1992 Toyota 4Runner SR5 review from North America

Driver side seat upholstery is splitting open. May be due to my J-Lo type rear end.

Head gaskets need replacing at 278000 km.

Motor on power tailgate window is fading. Might have something to do with the fact that it gets down to minus 30 celsius in Canada.

Had a problem with the engine revving up and down constantly. Turns out my rad hose was loose and leaked antifreeze. Re-filled the coolant and tightened the hose, good as new.

This thing can go anywhere! I've owned a few trucks, a couple SUV's. Nothing like this little baby!

It lacks a bit in power (what do you expect from a 3.0L that weighs more than your average car?). What it lacks in the umph department it certainly makes up for in fuel economy and utility.

I haven't even owned Christine (my 4Runner) for over a year and already I've put more km's on it than most people do in two years simply because it's that much fun to drive. Rush hour traffic? No problem. Jump the curb and bypass the holdup. Can't get to a campsite on foot? Load up the gear and go offroad. I took my friend's boat to the lake a good dozen times last summer (2005) and had no problem on the highway with towing.

The only reason I'm selling it is because I drive so much, having an SUV is not very economical. I get about 400km to a tank (which is between 50 and 60 Litres). Try doing that with a domestic! My friend's '98 Durango can go places I can never take my 4runner, but he pays ridiculous money for fuel.

People talk about how Toyota's are overrated and don't deserve such a good review. They've obviously never owned a decent one or haven't had the time or little bit of money to fix it up. Toyota's (especially 4runner's) are reliable, economical (if you don't drive 500km a week like I do), and they hold their value well. A doctor friend of mine sold his Nissan Pathfinder for $9000 last year. It was a '97. My 4runner is a '92 and I only paid $7000. And that was high seeing as I got it from a mechanic who put a 3 month unlimited warranty on it. What mechanic puts 3 months unlimited warranty on a USED VEHICLE? Obviously one who knows that Toyota's are the best.