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Car delema... need advice!

~Ethan~

~Ethan~

Dec 3, 2008
258
2
Abilene, TX
#1
Need some advice on whether or not to sell my vehicle for another.

My dad bought a used '97 toyota 4runner about 14 years ago, we lent it out to some "friends" who ended up keeping it for around 4-5 years, then we lent it stupidly to another "friend" who kept it for around a 1 1/2 - 2 years. None of them took care of or did any upkeep on the car. I've replaced the alternator which was giving me problems and after thats done it should be running fine again. It's got over 160,000 miles on it and I've heard that toyota's are just getting started after 100k so it should run for a long time still.
The only issues with it really is cosmetic and some minor functionality. The paint is rather worn on the hood and such, the driver seatbelt was chewed by our dog so it's just the chest piece, the driverside door only opens from the outside, and the carpeting in the front is wearing away.

Overall it's still a good car, it runs fine, and it's got a brand new windshield. But the guy thats helping me fix it up has a really nice '99 dodge ram with under 100k miles, a nice stereo/subwoofer, completely redone front (insides), new tires, etc. for really cheap. I got to test drive it a little and I love it.

So my question is, for you car gurus, whats the better option? Keep the 4runner, which I love and am fine with it just getting me from A to B, or the truck? Though I have no real knowledge of cars, the truck really seems to be the better deal.
As a side note: We are moving to Texas sometime the end of the year and I will have to be driving all the way from California. I don't know if I trust the 4runner to get the job done and keep going after the fact.

Thank you for reading and any help is much appreciated!
 
#7
Icey101 said:
how much juice does the Ram guzzle compared to the 4 runner?
Click to expand...

The 4 runner should average 17 or mine did. But yeah they probably didn't change the oil huh. I dunno, you don't know what the rams been through, I might have to stick with yota. Look for oil on the rear wheels axle seals go out common) and look for pink in the radiator or transmission like pink milkshake, if its pink pray now. Because transmission is probably toast.
 
#8
Icey101 said:
how much juice does the Ram guzzle compared to the 4 runner?
Click to expand...

A LOT. I had a 1998 that I bought new. 12mpg avg. 5.9l v8 / auto, 3.55, reg cab, short box, 4x4.
I heard the 5.2 and V6 weren't much better. If it's a stick that will help too.

Dodges of that era are known for trouble with transmissions and front ends (if it's a 4x4), but I put 80K+ miles on mine with few problems. It went through spark plugs for some reason. They're easy to work on, at least.

D
 
#11
Do you want the stuff you carry inside your 4runner to be outside in a metal box when you are moving it?

The Dodge should be pretty dependable, but it costs a few bucks to keep it full of gas, and they do seem to prefer fresh spark plugs more often than other "cars".

I have a Dodge, if I had a toyota too I'd probably drive that far more frequently.

Get your seatbelt fixed ASAP!! Don't mess around with that stuff. The dealer should be able to hook you up pretty fast.
 
#14
wow, can i be your dad's friend too?

i would assume the other friends didn't change the oil. and that will kill a car. also, depending on where exactly you move, a dodge may be easier to get parts and repaired (and be better accepted) than in an import.
 
#15
The Ram will get slightly poorer gas mileage, but the Toyota is a service nightmare waiting to happen. The only way that I'd recommend keeping the Toyota is if you have no money and know how to work on cars. In that case, you can probably keep it going for a couple more years.

Otherwise, the smart choice is the Ram all the way.
 
#16
I've owned both.
4 runners are underpowered and suffer from poor gas mileage because of it.
Dodge Rams are notorious for tranny trouble and front end problems along with not too stellar gas mileage.
Me personally I would look for something else.
 
#17
alembicguy said:
I've owned both.
4 runners are underpowered and suffer from poor gas mileage because of it.
Dodge Rams are notorious for tranny trouble and front end problems along with not too stellar gas mileage.
Me personally I would look for something else.
Click to expand...

Ideally, this. if the Ram has a ton of miles on it, and they aren't ALL, ALL highway, then it's a truck to run the heck away from. and yeah, the Toyota is a truck to get rid of asap.
 
#19
I wouldnt want the ram at all. I would change the oil in the toyota and flush and replace all other fluids and see what a mechanic thinks of it. You say it was abused but then you say you know nothing about cars. Is abuse to you cosmetic? because having a crapped out interior and shot paint job doesnt mean they didnt change the oil , really a 1997 toyota with 160,000 miles on it wont have needed many repairs by now , regular oil changes and a new alternator isnt suprising to me.

I keep a 1974 VW bug on the road and drive it 1000+ miles a month , it has yet to cause me to be stranded ( knock on wood ) and the average person would say its abused looking.

Prior to the i had a 1992 toyota corolla- I got it with 195,000 miles on it and it cost me 700$. Worn paint , dings on every panel , balding tires and a trashed CV joint yet i put 10k on it in a summer driving over the pass to california with my band and so forth-I loved that car but rather then getting new tires and tags I sold it for 1000$ and profited, besides 1 oil chnage i didnt put anything into the car.

I would clean up the 4 runner a bit and post it up for trade on craigs for a more economical car, like a corolla.
 
#20
alembicguy said:
I've owned both.
4 runners are underpowered and suffer from poor gas mileage because of it.
Dodge Rams are notorious for tranny trouble and front end problems along with not too stellar gas mileage.
Me personally I would look for something else.
Click to expand...

This. Both the 4 and 6 cylinder Toyota truck engines from this era (and before) are timebombs when old and not taken care of; they don't follow the Toyota car formula.

I would never, ever buy a high mile Ram that isn't diesel. No way.

Look elsewhere. If you must go for one, have the Toyota checked out, and check under the valve cover for oil sludge. It'll tell you how badly it's been maintained. Unless everything looks great when it gets checked out by a qualified mechanic, again look elsewhere.
 

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