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I'm asking for your input on this. American car/truck buyers vs. foreign vehicle buyers.

The Mrs has 430km ( 267) on the 4runner. We have some pretty tough winters. Change the oil bang on 5000km(3200) and it still comes out fairly clean and might use 2 drops. Amazing. The 4.0L V6 is legendary

I forgot about my Brothers 2004 4Runner. I don’t remember the miles exactly when I last asked but I believe it is approaching 300k. He says it needs some front CV and half shaft work up front but basically it’s just motoring along. His has the V6 also and no issues. Clear coat gave up a few years ago.
 
My daughter was down here for a couple days. She drives a Buick Enclave with over 200k miles on it. It’s been giving her trouble lately with hesitation upon acceleration and nobody can seem to figure it out (maybe cat, maybe transmission). Anyway, she’s thinking new. I told her to check out Jeep Grand Cherokee with 3 row seating. They advertised them around here for ten thousand off msrp. Her hubby is a GM guy, I told her to just get it and drive it home. She wouldn’t do it.
 
My daughter was down here for a couple days. She drives a Buick Enclave with over 200k miles on it. It’s been giving her trouble lately with hesitation upon acceleration and nobody can seem to figure it out (maybe cat, maybe transmission). Anyway, she’s thinking new. I told her to check out Jeep Grand Cherokee with 3 row seating. They advertised them around here for ten thousand off msrp. Her hubby is a GM guy, I told her to just get it and drive it home. She wouldn’t do it.
Check for cracks in the intake tube, and I assume they've put plugs in.
 
I grew up in the 80s and 90s, My parents always had Hondas and Toyotas. Learned to drive on 94-5 Tacoma and 4 runner V6 with manual transmission. Great vehicles but so boring and slow. Terrible gas mileage for having no power and the interior is just crap. I've never owned a Japanese car, now I have 2 Volvos 1 Audi 3 Mopars. No Mopar newer than 1969.
 
I grew up in the 80s and 90s, My parents always had Hondas and Toyotas. Learned to drive on 94-5 Tacoma and 4 runner V6 with manual transmission. Great vehicles but so boring and slow. Terrible gas mileage for having no power and the interior is just crap. I've never owned a Japanese car, now I have 2 Volvos 1 Audi 3 Mopars. No Mopar newer than 1969.
I pulled fully loaded 70’s C bodies with our 3 litre 92 4Runner, maybe slow but I kept up with the traffic. The 06 will get as much as 27mpg US on the highway, quite often 24-25. Everyone has different needs an uses.
 
My 97 4 runner has 322k 3.4 liter, the pass rear window motor is going out. The radiator cap literally fell apart in my hand. With all this maintenance I'm concerned I haven't got my moneys worth out of it yet. CRVs, Rav4s w A25A, Tundra's get me where I need to go. I don't like maintenance on a daily driver. Oil, tires and good to go.
 
My daughter was down here for a couple days. She drives a Buick Enclave with over 200k miles on it. It’s been giving her trouble lately with hesitation upon acceleration and nobody can seem to figure it out (maybe cat, maybe transmission). Anyway, she’s thinking new. I told her to check out Jeep Grand Cherokee with 3 row seating. They advertised them around here for ten thousand off msrp. Her hubby is a GM guy, I told her to just get it and drive it home. She wouldn’t do it.
Get a Highlander.
 
One of the issues with modern Gm and Chryslers is the transmissions go out and replacement exceeds the value of the vehicle.

Mysterious ailments such as stalling that cost thousands to diagnose without fix.

That stuff can happen to Toyota also, but in my experience at a much lower rate
 
My 2007 Chev pick up with the V6 for winter driving, and my 77 camper van for the summer, are both fixable.
Makes up for the extra use of fuel with the Dodge.
Most of the time tho, I ride a motorcycle. With those I have little interest in the new stuff.
 
Friggen motorhome with a random misfire

IMG_7018.jpeg
 
I pulled fully loaded 70’s C bodies with our 3 litre 92 4Runner, maybe slow but I kept up with the traffic. The 06 will get as much as 27mpg US on the highway, quite often 24-25. Everyone has different needs an uses.
I'm just not a fan of the 3.0 V6 myself. I lived at 5000 elevation and this turd couldn't even move out of its own way up hill. My 69 dart 225 slant had more power.
 
I forgot about this purchase. My sister bought a Toyota Sequoia drove it for a long time then sold it to my brother. He hadn't had it long until he found out the rear frame had rusted out to where the SUV had to be junked. Supposedly happened to lot of Toyotas. Weird because Colorado isn't known for causing vehicles to rust.

I did like how that V8 sounded. Wow Belvedere, I'm another half mile above that.

