A couple of short buying questions I've been unable to find answers

Firstly, thanks to the group here for answering questions. My saga with my F150 continues....24 days in the shop as of today and it will be another week at the dealer because they broke the sunroof parts they ordered trying to install and will need to re-order. Super Confidence inspiring.

Meanwhile - I continue to try and watch the market for gently used 4runners. My target(s) are: SR5, SR5Premium, Offroad and Offroad Premium.

While I certainly prefer the premium in both options - there is a scarcity of availability AND some inflated pricing going on. So - a couple of questions if you're tolerate me:

1. "Upgraded Audio" in the Premium versions. What exactly is this and how is it different from the regular audio in the SR5/Offroad? I definitely want carplay - and know I can go aftermarket to improve quality and get carplay. Is this a feature worth the premium?

2. Mileage. I don't know how to gauge mileage on a 4runner. How many miles on the odometer is too many? I see quite a few examples in the 2020 - 2022 model year range pushing 50k miles. Would this scare you away? lower mileage examples are generally $5k more.

3. Recovering seats. In the event I get a SR5 or basic offroad...is $1k a reasonable estimate for recovering?

Thanks in advance - have a great weekend.

 

Hello, I have the Off Road Premium edition, with the leather seats and stuff. Re: upgraded audio, personally, I can't tell the difference when I had the factory head unit. Quite frankly, it was just ok, the problem I encountered was when using my USB disc for music, I had to create several folders, because the factory unit would not read more than 500 pieces of music from each folder. The mapping system and other functions worked very well. I ended up taking the factory unit out and went with a Kenwood Excelon unit that has Carplay (although I don't use that function), Garmin mapping system, DVD player and a lot of extra stuff, including remote and wireless cellphone connection. As far as mileage, although 50K is probably pretty normal for the years you have listed, I would be cautious about how the used vehicle was maintained. Personally, I would be somewhat skeptical and shy away from the vehicle with 50K. Not quite sure what "recovering seats" are.....

 

thanks so much for the quick response and the pics.

I guess I should have typed re-covering seats. Changing from cloth to leather or leather-like.

 

oh ok,,,,,gotcha......

 

The premium audio is not premium. All you get is navi over the base unit. Only the TRD Pro Bro and Limited get JBL which is meh.

50K miles is nothing.

We Okole are good covers for less than $1000.

 

Before you decide between premium vs non premium you should decide SR5 vs Off Road.

Do you actually need the extra features to go offroading such as a rear locker. The SR5 is already extremely capable.
Once you've made a decision about that, you would have a better idea on what fits within your budget. You might be able to get a premium SR5 for the same price of basic off road

All trims get carplay. The only difference is nav. I think the JBL audio system is only for the limited and TRD Pro. I am not familiar with the audio quality on a non JBL system so I cant compare. However I will say that the premium audio from the JBL is decent without being extraordinary. A lot of cars out there with actual premium audio are much better.

High mileage for a year that recent could come from a rental company 4Runner. Look at the history of the vehicle, and if that's the case, I would stay as far away as possible (that's valid for any car, not just the 4R)
With that said, if it's a private owner that put 50k mile and kept up proper maintenance, it is still considered very low for a 4R. They can easily go 300k+ miles if not neglected.

The softex is not real leather but definitely really nice to have. Much better than cloth in my opinion.
Premium has also extra features like heated seats and such if that's important for you.

 

50K miles? that is Nothing on a 4Runner as long as they have a record of the Maintenance done and clean Title

 

Katzkin has tons of options if/when you want to change your seat covers/skins

Not that rough of a job to swap out seat skins if that is an option for ya.

 

Mileage isn't really that important on these, They're very long lasting, which is one of the big reasons why you want one, I'm assuming.
.
Depends on how much you drive I guess, and where you want to start with mileage.

I bought my 2013 in early 2019 with 79k miles on it. I know that I drive a lot, so I didn't feel like it was worth the money to pay more for one with lower miles. Just over 4 years later I put 70k on it, I'm now at 151k. In that time, the only actual repair that I've had to do was $189 to have the AC topped off at the dealer. That's not counting regular maintenance such as fluid changes, tires, and brakes and whatnot, of course, but I'm very impressed with less than $200 in repairs over 4 years.

