Shoulda' bought a 4Runner...

I just completed a 3200-mile road trip from Washington to the AZ/Mexico border and saw dozens of 4Runners along the way.

I also came across a few unique vehicles modified in unique ways along the journey; a heavily modified GX460 at a gas station in Ely, NV, a Suzuki Samurai on 1-ton axles and 37's in Yuma, AZ, a `61 Corvair wagon on 40's in Utah...



(The infamous MORRvair from YouTube fame).

And then there was this guy rockin' a Kia crossover complete with a rooftop tent and a Roto-Pax bolted to the side of his vehicle...



But hey, he was passing me at 80 mph and probably getting ten more mpg than I was, lol.

It made me consider how the 4Runner is such a versatile and awesome platform for everything from daily commuting to exploring the wilderness, but is not always the perfect fit for everyone.

What other vehicles have you ran similar to the 4Runner before deciding on it?

 

2007 Nissan frontier le longbed 4x4.. it was a great truck, reliable drove it for from 20k miles to 150k miles, other then routine maintenance, changed the rear brakes once, and had to change the radiator. Damn old lady pulled out infront of me and it was totalled. But it was a great truck. In fact I'm going to look at a few new frontiers this weekend(curious to see if its roomier then the tacoma)

 

Nice post. My 4Runner is literally my first real SUV. Never had a pickup truck (though drove one for work for awhile). Closest thing to the 4R has been a Forester and an Outback. And I wouldn't call either close. Many years ago there was also a Ford Windstar minivan. Every other vehicle -- and there have been lots! -- has been either a sedan, hatchback/wagon, coupe or sports car. I've always been partial to sports cars and sports sedans, hot hatches and sports coupes.

So my 4R purchase in June 2020 was a huge change for me. And despite its various issues (eg hypersensitivity to wheel balancing) it remains one of my all time favorites.

 

Honestly, I wound up in my first 4runner kind of by accident. I needed a decent car, and my Dad had just bought a new truck, and didn't trade in his 4runner because they didn't offer him enough money for it. He offered to sell it to me for for what the dealership offered him for it, and I took him up on it.

I started to get into camping and fishing in my early '20s, so the 4Runner ended up being the perfect vehicle for me. I have considered other vehicles along the way, but I always end up back in a 4Runner. I did buy a second gen. Tacoma in 2017, and traded it in in 2019 for the 4Runner I have now. The Taco was a nice truck, but the 4Runner just suited me better.

Before the 4Runner, I drove a Celica, a supra, and an MR2. All vehicles I loved, but they were all old and needed work.

 

Literally, a dozen or more. Subaru BRAT, 2 RAV4s (still have one for the wife-darn GOOD car!!), several Toyota P/Us (Pre-Taco), International Scout, Jeep Grand Cherokee (Owned one and drove several while a Federal Biologist), Full-size Bronco (owned one & drove one for work), Dodge p/u (for work), Dodge Ram Charger, 2 FJ40s, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Xterra, Nissan Frontier Crew Cab, and probably a couple I've forgotten. Worst was the Jeep! Now I have a 2019 SR5 Premium. Best of the lot!

Make a drive to SoCal and Flagstaff at least once a year, sometimes back via Colorado & Utah to eastern Washington. Not a complaint in ALL kinds of weather. Last fall, we were in 4WD from Bend, OR to Bridgeport, CA due to heavy snowfall. Wife drove all the way except for one really bad spot that included whiteout conditions. Then heavy rain from Bridgeport to Apple Valley, CA. Previous trip had snow from Carson City to Bridgeport and high winds all the way to Cajon Pass near San Bernadino. Never a hiccup!

The FJ40s are "rhinos"=go anywhere at speeds up to 55 - uphill, downhill, up a tree! One Toyota p/u lasted over 300K miles. Frontier had good space but the tranny went out at about 75K. Scout was like the FJs but HEAVY!!! Grand Cherokee was a crappy station wagon, just with 4WD added. The rest were somewhere in the field between good and mediocre.

The "Blue Beast at the CSU Desert Studies Center at ZZYZX, CA in 115 degree heat:



And in the driveway last January:

 

Looked up some photos of my previous backwoods exploration vehicles and some were more capable, or more powerful, or cheaper, cooler, or whatever. But none were such a greater combination of reliability, capability, comfort, and coolness as the 4Runner.

But I forgot how many I have built over the years starting in 1990...

 

Bought this F 250 highboy new in 1977, $6500 and later refurbished it and gave it to my oldest daughter. Still on the road today.

 

That is an awesome F-250! 400, 351M, or 460?

 

351M 4-speed.Rebuilt the motor once, heads twice. Have a 460 out of a 1970's one ton to put in if the mains go out of the 351 again.
That ought to snap some u-joints.

 

Some awesome looking vehicles in there! My favorites are the stepside and the RamCharcher!

That's beautiful!

 

The first vehicle my wife and I bought when we got married was an old BMW 528i. We sold it within a few months and bought a Chevy Cavalier, followed by two Geo Metros. But for the last 21 years, my vehicles have been: '02 4Runner, '09 Taco, '17 Taco, and now '22 4Runner. From here on out, I'll only ever do Toyotas. My next vehicle will probably either be a diesel Hilux or a Taco, since it will have Mexican plates, but I plan to keep the 4Runner as long as I can.

 

Over the years I've had 2 Chevy Blazers (the real ones, not these mommy mobiles Chevy makes now) and an 06 Trailblazer. Kept the second Blazer in action 15 years and my son drives the Trailblazer now. Except for the awful emasculated redesign of the Blazer/Trailblazer, I think Chevy still builds a decent looking SUV-I'd get a Tahoe or Suburban now if I was going chevy again. BUT, as it took me a long time to learn, the total cost of ownership on my Chevy products was really high. All three of mine drove great for about 3 years each, but then shit started failing. Water pumps on all three had to be replaced 2-3x, ignitions, headlight wiring harnesses, EVAP components. I was constantly fixing the Chevy's. meanwhile on the other side of the garage, my wife had Siennas and Camry's. finally I realized that all I ever had to do the 'yotas was maintenance. with one exception that I can think of, so far I've never had to fix a Toyota product. so I finally wised up and got my 4Runner in 2019.

 

The Ford van with 4wd conversion is cool.