboost to blow any power or speed records. But it's a work horse. Not 7.3 bulletproof, but responds well to being taken care of, i hear.

 

Good question. I thought, maybe since it wasn't actually a warranty issue so much as a service bulletin, the mileage wouldn't matter. But, I suppose it would be surprising for them to put a new differential in a 13 year old vehicle for you for free.

That seems like a pretty fair price. Still, I don't think I would spend it. I don't think you'll get anything back out of it.

My brother is on his second F-150. Honestly, I think they are really nice trucks. He has the 2.7 in this one and hasn't had any major issues I've known of. Not sure what he's getting for fuel economy, but I can guarantee it's probably better than what I'm getting with the 4Runner, lol.

 

It's tough that ALL the full sizes seem to have their own set of issues.

TBH, even if the Tundra was flawless, it would be out of the running because it hurts my eyes to look at it. It really is a terrible looking truck. IMO, the Tundra, Tacoma, and to a lesser extent the 4R are all styling disasters. Plus, even Toyota fanboy YouTubers are complaining about fit & finish in the Tundra. TRD Jon compared his to a Ram and said the Ram seemed to be built better.

I thought of keeping the 4R because it still runs good, but it won't do anything that the pickup can't. I'm not well off enough that I can leave 10k sitting mostly unused on the street. I don't do nearly as much off-roading as I thought I would, so I don't need it for that.

I actually really like the new Ram Warlock with the 3.0 TT, that seems like a great package at the 45-50k that they're discounted to, but they just seem like reliability nightmares. I joined a RAM group and there are lots of folks having issues in the first few K miles. They also seem to be gas hogs, not too many people hitting EPA numbers. Damn good looking truck though.

I do agree with you that if I were buying a truck for work and not as just a daily driver, I would look for a second gen Tundra.

Back in 2018, the Silverado and Sierra were my favorite trucks. I thought the GMs were the best looking trucks on the market. The 2019 redesign killed that. I think the new generation trucks are fairly ugly, and in the base model, you get the old interior and no low range 4wd, and I don't understand the rational of offering a turbo four-cylinder that gets worse mileage than the 8 cylinder. Plus the engine issues.

A co-worker recently got a 90k mile 2021 Silverado 5.3L LTZ, really nice truck, but he had it a few days and then it ended up back at the dealer for over a month. He had a check engine light that kept coming on, turns out it needed a complete top end. His previous 2019 Silverado had been great, unfortunately his wife totaled it at 60k miles, so they took the settlement and bought the 2021 cash.

I was never a Ford guy, but it seems the most solid and offers great features. The aluminum body is a big one, I think the curb weight of the crew cab 2.7 is about the same as the 4R.

 

Buy what you like and get an extended warranty. Peace of mind and you get what you want

 

Yeah, not looking for a hotrod, just something solid and fairly efficient. I've looked at the Ford groups, a lot of guys who have had both prefer the 2.7 to the 5.0 V8.

Truth be told, I'm fascinated by the new Ram 3.0 straight six, but I imagine those trucks must be reliability nightmares. My late father was a Dodge guy, so the Ram is kinda calling to me, but the rational side of my brain is saying "NO!".

 

If you're going to trade in a 13 year old 200k mile 4Runner, don't spend any money on it. The dealership will send that vehicle to an auction, so they won't give you 15 cents more for it with the repair vs. what they'd give you for it without the repair.

 

If you plan to hang onto this full-sizer a long time and pile on the miles, make sure to check which engines have a wet oil pump belt. Off the top of my head (new, in the F-150), the 5.0, 2.7 EB have it as well as the GM 3.0 diesel.

It’s been both reliable and not keeling over en masse at higher miles thus far (unlike the belt in the 1.0 EB) but it’ll be a pricey maintenance item when it’s due.

But it could very well turn into a matter of picking your poison these days.

 

Depending on what you are looking for, you might not find 2025 full size truck that works for you. Over past 5 years or so trucks moved upmarket (and cost a lot more). You get all kinds of luxury features, screens, and gimmicks.

 

Don't bother with putting new tires on your 4R. The ECGS bearing repair might be worth doing if you have bad vibration, if not leave it alone. Lastly, get what will make you happy! That's the most important thing.

 

Get some online offers before you go anywhere. Carvana, carmax, etc. I know some years ago when the market was hot, they paid more for my sister’s 2012 than anyone local.

 

$400 for the ECGS bushing fix seems like a lot. I can't remember how much I paid a couple months ago, but it was under $200 and I got it done by ECGS themselves.

 

I dunno, seams reasonable enough to me. The kit from ECGS is 172 by itself, then I still need a new seal and gear oil. So 200 bucks on top of that seems a small price to pay to not have to waste a weekend dicking around with it myself.

200 bucks seems really cheap considering the bushing alone is 60 bucks. They must have a crazy low labor rate. The shop I would have it done at is in MA and has a 150/hr rate, or 200/HR with your own parts. I think that's fairly standard around here these days.

 

I dont know if i missed it but whats your budget for a new fullsize truck? Do you absolutely want/need a full size.

Im in the market as well(2nd vehicle "work" truck).

 

Aside from the previous gen Tundra, I think I’d go with the 5.0 F150 or the Chevy 5.3. My buddy has a Silverado Z71 with the 5.3, aside from cylinder deactivation there isn’t much I can say I don’t like about it.

 

Under 50k, the closer to 40 the better. Depends on incentives and interest rate. For instance, on certain Ram models right now you can get 0%, or 10% off MSRP. I found that Ford is doing 2.9% on leftover 2024 f150s, of which there are still a few around in my area. I found a 2024 STX FX4, which is a $55,000 truck, for $44.5, with 2.9% I'm also finding Ram Warlocks for 46, 47ish.

