2018 or wait for 2019

Private Sale the Maxima, take the extra cash and get the TRD Off Road premium with KDSS...you wont regret it...

 

Sounds good enough to me. My wife drives our 17 SR5 Premium(I have a 13 Taco) and it only goes on pavement. No offroad use at all.

 

Have to agree with most everyone who has posted, and only disagree with one who misunderstood (I think) the point of my post.
1. GET THE DAMN 4RUNNER.
2. Keep the old car (at least for a while). It is $$$ in the bank, that you will lose as soon as you either trade it in, or sell outright (unless you count the feeling of doing a good deed for someone).
3. Take a big metaphorical stick to your insurance agent, and get him to "see the light" for multiple car discounts,safety accessories,safe driver discount, multiple policies, etc., or tell him that you will be actively shopping around for a new agent/ representative to give your business to.
4. OTOH, Have to admit that I also like the idea of selling it, and putting the difference toward the TRD OFF-ROAD/ KDSS as well..... <- this is what I have!!
5. Your logical reasons for match/use to the 4runner are fine!
6. The point of my previous post is that "safety" is a state of mind on the operators part, and not some stupid electronic gizmo mandated by the gov't.
On a different tangent, I too, would love to see the same diesel powertrain that Toyotas, Fords, and I am sure others get in other countries. It was so COOL in Brazil to see a Toyota with an oil burner under the hood. But ALAS, Mark is right.

 

Finally someone who sees the light! LOL

 

I went with an 18, I didn't want to risk a generation change and get an untested motor/trans or even worse, the 3.5 that's in the tacoma

 

Consumer reports rate my 2016 Lexus nx200 & 2017 4Runner as much better than average for reliably & repairs. Both are still made in Japan. They hate the 4Runner but rate it high for the reasons listed & what I feel are important. Most major auto publications hate the 4Runner. Not cushy enough for them, whereas Off Roading magazine LOVES it. Go figure.
I get 20 + mpg on the highway and average 18.5 in town.
Rides better than my 2010 F150.
Audio is fine for what it is. Has adequate power.
I live on a dead end street in Minnesota. I have to go up a hill to get out of my neighborhood. My wife's Lexus is AWD but primarily front wheel drive. 4Runner & her previous Grand Cherokee & Mercury Mountaineer are both primarily rear wheel drive. HUGE difference in my opinion, better control on snowy, ice, slippery roads. Except Jeep's Grand Cherokee, all unibodies are primarily front wheel drive.
I could fly down a snowy highway in 6+" of snow and the truck, Jeep & Mountaineer would track perfectly, very impressive. I would not do that in her Lexus, even above 35 mph. Just does not track the same.
Although Minneapolis has had an odd winter with little to no snow, I'm quite confident the 4Runner will exceed my expectations.
As far as off roading, not that big of a deal to me.
I just flat out love the 4Runner. Sits up high (9.6" ground clearance), big fat tires, aggressive stance, lots of cargo room, etc.
Don't be afraid of it------------BUY IT!!

 

Consumer Reports apparently compares all vehicles to sedans. However recently they did back up a bit in a recent issue the 4R was the only Toyota product they listed for winter/snow driving. They have equal dislike for the Taco. The only thing they can say good about these vehicles is they are reliable. Seems to me they need to stop and examine their methods and ask why they are at odds with sales. With the 4R selling 100,000/year and the Taco outselling all others in the segment it seems to me that they are out of touch with consumers. In the winter I do a lot of snow driving, going to mountain top transmitter sites for work. In snow love my 2016 Taco over my 2018 4R for several reasons - 1) Manual Transmission. 2) I run 235/85-16 Toyo MT's. This is a tall/narrow tire. Wide Tires look cool, but they are not better on steep grades in snow. They also permit running chains on all 4 wheels (an absolute requirement). In snow, deep lug tires are a must. Then again I am in the Seattle area where flat land is hard to find and our snow is aptly called Cascade Concrete. Those that have level terrain and dry snow that acts like sawdust have it easy.

 

I agree, narrower tires are best for traction. Fatter tires can ‘ski’ on you in snow, as my wife's Lexus. MOST Minnesota snow is dry and not too bad for driving on to a point but the Minneapolis area is very congested and thats where some problems also lie. My son also has a 2017 4Runner and lives by you in Portland. He learned to drive on snow living in Minnesota and tells me all the time there's no comparison. He spends most of his spare time skiing on Mt Hood and drinking beer in Hood River. (where he is right now and it's snowing) He just put Goodyear duratracs on his for that reason. Also runs them on his F150. No chains required. Mine came with Dunlop's. I've always ran Michelin LTX's on all my vehicles and they seem to work best in Minnesota winters. The Dunlop's only have 7500 miles on them and I thought I'd give them a chance but I'm not too optimistic. Time will tell on the 'fat' tires.
And yes, Consumer reports is out of touch but they do have a lot of history when it comes to automotive ratings so I put some stock in that.