Considering 4Runner - work and play

Hey All,

New to the 4Runner community, although I've been looking at one for some time now. My wife and I do a lot of camping, backpacking, etc. where we go to some deep wilderness areas, and I want a capable 4WD vehicle that can handle itself.

We also recently had a baby, and plan to have 2 total, so I want a good mid-size SUV with plenty of space, which the 4Runner seems to fit the bill.

In addition, and this is my biggest hesitation, I will use this car for work along with personal reasons stated above. I'm in medical sales, don't drive an insane amount as my territory is fairly narrow, but I probably do around 1,000-2,000 miles on the road every month.

I'm looking at the TRD Pro, but curious if that's a bit overkill with the road driving I will do. Does anyone have experience between a standard SR5 and TRD Pro on the road? Do they drive significantly differently, have a big difference in gas mileage, etc. where the TRD Pro will be too inconvenient for my use?

Would love to hear some opinions, thanks.

 

They are the same. Same engine and such. I have an SR5 Premium and modified it heavily. The TRD Pro comes with features stock like a TRD Pro exhaust (which some like and some don’t). Since you plan on only having 2 kids then I would say you don’t need a 3rd row seat. Most say get the TRD off-road premium. You might also like the Lexus GX460 as well. Had I known it was similar to the 4Runner I would have bought that one. Obviously it has a nicer inside and it has a v8 motor.

 

If your worried about mile per gallon, the 4runner isn't the vehicle. If I put 1 to 2k miles on a month driving for work, I would be thinking about fuel efficiency.

The Pro is a fancy toyota modded 4runner, some will argue its way over priced before the market adjustment screws get put to you. For road handling you may want to consider the limited, or even the watered down limited know as the sport, or an Off-road with KDSS (if you can find one).

 

The 4Runner is a great all around choice for an excellent SUV with unmatched reliability and resale value.

If you are on the road a fair amount, I would opt for a little less of an "off-road" model and more of a "road" model. Like the Limited.

The Limited is still very capable for off roading and dealing with the elements, however, it is quite smooth for highway driving.

I drove the GX460 as well, but just couldn't get over its strange looks (quite feminine looks), unattractive wheels, and a few other odds and ends.
Plus, the 4Runner holds it value much better than the GX460.

I always compare the Limited to a smaller version of the Land Cruiser. Similar driving dynamics.

Your biggest issue right now is finding a 4Runner to buy and not having to pay a significant amount over the MSRP.

Good luck.

 

I also drove the Lexus GX460 and as a single dude loved the V8 however agree with above that the looks are no where near as agressive as 4Runner.
The largest negative of the GX for me was the tailgate also, if you ever plan tow anything forget trying to open the tailgate while having a trailer hooked up.

One more thought-may want to ask some Pro guys if they have any issues in parking garages. The Pro rack sit higher up. I know in personal home garage it was super tight.

 

Not sure where you live, but the Limited also has AWD vs the part-time 4WD on the other models. Just something to consider. Also, the limited has AC seats. I'll miss those for sure, as they're not on my Pro.

 

I had a Pro and now have an SR5P. They get same exact mileage. The SR5P suspension is not as good as the Fox, but daily driving I don't notice it.

 

Can I ask how soon you’re looking to buy?

 

1000-2000 miles is still a good amount of miles.

Between SR5 & TRD Pro I feel like SR5 was better on road than TRD Pro. SR5 suspension is soft for the road and TRD Pro is on little firm side. TRD Pro is better suited for rough terrain where it has better control where SR5 I have to have better control on brakes on rocky terrain as the vehicle dip down more coming off a rock or any obstacle.

Best suspension for on road is the XREAS on the Limited. It really absorbs very well on road imperfections. But when it comes to offroad it is the worst with less clearance.

As for 4wd selector if you wife need to drive the TRD Pro I'm not sure if she would like it. Atleast my wife hates that 4wd selector. SR5 selector is so much easy. Of cause in Limited my wife doesn't have to think about 4wd selector for having fulltime 4wd.

If you want 7 seat option SR5 would be your choice as only SR5 and Limited has 7 seat option and I like that 7 seat and used it few times.

For your offroad needs TRD PRo is the best choice from factory. If you want to modify it it might not be the best choice. For example if I lift TRD Pro the roof rack will not clear my garage. If I want to fit bigger tires like 285/70R17 TRD PRo wheels does not meet the minimum width.


