What is next for the Toyota 4runner?

I was also surprised when driving 90 min or so on an 80MPH highway (or was it 85?) in northern Michigan a couple months ago. Road was dry, traffic was light and visibility was excellent and I set the cruise on 84/85 (which prob meant I was actually going around 82). The Limited seemed just fine at those speeds. Stable and not really straining -- though you also wouldn't call it loafing along. Put another way, it didn't feel unsafe but it also wasn't relaxed. I knew I might be in deep doo doo if an evasive maneuver was required. In my M235, those speeds on that road would have been almost nonchalant.

 

The T4R has to be a real cash cow for Toyota. The initial design costs for the 5th Generation must have been paid for long ago. Even with the gas mileage they continued to sell. For many, the "old school" tech was one of the big selling points.
This is probably why Toyota never came out with a replacement for the FJ Cruiser after 2014 (too bad). Toyota was happy to continue selling $40,000.00+ 4R's. LOL And the drive train for the T4R was the same as the FJ anyway.

Rick

 

I would love a v8. Might actually make me not want a Bronco.

 

Doing 140 - 150 in a Camaro, TA, Monte Carlo, Vette, Mustang or even on a Yamaha FJ 1200 was no stranger to me. Growing up an hour from Daytona, being a gear head with a lead foot was a rite of passage in Florida. DL was revoked for 5 years here. It's why I got into offroading in the first place. I can go as fast as I want down a power line road and not have to keep looking in my mirrors. My V8 has almost gotten me in trouble on the street again though. The sound just has this strange effect on my skinny pedal.

I have been surprised how stable the 5th gen is on the highway at speeds over 80. I even took it on the "Tail of the Dragon" last year leaving the ATR. What a blast, she dove right into those corners and made these mud terrains do some howling. The King/TC/ICON suspension really helps with that part though.

Oh yea, the platform was already built with the LC, Lexus, and the 4th gen 4Runner of the 90s. They probably went through several interior and exterior style and design trade offs between the 3 models before they released them all. That R&D money was spent in the early to mid 90s I'm sure.

Well I reluctantly agree with the status quo, it's doubtful. But after driving a Fusion with a 4 cyl Eco Boost, I could get used that kind of punch in a T4R. I don't see me being able to afford a new one ever again though. That's why I cherish both my V8 and V6. I wouldn't mind putting a Magnuson on my 5th gen one day. The URD Y pipe and Magnaflow muffler has made it pretty fun though. 93 octane and a fresh set of Iridiums, gives her a little punch, but that aint cheap either lol.

 

Maybe I’m biased bc I own one, but the 5th generation 4Runner is a modern classic. These rigs are going to age extremely well, much like the FJ as you mentioned

 

On my way to Florida this past January, I cruised at 85-90 for quite a ways and felt very comfortable. There was very little traffic, and everyone else was hauling ass, too.

 

@Thatbassguy On my drive to AZ last Christmas I threw my gas budget out the window and just let her eat. The Bayou sections in La got smoked, and the Freeway through Houston was really fun. People freak when they see a built 4Runner passing them on a bouncy overpass curve doing 80-85. West Texas and NM was a blast too. Sport Mode FTW.

 

Nice! Yeah, I just go however fast I'm comfortable and deal with the consequences. You have to go super slow to get decent mileage anyway.

I'm curious how bad it's going to be this coming year on 285's.

 

The first trip I took out there was in 16' with my Son. We traded off driving and just kept rolling straight through. With 285 A/Ts it wasn't too bad. We made a contest out of who could get the gas mileage counter to add another 1/10. Then I put the 285 M/Ts on, mileage instantly went down 1.5 mpg and it's pretty much been stuck on 13.0 mpg since. I just gave up on saving fuel on my solo trip this past Christmas. Totally happy with Coopers A/Ts and M/Ts though. Good tires at all speeds and off road.

 

Geez! I've been getting 16-17 still. The worst yet was 14.5 trying to keep up with a group of muscle cars driving back-roads a few weeks ago. Those MT's must really be a killer!

 

Yea well you gotta remember everything is exponential with this truck. Loaded down with Tools, Recovery Gear, Luggage, Full Tank, Fridge stocked with water and food, this thing weighs over 6k lbs on the CAT scale. On the A/Ts, during that long trip my Son and I averaged almost 16 mpg. Now you add the M/Ts that are open to the forces of wind with this Shrockworks bumper, these tires are not very aerodynamic. That's why I swear by the URD Y pipe, MagnaFlow muffler, and 93 octane. This thing would barely get out its own way. Now at the expense of mileage, she goes pretty good. I'm debating going back to an A/T when these STTs wear out, but damn they're a good tire on and off road.

 

I've heard the STT's are heavy, but awesome.

