The biggest car news and reviews, no BS
Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.
If you’re eyeing a third-generation Toyota 4Runner, you might want to pull the trigger sooner rather than later. An exceptionally clean, low-mileage N180 4Runner recently sold for $52,800 at Mecum’s 2026 Indianapolis Auction, surpassing expectations and seeming to confirm the auction house’s intuition that 1990s 4Runners might be at the crest of a new wave of collector cars.
This 1996 SR5 model was highlighted by Mecum as one to watch ahead of the auction. About two weeks before it was scheduled to cross the block, the 4Runner was getting more clicks than any other lot in the catalog, which was stuffed with more typical collector-car auction fare like vintage muscle cars and rare supercars. Mecum expected the 4Runner to sell for between $35,000 and $45,000, so the actual result is a bit surprising.
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
This is probably the nicest 1996 Toyota 4Runner you’re going to find. It has just 6,951 miles, and judging by the photos accompanying the auction listing, it’s in immaculate condition for a 30-year-old vehicle. But from its silver paint (or Desert Dune Metallic, as Toyota calls it) to its 183-horsepower, 3.4-liter V6, it’s definitely unassuming. Like most Toyota products of its day, it emphasized reliability over style. That might be why the N180 has flown under the radar, but could that be about to change?
Mecum has sold eight other 1996 4Runner SR5 models in the past 10 years, with a previous high selling price of $28,075 in a 2024 auction. Bring a Trailer has hosted 598 auctions of N180 4Runners, which were sold between model years 1996 and 2002. Most sold for $20,000 or less, but in April of this year, a 2000 Limited model with approximately 20,000 miles sold for $46,555. Like the 1996 SR5 sold by Mecum, this California car looked remarkably clean.
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
A couple of trends might tilt auction prices like this from outliers to the norm. Older SUVs have already achieved collectible status, and as they get more expensive and harder to find, it makes sense that a new generation will fill the gap at the lower end of the market. An N180 might not have the charm of an FJ Land Cruiser, but even at around $50,000, it’s still cheaper than the cleanest versions of that vintage icon.
As younger generations enter the collector-car hobby, cars from the 1990s are also likely to become more popular. We’re already seeing that play out with six-figure prices for cars like the Acura Integra Type R, and Hagerty predicts that even the Chevy Cobalt SS could become a future collectible as those who remember these cars from their youth enter the market. So why shouldn’t the N180 4Runner be having a moment?
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