If you are looking for a 4R with 5 seats and most capable after a little lift like 2in rear and 2.5-3in front a TRD Offroad without KDSS is the ticket. Adding multi-terrain camera (new for 2022) is a nice add. You have endless options for suspension, skids,sliders,etc. No need to mess with cutting stuff. Fun fact TRD Offroad has the widest wheel from factory that meets minimum width to fit common tire option 285/70R17 or even 34in 285/75R17. And TRD Offroad with factory roof rails clear my garage and office garage with no problems.

Lexus GX also a nice comfy option but lacks in fuel range, ground clearance and clearance from low hanging bumpers, side steps,etc.. Since you have some amount of driving frequent fillups might be a pain as it has same amount of fuel capacity as 4Runner but with that V8..!!

I checked Highlander hybrid for its amazing fuel range (over 600miles) and Highlander gas Limited and Platinum for its better AWD over other Highlander trims but AWD was little concern for me here in CO as I'm lazy to clean my driveway. So picked 4wd.

Update -

TRD Offroad -
My MPG test from my 2018 TRD ORP with lift + skids + sliders,...


TRD Pro-
I was about to do an MPG test on my TRD Pro (almost stock except tires, skids, sliders) this Christmas but it was a big time fail. It was around 15mpg. So did not post it on Youtube. I want to check what is wrong with it. May be bad alignment, may be new safety tech, may be the roof rack giving lot of wind resistance,...? So will take time to understand before I do another test.

 

Thanks for all of the responses, everyone.

Jynarik, I'm looking to buy pretty soon. I'm still doing my research, but the 4Runner is looking like the best bet for me, and if I can find the right deal I'd be willing to buy in the next few weeks.

 

“Gas mileage.”

lol

 

If you aren’t aware, the market is pretty wild right now with 4runners, since they come from Japan. Not saying you can’t find one, but you may have difficulty finding what you want.

As far as the truck, you’ll love it. It’s one of the safest vehicles out there. Gas mileage is crap, yes, but the reliability and quality outweighs that for me. There’s a guy on here who puts on a ton of miles for work. I do 20-25k a year and with all my kids, I’m getting 13mpg lol

 

While unfamiliar with the SR5 and Pro, I have the Off-road Premium (OFP) and while I am mostly alone almost 100% of the time my wife joins me sometimes on trips off the pavement, the OFP is great for all the above you mention and have concerns about. By the way, I do home health in rural Arizona (the entire state) and drive about 500-600 miles per week. My favorite is when a patient cancels their appointment and I get to go explore.

 

Yeah I've seen that. I have a local dealer that does orders for builds put together thru Toyota and they fill in 4-6 months, so I might end up doing that. But I have found quite a few TRD Pros without markup within 200 miles, so going to try and grab one of those (if I decide to go for it) and just make the trek out to get it. I'm not super worried about the MPG as I receive a very generous mileage reimbursement from my company where I generally make 4x the $ spent on gas back from them (driving a 25 mpg car), so I'll take a hit but still profit.

 

I think you're on the right path with deciding on the 4-Runner. Had quite a few Grand Cherokees and Cayennes, and though a different animal, the 4Runner is awesome in all regards (except the prior mentioned gas mileage, which doesn't matter to you much with your allowance). Pros are nice, especially if you wouldn't eventually upgrade the suspension, and finding one with no markup is a big win in this market. Otherwise, I'd vote TRD ORP (which I have and love it). Both will have all the fun off road bits (ie rear locker). You won't regret the 4Runner, sounds like it is a perfect fit for your needs, and you'll likely, like all of us, be glad you got one before it gets remodeled (which, in many opinions, will be a downgrade with respect to utility and capability off the paved roads).

 

I just traded my 18 sr5 4wd for a new 22 sr5 4wd.

The 18 had almost 64k miles.....got over $35k on trade..

For years I've kinda wanted the TRDOR.....but in the end I couldn't justify eating up my equity on the advanced 4wd of the TRD when I rarely ever use the standard sr5 4wd.....which is pretty dang capable in its own right.......

 

Fuel economy will depend on how you drive. When mine was basically stock, I could get over 20 MPG highway if I kept it around 65-70. At higher speeds, you'll lose fuel economy quickly.

Any trim will be fine for a good amount of off-road use. The only major advantage to the TRD models is the locker, which you might never need.

 

I use mine as a daily driver. If I lived in a large metro area with rush hour bumper to bumper traffic I might have bought something else. Our entire county is maybe 190K so driving is enjoyable.

 

This! The 18 I traded was showing 20.8 mpg for the life of ownership.

