RateItAll: The Opinion Network

How do I get better mileage from my 93 4 runner?

I own a 1006 4runner Sr5. I currently has 310,000+ miles. I finnaly have put shocks on it. I have the original equipment except catalytic converter which went after 200,000+ miles. The antenna is a chore. Needs to be replaced after about 100,000. I am having so rear main seal leakage and the rack pinion is leaking. The 5 speed manual has the origional clutch. I love the truck and I'm looking to buy soon. It is hard not to go back to toyota.

I bought my used manual 95 4Runner to take to Colorado - great deal in S. Florida! 7 years later and 145,000 miles, and I still love it. My husband recently also bought a 95 4Runner with 160,000 miles after years of Corvettes and Mercedes! My only complaint is the manual transmission is a dog trying to get over the passes to go skiing. Also, the power antenna on both vehicles died at about 120,000. But we have been car camping to all the great western national parks. 1995 was the last year the tailgate opened down and out - a perfect shelf for preparing meals at the campsite!

I have 2003 4runner Sport with Xreas and only 52K miles same problem as other. Front and rear shock leaking. It have never been off road. $1500 to fix and not covered by warrantee. Very disappointed in Toyota quality around this system and lack of support. Now I'm looking to try to replace shocks with something more economical.

Overpriced. Try the 2005+ Nissan Xterra. You will love it. A lot of car for the price.. :)

I have a 2000 4Runner SR5 4x4. I think this is the quintessential SUV. It IS a truck not a car, it's big enough to hold plenty of items, it's very capable off-road, it has good road manners, and it's not unnecessarily large.

I don't think I need to mention the reliability. That's a given. Even though it has a truck frame, the ride on road is excellent. It rides better than some cars I've been in, even with the large all terrain tires. The steering feel is great. Off-road, the 4runner is virtually unstoppable.

It has the roof rack, running boards, sun roof, tinted windows, and electronic roll-down rear window. The last is a feature 4Runners have had since the very early 90s. It's very convienent can can be done with just the remote. Great for when your hands are full and you don't really need to lift the rear tailgate.

Only real problem I've had is the power antenna going on me. This is fairly common for 4Runners and Tacomas. Though it is a relatively easy fix. I've got 170k miles on it and plan to own it for at least 170k more. I don't anticipate any major problems.

I've got a 98 4Runner and I've never been so happy! Alloy wheels, leather interior, side runners, tinted windows and it drives like a cadallac. I love this vehicle. Very attached to it. 130,000 miles so far and no signs of trouble. I wouldn't want to drive anything else. Besides, out of all the SUVs out there, 4Runners are the best looking.

My dad sold GM for 40 years and I was always a staunch GM fan. Only trucks and z28's for me! In 1980 he drove home a 1974 Celica ST for a demo. I bought it from, him and have been a fan ever since. I drive a 2000 4runner, my wife a 2005 4runner and my son a 1996 T100. Wonderful vehicles. Built like tanks and can really take a lickin'! I won't buy anything else. Ever!

2001 - Nice package - SR5 4WD power everything, moon roof, running boards - I really wanted to like this truck. BUT - it chews through tires and they are expensive, it blows O2 sensors regularly and they are expensive, and worst of all - the brakes are way under-powered. This thing has drums in the rear! And they warp, because it does not have enough braking power for the weight. I hope the newer models are better.

complete waste of money like all toyotas

My first 'Runner was a 2WD '98 and the only reason I traded it in was because I moved from an urban area with no snow to a rural area with snow. I got an '03 4WD Limited and loved it. No problems what so ever and Lexus like features. Sadly I traded it in on an F250 Super Duty pickup because needed a vehicle that could tow 10K lbs. I convinced my wife, with very little trouble, that her '04 Explorer should be traded in on an '06 Limited. We are both very happy with our decision. She, after many years of being a staunch Ford supporter, is becoming a convert. It is a good size, rides great, has plenty of power and features, and gets decent gas milage for it's class (17+ around town). The '03 got 17+ MPG around town and 21 MPG on the highway when driven consevatively. Above 70 MPH the milage suffers considerably, back down to 17. I'd buy another 4'Runner in a heartbeat.

I rented a 2001 4runner on my honeymoon in Costa Rica. Talk about using a 4x4 for what it was made for. We traveled the pacific coast for 2 weeks during the rainy season. We went futher south near Panama where there is much less pavement. The 4runner was great. I used the 4x4 probably half the time driving through rivers etc.. slept in it one night with the a/c on low at idle all night where there was no power, pavement or anything else within 30 miles. Still running great in the morning. Never got stuck even when the mud was making me a little nervous. Also the ground clearance really paid off in some areas where others could not get through. Oh and this thing had about 82,000 miles. This is back in 2003. I was impressed. I have a jeep wrangler and love it and would love to have the chance to challege it like that. Although I know the wrangler would never have been as comfortable. Still will keep my jeep but this is definately going to be a second car of ours in the future.

