Does it all!
Bought my 06 4Runner Sport V8 with around 68k, it now has just under 200k. Regular oil changes, brake pads, one wheel bearing (but my mechanic felt like it didn?t really need it so he didn?t charge me), TWO timing belts, transmission service, battery but NOTHING other than expected mileage maintenance. It has the original suspension and spark plugs(pretty sure they are getting changed when rotors/ pads get replaced soon. This SUV is incredible! I live in the mountains in CO and it goes over no messing around dirt mt. passes, easily handles road mountain passses loaded up with bikes, dogs, kids, and a fully loaded rocket box. I plan to drive it at least another 50k or more-oil level full every oil change. Yeah- 17 mpg isn?t by any stretch good but what this SUV does and continues to do with minimal repairs is well worth it- I?m not a bells and whistles kind of gal- I don?t have a SUV to go to the mall. I have this SUV for reliability and function- it meets and exceeds both. Super bonus- if I actually get away alone I can sleep in the back with seats that fold flat!
- Comfort 5.0
- Interior 5.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Having fun
- Does recommend this car
Very reliable SUV
Best SUV ever. Comfort, Performance, Off-Road and reliability are all great. I also own a Wrangler and always prefer the 4Runner. Great for beach or mountains and commute in comfort.
- Comfort 4.0
- Interior 4.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 4.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
Plan to drive it forever!
This car is perfect for me. Strong enough to pull my boat (5,000 lb towing capacity) and small enough to park easily at Home Depot. Can fit 8'x4' lumber in the back but also with leather seats nice to go to dinner or take out customers. Very reliable mechanically, no major problems and have 140,000 miles now. Will drive this to 500,000 and fix things as needed.
- Comfort 5.0
- Interior 5.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Transporting family
- Does recommend this car
Toyota 4Runner: More than just a grocery getter
A little backstory here. I was driving a 2008 Ford Taurus (with nearly 200k miles on it) back and forth from school every day, roughly a 45 min trip one way for the last year when a head gasket blew and it eventually had to be retired. Being that I knew I couldn't afford a brand new vehicle and I didn't want to leave the wife and kid stranded at home sans vehicle, I needed a vehicle that met a few needs: (a) Reliable (b) Wallet-friendly (c) Decent fuel efficiency everything else was a convenience. Enter the 2006 Toyota 4Runner. I purchased a '06 SR5 with a V6 2WD (unfortunately they didn't have a 4WD that fit my budget) on 3/24/18 that had one owner and it had 178k on the clock. I took it to a mechanic and paid about $130 to get a used vehicle inspection (pricey I know, but the mom and pop mechanics in town were all booked and I drove from out of town...xxxx poor planning on my part, I know). Much to my relief, the only derogatory remarks were that the windshield had a small chip (which I'd identified already) and that cabin air filter needed to be replaced. So with a clean bill of health and the peace of mind that the previous owner took very good care of it (was able to pull up maintenance records from Toyota as well as check for outstanding safety recall issues), I headed back to the dealership to pull the trigger on the purchase. I've now (as of 6/15/18) owned it for almost 3 months. I live in a small town in SW Georgia. In addition to being my daily driver, I've also driven this thing up to Atlanta (roughly 3 to 4 hours away) as well as our most recent trip (1-4 June 2018) all the way up to the Arlington, VA/Washington D. C. area with absolutely zero issue whatsoever. The truck runs great. I spent all of $6 buying a new cabin air filter and changed the oil/rotated the tires earlier this month(6/8/18). Now, does it have some beauty marks here and there? Yeah, the truck is 12 years old and had almost 180k miles on it when I bought it. But mechanically, electrically and structurally, it's sound. How's she drive? As I'd mentioned I was lucky enough to get one that had one owner, and the previous owner took care of it. I drove it through town, back streets, the highway, got up to speed quickly, braked quickly, put her through her paces for a 12-year-old vehicle and there was no issue whatsoever. No pulling to one side or knocking/vibrations while on the road at different speeds. No road noise (if that matters to you), and the fuel efficiency isn't too bad. Granted, it's a body on frame SUV, so you're essentially driving a brick through the air at speeds of 55mph +. That being said, it was getting around 20.2 mpg on average when I first bought it, but after driving it almost daily these