Toyota Thread

I'll admit to never having been a Toyota guy, but that's about to change lol. Been a Rover guy for quite a while, but I've been looking for a new vehicle for a while now; about nine months ago we put down a deposit on a Toyota just because, then I kinda forgot about it and kept searching around for just the right car. Tried out a some Defenders and some Rangies and used Autobiographies, but nothing was the right fit.

Dealership called the other day, and I was surprised that our car that we ordered forever ago will be in on Tuesday lol! I guess it was meant to be, so next week will be my first Toyota, a bright red 2026 4Runner Platinum hybrid. Looks fun, we do a lot of road trips and camping, BC is big and beautiful. Will be novel to have electrical power in remote areas lol, my wife will be so happy to have her electric blanket in the tent. Going to invest in a fridge cuz we have the 120V available, and the 4Runner has a somewhat smaller cargo area than the Rover. This way no ice, smaller fridge box, no more PITA ice melting in the middle of a trip.

Anyhow, wish me luck, cars are worth an arm & a leg these days lol
 
Last edited:
Drove the corolla yesterday 15 miles to and from. Was at the white line at the beginning. Pic shows where it was at afterward. Drove slowly.
 

Attachments

  • 20260416_131356.jpg
    20260416_131356.jpg
    89.5 KB · Views: 18
Last edited:
Today, 12 bucks of fuel. Either a small tank or a bad tank float. Has orig. pump.
 

Attachments

  • 20260417_131937.jpg
    20260417_131937.jpg
    90.4 KB · Views: 10
About 409 a gallon or about 3 gallons. I know that there's plenty of gas in the tank when needle says empty. How much, haven't looked it up. Usually keep it at a 1/4.
 
8dNNMzK.jpeg


Old and new Cruisers in the 'hood.
 
I need to buy a third car for my daughters. Something under $10K and with AWD. I'm currently looking at 2nd gen CR-Vs, 2nd gen RAV4s, and 1st gen Highlanders. Each are particularly known for their high reliability, (otherwise I'd get pre-owned BMW X5 or something).

If any RAV4 or Highlander owners here want to share your opinions, I'm all ears.
 
enricosonic said:
I need to buy a third car for my daughters. Something under $10K and with AWD. I'm currently looking at 2nd gen CR-Vs, 2nd gen RAV4s, and 1st gen Highlanders. Each are particularly known for their high reliability, (otherwise I'd get pre-owned BMW X5 or something).

If any RAV4 or Highlander owners here want to share your opinions, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...
Is AWD really necessary in Seattle? Just wondering. Don't get me wrong, I love AWD vehicles.
 
devnull said:
Is AWD really necessary in Seattle? Just wondering. Don't get me wrong, I love AWD vehicles.
Click to expand...
Well I'll say I prefer it. We have family in eastern Washington, that's an entirely different climate and there'll be trips there, often during the holidays. Getting over the Snoqualmie pass (or any pass) during the winter is of course more sure-footed with AWD.

Spokane in winter is definitely better with AWD.

Seattle does get hit with heavy snowfall every 3-4 years. As far as topography, it's not unlike the streets of San Francisco, where we live.
 
enricosonic said:
I need to buy a third car for my daughters. Something under $10K and with AWD. I'm currently looking at 2nd gen CR-Vs, 2nd gen RAV4s, and 1st gen Highlanders. Each are particularly known for their high reliability, (otherwise I'd get pre-owned BMW X5 or something).

If any RAV4 or Highlander owners here want to share your opinions, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...


I run a 2004 Highlander with nearly 400,000 km on it, best vehicle I've ever owned.
 
enricosonic said:
I need to buy a third car for my daughters. Something under $10K and with AWD. I'm currently looking at 2nd gen CR-Vs, 2nd gen RAV4s, and 1st gen Highlanders. Each are particularly known for their high reliability, (otherwise I'd get pre-owned BMW X5 or something).

