They do hold their value. I found a 98 this summer in a town about 50 miles from me. Noting special about it equipment wise, white, auto SR5, 110000 miles.

What was cool about it was inside it looked like it had never been used. I suspect they had seat covers on it but this thing was as clean as any used runner I’ve ever seen. He wanted $8500 for it. I thought he was a little nuts so a day later I called with a $7900 counter offer. He laughed and said he sold it to a guy about an hour after I test drove it ….. $8500 AND he kept the new tires he’d put on it because the guy wanted a different tread design.

My present Runner is a 97 and its at about 220000 so I’ll keep my eyes open for something else, but next time I’m going to have a little better idea about what’s reasonable and what’s not.

 

When I bought my 5sd but no e-locker new in 1999, it was hard to find a manual. [I didn't know what an e-locker was or I would have tried for it.] Salesman at the dealer had none and claimed he didn't know when he was getting the next one until the truck pulled in. We are looking at an automatic when the truck pulled in and we went out to look. There she was: one green 5sp SR5.My baby was mine before the tires hit the ground.

 

I spent 5 straight months looking for mine. 98 4x4 5 speed with elocker, clean carfax and under 100k. I got very sick of checking autotrader and craigslist twice a day - but it was a necessity. Anytime a 5-speed 4runner would be advertised, it would be gone within about a day and a half. TWICE I callled around 6 HOURS after the ad was posted and they were gone - very frustrating.

So, yes, they are extremely rare in most parts of the country. How rare? Only one of the techs at my local Toyota Dealer had ever seen a third gen with one.

But all of the hastle was worth it! I can't think of a better vehicle that combines reliability, offroad ability, gas mileage, in a truck that can double as a family car/daily driver, AND be fun to drive.

 

E-locker was standard on limited and an option on everthing else except for maybe the 22re.

 

The Durk/ that is cool how you spotted yours right on the delivery truck-what a great day that was eh?

86-91/ 3rd gens are 96-02 (see very top of page please) you are in wrong section sir.

If I could have gotten the 22re in a 3rd gen I would have died and gone to heaven by now.

Don't believe the elocker was standard on Limiteds for 3rd gens-perhaps gen 2's is possible (90-95) ? Were there Limiteds for first gens?