If you are not planning on doing any off-roading, you don't really need the extra features of the off-road, but if you find one then otherwise meets your needs, and it's in budget, I definitely wouldn't avoid it. I could go either way on the premium, I don't especially like the pleather seats, but I would like heated seats in mine. Sunroof, I have one in mine, however if it didn't have it I would be fine too. It actually eats up a good bit of headroom in the rear.

I rhink your best bet is to not be too set on any particular model or option package, unless you have the time to wait.

 

Since the used market for these has always been kinda dumb with the excessive prices, I think you might find yourself focusing on getting any of the 4x4 versions. If you are considering re-covering seats, sound system etc, you still do would do well with an SR5 basic edition 4x4 and just do aftermarket improvements to your liking.

I looked for used 4runners for 2-3 years, but could never seriously consider pulling the trigger on anything….the prices just made it a poor value proposition. Especially becausej I’m in the salt belt, so pretty much all the ones I ever saw had completely neglected frames and undercarriage. So I just decided to buy new. Don’t regret it at all.

21 and up safety sense radars and factory LED headlights which are pretty good when aimed properly. I hear the halogen versions on earlier hears suck pretty bad.

 

Thanks all.

IF I could get a new basic SR5 without the dealer adding all the "extras" - I would certainly go that route. I'm finding just a few $k difference between new/used and new. HOWEVER, all the dealers seem to want to add all kinds of extras that are pricing the SR5 close to $50k.

There are numerous alternatives from "echopark". They seem to have quite a few in the mid to high $30k range; however, most of them (all?) seem to be former rentals.

I'm really trying to figure out how much that matters. I don't love the idea of buying a former rental.

I'm thinking (guessing?) the car market is going to start dropping shortly as the economy continues to cool. Meanwhile, I look literally every day.

Katzkin pricing? Is $1k a decent estimate?

Also - what is the conventional wisdom on picking up a 2021 example with 35k miles but, a former rental?

 

Katzkin will run you closer to $1800 and is by far the most amazing product I have ever put on seats. I’ve had it is 4 vehicles and if it weren’t for the Softex being so damn durable that I can’t justify the expense, I’d have it in my SR5P.

I’m pretty sure Apple CarPlay was first offered in the 4Runner in 2020. Keep that in mind when looking at an older model.

As others have said, the SR5 has plenty of capability for the vast majority of us who drive the 4Runner. You can very easily judge for yourself if the extras for a different trim would be a value to you, other than resale.

I’m at 45K miles and mine is like new. 50k is nothing.

I can’t comment on upgraded sound systems since my hearing sucks, but what came on mine is fine for me. Too many years of gunfire and explosives I guess.

I believe as you do, that there will be a market correction soon. I’m not, however, convinced that it will affect our beloved 4Runner. One thing I do know; I’m going to continue to live for today. Like the saying I heard recently. “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

That's a nice looking unit but I can't abide the missing knobs.

 

I bought mine pre-pandemic so the prices were reasonable. Even then the price for a used 4R that was a few years old with 30-50k miles was so close to new that I chose to buy new.

I think since the rental companies maintain their cars, buying a rental is not a bad idea. Like others have said, they can last a long time with normal maintenance. And they can take the kind of abuse that might come with being a rental too.

 

buying a rental is probably the worse decision in my opinion. It’s not about maintaining the cars but about who used the cars. Sure a rental could be completely fine. But the odds of getting a rental that has been abused and maltreated compared to someone who owned said car is a lot higher.

Personally I would stay away like the plague. I’ve seen and heard horror stories of rentals. Hard pass

 

I would not worry about miles and focus on the model that best fits your needs. These trucks last a very long time with proper maintenance. Traded a 2016 RAM 1500 with 65K miles for my 2014 4R with 120K miles and feel like I am in a more reliable and capable vehicle now, especially for the long run. Plan to keep this truck for the rest of my life or until the hypocritical idiot politicians we have sell all of our oil reserves and/or ban gasoline. If the motor dies, i will replace with a used low mileage one. Same with transmission. No problems with rust as this truck has lived its entire life in TX.

 

@Polymers - thanks....I too am looking at going from a full size truck to the 4runner. Any issues downsizing? Anything I should consider from your experience?

 

I also agree with the proposition of going new. Prices are so close that it doesn’t make sense to buy one with 50k miles. You will probably have to travel somewhere to get it and will have a lead time if you’re particular about your color and options.