Looking 4 some 4Runner education

Merry Christmas all! Hope everybody’s holidays are going good.
I’m wanting to buy a 4Runner and now that I’ve started looking I’m hoping some here can educate me on the differences in the various packages and provide pros and cons - doesn’t have to be too technical or exhaustive, just some basics if you’re willing. The runner will be my wife’s DD and our road trip car and we’d like to get in some off-roading but nothing crazy. My wife currently has a 2020 Hyundai Tucson sport AWD and it’s a fine car for her but at 6’5 250lbs it’s a little cramped for me. I currently own a double cab 2.5gen tundra and love it. In the past we’ve owned a Corolla and 2015 double cab Tacoma (I fit in it ok). We’re Toyota fans and sold on their reliability and dependability, as well as the 4Runner’s looks. We’re looking at buying a new or used 5th gen from $40-$50k with 50k mileage cut off.
Here’s where I’m asking for your knowledge and opinions:
Limited - I’m obsessed with the full time 4wd. This seems like a great feature. Are there any drawbacks to this system? Aside from the full time 4wd I don’t care about leather, wood trim or sunroof.
Premium? What makes it premium and are these desirable?
Trail or Venture? What separates these from the TRD OR trim?
TRD OR - these come with a locking rear diff and terrain selection, right? These are attractive features. My tundra has the TRD OR package and in retrospect I would’ve just got the basic SR5. I put bilstein 5100s up front, bronze fuel vector wheels with 35s so aside from bed decals and a cheap “skid plate” I wasted money on the package. But the runner OR package seams legit.
Pro - I haven’t seen any available in my area and I don’t know if the bang for the buck is there but correct me if I’m wrong.
SR5 - basic but decent. Is this missing a desirable feature that I’d regret not having?
Anyhoo, any of y’all’s input is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Matt, you gotta choose whatever fits your lifestyle the best. Would you get the limited if you plan on taking it well off the beaten path that often ? Do you want the TRDPro if it will never leave the pavement?
It is no different than any other vehicle, and it seems you did well so far with your other vehicles. On the Toyota website you can compare them side by side, every model with every feature available.
You have peeps here with SR5s that take it onto the most wild trails and you have posers with TRDPros that never leave the pavement, not even the grass by the driveway.
I say read about it, only you know best what you want and what fits your family and lifestyle the best.
Are you really for an advice on how to spend 50k?

 

Thanks CB, I get what you’re saying and I appreciate your common sense. Truth be told, my tundra looks like a beast but ultimately she’s my DD to and from the job site and a pavement princess. I’m not trying to be a poseur…it just kinda worked out that way.
I did lookup some articles on the differences of packages, but if this site is like tundras.com I’m confident that there’ll be some savvy, helpful folks that have actually owned different models and will provide first hand, helpful insight as to why certain features are or aren't good to have.
As for asking advice on how to spend $50k? Good grief! I hope I didn’t give the impression of too many first world problems. We’d definitely trade in the Tucson and have a manageable payment for a few years. Between the tundra and runner we may not buy another vehicle for 10-15 years. In retrospect I’d have bought a basic sr5 tundra and runner instead of a higher end model truck and basic car.

 

I have a 2019 SR5 and for the most part, I love it. Mine is a daily driver, plus a fair amount of highway time (soccer and band trips and regular runs between Jacksonville, FL & New Orleans for family functions). I've done a little 'off roading" in it but this is Florida...some respectable hills by southeastern standards but nothing like you see in other parts of the country. My only real gripes about the vehicle are watching the gas needle dive on highway trips (hardly surprising of course) and the seats...the driver seat is really uncomfortable after a few hours. thought this was just me and my middle-aged bony butt but my kids gripe about the back seat too.
Still, it's a great truck. Very smooth ride on the road, handles well, looks great and it's legendary for being reliable. no regrets on the purchase.

 

I have a limited myself. I got the limited just for the leather and the full time AWD. Love them both. Atrac does a pretty decent job to stop wheel spin using brakes.
But let your wife test drive them all and let her pick it out.
If you can afford the gas, I would choose a lexus gx over the limited.

 

The Lexus is a nice rig - probably a little too nice for us (and it’s pricier). Is there any drawbacks to the full time 4wd? Components where out faster? My wife, God love her, doesn’t really have a quick processing mind when it comes to something like turning on 4wd in an immediately needed situation or turning it off on dry roads. So having it full time seems foolproof from a safety standpoint. I’m also assuming that regular 4 hi and lo work like normal like they do in my tundra?

 

How does your truck do in the rain? I lived in Georgia for some years and we’d get torrential downpours. My Tundra rear end looks for reasons to slide unless I’m in 4wd or have the bed loaded with weight. Does the runner hook up well on wet roads? …assuming you have good tires?

 

No drawbacks that I can see. I currently have a 2.5 inch lift in the front and 2 inch lift in rear. I also put in 80k miles in 2 years. No issues with components. Instead of the handle, there is the knob for 4HF, 4HL, L4L. Its a little slower than the non limiteds but the 4 runners are already a flying brick. The only thing I miss is a v-8.

