Tell me about the Chevy Uplander vs. Toyota 4Runner

[CityWoman]

I'm looking at what's plentiful in my area and someone I know recommends the Toyota, but I just discovered the Uplander.

It seems that most of the used Uplanders are priced lower than 4Runners.  

Is an Uplander a good car?  Is it actually some other Maker's car re-branded as a Chevy or something like that?  What years/engines are best?  Any specific problems to look out for?

Thanks!

 

[MrNoodly]

The Toyota is built like a truck. The Uplander is built like a car. If you need ruggedness, go with the 4Runner.

 

[Neal]

There's really no comparison. Go Toyota.

 

[CityWoman]

. . . If you need ruggedness, go with the 4Runner.

Probably better to go with rugged to be prepared for any eventuality? But Uplanders are cheaper and I'll mostly be visiting towns and small cities as well as some rural areas occasionally. It's highly doubtful that I'd head anywhere very remote. No desert boondocking for me.

But if I did want to go with the 4Runner, most of the ones I can afford near me are from the years 1995-2005. From what people tell me, Toyotas that age aren't generally cause for concern? Of course I know it depends on how well-maintained it is, but I keep hearing all this amazing stuff about Toyota. This person I was talking to said something like, "Doesn't matter how old, they start right up." Is this true?

But Uplanders aren't crap, are they?

Too many choices!

 

[CityWoman]

There's really no comparison. Go Toyota.

Thanks for weighing in, Neal. How old of a 4Runner would you consider, if it looked to be in good shape at first glance?

 

[Firtree]

Take a look at the Consumer Report magazine, the April issue. It’s all about cars, SUVs, some trucks. No vans though.
Most libraries have the paper CR version and many have an online version. I keep casually looking for someone giving away 20 years of just the April issue. It would be a gold mine for buyers of used cars.

Charts Will show you problem (and good) areas back several years. They will also have a list of good years for used cars and vehicles and years to avoid. You can get a feel for various manufacturers, models, years. Once you see that XYZ manufacturer consistently has issues with the ‘such and such’ liter engine, it doesn’t matter what model they put it in, even if that model isn’t listed, it’s junk.

 

[MotorVation]

Thanks for weighing in, Neal.  How old of a 4Runner would you consider, if it looked to be in good shape at first glance?

I would go '96 and up. The '95 had the 3.0 engine and although it's not a bad engine, they had head gasket issues which were fixed with a factory recall. I had one for a while. It ate a lot of gas around town. Nice truck though.  In '96 they went with the 3.4 engine which has more power and better gas mileage..

 

[ZoNiE]

Uplander is a minivan. FWD unibody car-based, but lower floor and more room.
4Runner is a RWD Body on frame truck. Better vehicle, but may not have the room you need.

 

[Kaylee]

Excellent summary Zonie!

The only minivan I looked at was an Uplander, for the reasons CityWoman stated (lots of availability).
I liked the space, but the particular one I looked at had had some gremlins (ironic, eh?), so I passed on it.

CityWoman, have you considered a Toyota minivan? That would seem to be the best of both worlds.

ChileGirl bought a Sienna this year and has posted some great pics here & on her blog (scroll down):
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=36870
https://chilegirladventures.com/2019/06/11/mechanics-thumbs-up/

 

[bullfrog]

The biggest problem with Toyotas is because they have such a good reputation for staying reliable their resale values are inflated. Timing belts wear out and must be replaced much sooner than timing chains. I would take a look at which engines and year models came with chains. I would also research and compare recalls for the different year models I was looking to buy. Toyotas with timing belts are still very reliable but maintenance costs will be higher than ones with chains. The 4 cylinder with a timing chain that did not have a recall for lifters is probably one of the best engines Toyota has built. The V6 is probably the most common and therefore the parts are plentiful. The V8 has been remarkable if maintained properly (costs could easily be $2,000 every 100,000 miles to do so as older ones have a timing belt) but the starter requires the upper engine be disassembled to replace if it wears out and rebuilt engines /used engines are hard and expensive to find and buy. There are many out there with over 300,000 miles on the road.

 

[Neal]

Toyota prices are inflated but I think as far as reliability goes I would go with Toyota. I'm in the market for a Tundra and I make sure the timing belts are chains. I feel like an Uplander would nickle and dime you to death. Toyota and Chevy parts are available everywhere. Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[bullfrog]

Mechanics that do a lot of Toyotas are saying replacement parts do not last as long as ones that came off the assembly line. I guess Toyota replacement parts are being outsourced by Toyota maybe? Some actually buy used V8 starters off wrecks with less than 150,000 miles as they will last in most cases longer than the lower quality replacements but since they are such a pain to replace it is worth considering. A single replacement coil from Toyota cost more than a set of 8 aftermarket coils. Since they are easy to access and replace I use aftermarket ones. Buying quality parts and getting something worth what you paid for it just keeps getting more difficult as now you have to consider not only price but the difficulty of installation.

