My wife and I decided to invest in a hobby and something that gets us outdoors more. It had been a goal to get a vehicle that provided as much clearance if not more than our 2014 Subaru Outback, 8.6″. We were also looking for something with 4-wheel drive that was able to do 4 low as well as 4 high. Initially we were looking at trucks with 4-wheel drive and good clearance as well as a travel trailer. We test drove Ford F150’s and F250’s, Dodge RAMs, Chevies, etc, etc. We didn’t drive any Nissans or Toyotas as they would not tow what we had originally wanted…an Outdoor RV.
However, after running numbers and re-evaluating what we wanted to do there were hurdles we bumped up against. The truck payment combined with the travel trailer, not mention insurance and etc, jumped the price up considerably. In addition, while the travel trailer did get me out and away from people based on specs, large water tank and options to add Li batteries, solar, and so on, it limited me to places I could go and things I could do. Ultimately, we shelved the thought of buying a new vehicle.
Then one day we remembered the fun we had with a RTT not too long ago. About two years prior to the purchase of our 4Runner, we had rented a roof top tent (RTT), and visited parks in the Pacific North West in Washington state, Olympic National Park being the primary park. The RTT we rented was a RoofNest pop-up, kinda like a hamburger container. Inconveniently life got in the way, we ended up busy, and subsequently we forgot about the experience…..shelved for later and logged in photos as well as a out memories.
It dawned on us that we should get a smaller vehicle to go further out and explore more. A full sized truck while it certainly fit most of the wants, it was just too wide to access some of the places we wanted to go. We then went back to the drawing board to choose a vehicle; and, after a lot of research, we arrived at the Toyota 4Runner or the Toyota Tacoma. Both vehicles were certainly capable….solid drivetrains, one of the best damned resell values out there, options to upgrade, and so on.
Initially we looked at the Tacoma. It would be a great option to use the bed of the truck for hauling stuff when we weren’t camping or etc. However, there is only so much hauling of stuff that you can do and the truck bed was really a waste of space. As a coworker told me after talking about it with him….if you want to tow stuff, rent a trailer. Which is basically what he did being a 4Runner owner. This sound advice set the wheels in motion to start researching the 4Runner and lean more toward it than the Tacoma.
After diligently researching the 4Runner on the Toyota site, reviewing resell values on a LOT of sites, and reading a LOT of Reddit forums, we chose the 4Runner. However, the job was not done as we still had research to do on the model and year. I had wanted an older 4Runner that had either been lifted or the warranty had run out so that I could lift it after purchasing. My wife wanted a new one out of concern on the mileages we saw on the used as well as the conditions of some of them. What surprised me was the price of a used one compared to the new models. It was decided at the point….a 2023 was in order.
Initially, we found a great 4Runner at a dealer in Gresham, Oregon with what I thought was a hell of a deal. We drove over to the dealer in the middle of the week to see the vehicle and test drive it. However, when we got there, we knew it was too good to be true. Apparently they had added about $15-20k of equipment and labor to the vehicle which immediately put it out of our budget. Even though it was above and beyond the higher end of the budget, we still test drove it. The test drive cemented our want of the 4Runner. We debated the additions of the equipment and labor only to realize that we would eventually do this but it wasn’t in our immediate future. (I would liken the advertisement of the 4Runner to bait and switch. They lured us in with a better than true price…shame on you Toyota dealer in Gresham. I even called the salesperson to call them out.)
We then got on Toyota’s site to find other vehicles in a 300 mile radius of the Portland, Oregon area. Eventually we landed at Gladstone Toyota to test drive some TRD’s. A few vehicles later we were still undecided. They had the options we wanted but not the color and felt that the wheels and tires that came with each one to be bland. It wasn’t until the dealer told us about Softex seats and that, while optioned on some models, they came standard on the PRD Premium. We didn’t necessarily want the Premium due to the price tag but after evaluating the options we realized it was for the win. The last vehicle they showed us was the one we bought. White, TRD wheels, aggressive tires, and a TRD Premium….little did I know that the sunroof would come in handy for mounting a rooftop tent a few months later.