 
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I forgot about this purchase. My sister bought a Toyota Sequoia drove it for a long time then sold it to my brother. He hadn't had it long until he found out the rear frame had rusted out to where the SUV had to be junked. Supposedly happened to lot of Toyotas. Weird because Colorado isn't known for causing vehicles to rust.

I did like how that V8 sounded. Wow Belvedere, I'm another half mile above that.


Frame rust is Toyota's Achilles heal. No oil leaks doesn’t help
 
Yes, I have heard of issues with frame rust on past Tundras. Probably same issue with the full frame Sequoia. I looked at the new Tundra in 2023 and studied up on them when looking for a new PU. Too many reports of turbo failures from the V6, double turbo engine. Also in studying up on earlier models I found the frame rust issue and their generally poor mpg compared to other full size V8 pickups. The inside felt noticeably smaller than the RAM and it seemed the stylist went in for a chopped top look that really cuts headroom, especially in the rear. The Tundra has officially dropped off my recommended Toyota list. But anyone concerned about lacking power in a Toyota/Lexus needs to go drive a newer one. My wife’s RX350 has 295 hp and it’s a little rocket ship in the sport drive setting. How many V8 cars did we drive in the mid 70s on until past 2000 that could barely muster 225-240 hp?
 
I say American cars for me. Chrysler first. Ill put the wifes 16 Chrysler 300s up against anything foreign made from same year. It regularly get 30+, it’s comfortable, rwd, stylish, and most importantly all I’ve ever done is oil changes, tires, and a battery in 110k miles. Its is time for plugs but, the brakes or at least 50% yet. 98 ram 3500CTD 345k miles 1 injector pump, 3 lift pumps, 2 clutches first one didn’t fail I replaced it when TO bearing got noisy. Second one was cheap Oreillys and it didn’t make 100k. NV4500 got a rebuild needed full splined mainshaft to fix 5th gear. I did replace it with a rebuilt NV5600 but only because I wanted to. 2 early Durango’s no real problems 1st one only replaced because somebody T-boned it. 02 Vette ran great no mechanical issues, but some typical GM electrical issues. 05 Mustang no problems. 96 Accord I bought cheap and flipped, oil leaks and poor mpgs. 2 square body Chevy K-10’s both 6.2 diesel and 700r4 combo’s. What can I say I made bad choices in my early years. 76 K-20 from my father, lots of rust but, Like a Rock! High school car was 79 malibu with warmed up 350 (355). First car was 76 Monte Carlo, I’d like to have that one back. Oh and I put 100k on an $800 Chevy Aveo, I didn’t realize it was a Daywuo until I registered it.
 
02 Ram 1500 420k,5.9 magnum not rebuilt , the trans 250k for rebuild, no problems other than rust, truck is reliable as the day is long, 92 Dakota 500k plus resealed AX15 replaced sheetmetal due to rust , reliable as the day is long , I’ll toot the Dodge horn here. Maintenance yes dependable yep. I’ve replaced a Camry 4 cylinder with 42 k miles and it had a rod hanging out the front.. Plenty of oil that was well maintained and babied. It happens
Yes I replace gaskets, timing chains etc and maintain them and drive them.
Some are better than others but the big three do have equivalent products to all foreign and vice versa.
My wife’s new Jeep is another story but dealer care is low priority.
 
This is a fine picture/example of what I was trying to get at in my post. People that like the euro cars will fawn over that picture. I see it as why TF are you on the curb? The American car let's you know you done F'd up and you are in control of exactly how bad you want to F up. The euro car will accomodate your carelessness and the person driving will think they are extra skilled for navigating it so well, and will continue to hold their hand for them.
 
I'm just not a fan of the 3.0 V6 myself. I lived at 5000 elevation and this turd couldn't even move out of its own way up hill. My 69 dart 225 slant had more power.
Plus the head gaskets.. I'd rather have a 22RET
 
I forgot about this purchase. My sister bought a Toyota Sequoia drove it for a long time then sold it to my brother. He hadn't had it long until he found out the rear frame had rusted out to where the SUV had to be junked. Supposedly happened to lot of Toyotas. Weird because Colorado isn't known for causing vehicles to rust.

I did like how that V8 sounded. Wow Belvedere, I'm another half mile above that.


The 5.7 is proven w basic regular maintenance, it has gone over 1 million miles. There are many examples out there. By this generation the frame issues were a thing of the past. It does like fuel stops thou.
 
My wife drives a Subaru, I drive a 2012 Ram, it’s a piece of ****. 2nd engine already at only 117k miles, and it’s already ticking again. The Subaru is flawless and runs like a top and is easy to work on.

Of course I drive my hot rods and my motorcycle any time I get the chance, I just need a truck for work. I’m going to drive it till it dies and take the plate off and walk away and buy me a Silverado!
 
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