Wow. Why do people even drive 3rd gens?

 

This is getting bloody!

 

I will admit to a strong case of e-locker envy. Hmmm...LC's have 3!

 

As a 12yr first gen owner, I say buy a 1st gen cheap and then put $10-15k worth of toys in/on it and have something that smokes both the 2nd and 3rd gens
Imagine it, solid axle, 3.4l, r150f 5sp, 4.7 case, locked rear, limited front, crossover steering, 33" MTRs, black steelies....heck, you'd probably still have $ left over if you did some work yourself

 

4Runners?? Or are you talking about Tacomas? I am almost certain that the 5-speed was discontinued after 2000. In fact I was told this on numerous occasions while shopping for my 2001 4Runner. That was my first choice. I'd be interested to hear if this in fact true.

Andreas

 

Yea I know, and I wasn't trying to piss anyone off. Just answering gwhayduke original question about differences in 2nd to 3rd gens and why the 3rd gens are better. I actually put a bunch of the little changes that are nice on the 3rd gens. Those little things are minor compared to the 3.4. The engine alone makes the 3rd gen better. I still think the two are very similar except for the engine. Even the exterior is close. When I see a Runner on the road its sometime hard to tell whether its 2nd or 3rd gen untill I'm close. This isn't true when comparing 1st and 4th to the 2nd/3rd.

 

i think he is mistaken.

 

Discourse is so much more interesting once you find that tender spot.

 

my 'mistaken' post was a response to the person who said 01's and 02's do not have the 5spd option.

 

Nice dealer you've got there! Besides asking an arm and a leg for 4Runner, he apparently has "2001 4Runner w/locker". I really wonder where he found that gem considering the fact that Toyota stopped offering e-locker in 2000?

-- Andrey

 

Really? Maybe it's my ignorance...On the limited there was a push-button on the dash with a icon of the 4 wheels...aaahhh...and a little design where the tranny/transfore case was..

Was it a locking center diff?

And yes, this dealer always quotes high prices...then I go to Las Cruces Toyota and everything is $3-5K cheaper. El Paso dealers buy through Gulf States Toyota, an independent distributor who prices their own vehicles. LC Toyota gets their vehicles from the West coast....a division of Toyota. Why this continues to have an effect on used cars is probably because too few folk travel the extra 35-45 miles to shop around.

LC Toyota has always treated me well...But they don't have anything interesting on their lot right now.

 

That was the VSC (vehicle stability control) button - no, it's not a locker. That option replaced the lockers on 01's and 02's. It senses wheel spin and applies that wheel's brakes to limit the spin and transfer torque to the other wheel through the differential. It's not as good as an e-locker, but it's better than open diffs. The way you lock the center diff is to shift the transfer case lever instead of just pushing the 4WD button.

 

Power is the main thing with me and the 3.0 is no match vs the 3.4 and it ain't even close if it was a drag race but off road I don't think it's that noticeable but 3rd gens have the power AND better gas mileage.

 

By the way, since you're shopping around, 99's and 00's are identical with the exception of color options - millenium silver was offered in '00 along with some other color option changes.

 

If that's VSC, then I'm really not interested. I've gotten into a few spots where I couldn't go any further because I had one front and one rear tire spinning. So I need to either look at a LC or <2000 4Runner (preferably with a 5 speed).

 

Hey Hayduke (I had to write that), you have less than 24 hours to steal this Land Cruiser near you. It looks to have it all (including locker) and even some spiffy aftermarket stuff. If I didn't have one already, I'd be booking a flight today. Lady Hayduke WILL approve, I promise! Good luck!

 

Hayduke, not to break the flow of the posts, do you do lots of desert wheeling out in El Paso? I have seen some pics of some trails near Las Cruces, loooks like a great place to wheel. Take a drive to DFW, you have lots and lots of Toyota dealers to deal down the price.

 

Thanks for thinkin' of me! Yep, it's beautiful and the bid is good. But near me? That's EAST TEXAS! I can get to Tucson or Phoenix faster..

We're so far out here you have to go through Border Patrol checkpoints to get to or from here...seriously.

 

Here are some reasons why I went with the 3rd Gen when I bought my '96 that I copied from www.consumerguide.com-

Wheelbase was two inches longer, door width grew by 1.5 inches, rear leg room was up three inches, and the floor was lowered by 2.4 inches.

Also I was not interested in dealing with any of the 3.0L issues, and my 2.7L makes more power and weighs less. No rear end sag like a 2nd Gen, plus I think the 3rd Gen looks better, but that is just my 2 cents...

 

It is a great place to wheel. Most gates are not padlocked and it's horizon to horizon BLM land. Just be kind to the ranchers...they're just trying to make a living, don't tear new scars in the desert...it doesn't recover, carry tools, water and food...Then pick a direction...chances are pretty good there's a two-track headed in that direction. And yes...There are a lot of trails where I park and hike. We have volcanoes, mines, canyons, playas, bandidos, and some pretty friendly illegal aliens who on occasion have opened the gates for me.

I'll edit my post later with a link to some pics.

Here's the link:

http://homepage.mac.com/jhgilbert/PhotoAlbum4.html