Vehicle Reputation

When I introduced myself as a new member, I said, " to all smart enough to own a 4Runner! " That is because;
I am 66 years young, and have owned too many vehicles to talk about in depth here.
What I have learned, is, to aspire to own vehicles that you enjoy, take pride in owning and they serve you in whatever capacity you need.
I have also observed, over many years, the dependability and re-sale value of the 4Runner...nothing else close!
I have owned 3 generations of them amongst other " inferior " vehicles.
IMHO, if you buy a 4Runner, whether you buy new and take the, " drive off the lot financial hit ", or buy used, you have still made a great choice. I don't know of any other vehicles known for such dependability and value retention. For that; Thank you Toyota!!
No...I don't work for Toyota.

 

I'm looking to get a 4Runner myself. I'm willing to wait a year or more until these outrageous prices settle down. I have been a motorcycle guy (dirt and street) most of my life and my only real "hard core" off highway 4 wheel experience is baja bugs and quads.

My current ride to hold me off until I get a 4Runner is a 05 GMC sierra 1500 bare bones. No AC, 4.3 V6, 5 speed NV3500 trans, 3" knuckle lift/1" rear blocks, 3:73 gears/TruTrac diff, and 265/70 x 17 Michelin Defender tires. For now it's a pretty capable rig and I'm getting more confidence the more I take it out.

You cant beat the reliability of Toyota and Honda. My wife's Lexus is proof of that. 21 years old and still runs smooth as silk. The plan for my "future" 4Runner is to do a mild 2" lift with reservoir coilover struts in front and 1" lift springs and reservoir shocks in the rear. That along with full skids and rock sliders should make it a capable vehicle for my wife and I. Only reason I'm considering it is because my wife inherited a cabin in the mountains. 4x4 will make it an easier drive.

Cool thing living in Southern California gives me a lot of suspension choices locally. I have King, Fox, and Elka service centers nearby. I'm kind of a gear head and will do all my own installs. Still deciding on KDSS or not. Heck Toyota might have a new Gen6 coming out by the time I'm ready to buy.

 

Previous to current 2019 Off-Road, I had a Ford F150 4X4 5.0L that I truly enjoyed during the 8 years of ownership - great vehicle made even "mo-betta" with a performance chip that brought the 5.0 alive - it walked away from a friends older 5.0 Mustang. So when I traded in the F150 for the 4Runner it took a little while for the love to set in - but the love is there now. First time in my life I have purchased a used vehicle (or any vehicle for that matter) that 6 months later I can sell back to the dealership for a handsome profit - when does that ever happen?