I don't recall the specifics. I went to the Toyota website, priced out the double cab TRD model and the MSRP was $39K and change...and that was before bedliners and rust treatments, etc.
My Honda Ridgeline had the same system. Does yours have the ability to lock it into 4X4? Mine did, but it was not for highway driving. More like a low range 4X4. Never ran into a situation where I needed to actually use the 4X4 on the highway. Used the low range when driving into my backyard. It was handy, but nowhere near as good as the 4X4 system on my wife's Ford Explorer.
Yeah my wife's pilot has basically the exact same "VTM-4 4wd" drivetrain as your Ridgeline, with that same "VTM-4" lock button on the dash. For other who might not know, the Honda system is basically a FWD setup with a full time transfer case that send power to the rear, and in the rear rather than having a differential there is unit with 2 electronic clutch packs that can selectively engage either rear wheel at varying amounts of torque. It operates as FWD until it senses wheelspin and then hooks up the rears. Trivia - in Acuras they use this system and lock up the outside rear wheel around turns to rotate the car though corners (torque vectoring) and call basically the same system "SH-AWD" That button just overrides the slip sensor and engages both rear clutches as hard as it can electircally. Problem is that even with full lock they can only send something like 30% of torque to the back and limit to speeds under 20mph. Ive seen youtube videos of this being tested offroad and if you get crossed up with a wheel off the ground or end up in deep mud the clutches are not strong enough and you can still spin a tire. It is great for winter driving though... feels as confident as AWD on snow roads. Steers much better than the truck in 4hi.... But I wouldn't try to off-road with it. Now that I have the Tacoma however, I feel the difference. Go off pavement, shift to 4 low and turn on the traction control (Toyota's 4 wheel e-limited slip/ brake based traction control they call A-TRAC) and that thing is unstoppable. Its got a locker too but I doubt I'll ever have the balls to go places Id actually need it. I think most all modern 4x4s have such systems now... it amazed me, nothing like driving around in our parents 4x4s in the 80s where you would hit mud and end up with 2 wheels spinning and get stuck.
Bumping this back up. So i think i'm NOT going to get a truck, but rather an SUV instead. I've been eyeing the mid 2000s Toyota Sequoia. will tow 8000 lbs which covers all pellet and boating needs I have. It also covers the 'family' factor in the future. 12/18mpg sucks but i guess that's to be expected. I'm keeping my car for DD purposes anyway so it's not a huge deal
I'm seeing a bunch of mid-2000's with 100k on them in the 12 grand window. I'd like to find an 80k sample for 14k or something instead.
Good luck with those #'s, maybe with a tail wind. It'll pass everything on the road except a gas pump.
I've been looking hard at the Colorado. Z71, V6 and 4WD. No other options is $33 and change. If I can get 6-8 grand off MSRP like Lukem states, then I'm in. This will be my last vehicle. I've worked forever and I want a nice truck to ride off into the sunset, so I want a new one.
My parents have an 02 explorer with the 4.6 v8. 145 k on it, runs great. 20 mpg, real frame, has required no too much, and they are all over the place. Most are v6, but look for an 8, you'll thank yourself when pulling that boat, or trailer of pellets. These are cheap too. I'd really recommend a v8 4runner, but those will cost you a lot more than the similar explorer. The independent rear suspension on the explorer you'd think would ride better than the solid rear axle 4runner, but it doesn't. A 4 person fishing boat shouldn't be anywhere near 5k, even with trailer fwiw. My 20' ski nautique with a 351 v8 in it with trailer is only about 3500lbs
No offense to anyone with a honda ridgeline or a pilot, but those are both fwd based vehicles based on the Honda passport minivan. Not all awd systems are created equally. The awd on my Audi allroad is much better than most "true 4x4" systems out there. Some "true 4x4" systems have buttons to press to make them gooder, but less friendly on road, while others cheap out and have neither the hardware or software to make them effective when it gets hairy.
You might be able to whittle some off msrp, but dealers can't keep them on the lots. That popularity doesn't bode well for bargain hunters. You can probably get a full size gm truck for the same money because those are not selling as well as other trucks.
The 4.7 v8 is as solid as you can get. Timing belt is easssssssy and cheap to replace. Put a new water pump on at the same time. We have an 04 4runner with the 4.7 v8. We have a friend with a sequoia like you are looking at, has 250k on it. Drives like new.
We're looking into something like this in the 18 footer range (random off CL): no idea what it weighs, to be honest. I guessed about 6k with trailer, coolers, etc, and wanted to not be at the limit
6.0 liter ford diesels. Especially 2003. Explorers might "tow" 3500 lbs but they wont "stop" or "control" that much weight Suburbans and tahoes should be easy to find How about a dodge power wagon 2005-2006, should be in your price range. 4 doors, 2000 lbs capacity in bed, v-8, locking front and rear diffs, electrically disconnecting front shocks for more suspension travel, a little higher and bigger tires stock, and a factory winch behind the bumper. May be hard to find. but would do everything you need
I'm still a little over a year away from being able to do this and I'm thinking that when Toyota comes out with the new Tacoma, that's going to take some of the pressure off the Colorado. Time will tell.
I had a Mercury Mountaineer for a few years. V6, no tow package. It was rated to tow 3500 lbs, and I did that quite often, and it had zero problems doing it. Mulch, pellets, dirt, lots of heavy stuff. As long as I drove like a reasonable person, no problems whatsoever. Now...a V8 explorer (old gen) was rated for up to 7700 lbs IIRC. I have my doubts about doing 7700 lbs safely there however. That's a lot of weight for a midsize SUV. A Sequoia should treat the OP well for his needs.
