Wife needs a new car

[Mossyoakglock]

So my wife is in need of a new car soon.

 

She is currently drives an '05 A4 with 130k on it. It's been a good car but it's showing its age (and she wants to get back in a SUV). She had a Pathfinder before the A4 and loved it (before they got smaller and became more of a cross-over).

 

She thinks that she has decided on wanting a new 4Runner Trail Edition. Has anybody had any interaction with the new 4Runners? I've known a few people with 4Runners in the past and they were all solid vehicles. They seem to hold their value as well. One thing I really like about them is that the Trail version has a manual 4wd drive system and not electric.

 

We haven't had a chance to drive any but trying to get any information we can on them and read reviews and get idea from people with real world experience on them. We don't do any major offroading but do go camping and fishing on some rivers. We also go to some land were 4wheel drive is needed but nothing hardcore.

[SnakeEyeSS]

Yikes, Audi is wearing out at 130k miles?

 

As for the Toyota, its a Toyota. Its going to be reliable unless you get a lemon. Brother has one, his wife had an older one in college, his in laws have a newer 4runner(current gen, but pre-face lift), and they are all sold on Toyota's. My wife's Corolla has been perfect, besides a freak ECU that wiped its own memory one night(dealership said they had never even heard of it happening), fixed in one day by a re flash.

 

As for their toughness, Toyota 4WD trucks have been a thorn in the side of American Forces for more than a decade.

[MattUofM]

i work sales for at a gmc, buick, nissan, dodge, chrysler, jeep dealer. the 4 runners are good vehicles. if you have any questions about the makes i sell, feel free to pm me. also, this is for everyone!!...> If you are a costco member, use their auto service. you have access to huge discounts by buying through them. usually u pay invoice plus rebates or better!

[CANDenali]

Over the years the 4Runner has build a reputation of being a kick ass off road machine and has trailed Jeep in perception only not capabilities in North America. Like other SUV's it has morphed into a mall hauler but I don't believe it has gone too soft.

Sent from Windows Phone.

[chev1guy]

It's a solid SUV and like others have said very reliable. My family has owned nothing but Toyota's and have yet to have any repair work besides normal maintenance. This is the miles they currently have (140K, 65K, 40K and newest 2K). My only gripe is the paint, if you look at it wrong it will get scratched but I think that is most vehicles.

[Mossyoakglock]

Her Audi is still in good condition but there are just some little things starting to show their age. I've always heard that they are not that reliable when they reach 100K miles and heard people say you better get rid of them before then. Plus it's been a hard 130,000 miles.

 

Another thing I like about the new 4runners is that they still have a separate frame and body. Plus the manual 4x4 level is nice too. Even though they haven't changed/updated the motor and trans in almost 10 years it tells me that it is reliable and that all the kinks and bugs should have been worked out by now. A friend of mine still has his 4runner from highschool that his mom still drives almost every day and no telling how many miles are on that now.

 

Another buddy of mine had a Camry that had threw a rod. It showed almost 350,000 miles on the odometer when it died. But the kicker is that the odometer didn't work for about a year and half so he had to have had well over 400,000 miles on the thing.

[Colossus]

If you can get past the ugly looks of the new 4-Runner, (as well as most other new Crapotas) go for it.

[white1500]

No love for a tdi jetta? For a grocery getter/mall crawler a trail edition 4runner might be overkill and not fuel friendly.

[Mossyoakglock]

It won't be used just for a mall crawler. We have some friends that have about 600 acres on the duck river that we go to every other weekend. So with getting to land and down to the river, 4wd is needed. Plus with camping, etc we will get full use out of the 4runner so it won't be overkill.

 

Plus with her being a nurse she doesn't have the luxury of not going into work if it snows. She doesn't have a choice so no matter how bad it is outside she has to go in so the 4wd will be needed then as well.

[Colossus]

they don't make em anymore but maybe get a good used FJ?

[Mossyoakglock]

She doesn't like those. Plus it doesn't have 4 full doors.

[20Tahoe12LT]

I had an '11 4 Runner Trail Edition. I did test drive it, but it ended up really hurting my neck. I actually hated it. It was too small, and it felt very tinny. Mind you, I had just come from an '06 Toyota Tundra, and was extremely disappointed in the 4Runner. I actually traded it in on the Tahoe that I am currently driving now.

[truckofwinandawesome]

No love for a tdi jetta? For a grocery getter/mall crawler a trail edition 4runner might be overkill and not fuel friendly.

 

nah, I'd say Go for a Passat TDI, because you get the best of Two Worlds: German Engineering, and Tennessee Craftsmanship!

[ATMINF]

Why not a Tahoe?

[Mossyoakglock]

The Tahoe is too big. Plus she won't get a GM.

 

If we were to get a Tahoe how she wanted it, it would be $63K+. That's almost twice what the 4Runner is. If we were going to spend $60K we would have gone with the Q7. Plus the Tahoe is a little impractical for what we want it for. We would much rather take a 4Runner offroad, down to the river and camping vs a Tahoe. Plus the 4Runner is the only SUV that still has a manual transfer case and locking rear diff. It also has crawl control and hill descent control. We did look at a JKU but for the price, the 4Runner is a better deal and probably more reliable. The JKU Sahara is still around $35K.