Last of bygone era

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Sep 14, 2010
Messages
7,485
Location
S California
Is my 03 4Runner the last of the old-fashioned vehicles. It has body on frame construction and dipsticks for the engine and automatic transmission, a 5-speed auto instead of a CVT or a 8/9/10-speed, no touchscreen, no GDI, no variable cam timing on an old world V8 engine, and no OLM. You have to decide for yourself or read the owner's manual to determine what OCI you're going to do and manually check the tire pressures. And when you set the cruise control you have to still pay attention to the traffic and the road ahead. At least the things that it doesn't have won't fail and I'm willing to do all the stuff that's left for me to do.

IF I live long enough to need a replacement for this 4Runner will I be faced with accepting a lot of stuff I would not need and maybe not use?
 
No because the only logical choice is for you to find a early 2000s Toyota Land Cruiser after that.
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack

IF I live long enough to need a replacement for this 4Runner will I be faced with accepting a lot of stuff I would not need and maybe not use?




Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't still benefit from it. Modern engines are getting more efficient, more reliable, and requiring less maintenance than ever before.

Technology and automation are not bad things, otherwise, we'd all still be riding horses or driving Model Ts.
 
My wife's 09 Kia Sorento meets that checklist almost exactly but it does have tire pressure sensors. Less high tech than the system in my 09 Suburban. Her car only lights a tire shaped light. Mine tells you each tire's pressure on a display or which one needs attention.
Come to think of it, my truck meets that list quite well with the exception of the tps system.

OOps... I just realized her V6 does have variable cam timing, albeit a very rudimentary type of system. And my truck has that awful eight to four cylinder mode but I have that bypassed. I guess you're right.
 
I have similar thoughts and I'm glad I'm not alone. I'm still relatively young and it seems most of my peers agree. Then again most of my co-workers and friends are quite like-minded.

My daily drivers are newer than yours, yet my desires are strictly for utility. I'd rather own a vehicle that does what I need it to do (go from point A to point B) rather than functions that other things I own do already, such as playing music from digital media, looking like art forms, etc. So I do not seek vehicles with all kinds of electronic gadgetry or cosmetic stuff, as seems to be all the rage these days. To me those are more things to go wrong with a vehicle and more surfaces to clean.

My favorite commuter right now is my 2009 Taurus. For this coming spring/summer, I was thinking of investing a good chunk of change toward bringing it back up to mint condition inside and out, which really wouldn't take much and would extend the car's life. Then I sit down and really think about it and reach into my heart, and I'm much more leaning toward putting those funds toward my 85 M1009 (K5 Blazer). Why? Because I get much more enjoyment out of the Blazer, both the driving experience and the simplicity and lack of electronic doodads. It is registered, insured, and roadworthy, there's just a few maintenance items I'd like to address before relying on it as a daily driver. And I would absolutely love to do that.
 
I can see the benefits and disadvantages of both older and newer cars; I love the simplicity and analog tactile 1reactions of the Club Sport, but I also like` the 2er's ability to switch from cruising(geezer) mode to hard core attack mode with the push of a button. The 2er also lacks any and all Helen Keller "Driver Assistance" nannies- a major plus in my book.
Conversely, the Club Sport is S L O W- 0-60 in 8 seconds, even with a Turner/Conforti chip. As for the 2er, it's @300 pounds too heavy, and the steering doesn't start to communicate until you really start to push it.
It all boils down to what you prioritize; for me, a car has to have something about it that makes me look forward to slipping behind the wheel.
 
The current 4Runner isn’t terrribly more complicated. 5speed auto, dipstick, not really a olM just a maintenance reminder..
the newer navigation systems are actually nice to have. Nothing to obtrusive.
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack

IF I live long enough to need a replacement for this 4Runner will I be faced with accepting a lot of stuff I would not need and maybe not use?


No, but for many Volvo owners, that's a resounding YES!

I was perusing the XC90 forums recently hearing of customers complaining how they need to own a smart phone, to be able to use most of the features on their Hybrid SUV's (auto start, etc). To add insult to injury, Volvo is not willing to provide these owners with a smartphone, if they not currently do have one (and many in Volvo's aging demographic obviously don't!).
 
My wife's former 2007 HHR managed to avoid Tire PMS somehow, though I thought it was a legal requirement. Maybe it hatched in late 06. No ABS, no VVT, no side air bags.

Only bummer was it had a drive-by-wire throttle. However it did do a neat rev-matched downshift from 4th to 2nd when I matted it which I have to give it credit for.
01.gif
 
Toyota still doesn't use a real OLM, not even in 2018

Also, Ford made a body on frame 4-speed automatic with no touchscreen or GDI or variable cam timing with an old school V8 as late as 2012
smile.gif
 
I was in a similar situation. My last new vehicle was a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. 4 speed auto, shiftable transfer case, and the 3.0 V6. It was and perhaps still is a venerable vehicle. I sold it in 2008 as I was going out of country for some time.

Fast forward to last fall, we purchased our 2017 Mazda CX-5. Grand Touring and fully loaded with everything. This is the first top trim level vehicle I’ve owned. All the others were mid level or base. I will be truthful here that I am getting used to the new electronic nannies. We are spoiled by the heated leather seats and wheel. The HUD means I don’t have to keep glancing down to check my speed. The blind spot monitor is also in the HUD and I appreciate it since this car does not have the visibility the Montero had.

