I looked at a used ‘07 a few years back with 130k miles but very clean, dealer was asking $13k and I just couldn’t justify it. Drove great though, and you get that awesome roll-down window like the 4Runner. You’er=re right the resale on them is insane, and has only increased. I sold my 3rd gen 4runner for $1500 more…

IMO for the GM fullsizers it’s go big (Suburban) or go home. No MPG penalty. No downsides unless you need to park in a city a lot maybe, or really are trying to wheel it pretty hard.

How many miles does the average Porsche get driven? What do the running costs look like?

I’m sure there might be some good looking stats floating around that you’re quoting.  But a guy with 5k to put down and you think a used Porsche is a good idea based on reliability?  I don’t think so bub.

It felt like a very natural transition for me as a Toyota guy from the 3rd gen to a GMT800. Very easy to wrench on, very well studied and understood (youtube videos, forums, DIY guides) at least as well as the old 4Runners. It’s a sweet spot IMO of increased comfort and safety/on-road capability than the 3rd gen while…

“but it has most of the capability of the xterra”

Hint: it doesn’t.  Not offroad anyways, not even close.  On road, the Highlander is MILES ahead of the rough and tumble leaf-sprung Xterra.  The 4Runner strikes a good middle ground between the two in on-road manners.

“Porsche has been achieving Lexus levels of reliability over the last decade”

No.

Xterra is a good bit less refined and has a noticeably tighter rear seat and less cargo space. I test drove a new Pro4X with a stick in 2015 and loved it, but it was noisier and rougher on the highway than my ‘96 4Runner.  Blame the rear leafsprings+short wheelbase.

I upgraded from a ‘96 4Runner Limited (e-locked, immaculate frame, had every bit of maintenance done by me in the last 7 years), to a ‘06 Suburban and tbh I wish I had done it sooner. Especially for someone with multiple kids (I’ve got one and two dogs currently). IMO the GMT800 Suburban is the ultimate active family…

LMAO

Fair enough I missed the nuance of what you were honing in on.

You truly don’t think that your $3900 beaten on basketcase won’t cause more headache and hassle then the $6700 car in question as it starts to be driven hard? I can tell you feel the need to always get the last word in so I’ll leave it at that.

Sounds lame

Buy basketcase-> spend all season getting it reliable enough to even go on the track

If that’s what you’re into versus a more or less turn key car with some fresh fluids that you can improve over time as you see fit (better tires, upgrading suspension etc etc)

You don’t work much on older vehicles (or any vehicles) do ya.  Control arm bushings on my wife’s 2012 Camry are covered in micro-cracks.

This one made it to 250k, just how big of a POS is it exactly?

Well put.  Adding insult to injury is seeing shops fail cars for some trivial aesthetic thing while ignoring the critically loose balljoint that could send you into a ditch.  See it all the time.

It got to 250k miles... what do you drive?

LMAO

You’d be an idiot (IMO) to buy that “runs but needs work” beaten on basketcase for $4k over that much cleaner $6700 car with half the miles, yes even for track use.

What happened to Jalopnik? Where are all these hand-wringing hothouse flowers coming from?

7 years?  There’s just barely the beginnings of a bit of dry rot/cracking on the sidewall (I’ve seen more on much newer Michelins before).  It’s fine.