Buying a new used 4runner! 3rd gen or 4th/5th gen?

Hey 4Runner community, I am currently on the hunt to buy a new used 4runner and I wanted some buying opinions based on some of my budget parameters and needs....

I've been really attracted to the 3rd generation 4runner body style and engine specs and I'm also wondering wether its worth it to buy a 20year old car and instead put my money into a newer model...

I'm going to go look at a 1999 4runner Limited with 118k this weekend. Asking price $8,500. Everything looks very clean on this car. 3.6L 22re engine. I know it'll give me at least another 160k easily making it a 30 year old vehicle.

That being said, for $8,500, I'm wondering if I should just put that money down at a dealership for a newer model 4th or 5th generation. I want 4wd for winter season. I'll be occasionally towing small trailers with gear etc. nothing too heavy so pry no need for a V8. Ideally leather interior.

Any opinions or thoughts with helpful spec information to help me make a well thought out buying decision would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for your time!
Forrest

 

Welcome! The 3rd gen is a great vehicle for sure. But there are some do-diligence items that need to be looked for. I do not know all of the particulars of the vehicle as I've never owned one, but I do know they have had issues with the transmission cooling getting corrupted by radiator failures and hence the transmission fluid can be compromised, so check for that. You can do a search of the "Pink Milkshake" for the problems I'm talking about. Rust belt owned T4rs have frame rust that has been an issue to check for on most of these vehicles to date. I personally saw a beautiful sister vehicle to the 4th and 5th gen T4R, the FJ Cruiser, with 35k miles so ate up underneath, I ran away at full speed. So crawl underneath it with a screw driver and tap around under there. If it looks freshly painted, inspect it even closer, especially where the frame rises up over the front of the rear axle.
The 22re was replaced with a 2.7 liter 4cyl for that generation. The 3.4 Liter V6 has been a good engine and is more powerful than the 4 cyl.
From Wikipedia:

• 2.7L 3RZ-FE I4 replacing the previous 2.4L 22R-E I4; 150 hp (110 kW) max horsepower at 4800 rpm (an increase of 38 hp (28 kW)), and 177 lb⋅ft (240 N⋅m) max torque at 4000 rpm (an increase of 35 lb⋅ft (47 N⋅m));
• 3.4L 5VZ-FE V6 replacing the previous 3.0L 3VZ-E V6; 183 hp (136 kW) horsepower at 4800 rpm (an increase of 33 hp (25 kW)), and 217 lb⋅ft (294 N⋅m) max torque at 3600 rpm (an increase of 37 lb⋅ft (50 N⋅m));

Good Luck!!

 

Thanks for this helpful information. I've heard of the pink milkshake and will definitely be putting it up to take a look underneath.
Do you think for that price, its worth it to go for a newer model?

 

If the 99' was well cared for it's a common asking price. Which engine is in it? The 3rd gen is still desirable because a lot of people like the smaller size compared to their bigger cousins produced from 03' to 09' (4th gen) and 10' to current (5th gen). There are 4th gens out there in the same price range depending on geography, but most of them will set you back a little more. The early 03'-04' 4.0 Liter V6s (1GR-FE) had head gasket issues. The 06' to 09' range of V6 were the better years. If you come across a clean V8-03' to 09' model years, give it look, you might find a gem. I have an 03' V8 and love it. They will be getting scarce soon and be worth more money. Those engines (4.7 Liter 2UZ-FE) have been documented at 1 million hwy miles in a couple of Tundras owned by an oil rig supply company in La, and routinely go over 300k miles. One aspect to consider when shopping for 4Runners are the timing belts. The 3rd gen V6s have belts that need to be changed at 90k mile intervals, where as the 4th gen V6s have chains and require little to no maintenance. All the 4.7 V8s have timing belts that need to be changed at the same 90k mile interval.

 

The third gen is my favorite because its modern enough to have airbags, abs, and finding parts is easier than on the 2nd gen. But its old enough to have old styling that I find more aesthetically pleasing without going overboard on electronics and computers. I would only consider buying a manual so anything after 2000 was out anyway.

Pink milkshake is an automatic only issue, if you go with the 5 speed its quicker more powerful and misses out on issues that the automatic had. That said if you want it in an automatic, make sure its in good condition and do maintenance on it and it wont crap out like a Nissan CVT.

I recently bought a 97 4 cylinder and its been fine, mechanic said I only had to replace a few things that totaled 700$ which is acceptable to me. The engine is under powered and you really notice it going up hills because you downshift, but it can get the car moving fast but it isn't in a hurry to get there if its on an incline. The 4 cylinder isn't the 22re, that was on 1st and 2nd gens only. If I could go back I would of put more attention to getting the v6. I get 18 MPG with my 4 cylinder so its not like its that economical compared to the v6. The 4 cylinder is reliable though and it has a timing chain that can last a long time depending on how you drive.

I still have the original window sticker showing that the base model cost $42,000 adjusted for inflation.

Edit: If you plan on towing your definitely don't want a 4 cylinder, its under powered enough as is, towing would stress that engine out.

 

Hey fkelly800, it comes down to tech and safety. For me, safety is king so an older vehicle with none or only 2 air bags is a non starter. All the Bluetooth, hands free stuff isn’t important, but it’s cool. Why not have a gps and some tech features? Old vehicles are very nostalgic but not really practical, imho. I really enjoy having integrated tech for using my phone. It’s 2020 and soon 2021! My 2018 ORP has 8 air bags! More than some high end makes!