Here's Why You Can't Afford a Toyota 4Runner Anymore

today we're looking at two mid-size suvs the jeep grand cherokee and the toyota 4runner we'll drive through and see how each suv evolved in technology and style we'll also take a look at which model years are best to buy used which ones to avoid and more so hop in and let's go for a ride the year is 1980 a toyota dealership owner named jack safro was very fond of his toyotas but the harsh wisconsin winters proved to be a tough test for these trucks with sales suffering jack had an idea he approached winnebago the manufacturer of motorhomes to see if these trucks could be fitted with an enclosed cab to make them more functional and comfortable in the winter winnebago liked the idea so did toyota who shipped over a few base hilux models born was the toyota tracker the result of a collaboration between the japanese automaker and an american mobile home manufacturer in 1981 and 1982 some 1500 were made and they quickly sold out most were shipped out west with colorado being the biggest buyer toyota saw the consumer interest and demand for this type of vehicle so they decided to further develop the concept the final result was the toyota 4runner which was released in the united states the first generation toyota 4runner was essentially a modified hilux pickup truck it was a simple unassuming two-door suv that drew very little attention but midway through this first generation the 4runner switched from a solid front axle to an independent suspension for better road handling and this really drew the attention of off-road enthusiasts most of these trucks were powered by a 2.4 liter 22 re i4 that output about 100 horsepower a turbocharged version of that as well as a three liter v6 were also made available the four runner had a good start the second generation four runner featured a unique body that was now more distinguishable from the pickup the entire metal roof was now fixed unlike the previous generation which had a removable rear shell this forerunner still had a pickup style tailgate that required the window to be closed first before opening the tailgate unlike other suvs at the time which had upward opening rear doors closed windows toyota sought to also appeal to families so they added new safety features including side impact protection a third brake light and the option of four-wheel anti-lock brakes on v6 models around this time amc's smaller jeep cherokee had been in existence for almost 20 years and amc had intended to discontinue and replace it but chrysler ended up buying jeep and released the larger grand cherokee the first jeep grand cherokee debuted at the 1992 north american auto show chrysler president robert lutz literally drove and smashed through a plate glass window of the cobo hall convention center in detroit just to show how rough and tough the new suv was the first grand cherokee was only available with a 4 liter inline-six amc engine that generated 190 horsepower with an optional 5.2 liter v8 that produced 220 horsepower which was available shortly after towards the end of this generation it came available with a 5.9 liter v8 engine that was borrowed from the dodge ram it output 245 horsepower and 345 pound-feet of torque making the grand cherokee one of the most powerful suvs in its class at that time the first generation grand cherokee also featured the latest in technology including anti-lock brakes power door lock power windows and even cruise control it was also the first suv to be offered with a driver's side airbag which was remarkable at the time in the meantime toyota did a complete redesign that's because toyota wanted to draw more on roaders and families and it no longer looked just like a plane pickup it had a new body shell and a new chassis for a five-door wagon it also came with dual airbags as well as four wheel abs side door rails and alr elr seat belts toyota also further developed its anti-lock braking system active traction control technology with vehicle anti-skid and electronic brake force distribution make the forerunner safer and easier to handle in difficult weather conditions under the hood the third generation engines included a 2.7 liter inline-four and a 3.4 liter v6 with four-speed automatic and five-speed manual transmissions other significant changes included side rails and improved center console more cabin room and the new lift up tailgate meanwhile jeep 2 did a complete redesign was now rounder and smoother less boxy a new 4.7 liter v8 engine that output 235 horsepower replaced the 5.2 liter v8 although the former 4-liter inline-six remained the standard engine its power increased 195 horsepower interesting fact daimler chrysler teamed up with german automobile manufacturer porsche to strengthen the grand cherokee's unibody frame thus resulting in the uniframe this added strength and rigidity to the jeep platform and contributed to reduced noise vibration and harshness this generation grand cherokee had more space for passengers and cargo too during this time period toyota made changes to the body and chassis to the forerunner the fourth generation was now more like a semi-luxury mid-size suv although the forerunner continued to be known for its off-road capabilities it also appealed to consumers who preferred the highway over the back road the manual transmission got dropped in favor of a four-speed and five-speed automatic meanwhile the third generation jeep grand cherokee wk came out this generation was much longer than its predecessor new rectangular headlights replaced the classic round ones and the d-pillar got pushed forward giving the jeep a more stylish look the 4-liter inline-six got replaced with the 3.7 liter v6 engine producing 210 horsepower the 4.7 liter v8 remained unchanged but america saw a new 5.7 liter hemi v8 that generated 