1999/2000 4Runner vs. 2003/2004 Explorer XLT
 

I am looking at both, what one do you think will be the most trouble
free assuming it has been taken care of. also would like to know the
good points and bad points of each.
Thanks for your help

wrote:
>I am looking at both, what one do you think will be the most trouble
>free assuming it has been taken care of. also would like to know the
>good points and bad points of each.
> Thanks for your help

4 Runner hands down.

newer explorers are having tranny and differential problems, and there is no
way to know if you are buying one that will have problems.

There is a reason they are referred to as Exploders


--
Message posted via http://www.carkb.com

Aside from the fact that you're trying to compare apples and oranges.... Job
2 Explorers in our area have been relatively trouble free.... There are NO
4Runners in our area....

Interesting point.... Fords concerns seem to be well known.... kinda like
saying "we know there is a concern and we ae working to a resolution...."
unlike other marques that downplay just about anything.

Good luck with your decision.....


> wrote in message
...
> I am looking at both, what one do you think will be the most trouble
> free assuming it has been taken care of. also would like to know the
> good points and bad points of each.
> Thanks for your help
>

"Jim Warman" > wrote in message
news:EyoBe.89908$wr.35441@clgrps12...
> Aside from the fact that you're trying to compare apples and oranges....
> Job
> 2 Explorers in our area have been relatively trouble free.... There are NO
> 4Runners in our area....
>
> Interesting point.... Fords concerns seem to be well known.... kinda like
> saying "we know there is a concern and we ae working to a resolution...."
> unlike other marques that downplay just about anything.
>
> Good luck with your decision.....

Hello Jim,
I would like to know when the job 2 Explorers started ?
Just in case I get lucky and and upgrade my 2000 Explorer!
<grins>
regards,
Bill

I strongly considered the 4Runner before I bought my '05 Limited. I
am a big guy, 6' 4", and found the 4Runner to be just a little too
tight for me. That was the deciding factor. Having said that, my
Explorer is now about 10 months old and has been about as trouble-free
as any new vehicle could be expected to be. I just had it in for the
first time for warranty work; they replaced the weatherstrip on the
back hatch (it was rattling) and replaced a bad sensor on the back up
warning system. It now has 15,000 miles on it and I have not
regretted the purchase.

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 10:09:59 GMT, "Fathergoose"
> wrote:

>
>"Jim Warman" > wrote in message
>news:EyoBe.89908$wr.35441@clgrps12...
>> Aside from the fact that you're trying to compare apples and oranges....
>> Job
>> 2 Explorers in our area have been relatively trouble free.... There are NO
>> 4Runners in our area....
>>
>> Interesting point.... Fords concerns seem to be well known.... kinda like
>> saying "we know there is a concern and we ae working to a resolution...."
>> unlike other marques that downplay just about anything.
>>
>> Good luck with your decision.....
>
>Hello Jim,
>I would like to know when the job 2 Explorers started ?
>Just in case I get lucky and and upgrade my 2000 Explorer!
><grins>
>regards,
>Bill
>

I faced a similar dilemna and picked a 2002 Explorer. Although Toyota
as a brand still owns the overall 'quality' crown, the gap between
North American and Japanese has narrowed substantially over the past
few years.

A few things to note:
1. starting with the 2002 model year the Explorer has better crash test
and safety ratings than a 4Runner according to the NHTSA.
2. Explorers depreciate more quickly (north american, # on the road) so
you'll get more truck for your $ if buying used.
3. Any differences in fuel economy between 4Runner and Explorer will be
made up for in savings for insurance (YMMV).

In the end I got a 2002 Explorer XLT fully loaded w/ 80k km, with an
extended warranty (3 years) since it was coming off of lease, for
several thousand less than the average price of a 2000 4Runner. I
bought the ext warranty out of fear of murphy's law, but haven't needed
it within the first 6 months.

IIRC, job 2 was about midyear 02.... memory may fail me as our diesel sales
have skyrocketed and I almost forget what a spark plug looks like. My hoist
lifts 27,000 pounds so it is rare for me to work on anything smaller than an
F350.


"Fathergoose" > wrote in message
news:XRqBe.13632$8N5.742@trnddc09...
>
> "Jim Warman" > wrote in message
> news:EyoBe.89908$wr.35441@clgrps12...
> > Aside from the fact that you're trying to compare apples and oranges....
> > Job
> > 2 Explorers in our area have been relatively trouble free.... There are
NO
> > 4Runners in our area....
> >
> > Interesting point.... Fords concerns seem to be well known.... kinda
like
> > saying "we know there is a concern and we ae working to a
resolution...."
> > unlike other marques that downplay just about anything.
> >
> > Good luck with your decision.....
>
> Hello Jim,
> I would like to know when the job 2 Explorers started ?
> Just in case I get lucky and and upgrade my 2000 Explorer!
> <grins>
> regards,
> Bill
>
>

My daughter looked at buying a 98 or 99 4-Runner 2 years ago and the dealer
was just way too proud of it. Way too many miles and wanted much more than
retail. She ended up buying a 2000 Grand Cherokee with half the miles for
less money. Her car has been about as reliable as my 2000 Explorer XLT was.
I bought it with 25k miles on it and just traded for a new Sport Trac with
78k miles. The only problems I had were drivers power lock broke and back
door latch on inside broke. 17 mpg city and 22 mpg hwy.

> wrote in message
...
>I am looking at both, what one do you think will be the most trouble
> free assuming it has been taken care of. also would like to know the
> good points and bad points of each.
> Thanks for your help
>

Three years ago I bought a 89 S-10 with 144K on it. Since then I
spent about $1300 on repairs, mostly on front end repair because I
just can't stand worn parts and put another 15K on it. A friend of
mine bought a 94 4Runner with 110K on it less then a year ago for
around $5000. Since that time, and in about 6000 miles, he's put
$3500 into it for repairs. He keeps buying Toyotas and he keeps
sinking big bucks like this into them. One of his earlier purchases
went thru 3 motors in 10K miles. The last good Toyota he got was back
in 1980 but he just keep buying them. He did buy a Chevy Astro van,
which he put about 70K miles on and spent basically nothing on repairs
but that seems to have not registered with him.


On Thu, 4 Aug 2005 21:28:14 -0500, "RVenable" >
wrote:

>My daughter looked at buying a 98 or 99 4-Runner 2 years ago and the dealer
>was just way too proud of it. Way too many miles and wanted much more than
>retail. She ended up buying a 2000 Grand Cherokee with half the miles for
>less money. Her car has been about as reliable as my 2000 Explorer XLT was.
>I bought it with 25k miles on it and just traded for a new Sport Trac with
>78k miles. The only problems I had were drivers power lock broke and back
>door latch on inside broke. 17 mpg city and 22 mpg hwy.
>
> wrote in message
...
>>I am looking at both, what one do you think will be the most trouble
>> free assuming it has been taken care of. also would like to know the
>> good points and bad points of each.
>> Thanks for your help
>>
>