 

[1shemp]

I just recently bought a 2008 Sienna in excellent condition with Michelin tires and all service records.It has 172000 on it and I expect it to go over 300000.I may have paid too much at $4400,but the condition of the van is amazing.

 

[Day Dreamer]

I'm driving my 2nd Tacoma now, this one for 5 years and they have been the best vehicles I have ever owned. The 4 Runner is basically the same as a Tacoma just in SUV form.

They hold their value better than any truck on the market and one of the best overall. That's for a reason. They will easily go 300k miles if maintained and they are low maintenance. They are very reliable so you will save money down the line on both repairs and buying another vehicle. Not to mention the peace of mind when far from help.

Toyota forever.

 

[MeiraNomadRN]

Just a datapoint: a close friend bought a 4Runner and babied it -- she gave it to her teen grand-daughter at 300K, who drove it from MD to California, and it's still going with no signs of stopping.  My friend preferred it for road trips to Vermont (it loves mountains), and adored the fact that a full mattress or futon was easy to toss in the back.

 

[pnwnative]

I have a 2007 Chevy Uplander LT. I got it cheap through a government vanpool sale. $5000 last year and it has all of the service records. Well taken care of. It has a lot of power and great gas mileage. I drove over Stevens Pass last winter with a van full of people (7 total) and got over the pass effortlessly. I really like it. It drives like a truck, sort if. High clearance. My last van was a Chrysler Town and Country. It drove more like a car and lower clearance. 17" wheels on the Uplander.

Last summer, I drove all over Washington State in the van. It was so much fun. Took the seats out, have bicycle and sleeping bag and Sterlite dressers. Planning on going down to Arizona in January for RTR.

There's a fellow on YT who lives in his Uplander:

 

[MeiraNomadRN]

Just an anecdote — my bff’s mom bought a 4 runner in the 90s. Payments were a large chunk of her budget and her brothers told her she was crazy. Ha! She babied it, and now it’s over 300k miles and shows no sign of stopping. Fits a full sized futon in the back and was the go-to vehicle for camping or mountain trips.

 

[velojym]

I used to drive an Uplander at work, which involved a lot of driving, city and highway, dodging through traffic, etc.
With the miles we put into our vans, some models were getting to be a pain with the timing belt swap intervals, which we did at recommended times due to the fact that we couldn't afford any downtime.
It was nice not having to worry about that with the Uplander, fuel economy was good, and it had plenty of space inside.

I put a LOT of miles in minivans of several makes, and while the Chevy didn't have the best styling in the world (but isn't Aztec ugly, at least!)
It never gave me cause to doubt it. Still a minivan, and while it should do fine for getting into most BLM areas for camping, I wouldn't intentionally take it into the rough.

 

[gchristi1]

You've probably already made your decision, but I'll throw in.

My first step is to find out what platform the vehicle is made on. In the case of the Uplander, it's GM's U platform. That makes it essentially the same as a Pontiac Montana, Trans Sport or a Chevy Lumina.

So when looking at reliability and resell (they usually correlate), look at those other models. It's all marketing once you get past the platform. Don't expect an Uplander to be better than a Lumina.

I would pay the extra for a 4 runner. When we were in Moab, some of the tour companies were running 4 Runners. Didn't see any Lumina's.

 

[Malamute]

The 4 Runners are truly awesome vehicles, they have one possible Achilles heel to be aware of however, the frames had some problems with rust. Some were not dipped correctly, some were replaced under recall or warranty, but many older ones that have lived in states that use aslt on the roads can have problems. Lay down and look at it from underneath, and see what it looks like. Google "toyota 4runner frame rust" and look at pictures to see what the ugly ones look like, I saw a number of ugly ones in the midwest. I found one that lived most of its life in texas, the frame was excellent. For an 05, it was in very good shape overall. I bought it at 175K, its now at 225K, with only tires, brake pads and an alternator needing attention in that time.

I believe you can drill drain holes in the frame to lessen the problem of them rusting. The issue is they are a box frame (enclosed), not a C channel frame with an open side, so they collect water, salt and crud through the holes in the sides and it collects and holds moisture and rusts, sometimes through the frame to structural failure. Its likely any box frame can have that happen, but Toyota is the one that got the attention.

The comment about replacement parts is valid in most cases, non-factory replacement parts are often lower quality, and, you generally get what you pay for. If you look for the cheapest parts, you will probably get the cheapest parts. Also, rebuilt are often more problematic than new replacement parts. I dont recall what the issue was with my original alternator, I bought a new replacement one from an Oreilys and was back on the road during a trip, but kept the original one and will look at it and see if it just needs simple parts replaced, like bearings and brushes. Id prefer to have seen mine and rebuilt it rather than the gamble of whatever may have happened to someone elses rebuild and hope they found all the problems and used good parts.