I kind of hate my 5th gen 4Runner. It's the return of Gramma Ray!

Probably. They announced the Camry AWD right after I got my 4Runner. I was not amused.

 

I thought this only happened to me. I feel better now, knowing it’s a Toyota owners’ thing.

 

You're welcome. Yes, Bad Dragon. You know a chick's a freak when she has a Bad Dragon.

I'll consider the Outback, but if I'm going to go away from real SUV, I'm really of the mind of going car.

 

I could make use of an extra 11 inches, but not on my vehicle!

 

I was sleeping then working.

 

When I first got my 4R (Jan. 2020), I was off-roading a few times a year (had an Xterra for about 5 years that I'd take off-road before the 4R). Living in SoCal the closest dirt is about 45 minutes away, but if we want to hit the snow, its about an hour to 2.5 hours away. Not the end of the world, but also not close (especially with the shitty traffic coming home). I LOVE the utility of it, LOVE that its a Toyota, LOVE that we can put a grip of our kids stuff in the cargo area, but the trade-off is the crappy mileage and it does feel heavy to drive. I put on Bilstein 5100's to help it feel more "stable" around turns and less nose-divey when braking. I knew what I was getting into when I bought it, and I plan to keep it to hand down to my 8 year old when she can drive. I wouldn't mind a hybrid 4R in the future, maybe a Highlander (does that have the "chic-car" stigma though?). I also like the Ford Explorer....but, its a Ford. Not sure what I'll get into next when I hand down my 4R, I have plenty of time to think about it though.

 

I'm 71 years old. I have owned vehicles for more than 50 years, cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, motorcycles-(strictly British). and boats.

I wouldn't trade my 2015 SR5 for any of them.

Even the Ford F-150 Extended Cab that saved my life when I got crushed between 2 18 wheelers...

 

Whoa, that’s a nightmare scenario (two 18-wheelers) and I’m glad you survived. What was the extent of the injuries with that wreck?

edit: sorry for the temporary hijack but I have to imagine everyone has the same question for him

 

Considering how his name is UncleShorty, I think he ended up looking like Cotton.

 

I love these convos. Perspective makes them interesting.

I bought the 4R because it’s…SMALL. I’m 6’3”, 215 and wish I still had two more inches of headroom. But I love this ‘23 ORP anyway. So solid and can go anywhere I need it to, yet I love that it’s so easy to park. No, I’m not kidding. My main daily is an F-250 . Between the 250, wife’s Z71 Suburban, Land Cruiser 200 and a flat bed F-450, the 4R feels nimble. We had a 2016 Wrangler Rubicon which was great on ranch roads and trails in CO (Silverton/Ouray), but it was awful on highway. The 4R is such a great balance for road and off-road, built so solidly and yes, it’s also my in-town car that’s easy to get into any airport parking garage, etc. But I’m also one of those folks that thinks parking the F-250 is pretty easy considering it’s size and when not towing long trailers, even the 250 and 450 can feel nimble. Now, I’m not parking in downtown Washington, DC or anything like that, so again, perspective matters. My downtowns are still small town downtowns.

My brother still has a late 90s Civic Si and an LS430, both of which feel like race cars compared to the trucks and SUVs.

 

highlander looks ugly AF. Drives alright though, but looks like every other car on road. I often confuse it with a minivan.

 

I find your comparison is specific and understandable. An F-250 (or larger) or a Suburban are vehicles I'd expect the 4R to outperform in a handling and parking challenge. I'm more baffled by those who think a 4R can safely corner at speed on par with a roadster or even a typical small sedan.

 

But...but...I put on Bilstein 5100s on all four!

 

I traded my 20 subaru forester sport in for my current 4runner sport, loved my subi, but yes, was never a fan of the cvt, and it was my 1st one, but I hated it, yeah I wouldn't wish that part on anyone either.... love my runner though

 

That is subjective. The HL appearance doesn't bother me at all.

 

I certainly hope nobody actually thinks that.

I actually think they look pretty good. Depends on paint color and trim, but I'd love to have one for all of my non-offroading traveling.

 

My old man just bought a new Highlander with the 4banger turbo. I drove it a bit because I was curious about how it felt compared to the v6. It’s odd, but the sound/feel of the 4cyl automatically makes it feel like a smaller car. Probably just by association though. Although the vehicle’s got to be a little lighter overall, I would guess.

Although I really like how the engine packaging looks, I’m not in love with how it sounds . I didn’t goose it yet because it’s in the break in period, but under light acceleration loads, it sounds a little like a box of rocks. A quiet box of rocks, but still.

 

Straight across trade for a Liberty and a Samurai? 2 for 1, best deal of your life!

 

It's available in a nice green, too. A 4R in this color would be sweet.

 

You mean that's not supposed to happen?

 

I had a rental 2023 Wrangler Rubicon a couple weeks ago while I was on vacation. It had the turbo 4 cylinder and it was an odd experience. Power was there and it got good fuel economy, but the sound was hard to ignore. I've heard lawnmowers and 1990 Civic's at 3:00am that sounded better.

