Best of both Worlds

Before buying this SUV, I had only owned little bitty Hondas and Toyotas. Sporty little cars that zipped around corners but couldn't haul much more than groceries. I am a small person, so I wasn't sure how it would feel to drive a BIG truck. I test drove the Explorer, Rodeo, Cherokee, and Passport all before trying the 4Runner. Hands down, the 4Runner drives the nicest. Sitting inside, the interior feels like a car to me. It's tight. I like that, but it feels too small to my 6'1" husband.

It drives like a Toyota, also. Quiet engine, and smooth handling. I was comfortable driving it from the start. But this is no sports car. It's big. And the 4Runner sits up higher from the road than other SUVs, so you can see EVERYTHING. I'm a better driver because of that. Also, check out the storage space of the 4runner compared to other SUVs. The back area is so much bigger and I can haul furniture, strollers, virtually ANY of my Home Depot purchases.

This one will cost you more, but it holds it's value better than the others. It has the same Toyota reliability that I'd grown to love. Going on 95,000 miles with no troubles. It's wearing well.

A couple of cons: the leather seats have not worn very well. Also, the cup holder inside is in a terrible place, right in front of the air conditioning vents. Mine is a 1995, so they have probably improved that by now. And like all SUVs, it is a gas guzzler. At first I didn't like the way the back hatch opened. First you open the window, then drop a hatch down. But now I prefer this to the door in later models that opens fully from the bottom. I use the drop down as a baby changing table on the go, and it's easy to let long pieces of wood hang out the back when they won't quite fit inside.

I love my 4Runner and will be driving it for many more years.