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From rare muscle cars to a Ferrari LaFerrari prototype, Mecum’s 2026 Indianapolis Auction is stocked with high-dollar collector cars. But the auction house is paying special attention to something more ordinary: a 1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5.

In an email to The Drive, Mecum senior communications manager David Morton said this Toyota has been garnering among the highest clicks of any lot in the auction, which is scheduled for May 8-16 (the 4Runner will cross the block on May 14, if you’re interested in bidding). That has Mecum speculating that this could be a “unicorn” that will help establish another generation of collector cars, Morton said.

Like most cars that make it into a Mecum auction catalog, this 4Runner is remarkably original. It has just 6,951 miles on the odometer, and has survived 30 years on this Earth without exposure to rust or the modifying impulses of off-roaders. It still has a 3.4-liter V6 making just 183 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque, connected to a four-speed automatic transmission and two-speed transfer case. The Oak Sport cloth interior and Desert Dune Metallic paint (what is it with Toyota and coming up with exciting names for boring colors?) are pure 1990s, as are the chunky 16-inch alloy wheels and factory cassette/CD player.

Pristine condition aside, it’s unusual to see a third-generation 4Runner at an auction that isn’t hosted by Bring a Trailer. This is only the eighth 1996 4Runner SR5 consigned by Mecum in over 10 years, Morton noted. Known as the N180, the third-generation 4Runner mark an important step in the evolution of this SUV from bare-bones off-roader to mainstream dweller of suburbia. It was civilized enough to serve as a mainstream offering until that role was taken by crossovers, relegating the 4Runner to the more niche status it has today.

Several off-roaders–such as the Ford Bronco, Series Land Rovers, and Toyota’s own Land Cruiser—have achieved collector-car status. And children of the 1990s are well into the nostalgia phase that fuels auction spending, as evidenced by the sky-high prices an Acura Integra Type R can bring. This 4Runner could mark the convergence of those trends. After all, if performance cars from this era can be collectible, why not off-roaders?

A clean N180 4Runner is certainly appealing in its own right. Compared to today’s 4Runner, it’s refreshingly basic. And it comes from an era when Toyota reliability really meant something. But Mecum is being a bit more conservative than some dealerships have been lately with their classic ‘Yotas. The highest price the auction house has seen for a 1996 4Runner SR5 is $28,075 (from a 2024 auction), so it’s expecting this one to sell for $35,000 to $45,000. If you’ve been contemplating a third-gen 4Runner, this is an auction to watch. If this car exceeds that estimate, affordable ones might get harder to find.

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The Toyota 4Runner’s lineup expanded with the current generation and now offers a dizzying nine trims, two powertrains, and two four-wheel-drive systems. New for the sixth generation is the Trailhunter, and for many enthusiasts, it’s love at first sight. The Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter’s Snorkel Isn’t Even a Snorkel, So Be Careful

The 4Runner Trailhunter is worth getting excited about; I sure was when it debuted! With 2.5-inch forged ARB Old Man Emu shocks with external piggyback remote reservoirs, and 33-inch all-terrain rubber from the factory, this thing comes packing. It also comes standard with a snorkel, but it’s probably not for what you think.

Up front, Toyota doesn’t even call that thing that comes out of the passenger-side front fender and up the A-pillar a snorkel. The Japanese automaker dubs it a “high-mount air intake.” Looks like a snorkel, right? Maybe, but there’s a big and important difference between a snorkel and a high-mount intake setup.

Confusing the two could be the difference between a fun adventure and a bad day that, at worst, could result in destroying your engine.

A snorkel is a sealed, high-mount air intake system that enables a vehicle to ford deeper water, increasing its ability to breathe higher. The keyword there is sealed, to ensure water doesn’t get into the intake system and drown the engine, which, at worst, could result in a seizure and a rebuild.

Toyota calls it a high-mount air intake because it’s not water-tight. The design simply moves the air intake point of entry higher off the ground, so if you were traversing dusty trails, the air grabbed and sucked into the engine will have a better chance of being clean and free of those dust particles.

Plot twist: The 4Runner TRD Pro, which is meant for going fast over unpaved earth, whereas the Trailhunter is meant for going slow on unpaved earth, does not have a high-mount air intake.

Aside from functional confusion comes livability. The high-mount air intake is loud. Start the 4Runner, and you’ll hear the air suck into that turbo-four hybrid powertrain when the engine starts up. Every time the throttle is applied, a loud whoosh comes online. These noises are more hidden and in the background in other applications, like the 4Runner’s taller, boxier sibling, the Land Cruiser, because the intake is hidden under the hood and behind the firewall. Same deal with every other 4Runner trim, except the Trailhunter.

Look, I adore the fact that the Trailhunter gets skid plates that run from the front bumper back to behind the transfer case. I will tell you the Trailhunter’s suspension and tire pairing make it easily the most comfortable 4Runner out of the box. But whether you want to live with the intake? That’s up to you and whether you and your loved ones are down with the whoosh whoosh noises from the turbo-four. Functionally speaking, it won’t let you go through deeper water or really enhance your off-road experience at all. Buyer beware.

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