Would I regret owning a 4Runner?

Hey all, first time poster

Currently own a 2019 Wrangler and have had it for over a year now. I loved it at first but I took it on my first 8 hour road trip in the fall and it was so uncomfortable/loud. Plus, I had my first kid in the Spring and it just just a little too small for a growing family, I just don't think its practical

I have a deposit down on an F150. Test drove one and loved it. I love the space it has and it feels great and has great tech. Needed a little bit more power for towing Jet Skiis but nothing too huge

While my F150 is on hold for what it feels like is forever, I have been questioning if I even need that big of a truck. It's massive and I almost won't use the bed on a daily basis but will still be great to have. So now I am looking at the 4Runner TRD Pro (I just love everything about it, looks, color, etc)

My question is, will I regret skimping out some of the higher tech/quality tech from the F150 for something more practical and reliable for a family? The 4runner has most things I am looking for (360 camera, LED, safety, etc)

I would just like ventilated seats which I can add later and a better head unit (had a Rav4 before the Wrangler and it was so bad compared to many others), which I guess I also can add later too

Thoughts

Thanks!

 

There's a lot going on there.... Hard to say on whether or not you personally would be as happy with it as you hope, but I could wager a guess that VERY few owners of 4Runners regret it. Personally, I have had quite a few cars, mostly on the higher end German plane, and I LOVE my 4Runner for my needs (off roading, camping, reliability, looks). I don't care about tech, I don't even use it in my other cars, so couldn't speak to that as the 4Runner has more tech than I consider needed.

Hope you find some relief in your search and end up with what makes the most sense for you!

 

Short Answer? No.

Long answer? If you are about road trips and NOT off-roading, you may want to look at the Sequoia. Rear seats in the 4Runner are not terrible but surely will not do your kids favors.

Plus, if you are towing stuff, the 4Runner is just adequate...... anything bigger than a pair of jet ski's and you surely want to go with a Sequoia (if you want to stay in the Toyota family of course)

 

The 4R has a 5 speed and it's shaped like a brick - it will be noisier on the highway, it will be definitely slower than a truck and you'll be glad to ever see 20 mpg on the dash.
Even the 2020+ infotainment feels outdated by any standard, slow, with a screen resolution of a toy. The center console is atrocious, there is no logic for any storage space.
With that being said, it will run forever and it will have a very good resale value, compared to the W.
Given the reliability score, it will outlast any F150 on the road, there is no question about it.

 

I re-read your post. A Highlander Limited will pretty much handle almost everything but the 360 Camera. My wife has a 2014 Limited and its got the heated/AC seats and with the captain's chairs, makes it easy to have a child in a car seat while making the rest of the vehicle available.

 

Your 4x4 sticker, makes my day everytime I see it lol.

 

I think the towing will depend on where and how long also. I see lots of guys pulling boats and thats what I plan to do with mine. However, I am towing on flat land in Michigan (not in a hilly mountainous area). An F-150 however will obviously tow a lot more weight, I cant imagine jet skis would be an issue.

I had a 90's Explorer and pull 3,000lbs thousands of miles and it had a 4.0 V6 and 3.73 rear axle (same as 4Runner) so I can only imagine the 4R will outperform being 20 years newer. Now I was clearly not going to win any races but I just took my time. The Explorer fit in the garage perfect and for me so does a 4R plus I think the quality of the 4R is much better given all of my research. I hope the new 4R has at least the 5,000 capacity as the current generation.

 

If you're looking forward to the space, tech, towing, and bed of the F-150, then yeah, you'd probably regret a 4Runner.

 

Compared to the Wrangler no.

Compared to the F-150 yes.

 

Probably this. I've never driven an F-150, but they are huge on a daily basis. I traded my Wrangler for a 4 Runner. Didn't regret it one bit. The tech in the 4R is outdated, but functional. The cameras are awful in the 4R. Still happy with a 5th Gen.

 

4Runner doesn't have a 360 camera...

 

The '22s have the optional Multi-terrain monitor, depending on trim level

 

My suggestion if possible is bring an F150 home and a 4R in the same day. I drove a bunch of vehicles same day and brought them home to see how they fit in my garage.

For me the garage was important as was city driving. Take your wife with you also. I tried pulling the f150 in my yard and garage and it was tight.

I took videos of each and made comments and took measurements. I also tried Sequoia, Yukon, tacoma, and Canyon.

i drove four in one day and brought them home. It helped me make my decision quickly. Just my opinion

 

If you don’t like old tech, I’d really think differently than the 4Runner. If you do still stay with a runner, consider the limited.

to call the 4Runner a practical family vehicle is funny in my mind. That f150 probably gets better mpgs, space is probably the same as well.

the 4Runner is a reliable vehicle, I am not sure I have ever heard reliable and f150 in the same sentence.

 

We not even comparing same types of vehicles also.

So yeah think OP needs to decide if he really needs a truck or not. I for one need at least one truck around the house.

 

The 4Runner is not a great family vehicle. It is a poor commuter. It gets terrible gas mileage. Models other than the Limited have horrible body roll and brake dive. It's on the sluggish side. The tow rating is meh. It is low on tech, and a lot of the tech it does have isn't much of a plus. The interior is outdated and of mediocre quality. It's a bit on the loud side. And tends to wander on the highway.

I love mine.

 

Ford is a throw away vehicle. But you do you.

 

One of the benefits of high resale vehicles like the 4Runner is that if you don't like it you should be able to get a high percentage of your purchase price back if you end up trading for something else.

