1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 review from North America

Rear axle seal on left side began leaking, resulting in the loss of my brakes.

Valve cover seals began minor leakage replaced under warranty with dealer.

My 3rd 4runner I have owned since 1999. Had a 1987 with the 22RE, 1995 5-Speed with 3.0 V6 (extremely under powered for the size vehicle) so I had to upgrade to the 3rd Generation 4runner.

SR5 is an adequate trim level, but upgrades are easy if you like to do your own modifications. Completely replaced the entire interior with leather from another 4runner (96-02 are interchangeable), which really upgraded the comfort.

Replaced the 98 headlights with those from a 2000, which have better projection.

Replaced the center console as the placement of the cup holders in the 96-98 is horrible, you just want to chicken-choke the engineer who designed this fiasco. Replacing the e-brake and center console between the seats, and shifting the switches in the center console, made for a much better lay out (buy a 99-02 and eliminate this problem)

Lacks enough 12vdc outlets in the front, but 99-02 added two to help with this issue.

Rear cargo hold on the rear passenger area is too small to really put any amount of off-road equipment. 99-02 increased the size to allow for more basic emergency and maintenance items.

Visibility is good with tinted glass in the rear passenger/cargo area. Lift gate is easier to use than previous generations, making loading a bit easier without having to lean over a tailgate.