If any RAV4 or Highlander owners here want to share your opinions, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...
It's hard to go wrong with CR-V's, Rav4's or Highlanders. I would maybe also add Lexus RX to this list. I see a lot of 2nd gen RX's on the road. Or maybe a Volvo xc70? I just bought a 2012 xc70 and love it. Probably not as reliable as a Toyota or Honda, but I love the driving experience, and of course they are great in terms of safety.
 
WillVT said:
It's hard to go wrong with CR-V's, Rav4's or Highlanders. I would maybe also add Lexus RX to this list. I see a lot of 2nd gen RX's on the road. Or maybe a Volvo xc70? I just bought a 2012 xc70 and love it. Probably not as reliable as a Toyota or Honda, but I love the driving experience, and of course they are great in terms of safety.
Click to expand...
Apparently the Lexus RX330 and 1st gen Highlander share the same platform and drivetrain. And the RX no doubt has more lux features but man, I don’t like the styling.

I remember you posted the Volvo after buying it. I definitely prefer the looks of those. And most of the other European SUVs for that matter. But I’m scared. I have a buddy with an X5 and another with a VW Touareg. Both have had crippling repair bills.

Today I hit the used car lots.
 
enricosonic said:
Apparently the Lexus RX330 and 1st gen Highlander share the same platform and drivetrain. And the RX no doubt has more lux features but man, I don’t like the styling.

I remember you posted the Volvo after buying it. I definitely prefer the looks of those. And most of the other European SUVs for that matter. But I’m scared. I have a buddy with an X5 and another with a VW Touareg. Both have had crippling repair bills.

Today I hit the used car lots.
Click to expand...
That's interesting. I rather like the looks of the second gen RX. I mean it's no Landcruiser, but I like it a lot better looks wise than the Rav4s of that age.

My sense is that Volvos are more reliable then BMWs or VW's and cheaper to maintain than Beemers, but yeah, not like Toyotas or Hondas. One of my reasons for going for the Volvo this time was rust. My previous car was an 05 Avalon, and it only had 135k, but rust after 20+ years in the Northeast made not worth putting any money into. Volvos are a bit more rust resistant.
 
WillVT said:
That's interesting. I rather like the looks of the second gen RX. I mean it's no Landcruiser, but I like it a lot better looks wise than the Rav4s of that age.

My sense is that Volvos are more reliable then BMWs or VW's and cheaper to maintain than Beemers, but yeah, not like Toyotas or Hondas. One of my reasons for going for the Volvo this time was rust. My previous car was an 05 Avalon, and it only had 135k, but rust after 20+ years in the Northeast made not worth putting any money into. Volvos are a bit more rust resistant.
Click to expand...
See, I like the first gen RX.. it's the taillights on the 2nd gen or something. I agree, I don't like the looks of that RAV4, or really any of them. Don't mind the CR-V.

I found a decent Highlander I'm about to check out. 180K miles which ain't bad. The same place has an '07 XC90, so I'll kill two birds.
 
enricosonic said:
If any RAV4 or Highlander owners here want to share your opinions, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...
I'd been a Volvo guy for quite awhile, several years my wagon developed transmission issues and it wasn't worth throwing anymore money at it.

A buddy of mine who owns a repair shop and sells used cars told me he had a 2003 Highlander in fantastic shape mechanically and cosmetically. I went and checked it out and I wound up buying it.

Since then I've had very little expenses with this car compared to the money I was shelling out to maintain my old Volvo. It drives like a champ and acquitted itself quite nicely this past winter in the snow.

Solid ride I would definitely recommend one, on another note my buddy says whenever he can find a good one at auction he doesn't hesitate to snap it up
 
Wow what a pile of crap the Highlander was. Lousy bodywork done in numerous places. Actual mileage "probably a little over 300K". Instrument cluster was replaced after what must've been like a T-boning or something. Volvo had obviously repaired damaged too. This place should've had terrible yelp reviews, but no.

Wasted a lot of time today, though I did learn a lesson; always call first before going to check out advertised vehicles. These guys don't update inventory on their websites. Fortunately dozens of car lots are in the same general area.

Saw a nice 2004 Xterra, may be interested in those too. But the 1st gen Highlander remains my focus.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom