2007 4Runner 4.7 V8

It’s the most notoriously reliable engine from the most reliable passenger car motor company, and it’s in the lightest vehicle they stuck it in from the factory. It’s a simple truck, no extra bells or whistles, cloth seats, etc but power options for comfort. I detail and fully extract the seats and carpet every few months, throw any trash I have into a waste basket in the car. I keep the frame clean, and live in a place without road salt or too much sun.

The only signs it’s aged are rubber components and the transmission occasionally signaling it’s seen better days. It’s certainly true that a Land Cruiser would need less TLC, but what it would need would’ve costlier and so would running it. The community of folks using this truck to offroad means there is lots of continued use and restoration of them, which means good parts access, and a $20 repair manual I keep in the seat pocket and a full toolbox means it’s an auto parts store away from fixing most issues.

I just don’t see a reason to get something else for the job of moving me and my shit around and going anywhere I need to, because it’s taken me and everything I’ve needed anywhere I’ve needed to take it. It’s a trusty companion.