4Runner The little Beast

I have owned a 4Runner for almost 2 years now and I have always been happy with this SUV. The seats are very low to the ground to provide a lower center of gravity for off-roading. I have the SRV5 6 cylinder 5-speed version. Its one of the lower-end 4Runners but it never feels any cheaper than the fancy SUVs out there.

PROBLEMS
In owning this SUV for a few years, I have come across some problems. When you max out the steering it makes a horrible popping noise but it has never caused any problems with the suspension or anything. The oil filter is hard to get to and is positioned upside down so no matter how you take it off, you will pour oil all over yourself. The back end of the 4Runner is really saggy meaning the front end is higher than the back quite noticeably again, it doesn't hurt the car at all but it just looks weird. On the distributer, the cap is held on by very fragile clips that have broken before allowing the coil to pop out and shut the car off. You can fix this very easily but its just something to look for. Also, at high speeds and high RPMs the car smells like sulfur I can't find out why but its not any of the major parts causing the smell. I find that the car is very underpowered at high speeds because the engine in it is not as powerful as it should be which also causes the car to have very poor gas mileage. I do not recommend removing the back bumper or replacing it if you can avoid it because the factory bumper is sealed in such a way that it reduces road noise a ton. The sound system is nothing to brag about and new speakers can be hard to find because of the strange sizes however, there is plenty of room in the back for a sub-box if you feel the need. Unfortunateley, I hear that the back seat does not have a lot of leg room but I can't tell the difference because I'm never back there. When you buy this car I recommend having the clutch and/ or cable replaced and adjusted because the clutch seems to die about 10 years out, nothing unusual but, it causes the car to often be very difficult to shift into reverse and it sometimes grinds while going in and out of third.

GOOD THINGS
Despite the problems, I find the 4Runner to be a wonderful vehicle. The seats are comfortable bucket seats in the front with a split bench seat in the back which fold forward creating plenty of cargo space. This car is 12 years old and I have had no problems with any of the electrical systems, the engine still runs beautifully even after not being treated very well by it's previous owner. This is a good car for someone who doesn't have a lot of time/money to keep up with routine maintenance because it takes pretty good care of itself. But, don't get me wrong you need to keep up with oil changes, belts, plugs, etc. but its not as touchy as some of the higher end cars about how you treat it. Obviously, if you take care of this car, it will more than take care of you. I use it often for off-roading where it does beautifully because it is narrow and not as top-heavy as it's sister the Landcruiser. This car looks good clean or dirty, whichever you prefer. It has never broken down on me except for the one time the clip popped off. It has good low end torque for pulling short distances at low speeds ex: pulling a big Ford F-250 out of a mud pit.

BOTTOM LINE
Buy this car!!