One sturdy vehicle

I bought my '93 4Runner a little over 1 year ago with 240,000 miles on it. Standard Transmission, 3.0 V6 SR5. With that high of mileage, I wouldn't have bought anything that didn't say "Toyota" on it. I called a friend who's a mechanic and asked his opinion and he said, "Oh that's only about half it's life span." Anyway, it's been great! I'm well over 250,000 miles now and it's going strong. I've replaced the O2 sensor, the radiator the timing belt the brakes and done a minor tune up on it and that's it. It runs great and I have had no trouble with it. I asked the previous owner about the head gasket and he didn't seem to remember anything about getting it fixed, but with as many miles as it has, it was either replaced or never a problem on this particular 4Runner.

It runs great on the roads and, with my Firestone Destination A/T's it handles all kinds of weather and off roads well (I've only done some minor off roading, nothing serious, but I think it could handle it).

I've got a few electrical problems, my sunroof doesn't work, my rear defroster doesn't work, the up/down function on the driver's side mirror doesn't work and the rear wiper's intermittent function doesn't work and the washer fluid to the rear is sporadic (None of this stuff is covered in the Chilton's either).

Gas mileage is lacking, but what do you expect with an SUV. It is, however, underpowered by today's standards. You're not going to win any drag races in the 4Runner, but you won't lag too far behind. Uphill, it seems to require a lower gear that I like to use, otherwise you just crawl, but that may just be me. It doesn't have good passing power either, so two lane roads require a good eye and plenty of room to pass those big trucks. However, it tows well. I've had to pull a friend to the shop a couple of times and it pulls his '93 Blazer like there's nothing attached to it at all. It has also pulled a '97 GMC 3500 out a the snow.

It's got plenty of room, but the cabin isn't exactly spacious. I have to duck my head when I get in and out, otherwise I get bonked (I'm 6'3"). I have trouble getting my wallet out when I'm sitting in the driver's seat and your feet are more out in front of you than with comparable vehicles. However, you are quite a bit higher off the ground than comparable SUVs of the period and that gives you a good view of the road ahead.

I like the tailgate style of the back end. It allows me to open the back while it's in the garage and makes carrying longer items easier (although, with the back seats folded down, I can carry a full sized mattress with the back closed.

Anyway, I'd recommend this vehicle to anyone interested. Just take care of it and it'll last forever.