TSXfan23

I was thinking of buying the 4runner as a TSX replacement within a few years only cause I may be driving on the expressway for more than an hr everyday for my job.

I wish Toyota had good offers on the 4runner, the only SUV left that is a man's SUV.
Why doesn't Toyota make their cars like Honda with some standard equipement?

The 4runner I like is $32K, that's a good deal for a 4runner?

provench

Buying a 4Runner because you are going to be spending 1hr on the expressway every day?

If you need a better highway cruiser than the TSX for $32K ... go with the TL (or an Accord V6 if the looks don't bother you ... the new Hybrid Accord will be excellent)

Soze75

If you get a 4Runner please don't go cheap and get the base model with all that ugly, unpainted, plastic cladding dominating the body. Yuck

slo007

They still have that? I thought they stopped the base model.

My family has the SR5 2WD version. It's a 1996 and has 96,000 miles. Great SUV, but the handling is very much truck-like. Tight turning radius, though. Much better than the TSX. And the V6 roars!

We got ours in '96 for $30K out the door (with all CA taxes). That's $27,700 without taxes.

I know Toyota has a national sales event where they give rebates of as much as $4,000. I've seen $3,000 OFF here in SD in the paper. It's good to shop around...

1SICKLEX

Actually, the 4-Runner is a BARGAIN.
Why you ask?
The GX 470 is based on it. Take away some of the extra Lexus features and you have the 4-Runner. The GX is 55k loaded.
The 4-Runner is the new Landcrusier Prado. It is simply LEGENDARY overseas and one of the few serious off-roaders left.
It's built like a tank. Change the oil and you have a truck that will not die.

And looking at ALL SUVs 32k is cheap. When I see some of these SUV prices, I cannot figure how they are so popular. It's RARE to find any under 30k.

slo007

phile

Sad to say, but sicklex is actually right on this one. If you just compare all the "real" SUVs, while some have their advantages, it's the 4Runner that comes out on top when all is said and done. The price on the Trailblazer in my house was 38K. You could get a Lexus for that price, as the Trailblazer never went off the asphalt, not even once. and never towed anything.

dabuda

does anyone know if the 4runner is over 6k lbs? I think the GX470 is

asking for tax writeoff reasons, thanks!

jcg878

There are reasons for (some) people to need SUVs, but this ain't a good one.

Junkster

The new 4Runners are loaded with extras that a normal user or even a casual off roader might never really need. But the car has serious off-road capabilities now compared to it's predecessors.

Personally, I think unless you are going off road every month, you should stick to the Highlander if in the market for a Toyota SUV.

Junkster, whose father went through three generations of 4Runners

SPUDMTN

Got a 4runner here...2004 Limited 4x4. It is an awesome truck, I must admit. I'd say it's a pretty good value, too. The thing is LOADED with features and amenities and even goes beyond what our LX470 had. It handles very much like the LX, interior materials are just as nice (save for the gorgeous wood, chrome, and buttery soft leather), but dealer service SUCKS...BIG TIME.

Our Acura dealer here in town is AMAZING. Loaners whenever we need them, VERY nicely remodeled dealer, great waiting room, helpful people who'll do whatever it is necessary to make you comfortable...and a chocolate when your car's done with its service.

Toyota doesn't care how much you paid for their vehicle. You get no prefferential treatment for buying one of their more expensive products and quite frankly they're a MESS. We may not have the vehicle in for service much, but it kind of ruins the experience.

The 4runner is so good...but the service is incredibley bad.

SPUDMTN

Very picky, I know, but isn't the 4runner the Hilux Surf over seas?

dabuda

if anyone is interested, i found out the 4runner is under 6k lbs...these other vehicles are over 6k lbs and can be used for tax writeoffs if u own ur own biz...towards the bottom

http://www.taxpayer.net/TCS/whitepapers/SUVtaxbreak.htm

ClutchPerformer

That doesn't necessarily mean that the 4Runner is a bargain. It could mean that the GX470 is a RIPOFF...

slo007

Yes, in Brazil it's called the Hilux. And it's outrageously expensive over there.

TSXfan23

so, i guess i can stick to the TSX for now. i was just getting paranoid, cause one of my friends drives a 00 Corolla and told me that he got sideswiped by a huge semi on the highway. so, he's paranoid now and says that driving in an SUV would be safer if you got hit by the semi than riding in a car. the only suv's that are in a realistic price range i would like to buy is the 4runner, of course my dream suv would be either a range rover, X5, porsche cayenne, touareg, or Infiniti Fx.

SPUDMTN

You could get an FX35 for around the price of a 4runner...try checking it out

You said you like the masculinity of the 4runner. Maybe think about a used Lexus LX470. I'd highly recommend one of those.

1SICKLEX

Sigh. For the price, there is no off-road luxury SUV close to the GX. And you don't have to worry about crappy dealer service. And it has additional amenities.

But I do agree that the more expensive a platform shared car, the more of a rip-off it is.

jcg878

Yep, I see alot of them rippin' up mudholes with the ol' CJ-5's.

SPUDMTN

Well...I'm not sure about that statement. The Volkswagen Touareg is very close the GX...I'd go so far to say that it's superior. Motor Trend would tend to agree with me, and so would Car and Driver. Quite frankly, the GX looks awkward and bloated. Further, the interior was quite disappointing for me--it lacked pizazz and the material quality was just "eh".

I'd take a Touareg before the GX, even with VW reliability.

1SICKLEX

Ahh, forgot about the Touareg, good point dude.

TSXfan23

well the 4runner is still in my shopping list, but toyota really has bad service? i thought toyota had better overall quality than honda?

well, the suv's i would never consider are the kia sportage, sorento, hyundai santa fe, isuzu axiom, trooper, suzuki xl-7, and honda crv well only now since the crv has all those recalls. btw, how are the mitsubishi suv's like endeavor, forgot their other ones?

1SICKLEX

Clearly Toyota is no Lexus (hell no one is) but a lot depends on different dealers and then if you develop a relationship with the people there, especially service techs and mechanics.

gilboman

the off-road capabilities of the touareg is a bit behind the GX i think.

SPUDMTN

Don't know about that...if anything, they're equal.

captainjack

Sorry TSXfan, SUVs ain’t necessarily safer.

True, more metal means more protection. But that high center of gravity means they’re much more likely to roll making accidents in SUVs far more dangerous.

Other than safety, is there any other reason you want an SUV? If you’re not going off-road, there’s no reason to pay for all off-road hardware and ride height. There’s also the mileage.

You’ll save a ton of money and be safer (and have more fun!) just by staying alert in your TSX on the highway.

Good luck either way.

ClutchPerformer

That's true, but being hit by an 18-wheeler isn't automatically a rollover situation.

MarkPinTx

A) does Toyota make its trucks/SUVs (and which ones) on a full-frame or unibody? This factor makes many SUV's safer (for their occupants, worse for those struck) than unibody cars, most particularly in head-ons. Bumper height differential is also a factor.

B) rollover risk and catastrophic loss of control potential are much higher in any SUV or truck than a competent vehicle like the TSX.

C) if you're going to be paranoid, might as well quit driving, cuz you wont get tractor-trailers off the road, and I dont imagine you want to pick up a Kenworth for that hiway drive.

captainjack

Of course. But an 18-wheeler is SO much bigger than passenger vehicles (cars and trucks), being in an SUV won't make a huge difference. Also, an SUV's twitchy handling is more likely to come into play in day-to-day driving whether the accident is on a highway or surface road, or involves another car or not.