5th gen vs 6th gen and why

Yes.

 

5th gen for me. Reliability, manual transfer case, fold flat seating, and a front diff that doesn't take a dump on easy trails (TFL Taco for reference).

 

lol people still using that dumb excuse of the front diff when it was just a one off issue pretty much

 

And the ADD is used in every Toyota 4x4 on the market right now. May be different size or slight variations in how the actuator works but the concept is the same and hasn't changed fundamentally in something like 30 years. The people who are so afraid of the ADD probably don't even realize they are already driving an ADD.


And I say that as somebody who is happy with and plans to keep my 5th gen (with its ADD).....

 

5th Gen
14+ years of proven reliability
Superior break over angle due to shorter wheelbase than 6th Gen
Can sleep in the back
More cargo space than 6th Gen
Haven't seen 5th Gen front diff break on super easy trail that's bone stock
Looks much better (subjective)
Simple 6 Cyl engine
Popular among virtually the entire 4Runner community
Broad acceptance/respect among overland types
Infinite aftermarket options
No hugely expensive hybrid battery to ever replace or add weight

6th Gen
New platform (or hashed over Tacoma)
Inferior break over angle due to longer wheelbase then 5th Gen
Can't sleep in the back as rear seat down sticks up about 8"
Less cargo space than 5th Gen
Ugly....Virtually all fan rendered projection look far, far better
Complex 4 cyl turbo hybrid system. Complexity adds additional failure points.
We all saw what happened to the Tacoma on an easy trail with stock everything
It's looking like the 4Runner community is split on the 6th Gen so the demographic is changing
IMO, the overland community (not OL vloggers) will prefer 5th Gen due to reduced cargo and worse breakover angles
The aftermarket will get there but may not grow as well as 5th Gen especially if the enthusiast community is already split
Bulky hybrid battery taking up precious cargo space, expensive to replace and adding much weight

While I'm happy for those that like the looks of the 6th Gen and will be excited to have and enjoy them, for me personally, the singular thing I like about it is it's got an 8 speed transmission. Had Toyota gone with a design the looked like many of the fan renderings, had a NA V6 or turbo V6 and had superior breakover/approach/departure angles I would have likely bought one for my fiance'.

All of this of course is subjective but even the 4Runner community is splintered on the new 4Runner. Time will tell and I've certainly been wrong before but it's def not for me. Last summer I checked off an item on my bucket list getting my new 4Runner. After seeing the 6th Gen I realize I chose exactly the right time

 

you forgot a pro for the 6th gen, since they share the same platform, engine, transmission as the tacoma, you have a bigger pool of mods that will apply and for 3rd party people to make one product to fit more than just 1 model.

 

I’ll wait for fuel economy numbers to come in both EPA estimates and on Fuelly. I don’t expect much craziness beyond first year teething.

But I certainly do not like the size increase and bad cargo area packaging. (both gas and hybrid models) I say the former is largely a dealbreaker for me but I don’t think I’d be able to justify buying one anyway once dealers get their hands on them.

I say Toyota skimped reusing the same vehicle and second-row three times but eh, I’m sure it’ll sell… At least they’re not cheaping out on the engine and anti-theft features…

 

the speculation is that the 4R will come in around 23 combined and 22 city and 25 highway

right now the 5G 4R comes in at 17 combined and 16 city and 19 highway

which will fall in line on what the old tundra vs the new tundra difference was in mpg increase.

 

It seems as though the 6th gen is 4" longer but loses cargo space and rear seat legroom. I guess that extra 4" all went forward of the firewall. I hate the fold-up rear seats (vs. the nice fold-flat seats we have on the 5th gen).

And I hate the gloss black on the TRD Pro, especially those fender flares. I think it would look MUCH better if all those black bits were matte black instead.

 

5th Gen, Loss of rear seat legroom and cargo volume is the big one for me. I bought my 5th Gen because my Tacoma rear seat is abysmal for my kids and car seat. 5th Gen there is a ton of room. Other then that the huge non integrated interior screen is a big turn off to me. I don't see what the point is, your supposed to be driving not messing around with the screen. Non integration there is no design aspect to it so it must be much cheaper for them to just place a screen in the middle of the dash. It just doesn't look refined at all more of an afterthought. The LC screen is a little better IMO, looks like a little more thought went into it.

I do like the power lift gate on the 6th Gen though and wish my 5th had that feature.

 

I agree with you on the flares but the only issue with making them matte is then they will be faded in 2 years and look terrible. I still don't understand why any manufacturer cannot come up with black plastics that don't fade out. There has to be something they can do to them that helps it out.

