For the last 2 years my wife has been the owner of my '03 MINI, since I picked up a '99 Cavalier for $200 bucks. Yes it was a $200 car with 110,000 miles and no acceleration or A/C. I accepted the situation and suffered a 15 minute commute in the interests of paying off debt and having no car payment until I could get the car I really want, a BMW 135i. However, in March we got an English Mastiff puppy. We take him everywhere we can. The breed doesn't do well in the heat, so here in San Antonio my A/C-less Cavalier was off the table. It quickly became evident that he would outgrow the MINI. Recently I began a search for an affordable (10k or less) midsize SUV with one special requirement (outside the obviously standard a/c requirement): it had to be a manual. I began researching the various models that fit the SUV category and what years they offer or offered manual transmission. I expected to look at many different models, since my pricepoint meant used and condition of the vehicle inside and out would likely be suspect. My wife has always had an affinity for the RAV4, but that is too feminine for my tastes. So I looked at the 4Runner as an alternative. That was my first search on autotrader and cars.com with one local 4Runner coming up at a mainstream dealer. I drug my wife out for a test drive one Saturday (the dealer was on the opposite end of town and not feasable during the workweek) when she was sick as a dog (which I ended up getting). I am glad she agreed to come because that 1999 4Runner SR5 had 123,000 miles with an amazinigly clean interior (little stain on floor carpet, and only minor wear on the drivers seat) and an almost perfect body. Only one or two tiny scratches here or there. Looks almost brand new. The engine runs great and I absolutely love it. I take my 120 lb 8 month old everywhere with ease and comfort. This is my first Toyota, and likely won't be my last. However, I may not be on the market for a vehicle for a long time to come if this thing lasts as long as I expect it to. I won't have a need or desire to part with it.

 

congrads on your buy..Toyota's run like champs..I've always loved them..