 

I've had my 2013 Trail ( equivalent of a TRD off-road) for just about 3 years now. I reset the fuel economy meter maybe a few weeks after buying it, and haven't touched it since. I'm at 20.3 average for that time, which has been about 52,000 mi.

I drive 300 miles a week minimum, that's just getting to work and back. So yeah, I spend a few bucks on gas. But I like knowing that whenever I turn the key, it's going to start, and get me to where I need to be, no matter what the weather. I also hate doing repair work, and I like that in 52,000 miles of ownership (other than routine maintenance) all I've had to do was have the AC topped off.

I don't have a family, but I like to hike, and camp, and mountain bike, or all three on the same trip, and also have a dog. I find this vehicle is great for those uses.

It's not the most economical, it's not the most comfortable, definitely not the most modern, and it's definitely slow, but if none of those things matter to you, it's a very solid vehicle that will last you years and years, and still hold value.

 

It’s funny because I had 90s Explorer before the 4Runner for recreation so the 4Runner I find very comfortable and modern. I guess it’s relative to what we are used to.

I am happy to buy the gas ⛽️ as long as it’s reliable. Hopefully we can all buy gas for a very long time.

 

Well, I'm talking about my 2013. It's pretty basic compared to the 2022, I don't have any of the safety sense stuff or Android carplay. It does have Bluetooth in a backup cam, which is very modern compared to all the other vehicles I've owned, but it's funny, my 97 Grand Cherokee had a few features that my 4Runner doesn't have. This platform also dates back to 2003, so it's really only one generation of vehicle newer than your '90s Explorer. And I remember those, those were pretty nice for their time. Everybody either had one or knew somebody that had one.

 

Yeah sounds crazy but when you own a vehicle 20 plus years you get attached to it. I miss it but it was at the point of spending way too much money to fix. I made a lot of memories with that Old Explorer and now it’s time to make new ones with the 4Runner.

Thankfully Toyota still makes a very cool old school SUV for us to buy.

 

Dont be dissuaded, the GX is a monster. And if you're curious about capabilities, look up "Land Cruiser Prado". In Australia and the Philippines, few vehicles hold an advantage to it.
And resale value is unbelievable. Its a freaking Lexus. To say the 4Runner has better resale value is like arguing A Ferrari will have better long term reliability than a Lambo......its negligible.
If I had children, I am going GX 110%.

That said, I love my 4Runner and encourage you to have an open mind regarding the trim levels. Going TRD Pro will help you gain a few features that long term will save you some time. If your lady is receptive to doing mods then SR5 or a lower trim level will give you a blank canvas to work with and save you some money. If you know she might not be down with you spending cash on mods later then getting a better trim level will let you hedge against that.

Anyway good luck on your purchase and interested to see what you end up with.

 

I drive a TON. I’m at 3000+ miles a month. Love the 4Runner. I’m basically a pro- . The venture has a lot of the cosmetic, no suspension. I do have the KDSS, however. I averaged just around 20mpg. I won’t change it. It’s plenty capable to do pretty much anything, and I planned to change tires and suspension from the beginning, so pro wasn’t even a consideration. ONLY negative is no 3rd row. Life happens. I never wanted kids. I have 4 now. Just saying…..third row would be nice at the moment

 

Keep in mind that what you see advertised on a dealership website is typically not actually for sale, unless the buyer backs out when the vehicle arrives or it's a shady dealer that will sell to the highest bidder on arrival. The website for the dealership I purchased from had mine showing up as soon as the vehicle hit freight status in the shipping process. It remained there until the purchase was finalized, even though it was being held for me.

 

I recall it being like that even pre-pandemic. Three years ago when I was shopping between a 4runner and a Wrangler, I remember seeing dozens of them on dealers websites, but then they'd only have a couple actually on the lot. Anything in transit they would have listed on the website for sale.

 

Yeah. From what I've gathered, it's automatic.

 

Mine came off the website as soon as I paid my deposit. When I went into the dealer and he checked the status for me, I saw a checkbox for "website." So I think they *can* take them off, they just don't so they get more exposure on internet searches.

 

Mine never was on the website. It was actually ordered by the dealer and it happened to be the right color / trim / options that I was looking for.

I've purchased a lot of vehicles from this dealer in the past (large multi-line / multi-make dealer) so maybe I had a little bit of "pull." Who knows....

Manager called me and asked if it would work for me, I said it would and I gave them $1k to put my name on it. He said if I didn't want it when it arrived,
no problem, there is a list longer than my arm of people who want it.

It finally arrived at the dealer. Salesman called me. I went down the next day and picked it up. Done and done. Easy. But was a long wait.