2016 thinking of buying one.

Hello, new to 4runners but have heard how long lasting they can be.

My brother-in-law recommended a 2016, however my question is what kind of maximum mileage I should stay below for the year? Any inputs welcomed.

 

Welcome from Texas. Forget the year. Buy the newest year model with the lowest mileage you can afford. If that’s 2016, ok. But if it’s newer, all the better.

 

Hi, I found a 2019 SR5 (last model year before a bunch of federal mandated safety electronic gizmos) with 50k miles on the Toyota preowned certified website. It was 11 months ago and it is running well. My daughter and her young family are using it daily.
Regarding total mileage I think 10,000 per year is a thoughtful amount. But more important is frame/body rust and maintenance. The 4WD models have more lube needs than a typical FWD sedan. Find a post on this site and familiarize yourself with the proper care of a 4runner. Then do the same for frame/body rust.
If you are a DIY mechanic maintenance person, crawl under runners and learn about all the mechanical parts you see and what they do.
If you are not interested in 4X4 then only look for a 2WD model. My cousin has a 2WD and it has performed well for over 20 years as his family car.

 

Welcome!

So..... One factor when considering a 2016 is that you might find that you can get a few years newer without a whole lot more cost. This is because the depreciation rate of 4Runners is so slow. IE they hold their value. That's a good thing. If you get into a 2020 or newer, you'll get goodies like enhanced Toyota safety features (lane keep/adaptive cruise), bigger center infotainment screen and Apple CarPlay (or the Android equivalent if you have an Android).

Longevity is one of the best attributes of a Gen 5 4Runner, plus they're just really nice trucks for a variety of reasons. They do everything well (except fuel economy and if you're looking at one you already know the MPG's aren't terrible, just not great - 20-ish on the road). Others can help with more details, but 300K miles is about the least you should expect in terms of lifespan for one properly maintained. Longer (lots longer) if babied.

Good luck!

 

Do you know why the BIL recommended a 2016?

 

I have a 2016, there's nothing special about this year. Like said above I'd go for the newest/lowest milage you can afford, especially the 2020+ with the extra tech.

The only possible plus for the 2016's (Pro specifically) is that they were the last year of Pro's to NOT have a moonroof, if you're into that sort of thing.

 

Hey
Your brother in law is a smart man.
2014-2019 will be a your best price (2010-2013 is pre-facelift, looks a little different).
2020+ has more tech, if you want it.

I have 105,000 kms/65k miles owned 2016 since new. That’s considered low mileage. I would say over 200k miles is too high
Goodluck!

and WELCOME

 

This is a total guess, but... I think the BIL mentioned a 2016 because that was the year before all the nanny's got installed on 4Runners. Some people really like them, others really hate them. Plus they have other less tech stuff, and a lot of people really like that. A very analog vehicle.

Regardless of year, even if it's neglected or babied, you'll get almost 200k miles out of it. Less if neglected and abused, more if babied. This also varies based on where you live, because rust will try to eat that frame for dinner.

 

There’s no one answer, it’s a sliding scale between price, condition, history, features, etc.

Just in case, if you aren’t very interested in the off-road capability, the 4Runner might be a bit of a compromise in value, fuel economy, driving dynamics and packaging. I would hold up the 2019 Highlander as a tamer but solid alternative.

As for mileage, I’d want to stay around 60k and below but that’s more since I want to make sure the lesser-known maintenance items didn’t go too too long without in case the the previous owner never heard of greasing the driveshaft, etc.

 

Negative, it was 2020 that they added that stuff. I know because I got lucky and bought new in 2019, which was the last year before the tech refresh.

I agree with you and others though, as long as it has a well documented maintenance history and is relatively rust free (not neglected), then I think anything used would be fine. I saw someone mentioned 10k/yr but that seems really low. I used to put 20k/yr on easy when commuting but even now WFH I'm at about 12k/yr.

Depending on how long OP plans to keep it, I'd say a well maintained 4runner could be expected to hit 200k without major issues given its reputation - maybe 250-300k optimistically. So if they plan to keep 10 years at 15k/yr (150k miles), I'd shoot for something with 50k or less. I like the "lower tech" version so would recommend 2019 or earlier.

 

PapaAlan OP, the number one killer of 4Runners is rust. Look at the undercarriage. Also, it's really nice to see records of regular oil changes on a used vehicle.... either service records or entries on the carfax.

 

Thanks to all for your inputs, really quick responses!!!

 

Welcome.

 

welcome

 

Welcome from Arizona!

 

I believe 2018 was the last year the Pro did not get a sunroof. Source: personal experience from my 2018, although the Canadian version of the Pro in 2018 did have a sunroof...

 

I stand corrected.

But... it's a moonroof, sunroofs are defined as opening metal/opaque material, while moonroofs are glass.

I couldn't stand to be 100% wrong haha

 

Let's get very specific about what it is and is not!


A moonroof is a type of sunroof, but there are some key differences between the two:

• Appearance: A sunroof is typically a solid, opaque metal panel that can be removed or tilted up manually. A moonroof is a transparent, tinted glass panel that slides but is not removable.
• Ventilation: A moonroof allows for ventilation without the wind noise of rolling down side windows.
• Light: A moonroof lets in more natural light than a sunroof.
• Popularity: Most new cars have moonroofs, while sunroofs are less common.

Some other things to consider about sunroofs and moonroofs include:

• Weight
  The glass panel and other parts of a sunroof or moonroof add weight to the car, which can affect handling.
• Heat
  The glass in a sunroof or moonroof can absorb heat, so you might need to run your air conditioning more in hot weather.
• Cost
  A broken sunroof or moonroof can be expensive to fix.
• Insurance
  Comprehensive car insurance or auto collision coverage usually covers glass damage to a moonroof.

 

You fellas arguing semantics about a factory installed hole in the roof?

 

I knew I made a mistake starting this lol

 

FWIW ... I stopped buying models with a sun-roof/moon-roof because what happened to some friends.

One friend had the sun-roof break in a hail storm and rain soaked the interior. Insurance company dried inside but would not replace the interior. Friend said it still smells musty inside even after a year. Insurance did replace the headliner though.

Another person had a leak and it was out of the Toyota bumper to bumper warranty period. Its costs close to $2,000.00 to fix it. Had to remove the headliner to fix it and required many hours to remove it and reseal it to fix it properly. I hear that this procedure it a real hell job. Oh, when they removed the sun-roof, they scratched his seats and screamed the painted roof top.

FWIW, I can roll down my windows to get fresh air, even in the rain, with Weather-Tech Visors, which are great.