I want a full size, I don't think midsize trucks really make sense. The pricing isn't that far off fullsizes but the interiors are tiny, the gas mileage is the same if not worse, and they tow/haul a good bit less. The only midsize truck that I like right now are the Canyon/ Colorado twins, but I wouldn't want to spend my own money on one. Or if I lived out west where there was good off-roading I would strongly consider a Gladiator.

Now, I'll admit that I don't really need a full size pickup truck, but what I'm really after is all the room in the cab. I love how much room there is in the back seat of a crew cab pickup truck these days, it's just massive. I'm finding lately that I tend to "live" out of the backseat of my 4Runner, I'll have my bike gear, my dog, and other stuff there. I've been finding the 4Runner a little frustrating because I quickly run out of room in the backseat.. Of course there's the back but with my bike rack on the back it's kind of difficult to get in and out of the cargo area, so I've been using the back seat. With a pickup, plenty of room in the cab for stuff, and I can just sling my bike over the tailgate so I don't need a rack at all.

A full size SUV might work, but they still don't have as much backseat room, and none of the ones out right now appeal to me.

Which trucks are you considering, is there a leader yet?

 

I was just in my coworker's Silverado today, he's got the LTZ with the heated and cooled seats and all that. I'll admit the ventilated seats are super nice, but I don't need that. I'd be happy with something like a Ford XLT, as long as it had heated cloth seats, push button start, and the proximity locks.

I'm noticing though that both Ford and RAM are offering pretty decent base model packages. For instance, the Ram Warlock is based on the Tradesman but has the off-road stuff from the Rebel, a split bench in the front, the 8.4-in screen (which actually looks nicer than the big screen) but also has push button start, remote start, and adaptive cruise. Seems pretty well equipped for a base model.

Not saying I definitely want a Ram, but it does seem like a cool package.

 

Great point! I've been watching a lot of videos about trucks and it does seem like they all have their Achilles heel. I think all the Fords have that wet belt, and then the 3.5 V6 has its own issues as well. It seems like the 2.7 is the most solid Ford engine, I've also seen that the 5.0 can have oil consumption issues. Damn that 5-oh sounds good though!

My original thought was that I would finally buy a new vehicle, be able to maintain it correctly from the get-go, and then keep it 10+ years, but you're right, are any of these new vehicles even going to last that long?

The last "keep it forever" half ton is probably the 2nd generation Tundra.

Maybe on the other hand I should just get into the keep it 3 or 4 years and trade it cycle, then always have a fairly new vehicle, with the payments being manageable because I was able to put a decent trade in into the equation.

 

Im considering an f150. But im looking for bare bones. Xl 4dr 4x4 which is hard to find. Ive also considered the ford ranger. Im looking for a commuter truck

 

This just means it much easier to steal, insurance will slap "high risk vehicle" and charge premium if you live anywhere urban. To me, it is anti-feature.

Ford V6 had engine recalls for "machine debris" in 25. Meaning it could be about anything, up to and including redesign to fix. Look more into this before you sign on the line.

 

To be fair, I would still expect a wet belt F-150 to last as they did before, it’s just the new, involved maintenance item for minimal benefits.

The funny thing is that their shenanigans might make the Lightning the most “reliable” of the bunch assuming they don’t botch updates and it fits your lifestyle!

I would be okay betting on a new Tundra, I have morbid curiosity about the GM 2.7T (Heard good things despite probably not ideal for hauling) - and even though they may be prone to their issues like the 5.0’s oil consumption, I’m sure it’s not necessarily guaranteed. There’s still some Hyundai/Kia 2.4, 2.0T’s that lasted despite being infamous for premature grenading.

Of course I could be wrong and I’m not saying anyone should buy a Theta II HyunKia except for certain circumstances, same way I’d be scared off the 5.3 and GM’s handling vs. Toyota’s.

It really depends on execution and how much mindfulness the manufacturer had to security at the time. Plenty of push-button vehicles all over the place and it requires a baseline of technical knowledge too.

There’s still plenty of EZ theft keyed ignition Hyundai’s and Kia’s about but at least that theft trend seems to have died down some.

And of course nothing beats a flatbed.

 

Check out the STX, I'm seeing a lot of those listed. Basically an XL with the sport package, comes with different interior trim and the buckets with full console, but retains the column shift. My buddy has a 2018 STX, nice truck. It's a crew cab 4x4 with the 2.7, he says he gets 18 to 20 with it driving 80 everywhere, he recently did a road trip and his wife drove and got 24 MPG with it, haha. They made a 36 gallon tank standard in 2024, so with that mileage talk about a range champ.

Whatever I get will be a commuter vehicle too.

 

As far as the Lightning, I actually kind of like it. I don't tow anything, so that aspect of an EV truck doesn't bother me. The main thing that keeps me away from EVs is the fact that I don't have a place to charge one. I have an apartment with off street parking, my work doesn't have any chargers, and there aren't any public lots anywhere local.

It's a shame about GM, I used to think the 5.3 was the best truck engine out there.

 

I've driven 3 Silverados with the 5.3. To be fair, highest mileage was 7XXXX miles. But, it's been great in my experience.

 

Anyone here has any long-term experience with the Nissan Titian?
The fact that it's so old and on its way out, Nissan should have ironed out everything. But I keep hearing about transmission failures, engines trouble etc.
It is bare bones with mileage so bad even the 4runner feels like a Prius but it depreciates like a drowning stone and a few years old in warranty could maybe be a good buy if one not piling on the miles.