325 horsepower few years later its output increased to 357 horsepower by the end of this generation both the v6 turbo diesel and the 4.7 liter v8 got discontinued in 2010 toyota released the new 5th generation 4runner it's been the longest lasting generation and it continues to this day its exterior design started departing from the smooth rounded lines of the previous generation moving back closer to boxy to compare a tough and rugged look this 4runner improved on comfort and capability but it didn't mean that this suv was afraid of going off-road or getting its wheels dirty under the hood it's powered exclusively by a 270 horsepower 4 liter v6 engine the trd pro trim adds redesigned shock absorbers springs tires and skid plates that make the 4runner not just a luxury but also a reliable suv that can be driven every day in all road conditions the grand cherokee entered its fourth generation this generation saw one of the first applications of the 3.6 liter v6 chrysler pentastar engine which output 290 horsepower a 5.7 liter hemi v8 with 360 horses was also offered the following year the grand cherokee srt8 returned with a 470 horsepower 6.4 liter v8 but that got dropped and replaced by the 3-liter eco-diesel v6 just a few years later jeep then introduced the new trailhawk trim it was purely off-road version with increased durability 10-inch ground clearance and large 18-inch wheels 2018 saw the grand cherokee trackhawk make a grand entrance it was powered by the same supercharged 6.2 liter v8 from dodge challenger srt hellcat the jeep grand cherokee trackhawk is incredibly fast we're talking zero to 60 in less than four seconds you can hear the power in the 707 horsepower 6.2 liter hemi v8 coupled with a hefty dose of supercharger howe impressive when your trusty family car can hit 60 in just 3.5 seconds while carrying several passengers with comfort if you don't scare them to death first fifth generation was just launched with the 2021 grand cherokee wl four foot longer so can accommodate two additional passengers with three rows of seats sports the same 290 horsepower v6 chrysler pentastar and a 360 horsepower 5.7 liter hemi v8 so if you're looking to buy used what are the best years to consider and which ones should you avoid let's talk about the grand cherokee first for starters the 2010 grand cherokee is worth mentioning that was the final year of the third generation grand cherokee wk which can easily travel 200 000 miles assuming all the regular maintenance has been done it has a brilliant 4.7 liter v8 engine and if you need more power it can be worth trying to find a 2010 model with a hemi engine according to the national highway traffic safety association the 2010 grand cherokee received only 5 recalls and 106 complaints where other models have up to 16 recalls and thousands of complaints the 2010 might lack some of the luxury and off-road technologies and later models but is sufficiently equipped by the way one of the reasons why that year was quite reliable is because there wasn't as much onboard equipment on it to complicate things you can usually find a used one with high mileage for under 10 grand as far as which years to avoid the 2014 and 15 models are on the list 2014 was a year of complete refresh and redesigned for the grand cherokee which included replacing the conventional level to an electronic gearshift some drivers found that when they were temporarily weeding an suv in park mode with the engine running it would roll there were reports of numerous injuries and accidents because of it a couple years later for the 2016 model jeep replaced the electronic shifter with a conventional one but now let's talk about the toyota 4runner the models you can walk past and not regret include 2003 2004 2005. the worst problem for these had to do with body and paint problems especially rust many owners reported serious rust and corrosion that caused the frame to come apart in some of the worst cases of all models released the 2015 model is the only year where owners reported problems with the airbags not deploying it can be costly to fix even as high as nine thousand bucks in general though toyota has really outdone themselves with a forerunner reliability rates have been generally high over the past 10 even 20 years the same can be said for customer satisfaction rates which have been above average so determining the best 4runner model depends on your budget and personal preferences and features for example the 2017 18 and 19 models usually come with a price tag above 25k but there aren't significant differences between those years and the latest 20 and 21 models so you can save about eight to eight and a half thousand on these fifth generation model fourth generation models are the only ones to offer a v8 engine and you can usually find these for under 10 grand from that generation the years 2007 and 2008 received perfect reliability scores and have relatively low customer complaints considering that they're 15 years old so you tell me what do you like more the toyota 4runner or the jeep grand cherokee and why please comment below and share your opinion if you 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Channel: Scotty Kilmer

Views: 727,075

Keywords: auto, auto repair, car, car diy, car repair, cars, diy, how to, mechanic, repair, scotty kilmer, car review, car advice, toyota 4runner, toyota 4runner review, toyota 4 runner, 4runner review, toyota suv, suv review, toyota review, new toyota 4runner, used toyota 4runner, should i buy a toyota 4runner, buying a 4runner, 4runner, 4runners, buying a used 4runner, toyota 4runners, buying a toyota, here's why, here's why toyota 4runners are so expensive, expensive cars, expensive

Id: qt3lYBnqpwo

Length: 10min 55sec (655 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 10 2021