last couple of months I'm sitting at 20.9 mpg avg. Again, not bad for a 12-year-old vehicle. Space wise, it's got more than enough for an SUV of its size. If you want something with more space, look at a Highlander or Sequoia. Remember that Washington D.C. trip I'd mentioned? I fit myself, the wife, kid (in a car seat), sister-in-law and niece and everyone's crap (luggage, pillows, toiletries, coolers, etc) in there comfortably and drove for 13 hours with no issue regarding space or comfort. Despite being "turn the key and go" ready (seriously I'd drive this thing cross country), it does lack a few creature comforts, but keep in mind it is a 2006. The wife bought a headlight restoration kit which really cleaned up the head/fog lights, and recently we installed a Pioneer radio that has Bluetooth capability (great for hands-free) as well as a backup camera that connects to the radio's display. All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend grabbing one if you're in the market. Don't take my word for it. Go research the forums like I did. You can do more than just grab groceries and daily drive these things. As long as you maintain and service them regularly (oil change/tires, etc) you'll definitely get some longevity out of it. Seriously, it's not unheard of to see a 4Runner with 300+ thousand miles on it. For what it's worth, hope this review helped.
- Comfort 5.0
- Interior 4.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
Car of my Dreams!!
I have wanted one for 10 years and I finally saved money for a down payment and the right one fell in my lap.... I finally own it!! Absolutely love it. From the moment I sat inside to test drive to driving it daily I feel so much safer than when I was in my little car.
- Comfort 5.0
- Interior 5.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
Best, most reliable car I?ve ever owned.
This car does everything. It?s reliable, gets great mileage for a 4X4 SUV and tows much more than others in its class. I?ve owned 3 of these so far and would be hard pressed to buy something else.
- Comfort 5.0
- Interior 5.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
No repairs needed in 11.5 years!
As good as you can get for an SUV. This truck is extremely dependable and tough off road. It has great pickup and handles well in turns. Too bad Toyota has changed the design to a larger version.
- Comfort 4.0
- Interior 3.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 4.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a New car
- Used for Transporting family
- Does recommend this car
The best car I have ever had
Ive had it for 12 years and i would not be selling it , but I need a truck. Still runs like new I bought it in mexico and like it so much I imported into the states.
- Comfort 4.0
- Interior 4.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 4.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a New car
- Used for Transporting family
- Does recommend this car
Best vehicle I've owned
The only drawback is the fuel economy. Other than that, it is an amazing vehicle. Gets only 4 stars for interior design as the window controls are under the handle and hard to get to in the dark. Highly recommend this vehicle to anyone who is debating between this and similar models.
- Comfort 5.0
- Interior 4.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
So far it?s as good as its reputation
I bought a 4.0 liter 2 WD sport edition with 100k miles on it from the widow of my fishing buddy who recently died of cancer. I didn?t need another vehicle but I paid her $2k more than the dealer offered on a trade plus I was kinda sentimental about it. I?ve only driven it 3k miles but it?s been running great. My wife is happy since I don?t need to borrow her SUV when I make a Home Depot run or need to carry my kayak . I find myself driving it more than my car especially on mountain and dirt roads. It?s comfortable, roomy and has all the features I need. It has a firm trucklike ride, but handles decently and is fairly quiet. Power is good and mpg is ok @ 20, especially since it?s happy on regular gas and has a 23 gallon tank. The a/c is strong and the JBL synthesis system sounds great. A couple nice little features I appreciate are the rear window that rolls down and the small glove box inside the large glovebox that?s perfect for a hand gun. I checked the market after I bought it and this thing really holds its value so I made a good purchase. I?ve never owned a Toyota, but figure on keeping it for at least 100k more miles if it is as reliable as reputed. It still looks good and the interior holds up to use with just enough soft places to make it comfortable.
- Comfort 4.0
- Interior 5.0
- Performance 4.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a Used car
- Used for Having fun
- Does recommend this car