 

Never heard it said better. Had 02 land cruiser,08 cruiser,13 4Runner and now a 21 4Runner.i filled in the gaps with hi tech Audis and a rs/ss camaro,my 4 runner isnt pretty,isnt fast and isnt fancy so yea its awesome.

 

I've had a lot of new cars. A lot. Cars of every shape and purpose. BMWs, VWs, Subarus, Hondas, Land Rover, GM and Ford. Sports cars, sports sedans, commuters, family wagons. Manuals and automatics. Cars that could hit 175, and cars that struggled to make 75. I miss some of them. A couple I'd like to have back. But I wouldn't trade my 4R for any of them.

I can't think of a car I've owned or even know about that I'd rather have in a snowstorm. Or to drive through a potholed beat-up city. Or in an emergency evacuation through who knows what conditions.

And I enjoy driving it, especially off the highway. I like the feel. The clear view all around. I like the way it acts like the mechanical thing it is, without too much computer between me and the machinery.

So many of these things are things that are hard to quantify. Which is why comparison tests will never explain what makes the 4R so great. Why it doesn't make a whole lot of sense on paper. You have to own one to understand.

 

You know what's funny, you could just as easily be talking about a Jeep Wrangler. A friend of mine that owns one once told me essentially the same thing about hers.

Honestly, I think the 4Runner still has too much electronics. The VVTII or whatever BS in the engine, drive by wire throttle pedal, all the stability and traction control nannies, electric actuators for the transfer case and front axle.

I often miss my old 97 Grand Cherokee that had an actual rod linkage to the transfer case, zero traction control or stability control, and an actual cable attached to the accelerator pedal that had a nice linear feel, and would let you just spin the tires and slide around as much as you wanted.

 

I hear you. The 4R ain't perfect, including by the standards I'm using. I'd prefer less computer (though you can't be serious complaining about this engine, one of the most bulletproof ever).

In any case, the Jeep wouldn't qualify for me because a) lesser reliability b) much less enjoyable driver (loud, crashes over bumps, sloppy steering) and c) you can't sleep stretched out in the back. The ability to sleep a couple people in the back of the 4R in an emergency is a big plus for me.

 

This is one of the best posts ever.

 

You’ve gotten plenty of viewpoints from us Toyota fanboys. Now if I were you, I’d spend some time on the Ford forums and get some feedback from them.

 

Yeah, I hear you. It is still very analog compared to most modern vehicles. Honestly some of my favorite features are the lever for the t-case and the chunky radio & HVAC controls. The feel of the volume knob alone helped sell me on it, haha.

I also chose it over the Wrangler for the reasons you mentioned, because this is my DD. I've comfortably slept in it a few times, and you are right about that!

Yeah I'm no fan of the 4.0. Probably half my posts here feature me bitching about it, lol. I'll accept it's reliable, and that's it's best feature.

I know someone who had to change his timing chain and guides around 180k, and with the front of the motor open it looked like it had about 8 feet of timing chain in there, haha. I thought that seemed overly complicated, but perhaps I'm a bit old school, I think a single cam in block (OHV) setup, like an LS, is the way to go. Clearly I'm in the minority, I think the LS might be the last engine still using that setup.

Anyway, as long as it continues to start when I need it to, the 4L is meeting expectations.

To the OP, I'd drive one if you haven't already, and also maybe check out the Highlander. Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

I would take both on a good test drive.

As mentioned above, they're just OK for towing, gas mileage isn't great, etc...

As much as I love mine, I wouldn't recommend one unless off-roading is a consideration.

A Highlander or Sequoia might be better for the family.

The OR and PRO have actual linkage, though they still rely on an actuator in the front diff.

And, traction control can be turned off. I've had lots of fun in snowy parking lots.

 

Not all vehicles do everything , My current inventor is 2021 Jeep Wrangler rubicon , 2021 Jeep Gladiator rubicon both Eco Diesels … Jeeps are big toys , The Gladiator does do a little more , tiny bed but love both in the diesel , torque and transmission are amazing compared to the gas wranglers , Gladiator rides better than wrangler JLU .
We have F150’s as shop trucks , the metal is piss thin , every white truck looks like a golf ball with all the dents they collect like crazy , I swear I hit a big bug and it put a dent in the truck .
If you need a truck I would go ford over GM any day , for me personally stay with Toyota or Nissan . I have a 2022 4R Pro its a dog in power compared to my 2020 LC200 of coarse , the 4runner is the most underpowered of all my vehicles but I consider it the most reliable simple vehicle I own .
Everyone situation is different , I have my jeeps for the summer mostly , I have been running the 4runner in the winter , hate to say it is my least valuable vehicle , easy to clean off the salt and slop leaving in the northeast .
4runners have gotten expensive in the past few year and the shortages made it worst , makes sure you shop around to dealers that don’t mark up the MSRP , my first question to any dealer after I asking if it is a instock unit is does your dealership mark up prices .

 

One good point mentioned above is residual value (resale). Prior to the pandemic the 4R held its value well. Now even more so if you ask me.

When I bought mine last summer I thought worst case scenario I trade in or sell and most likely get my money back maybe plus a little.

Even Now if you can buy at MSRP I don’t think you can go wrong. If you don’t like I think you’ll get your money back in the near term. I am not sure you could say the same about a F150

 

I would like to add. If you decide you need a truck but don’t want to sacrifice the reliability of the 4 runner, why not take a look at a Tundra? It’s all new for 22. I’ve had an 07 for 13 years and it’s been nearly perfect. The only repair it’s needed in 170k miles was a water pump. Everything else that’s been done to it has been maintainance.