Toyota guy always

Hey all,

I'm lifelong lover of Toyotas, Have had 3 or 4,my current is a 2008 Tundra, I want to check out what people think of 4 Runners, I'm lookin to get one soon and would like to pick your brains!
Thanks for accepting me

 

Before the 4Runner I had a 2005 TRD Off-Road Tundra DC V8. Not really the best comparison, but here goes. The Tundra was much faster, with not much difference in mpg. Towed better. Hauled gravel, bricks, etc. better. The 4Runner is much easier to drive, turns on a dime (the Tundra double cab is a lengthy vehicle), slimmer for parking, better for off-roading/overlanding imo, can tow conservative loads, cult like following, cool factor in spades. Now for why I made the switch. I’ve always had trucks, never had a 4Runner, friends said they love theirs, so I sold the Tundra on FB marketplace and picked up the 4Runner. Truth is, I do like it better than the truck. Welcome to the forum!

 

Welcome

 

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

welcome

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Welcome from Arizona!

 

Thanks everyone! Desert Surfer ,I m glad to hear that you are happy with the switch but the mileage isn't much different? That's a bit of a bummer! My tundra gets about 12-15 mpg at best, But how do yall like the 4runners?, I'm thinking about a 2021 TRD. I saw some where that anything 2019 to present is a good bet, I don't want buy new, cuz that's not realistic for me, I have also had 3 Lexus's and when I look at the ads for the 4Runners, they almost look identical, are 4 Runners based on the same platform or visa versa? I will be using this as my main vehicle, I'm retired so I don't drive many miles but I would love to get back to dirt roads and some light off road driving, I would appreciate any and all comments from anyone regarding all things 4Runner, Thanks!!

 

The 4Runner overall seems a smidge better on Fuelly, closer to 17-18 MPG as opposed to the Tundra's 14.

Platform-wise, the closest Lexus would be the GX 460 which comes with a number of differences. It'll likely cost more, you'll get some nicer things like full-time 4WD that is limited to Limited trim 2010+ 4Runners. Other things include horizontally-opening rear door, powered third-row standard, V8, more headroom, lesser angles, etc.

2020+ 4Runner's get CarPlay/Android Auto and additional features like radar cruise, auto emergency braking. Later years add more like rear-cross-traffic-alert.

2021+ 4Runner's get standard LED headlights (but whether halogen or LED high beams varies), I believe 2022+ is push-button start only?

But generally the bones are going to be the same. Styling hasn't changed since 2014 after all.

 

Icebear, thanks for that info! I should have said i had 3 lexus RX 350 and 400H

 

Welcome

 

Howdy from the 'Sip. I have had full size GM trucks and 3 Tacos. I've always wanted a 4R. I was really a fan of the 4th gen body style, but finding one that is reasonably low mileage and not beat to hell-and-back is like looking for unicorn.

Good luck.

Having said that, I LOVE my 21. I sorta wish I had gotten a silver one now, but white is a great color as well. Has enough room for me and the few people I tow along the way sometimes.. Mileage is meh, but I didn't buy it for gas savings. Rides pretty comfortably. But the best part: I can personalize it the way I want. And that's probably true of any vehicle really, but these are fun to personalize.

You want a 6 inch lift with 22-inch tires? Baby, knock yourself out.





Want to keep it stock and maybe add just window tint? Again, knock yourself out.



And the best part: resale and reliability are unmatched.

Periodt.

(Pics are from Google image search btw)

 

Awesome, thanks for the info, and I plan on doing some cool mods!!

 

Welcome, Hope you get one too!

 

I will, but i wanna know from all you guys, the best years, best trim package ,best for off road use and are there any issues that yall have seen, recalls etc. Thanks

 

There isn't really a definitive "best", it's a sliding scale of what features you want up against budget, condition, age, etc.

If an SR5 meets your requirements, why spend more on a TRD Pro? But if you want a factory rear locker, that means an Off-Road or TRD Pro trim.

It's quite verbose but Wikipedia has a solid grasp of year-by-year differences. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_4Runner#Fifth_generation_(N280;_2009)

I don't think any years have stood apart from the others in the past decade other than the small changes Toyota makes.

 

Ok, Is your 2021 SR5 still your vehicle? . Are you happy with it? Things that you don't like? I checked out the wiki article, pretty good info. Thanks for the assist!

 

Yes indeed. I'm happy with it. The soft base suspension wasn't great but I didn't mind personally. The LED headlights are white and awfully bright so aiming them properly becomes especially important. Otherwise it does what I want without fuss. I would have preferred full-time 4WD but both didn't want to shell out for a Limited model nor do I fit in 5th gen models with sunroofs!

The biggest dividing choice for you is if likely you want the newer safety/radar/lane-keep features or not. I don't use adaptive cruise as much as I would have and the rest I'm fine with but does increase windshield replacement cost and adds a fancy sensor up front.

Third row is only available in SR5, SR5 Premium and Limited trims and that has it's own tradeoff too.

Off-Road and TRD Pro trims have a manual transfer case lever which you might like. But then the extra 4WD controls in the overhead console replace the sunglasses holder.

 

Welcome from NC! I had never owned a 4Runner when I bought my 2015 Limited in November of 2014. It’s Pearl Blizzard and I kept it stock for ten years. I have owned almost 40 different cars and trucks over the years but my favorite vehicle of all time is the 4Runner. I can take it off-road in the mountains, drive it to the beaches, and all in comfort (it has full-time four-wheel drive, heated and cooled seats, moonroof) and love the slide out cargo tray. I like to build things as a hobby and have put 8 foot lumber in it with the back sliding window up. Now, ten years in, I just did a lift, blacked out the chrome, installed dash cams front and rear and a heads up display unit. The great thing about 4Runners is that you can find one that fits your needs, and there’s a ton of modifications you can make. Congrats on your decision. Here’s my Limited:

 

Nice rig! Thanks for the help!

 

Cool, so if I go with the TRD it will have full time4wd or can it run in 2wd?Also, are the knobs in the overhead console much use? what do they even do?

TIA

 

Limited trim is the only way to get full-time 4WD in a 2010+ 4Runner and it cannot run in 2WD.

All other trims have (optional) part-time 4WD, with two different methods to activate - dial or lever.

https://trail4runner.com/2018/01/30/5th-gen-4runner-off-road-features/

Look under Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select for what those knobs do.

 

Thanks dude!