 

Welcome, from your description, sounds like a limited with full time 4wd would be a good choice.

My wife has a Sequoia with part time 4wd and recently I discovered that 4hi will barely engage and 4lo doesn’t work at all. This is because she never exercised it per Toyota recommendations. Apparently it’s a use it or lose it system.

You stated that your height 6-5, my only recommendation is don’t buy a 4Runner with a sunroof. You lose a lot if headroom. The sequoia and tundra are big enough that the sunroof is not detrimental but on the 4Runner it is, imho.

 

Doesn't the Sport have AWD available? If you want that and don't care about the leather and other luxury features, that might be a good fit and save you a lot of money. Also, I've been shopping 4Runners since July and Sports seem to be the most available.

 

At least as well as anything else I've driven (Blazers and Trailblazers before upgrading) with the stock Dunlop tires. No departures, even the few times I've let my teenager drive.

 

I just checked the Toyota site and AWD isn’t available on the Sport. I’m pretty sure it’s just the Limited.

 

Toyota website says available AWD...

 

Can you post a link? What I’m seeing says the full time 4WD isn’t an option for the Sport model.

 

This is the Sport...

 

That's really weird that its inconsistent within the Toyota website

 

I agree - it’s misleading.
I’m pretty sure the full time 4WD is only available on the Limited, but maybe someone who knows for sure will chime in. I don’t know why Toyota would limit that option to the Limited; IMO, that would be a popular upgrade. I believe it’s available on some Sequoias and Land Cruisers

 

If you want the full-time 4wd, go for the limited. If you live in an area where it snows, there is a definite advantage to it. A Limited will handle a good amount of off-roading.

The locker, Crawl Control, and Multi-Terrain Select are not necessary for basic off-road use. I have never needed Crawl or Multi Terrain. The locker has saved my bacon a few times, but this was in off-camber rocky areas. Also, a locker can be added later if you decide to get into more difficult off-road trails.

Merry Christmas! And, welcome to the forum!

 

Thanks Bass

 

The Limited is probably the best choice given that you mentioned your wife might not be prepared to engage 4WD when it's needed. A second set of wheels and tires for snow and off road travel would make it nearly as capable as a TRD Pro.

 

Limited Pros:
Dual Climate Control
Heated Seats
Full time 4wd - Great for non-car enthusiasts that can't be trusted to turn on / turn off a conventional 4wd system.

Limited Cons:
20 inch wheels = a limited selection of AT tires. An easy fix for this is to find a set of take off 17 inch wheels on Facebook Market Place.

Limited Aftermarket. While there are work around's for adding rock sliders, winches, bumpers, suspension etc. Choices are a little more limited.

Xreas system - look at long term reliability and expect to either ditch this system or have expensive repair / replacement bills. Down the line, most remove this system altogether and add conventional Bilstein style shocks

This thread starts off as a Temper Tantrum of the X-Reas system failing at 50k miles. Then others chime in with expensive repair / replacement bills.
https://www.4runners.com/threads/4runner-limited-buyer-beware-x-reas-suspension-fails.7894/

Ghetto Looks = Fits right in on the south side of Chicago vs out in the wilderness. Add some bling and look at lowering the vehicle to enhance this look.

 

Ah no..

 

It should be noted that the advantage to full time 4wd goes beyond not having to remember to engage 4wd. The center differential actually makes the system better in snow than part time 4wd models.

 

So what is the difference between full time 4wd and just regular 4hi?

 

4Hi isn't supposed to be used on dry pavement, for one thing. Which, for me at least, causes some confusion with spotty snow, some roads plowed and some not, etc. With AWD you have that advantage all the time, even when there's a lot of dry pavement with spotty snow or ice.

 

With full time 4wd, the transfer case has a differential that allows the front and rear axles to turn at different speeds when turning.

Part time 4wd models are locked in the center when engaged, so the tires must slip when making turns. This can lead to understeer.

 

Many "mall runners" go overboard! I grew up with an FJ40 as my second 4WD, and been through Scouts, full-size Broncos, Dodge Ramchargers, Jeeps, and several Toyota 4WD p/us. Been on some really rough trails hunting and while doing my MS Thesis on black bears. Driven many Gov't rigs working 20+ years as a Wildlife Biologist for the Feds. Currently live in "snow country" in the eastern Cascades.

We (I) currently drive an SR5 Premium with 3rd row. Likely will never need the 3rd row but we bought used and it came with it. I added a First Aid Kit, shovel, ax, Hi-Lift and traction mats. Maybe unfounded but early AWD increased wear, decreased mileage and decreased tire life. Improved on the tires. All for under $50K. Wife drives an AWD RAV4.

We decided we didn't need all the bells and whistles. Our off road is basically Forest Service for exploration and fishing (Can't hunt anymore).

Point is: Ask yourself if YOU really NEED all the extras and are they worth the price?

 

Oh you can certainly get a 4R to bail out on the rear end. I have really great new tires and if you push it a little, spinneraroo. Put it in 4H in the rain, zero issues.

 

Try about 300 lbs of sand in the P/Us. Drive sensibly and it won't happen.