New guy purcahse question

[OKlier]

Hello all,
I am new to Toyota trucks and have been told by several people, including mechanics, that Toyota trucks are the best for the buck. My question is if you had $4000 and wanted to get the most reliable truck, 4x4 and hopefully extendend cab, which model and year would you get? I plan on using it for weekend camp trips, fun in the mud, mild to moderate trail riding, and skiing.

Thanks in advance!

[reb]

If I were in your shoes, I'd watch the classified ads and truck trader (or whatever you have in your area). If you don't get in too big a hurry, you will learn what is out there and get a good idea of reasonable prices. When you talk used trucks, especially older ones, the condition can range all over the spectrum. I agree that Toyota makes the most reliable truck out there, but I wouldn't turn down a good buy on some of the other makes if I found one in good condition. It might pay to check out all the truck forums you can find and see what kinds of problems some makes and years have. BTW, if reliability is a major concern, I would avoid anything that has been modified. Good luck.

[OKlier]

Yeah I'm on a few forums asking questions. Are there any known issues with the Toyota 4x4 that I should look for when looking at one?

Thanks again,

[Aktunka]

As a general rule, if you buy any toyota vehicle with the 20r or 22r engine you won't have much to worry about. They are rock solid 4 cylinder engines that get decent gas mileage and are known for their reliability. If the extra cab feature is not too awful important to you, you should be able to easily find a 1979-83 Toyota 4x4 around that price range or less. If you want an extra cab of any sort, then you will have to go with a 84 or newer, although the 84-89 extra cab was not a passenger capable extra cab, just a little extra storage space behind the seats.

I cannot say much about reliability of the 86 and newer models with the independant front suspension (at least in the US models) but the 79-85 models with the solid front axles are excellent vehicles. One thing that is fairly typical, at least in those years, is some rust around the wheelwells of the bed. Anything else I have never had a problem with. Good luck to you!