I'm not sure my weight, but I'm pretty heavy as well.

 

The STT's are not at all quiet if anyone is thinking about them. I've gotten used to it, but they are NOT for everybody.
Anyway, time to close this thread within a thread again.
What's next for the T4R?
Toyota is damn sure good at keeping us guessing, aren't they?

 

I think the threat to the long term desirability and value of these trucks is actually EV. In an ICE world, the 4Runner has a combination of attributes that's very hard to match. And there's no reason to expect any car maker to build a new ICE vehicle that does match it.

But as EV technology improves over the next several years, there's gonna be a real question as to why someone would spend significant money on a used Runner.

It won't be for durability, reliability or mechanical simplicity. EVs should have a significant edge there.

It won't be for AWD and off-road ability, because that too can be done better by EVs. For example, having a motor at each axle or even at each wheel. And no need for exhausts, bulky transmissions and gas tanks that compromise ground clearance. An EV can have a virtually flat underbody that functions as one truck-length skid plate.

It won't be for cargo or passenger capacity, because EVs allow more flexibility in body design. EVs allow for flat floors and frunks in addition to trunks or hatches.

It probably won't be for range. At the rate of progress we're seeing now, in 5 or 10 years EVs might be getting 500 plus miles.

The prevalence and speed of fueling stations might still favor ICE several years from now, but that's offset to some extent for those with the ability to plug in at home. It may also be offset by advances in solar charging, which appears ready to make a big leap thanks to nano material technology.

So at some point the 4Runner will be desirable only to those who can't afford a new or near-new EV. And that means lower resale values for the 4Runner.

The only thing that can realistically prevent this eventuality would be the failure of car makers to offer EV SUVs with the ruggedness and capabilities of the 4Runner. For example, if they all decided that consumers only wanted Priuses and namby-pamby crossovers. But why would they? They would not. Mercedes is already working on an EV G Wagon. Jeep will surely make an EV Wrangler. Consumers will have a number of rugged and highly capable EV off roaders to choose from.

As the owner of a 2020 4Runner that stickered for almost 50K, I of course am not thrilled about this from a financial perspective. But I think it's inevitable that 10 years from now my Runner will be a cool and unstoppable old ICE truck with a lot of fond memories and continued utility -- but very little resale value.

 

That's why we have disposable income! Don't even check it. Just drive. There's a reason we have big fuel tanks in the Runner, else we'd be filling up every other day!

 

LOL exactly. As I said to my wife: Whad'ya mean, "MPG?" It's a truck, it doesn't get "MPG."

 

Just a funny thought.
EV-SUV on some remote mtn. trail, breaks down or runs out of juice. Another like mined SUV comes along to help (because that’s what we do), and it breaks down. Call for a tow. EV tow truck shows up and breaks down.
Only to be rescued by an old lumbering diesel tow truck.

 

I realize that the 4runner isn't ever going to get great mileage, but I'll take as much as I can get. I put on 43K miles so far in 21 months, so the cost adds up! Aside from that, I like getting 300+ miles per tank when I drive 1400 miles each way to Florida every winter.

I'm actually quite pleased with my 16-17 MPG. I was worried it would really go in the crapper after the lift/armor/tires.

Sort of back on topic:

That's what's great about this vehicle. I can go just about anywhere with it, and it's still nice to drive to and from the trail. That's what the next generation should be like. An extremely capable off-road vehicle that is enjoyable to drive to the grocery store, too.

 

Totally. Besides, I decided that the best way to think about it was how often you had to fill the tank. In real world use, that's after about 300-450 miles. Who cares that it takes 23 gallons to do it .

And it's at the price of regular.

 

It should be your goal not to get ones with a blue tint. The blue tint removes yellow light that is produced by the halogen. The blue tint reduces the bulbs life span because the tint causes the bulb to run hotter too. Your lights might look more modern, but its at the sacrifice of filtering light that could be used to light what is ahead of you, and a shorter life span on average.

The perception that blue is better is driven by the fact that most blue light halogens are made for higher end of the market, so they have a brighter filament to start with. They untinted version would probably out compete the same bulb with a blue tint. Its been my experience when I put on cheaper unfiltered bulbs that did better that the blue tints the previous owner installed.

The housing itself plays a large role to. The housings are designed to reflect light from a bulb that sends out light in all directions. LED aren't the same, they have a directional light output so its difficult to replicate the light pattern given by a halogen. Shoving any old LED drop in might not always lead to better results.

 

Powerlift gate!!

 

I agree with your thoughts regarding EV. I just think they need to outfit them with a 1000 watt stereo system with external speakers, sync'd with the accelerator pedal, with the sound of a big block V8 running headers and flowmasters coming out of it. Then it would be perfect.