I own a 2003 4Runner. Good looking SUV, gas mileage 16 mpg,but only 2.5 yrs old & now I have a leaking front shock & a bad back shock. Only 49,900 miles on it & mostly hiway, no off road. Toyota cares, says sorry Eddie not under warranty even though I have had my car religously serviced by them. $600 to replace the front shocks in 2.5 yrs. You gotta be kidding me.Plus now a problem with the back ones. Don't think I'll be buying another toyota in the future.

Mine's a '95 & just turned 250,000 miles. Do I really have to say any more? No, I didn't spend a ton on repairs. The one big thing was a head gasket at 120,000. Ironically, the older it gets, the less it seems to need, repair-wise, and it's getting better mileage than ever... about 20-21 MPG highway. A few spots of rust, mainly around the tailgate where I'll take the blame for leaving the back window down through several rains like a dummy. The tires last me about 100,000 miles per set. Life is good.

I have a 2001 SR5 and i have not had a problem out of it for 90k miles. I travel alot and i have not been stranded once. It does great in the snow and Ice. The mud gives it no problem either. I have not done any major repair to it and does not look like i will need to for quite some time. It has a V6 (not the best gasmileage in the world) however the gasmialage is better than a lot of V6 SUVs out there. I would recomend this vehicle to anyone. Unlike Buzzbomber's 97 the 2001 is not uncomfortable on long trips at all.

Had my '97 Limited with all the options for the last 140K miles without a problem. I made it to 115K before I had to replace the front brake pads. Change the oil every 4K and get all of the scheduled services. Great in the snow and on ice. Can be uncomfortable on long trips and the oil filter is a pain to get at (much better placement on the new models). Not most powerful towing rig (V6), but more then adequate to tow a 3,000 lb boat and trailer to the lake in the spring and back again in the fall. I owned Subarus, Mercedes, Volvo, Chevy, and Nissan before. Never had a car make it this long without a major repair. It may be a fluke or just good design but I like it.

I own a 2000 4Runner which I purchased new and I am extremely pleased with it. It's extremely reliable, unlike previous SUV's we've owned (Blazers) which we were afraid to drive more than about an hour from home because they were ALWAYS either breaking down or leaving us stranded somewhere because of their constant repair problems. I will always stick with Toyota for their reliability, my husband purchased a new Matrix last year and is very pleased with that too. I plan on kepping my 4Runner for years to come!

I have see 4Runners take some abuse on the trails, and they keep going. Mad Props to Toyota for building a great machine.

I drive a 98 4Runner and it is amazing for reliability, fuel mileage is poor. I will be installing a Airaid Helix coil to improve mileage and power. While serving in kabul as a Soldier I had seen these vehicles at work as a military light service vehicle and the abuse that they would take from soldiers and keep on trucking. This is what reinforced my decision to purchase this fine vehicle. My 4Runner has 175000 Km on it and Zero breakdowns. If you want a reliable vehicle buy a 4Runner. Money well spent

Currently driving a 2000 4runner and very attached to it. Test drove new runners and I was impressed. Toyota will always make great vehicles and always up on top even if American car lovers dont approve. Sorry but you have to face it.. Foreign is still better.

I rank this as the best mid size SUV. The 4Runner is a legendary name in off roading, and I'm sure this one won't disappoint in that regard. Both V6 and V8 engines produce lots of power, and the V8 delivers more torque with minimal gas mileage penalties. The interior of the new 4Runner is great, much roomier than past 4Runners. The Limited is almost Lexus like with it's fancy leather interior, navigation system, etc. The other models feel the same, except with cloth seats. My personal favorite is the Sport Edition model, with it's hood scoop and alloy wheels, it looks very slick. But they all look great. If you want a real class act of an SUV, the 4Runner is hard to beat!

I purchased a new 1998 Toyota 4Runner in December of 1997. My 4Runner is an SR-5, 2WD with a V-6 engine. I've put 161,000 miles on this SUV so far without a single drivetrain breakdown of any kind! This is the first car I've ever owned that I've been able to drive for 5 years without it ever leaving me stranded due to a breakdown. This is the first non-American car I've owned, having always previously driven GM cars that all started falling apart on me after 50,000 miles. I decided to switch to Toyota after hearing of their legendary reliability, and I can testify to the fact that this is true. The only things I've managed to break so far are the dashboard cupholder (at about 130,000 miles) and the power antenna (at about 150,000 miles). Otherwise, I've only had to spend money for routine scheduled maintenance. Another wise and happy 4Runner owner advised me right after I purchased this SUV to only let Toyota mechanics work on it and to always religiously adhere to the maintenance schedule. I've done just as he advised, taking the vehicle only to the Toyota dealer for maintenance and I can report that not only have they performed excellent work, but I've never been treated so well by a car company before. Toyota dealer maintenance departments are a TOTALLY different experience than American make car dealers. They bend over backwards to please the customer and I have never gone away mad. In fact, I'm often amazed at how cheap they are compared to aftermarket car repair/maintenance outlets. Anyway, I change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles, without fail, and follow all manufacturer's recommendations for other periodic maintenance. My reward: I'm coming up on 6 years of ownership and the car still looks and runs like new. It's been paid off for nearly 3 years now and I can't tell you how tickled I am to be driving a "like-new" car without having to carry a big car note. Sure, the Toyota costs more than most of the competition, but it's worth it! Even the mainenance is reasonable. I've spent about $1,000.00 a year on that and this includes three tire replacements (full sets) and some custom upgrades to the vehicle, which isn't bad. I've driven this car all over the country, including off-road in the deserts of Big Bend National Park and through the Rocky Mountains to Yellowstone National Park - all long after I had passed the 100,000 mile mark - and these trips went off without a hitch and I *NEVER* gave a thought to the possibility of this vehicle breaking down - even when I ran it all day in 105-degree heat in Big Bend in May of 2001. What more can I say? Toyota is absolutely bullet-friggin-proof! If you've had it with American-built junk that has to be fixed before it's paid off and replaced as soon as the last car note is paid, then you might want to consider a Toyota 4Runner. Toyota just keeps improving this model with each passing year and I definitely plan to keep this one until the wheels come off, (if they *ever* do), and will be purchasing a second one next year. No wonder the people in the Toyota commercials jump for joy. I used to think those commercials were silly, but I'd volunteer to do one for free after the wonderful experience I've had with this SUV.

The new 03 4Runner looks very aggresive. Unlike most SUvs, this one can actually go off road. A direct competitor with the Explorer, and the Trailblazer. If you dont need a 3rd row, get this one, youll be happy.

My fiance has a 2000 Limited Edition that he made into a taxi- needless to say, it's the nicest cab in New Orleans! Very smooth, luxurious ride!

Unlike BOB2 I actually worked at one of the "BIG3" and if you think they are concerned about keeping "Americans" employed you are WRONG! Quality is NOT JOB 1! PROFIT IS! And at least NONE of the 4-Runner is made in FRANCE UNLIKE THE EXPLORER!

just bought 03 4runner. it is great in many ways:..... GOOD: roomy, comfortable, good gas for an SUV, auto temp controler, stereo system, water bottle holders, trash bag holder, looks, power, cool option if you can afford it, you can go offroad with just 2x4..... BAD: no make-ups mirrors for the ladies. hard shock absorber, kinda pricy but much better than other SUVs at that price..... cars i turn down before i bought the 4runner: nissan frontier crewcab, nissan extera, toyota tocoma, honda element, toyota highlander,

We have just bought one.It handles great and is awsome off-road.It goes were ever you want to go with it.The only bad thing is the hard shocks, for driving on road.But it is designed for off-road, so who cares about hard shocks for the streets.

Unlike Bob2, I actually own a 4Runner and love it. This SUV has only one minor flaw, the front seats are slightly uncomfortable. It runs great, gets good gas milage for its class, and has awesome looks. It is a real winner and if you are lucky enough to be able to afford one, unlike poor bob2, buy it!

Looks great, very reliable, but got a 3 because it rides as rough as my Miata. Need to soften that ride Toyota..

Toyota, Japan, Toyota, Japan, Toyota - bored yet? Here's another boring Japanese product. Honda, Toyota, Datsun opps I mean Nissen. Even the names are boring, but they keep the Japanese stocked with a good supply of American Money. Gee maybe they will take over our country and run it better too! Give me a good old American vehicle anyday - I mean something with an American Name. Perish the thought of GM, Ford and Chrysler going out of business and then we'd be stuck with all the boring Jap Crap!

I have been out road-testing several SUVs and I'm very impressed with the 4Runner...lots of great features, everything is very expensive, but these are reasonably priced compared to their competitors...I really like the 4Runner Limited with the leather interior and expanded feature package...the vehicle handled beautifully, smooth ride and after rehashing all this in my mind, I think I'm going to go buy one...

Toyota 4Runner is the greatest SUV available.

The Toyota 4 Runner is the best buy in its class. It has better steering than any Nissan, Suburban or Isuzu. It has a long history from a great company.

Limited 4 Runners are thebomb. They are huge yet get great gas mileage. The back roll down window is key.

The 4Runner shows much spirit, is great to read, and is very comfortable.

This truck is one of the most well designed, best-riding SUV's I have ever been in.

4Runner - classic elegance, affordable price.

Gas-guzzling roadhogs.

4Runner and Pathfinder are best. Durango is close second. I like Japanese SUV's.