2nd or 3rd Gen 4Runner

[Booosted Supra]

There not bad trucks, if you drive one compared to a v6 though its night and day, even the same with the older 22r/re/3VZE's

 

[AxleIke]

To each their own like you said basically. I think comparing 2 motors with two totally different set ups and technology is wrong. With all my years of Toyota experience I strongly disagree that the 3.0 is hard to work on. It may look intimidating to someone who just first opens the hood but so are EVAP problems to the average garage mechanic on a 3.4 truck I am sure(I am talking about real evap problems not a loose gas cap and that was just an example) I can tare down and replace a bottom end/or head on either motor and test drive it by the end of the day(once again probably not fair as I maintain these vehicles on a regular daily basis anyway). As far as HP increase and mileage, a healthy 3.0(without an automatic) gets reasonable gas mileage for its age and time and has plenty of power. Like my signature says the standard answer on how to fix a 3.0 in the Toyota world is 3.4 swap it which just plain stupid, if your going to go thru the trouble of a engine swap there are plenty of BETTER options then a V series Toyota engine when all it takes is knowledge and know how to make what you have work. Even though there was a campaign launched for the HG on the 2nd gen, I have replaced quite a few 3rd gen motors.

As far as the IFS systems, and better ride quality vs 2nd and 3rd gen. 2nd gen has better parts availability on the road if your in a jam. Torsion bars can hold a good amount of weight with out sacrificing ride quality and stock they really dont drive bad, my truck carrys a heavy load daily and I actually have my bars really relaxed. A bent tie rod on a 3rd gen can cost you 1000's if you damage the rack opposed to a couple hundred. Ball joint cost vs control arms can get expensive, there is alot of pro's and con's of both sides.

Its all about preference, simplicity, and reliability. They are both excellent trucks. Just like another vehicle ever made a newer vehicle is going to have more undated options. Like IKE said its really preference on what the OP looks for as far as needs in a vehicle. No ones wrong here.

LOL! Yeah, to each their own. With regard to mileage, my experience is that the 3.0 and the 3.4 are about the same (neither is that great, IMO).

As far as working on em, I agree that once you get the intake/EGR/vacuum bs off of the 3.0, they are essentially the same. Since you have a lot of experience, its probably the same time for you, but I've only done a few of each, and the 3.0 takes me 2x longer, due to the antiquated emissions stuff.

I do, however, COMPLETELY agree that a 3.4 swap isn't worth the hassle for the most part. Might as well stick something with 2 more cylinders under there.

Suspension wise, I suppose we have to agree to disagree on that

 

[Booosted Supra]

LOL! Yeah, to each their own. With regard to mileage, my experience is that the 3.0 and the 3.4 are about the same (neither is that great, IMO).

As far as working on em, I agree that once you get the intake/EGR/vacuum bs off of the 3.0, they are essentially the same. Since you have a lot of experience, its probably the same time for you, but I've only done a few of each, and the 3.0 takes me 2x longer, due to the antiquated emissions stuff.

I do, however, COMPLETELY agree that a 3.4 swap isn't worth the hassle for the most part. Might as well stick something with 2 more cylinders under there.

Suspension wise, I suppose we have to agree to disagree on that

haha yeah, all preference like you said

 

[MCObray]

All 99+ 3rd gen 4runners have the 3 power outlets in the front (1 cigarette lighter and 2 other power outlets) + 1 in the rear. Some have sunroofs and many have E-lockers as well. The only thing the Highlander package gets you is the hood scoop and the body colored paint on the bumpers. IOW, Highlander/Sport Edition is merely a cosmetic trim package.

Sure, but I guess my stand point was coming from a bare bone, SE package I had on my 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ. I am still impressed with 4Runner and I smile every time I see it!

 

[ol' scott]

Not quiet sure what people are talking about with the 4Runner gas milage. My '99 with a 5 speed with 142k on the clock gets 22mpg in mixed/primarily country driving. This weekend I got 14mpg pulling a 16ft enclosed utility trailer while also carrying a canoe on the 4Runner. This is with a small lift (OME 881 and OME 906) and 32's. For comparison my '04 Xterra with 100k miles got 15.5 mpg with mixed driving and my '02 Tundra got 14.5 mpg mixed. This trip finally cemented the 4Runner as my "I'll keep it for awhile" vehicle after owning six cars in the last five years. The only bad thing is it's silver and not green.

 

[AxleIke]

Not quiet sure what people are talking about with the 4Runner gas milage. My '99 with a 5 speed with 142k on the clock gets 22mpg in mixed/primarily country driving. This weekend I got 14mpg pulling a 16ft enclosed utility trailer while also carrying a canoe on the 4Runner. This is with a small lift (OME 881 and OME 906) and 32's. For comparison my '04 Xterra with 100k miles got 15.5 mpg with mixed driving and my '02 Tundra got 14.5 mpg mixed. This trip finally cemented the 4Runner as my "I'll keep it for awhile" vehicle after owning six cars in the last five years. The only bad thing is it's silver and not green.

4 cyl or 6? Mine (6 cyl) will do 19 on a GOOD day of very continuous highway miles. Your situation is rare. MOST folks with a 6 cyl will see 15-18 regularly with these trucks.

FWIW to the OP, I have seen zero change in MPG with the supercharger.

 

[ol' scott]

My situation isn't necessarily common but that doesn't mean it is rare. The 5-speed probably makes the biggest difference and also that I drive relatively flat routes. It's a 6cyl and 4wd for what it is worth. Plenty of people on t4r.org getting comparable mileage from their vehicles. While the mileage isn't great I certainly wouldn't call it terrible.

 

[AxleIke]

Mine is also a 5 speed. I'm usually at 16 or 17 mixed hwy city. That was with a 2" lift and 32's.

 

[Martinjmpr]

My situation isn't necessarily common but that doesn't mean it is rare. The 5-speed probably makes the biggest difference and also that I drive relatively flat routes. It's a 6cyl and 4wd for what it is worth. Plenty of people on t4r.org getting comparable mileage from their vehicles. While the mileage isn't great I certainly wouldn't call it terrible.

It's the transmission. I had a Tacoma with the 3.4/5 speed combo and the power and MPG were adequate, if not spectacular. 22 was pretty do-able on the highway even with 32's. I then switched to a 4runner with the exact same 3.4 motor but the A340 4 speed slushbox and the my city MPG went from 18 to about 15 if I was lucky. On the highway I could occasionally break 21 but it took pretty 'perfect' conditions to get that. Towing an 1100 lb trailer across Wyoming my MPG plunged to around 11 and the engine was working hard to keep up.

That's one thing I dislike about automatics: They rob the engine of both usable power and economy. Having said that, I'm pretty happy with the 4.0 V-6/5 speed auto combo in my 4th gen 4runner. While it still only gets around 17 - 18 MPG in the city (so far), the power increase is significant, so IMO it's worth it.

The problem with the 3rd gen in terms of fuel economy is not the MPG itself, it's the combination of the so-so MPG with a too-small gas tank. Hell, even my 1999 Ford Ranger had almost 20 gallons in the tank the 18.5 gallon tank in the 4runner means that under most circumstances your range will be 350 miles to bone dry which means that you're looking for a gas station around 275 - 300 miles. I guess maybe I got spoiled my my 1990 Mitsubishi Montero, which had a 24.5 gallon tank (I believe) and even with it's 16-18 MPG I could always plan on at least 400 miles between fuel stops, so in my mind, 400 miles is what I consider to be an adequate range.

 

[Booosted Supra]

wow I wish the 4runner had a factory 24 gallon gas tank