 

I also disliked the gloss. They could coat them with matte black paint rather than use black plastic. Paint fades as well but seems to fade a lot slower than plastic.

BTW- one of the best things you can do for this - if you own a garage stop using it for storage and put your car IN it. even during the day if your not driving anywhere. Thats what I do plus I pick a spot inside the employee garage at work and the plastic on my Taco still looked pretty darn good when I traded it after 9 years...

 

Fender on a new tundra

Bad paint and multiple ripples. Expect these to fade faster than the rest of the paint.






Matte fender flares on the new Tacoma Trailhunter



Glossy fender flares on the Tacoma TRD Pro

 

I'm leaning 6th gen. I've always had a soft spot for the 4th gen and I think they paid their respects tastefully in that regard.

But I'm purely basing that off the aesthetics. I'd still like to see how it performs on and off road first, see the specs / cost, etc before making a decision.

 

is that a 22 tundra? MY22 tundra the quality of the gloss black was horrendous and supposedly they fixed it later in production line changes.

 

Matte black fender flares on the Trailhunter for the win!

 

The Tacoma get 19 city and 21 combined. That’s not a huge improvement. And the 4Runner won’t be more aerodynamic or lighter. I think your prediction is extremely optimistic.

 

but the 3rd gen tacoma engine 3.5L was a huge improvement over the 2nd gen 4L engine. but when you have an small incremental change from the 3g to the 4g engine i dont expect to get a big boost.

you cant compare and engine in the 5th gen that is over 15yrs old and using an engine that is 2 gen removed on the new tacoma as a baseline.

to the 4runner this will be a big boost in mpg vs the 4L engine vs the 3.5L to the 2.4L which is a minor improvement.


i hope my thought came across in that jumbled mess.

 

I meant that the new Tacoma gets 19 city and 21 combined. Isn’t that the same 4 cylinder engine what they put in the gen 6 4Runner? MotorTrand says 4x4 TRD gets 19 city 23 highway and 20 combined. Rear wheel drive SR5 21 city 26 hwy and 23 combined.

 

my avg mpg (these are all 4wd vehicles

2012 tacoma v6 double cab : 14.289 mpg over 124 fuel ups, best 19.533
2016 tacoma v6 double cab : 16.616 mpg over 50 fuel ups, best 21.497
2018 tundra v8 crew cab : 11.693 mpg over 249 fuel ups, best 17.386
2023 tundra v6 crew cab : 12.525 mpg over 39 fuel ups, best 18.522


2014 4runner v6 limited : 16.669 mpg over 362 fuel ups, best 24.666

you can check via my fuelly link in my sig. ive been tracking this info since way back when via excel then converted to a-car and then a-car was absorbed into fuelly.

simple app to track my mpg and other things.

 

Even it being a toyota I'd avoid the very first year of a big redesign. An example would be The 2016 tacoma which had quite a few issues if I recall correctly.

 

yeah but thats any model regardless of oem. but i would have less issue with any vehicle coming out of the tahara plant vs any usa/mexico plant from toyota.

toyota employee's are actually invested into the company in japan vs other countries.

 

5th gen definitely. Price points are becoming unrealistic and so many are getting priced out of the market. I do like that the 6th gen has a locking gas hatch - so I hear...

 

I'm gonna wait for the 9th generation to come out. I hear that thing is gonna be the bee's knees!

 

yeah at the rate toyota does gens on the 4runner, i will be dead before the 8th gen comes out.

 

Jinx

 

It’s not all in the build quality.. there could be design flaws.. especially likely for new model years

 

I wish this site was around 15 - 17yrs ago. I bet you would read about all the 4th genner's making the same arguments about the "upcoming" 5th gen. People are always skeptical of something new, and doubt if it will go the distance or be worth the money - until they're proven wrong.

Toyota has a really great track record of making dependable, reliable and capable products. Sure, I may not LIKE some of the features of the new 6th gen, but I'm pretty confident it'll be a maintenance free vehicle.

 

usually less likely in the tahara plant since parts sourcing is local, which means quality is usually higher due to japan ethics in craftmanship.

its not like they ship all parts from japan to usa to build stuff. they source locally in the usa also. but usually toyota has a higher threshold for parts adherence to specs than most manufacturers. but i know during covid they lowered the threshold for rejects compare to before covid in the usa

edit: i know there was an article about toyota admitting to lower its threshold for rejects.

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/toyota-scratch-dent-parts-new-cars-save-money-amid-supply-chain-issues/