Climate control, navigation, and very comfortable for driving especially the longer drives we like to go on.

I wouldn’t look back. Embrace the new technology.
 
My 2012 Silverado is old tech but still gets decent gas mileage for what it is. Probably better than an old Toyota truck with arguably better reliability and certainly cheaper parts. GM made these until 2013 but mine tells me specific tire pressures but if they fail you can always put black electrical tape over the light.
 
Your aging Toyota is hardly the last simple machine although finding something like it in this market these days would be a snipe hunt.
The body on frame construction of that generation of Toyota truck would be sitting in two pieces by now in this part of the country, with the frame rot for which these things were well known.
I had a couple of mid eighties Honda Civic Wagons just like the one that you have although ours had the more attractive composite headlamps that came on the '86 and '87 Civics of that generation.
These were great cars to use and to drive and were very economical in use as well as being simple and easy to maintain.
They would also be terribly dated by today's standards, lacking ride comfort, quietness as well as impact safety.
Liked the cars we had years ago, but those we have today are generally better and are no less durable or reliable.
All of this tech that's new to cars is ancient and well matured stuff in other applications.
 
Gee, I was thinking you were going my way. I'm looking (not very hard) for a decent 1952 Plymouth P22 fastback with a flat head six. I need another car project like I need a hole in my head, but I'm thoroughly un-impressed with modern cars that look like jelly beans and have all plastic interiors
frown.gif


I'm just to old to appreciate blue tooth and phone sync and all that. Worked to many years as an ET, and I know that when electronics start to go, you are doomed ...

When that 4Runner dies, for whatever reason, just fly out to LA and buy another. Drive it home and carry on. No rust, so it'll be good for 10 years at least. The rest is readily available in wrecking yards. If not for rust, they would run forever with parts replacements
smile.gif
 
Nope.

Nissan's 2018 Nissan Versa S is a manual transmission, manual door locks, manual windows, a basic radio, no cruise control, and I think the radio only has 2 speakers.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Nope.

Nissan's 2018 Nissan Versa S is a manual transmission, manual door locks, manual windows, a basic radio, no cruise control, and I think the radio only has 2 speakers.


I'd guess that the manual cars must be pretty rare, since few of the young and impecunious to whom these cars would appeal would know how to drive a stick.
Nice to know that this level of rudimentary simplicity still exists, but this car will still have lots of airbags, VSC, ABS and FI, so maybe more of a faux simple machine?
Does it have AC?
Bet it does.
 
Not necessarily true about being so much more "reliable". There are a number of newer motors having lots of difficulty making it all that far. Those mid 90s to early 2000s Toyota motors were some of the better one built in the last 30 plus years.. and the whole sludge issues.. If people changed their oil out in a reasonable time frame they didn't have that problem. My step father's 96 Avalon has 315k miles and still runs strong with zero problems. Compared to some of the Toyota motors from several years ago burning a quart of oil every 1k miles and dealerships told people that was "normal". How about GDI motors breaking pistons due to LSPI... Or Ford Ecoboost motors becoming jacked up due to running to low a operating viscosity aka 20 grade. Kia motors have had issues as well with poor motor designs as well. Good, bad or indifferent the motors that are more recent are not necessarily more reliable or better than they were 20 years ago. They aren't.

There are certainly good motors out there now made in the last 8 years. No doubt. But there no appreciable change in reliability over motors from 15-20 years ago.

As far as all this lovely technology... More stuff that is either expensive to repair or totally impossible for someone to repair it themselves at home. Maybe technology for technologies sake is not the greatest idea in the worldwide of sports. Just look at how much distraction is placed in the driver's compartment today. Maybe it is getting to be a bit much... The way I see World champions drive out here tells me they should not walk and chew gum due to their lack of neurological function. And I'm supposed to trust these rocket scientist to manage to drive, use a navigation system, and a hands free cell phone all at the same time?? Nah. No bueno.

My car has a fair amount of technology in it. In fact the only upgrade it didn't have in it was the screen navigation system. But I don't need it. I like my car for sure. But I don't see the need for any more technology in it. It's more than enough.

What I'd like to have in it?? 1) A roll cage that is NASCAR approved 2) Foam in both door sides to further lessen side impact energy transfer 3) Foam and reinforced bumper

All of those upgrades due to the distracted World Champions that I have to be subjected to driving around at times
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Is my 03 4Runner the last of the old-fashioned vehicles. It has body on frame construction and dipsticks for the engine and automatic transmission, a 5-speed auto instead of a CVT or a 8/9/10-speed, no touchscreen, no GDI, no variable cam timing on an old world V8 engine, and no OLM. You have to decide for yourself or read the owner's manual to determine what OCI you're going to do and manually check the tire pressures. And when you set the cruise control you have to still pay attention to the traffic and the road ahead. At least the things that it doesn't have won't fail and I'm willing to do all the stuff that's left for me to do.

IF I live long enough to need a replacement for this 4Runner will I be faced with accepting a lot of stuff I would not need and maybe not use?



I just bought a '15 4Runner...V6 with dual VVT instead of V8, but with the same 5-speed automatic. Body on frame. Has an OLM you can set to alert you whenever....but you don't have to set it. I think that as long as they make them I think you'll be able to get another one.
thumbsup2.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top