While today’s Nice Price or No Dice 4Runner has 280K under its belt, the fact that it’s a ’90s Toyota should make that less relevant to its value. Let’s decide just how much of an impact it might make.
There was consensus in the comments on yesterday’s 2012 Coda EV that its range-limiting battery issue narrowed its appeal to only those with the skills and gumption to take on its required repairs. That excludes the vast majority of us, so not even a modest $4,000 asking could muster much enthusiasm. The result? A massive 97 percent No Dice loss.
I’d like you all to turn back the pages of time with me. Step into a metaphorical Tardis and set a course all the way back to… Tuesday of this week. That’s right, the day before yesterday. Are we all here? Great. It was Tuesday that we all looked at a 2004 Volvo XC70, an AWD soft-roader that proved most notable for being in solid shape despite having over 207,000 miles on the clock.
In comparison to that Volvo, today’s 1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5 can also spin all four wheels when needed, is taller and a bit roomier, sports one more cylinder under its hood plus a manual transmission, and, most importantly, has even more miles under its belt. To top it all off, just like the Volvo, it doesn’t look half bad.
Naturally, Toyota trucks and high mileage go together like COVID and a cough, but that doesn’t mean that things can’t go wrong. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case on this 4Runner as the seller claims in hyperbolic Wayne’s World fashion that “Everything works excellent.” They also boast it to be all original and accident-free. It comes with a trailer hitch and a clean title as additional incentives.
Looking at the pictures in the ad, the truck doesn’t seem to suffer any significant issues with the paint or trim, and aside from the period-correct but gauche gold badging, it appears complaint-free.
Things are a little shabbier in the cabin, where the leather upholstery has gone a bit south, requiring a cover for the driver’s seat and a snood for the steering wheel. An airbag warning sticker and some sort of adhesive hook mar the dash, but neither should be a hassle to remove. On the plus side, the truck rocks its factory stereo, and has working A/C, as well as power windows and locks.
Perhaps the most notable feature of this 4Runner is the five-speed manual gearbox, which sits ahead of the two-speed transfer case for the part-time 4WD and behind the 183-horsepower 3.4-liter V6. That’s a solid combination when well maintained, with the only real downside being that, as equipped, this truck probably only averages around 16 miles to the gallon of gas.
Of course, that is to be expected with something of this size and capability. So, too, is having space to keep it, which, apparently, is the issue facing the current owner and hence the reason for the sale. To that end, the seller has set the price at $8,500.
What’s the over/under on this 4Runner and that $8,500 asking? Considering the truck’s presentation and kit, does that feel like a deal? Or, like the mileage, is that price just too doggone high?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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