 

If they could make them to sound like mid 90s early 2000 honda 4cyl engines, I would be quite happy. VTEC yo!!! Those sounded absolutely wonderful wound out! I don’t think that Highlander 4 banger is going to get any more refined sounding after break-in unfortunately.

 

I'm switching from a small Toyota C-HR to a runner (had a vasectomy). The c-hr has been great for me but the front end has loosened up and myself and mechanics don't know what to fix/ replace. It's not a first model year car and it's J VIN. I doubt this scenario will happen with the runner. I suppose I drove the c-hr hard but previously I drove a toyota matrix harder, longer, and it held up.

In some ways the truck drives simpler and smoother across wasteland status concrete highway/urban than a naturally aspirated compact car. Initial impressions, but have driven tundra/sequoia too.

My c-hr is on trd lowering springs and I feel a little sad now each time I return to it street parked.

I suppose the suby transmissions must function, because they are so widespread. I would worry about heat buildup in a nonhybrid CVT driving on dirt though.

I briefly sat in the 3rd row of a highlander and it seemed more cramped than the runner and didn't like access with captain's chairs(not sure if they fold though). And the highlander is larger on paper. Buying a runner buys you a lot of metal and fluid. Buying a highlander buys you (???) and mpg. edit and yes the hl has the smoother? drive and lower center of gravity as expected of unibody midsize. maybe you could lower/do suspension on your runner and put on lighter tires, get a 2wd(??).

The lexus ux hybrid could be a great car. If anyone you know buys a c-hr they better have good luck and a J VIN!

 

We also have a Chevy Suburban and the 4R feels perfectly smaller!

 

Yes, I hope expressing that view is merely enthusiasm for the 4R a not an indication of imminent airbag deployment.

 

Agreed. In a recent thread I wrote the following:

We all have our little nits to pick with the 4Runner. We whine about heated steering wheels and automatic headlights and nanny electronics, or that our off-road vehicle comes with street tires from the manufacturer. The list is endless - and such complaints are perfectly normal. But lately there have been threads like this one that seem to ask the question “Why can’t a 4Runner be like a whole other type of vehicle?” There was a recent post by a guy who was worried about rollovers. These types of complaints are not so normal.

Am I crazy to think that the reason people buy the 4Runner is for its capabilities in dirt and snow? A 4Runner is not a sports car. It doesn’t pretend to be a sports car. Stop wishing it was a sports car and just get one of those. High profile vehicles have more of a tendency to roll over and always have. If that causes you to worry, get a nice crossover.
/rant
​

My dear old Dad used to say “you can’t blame a dog for being a dog.” He would say this when I would explain how friends of mine had let me down. What he meant was that I shouldn’t expect more from people than they are capable of giving.

The 4Runner is a better than average off-road vehicle. It’s off-road performance is hampered and limited by its independent front suspension and the inherent difficulty in mounting large tires. It’s on-road performance is limited by the fact that it’s built to be good off-road. It is what it is. It’s not a Jeep. It’s not a sport’s car.

So @Gamma Ray, when you voice your disappointment in the way the 4Runner handles, that it’s big, that its turning radius is huge, that it’s hard to park, and then top it off by saying you don’t drive it off road, my sympathy is limited. All these foibles, which people gladly put up with in exchange for off-road ability, existed and were evident when you took your 4Runner for a test drive. And you bought it anyway. So stop your whining. You bought the wrong car. Sell it and get a different one.

 

None of my complaints became apparent until a couple months into owning the 4Runner. I never said I had a problem with how it handles. The size didn't matter on the highway I did the test drive on. The test drive didn't involve the turning radius or parking it in a tight parking lot. I did drive it off road. I find it boring and not worth the trip. I actually still semi-regularly drive it in light off road conditions to exercise the 4lo. I just wanted a Jeep Liberty that wouldn't shrapnel the transmission every 30,000 to 50,000 miles and have heater cores that were weaker than your reading comprehension. The current crop of "crossovers" are weak and pathetic. The 4Runner was the smallest not weak thing that wasn't a Wrangler.

Also, I could make the argument that the 4Runner being bigger than my schlong with rigormortis makes it bad for off roading. This thing's ass is wider than the booty chicks in the Baby Got Back video. It's part of what makes me think the upcoming Land Cruiser is going to be a joke. I was parked last weekend. It was a reasonably sized parking spot. I was reasonably centered. The cars on either side were reasonably centered. It was tighter than a nun's snatch on Sunday. They want to add 5 inches each way to the Land Cruiser? If they'll do that, what won't they do to the next 4Runner?

I wasn't expecting an echo chamber, but you're being a dick.

 

I find the coolness of the 4Runner to be in the way it drives, I specifically want it to feel like a truck and drive like one. But its not my only car, I have a Miata for my nimble-handling needs.

 

Perhaps a more thorough test drive next time.

 

I'm going to rent before I buy next time.