Help a husband+wife (and 2 kids) decide

Hey y’all! I’m new here but not new to 4Runners nor Toyota. This is 4R #4 for us. I also have a 23 Limited Tundra CM.

Here’s the scenario that we need to solve:
The lease on our 21 4RTRD OR Premium is up in a month. We have to decide what to do. The 4R is primarily my wife’s car and she loves the way it looks, drives and that it’s not a grocery getter, mommy mobile, etc. We both agree it’s not all that practical either. With two kids in multiple sports it’s not very good when it comes to transporting others kids with us. For the club ball travel we use my truck. Sounds like we should move to a bigger suv. The problem is there’s not one we like enough to justify spending more $ on. VW Atlas or Honda Pilot, both grocery getters, more $ and worse resale. So we’re considering selling our current 4R and grabbing a Limited so we can have the 3rd row if needed, dual climate control, memory seats and wireless CarPlay. We’d swap to the ORP wheels and BF tires. That would go a long way with the bickering that happens when I have to drive her 4R. Considering a new 3 year lease so we have options at the end and it will give the new 25 4R to regulate a bit.
Hoping to get peoples thoughts. Is it worth getting a new 4R now, will it retain value when the new one comes out, is the 3rd row usable for a few 9-11 aged, standard sized kids? Will the Limited accommodate the ORP wheels and larger tires? Is it important to drive something that makes you feel a certain way? We’re just hoping that waiting another 3 years will bring us new options with the 4R or Land Crusier. Just a sucky time to be a Toyota fan. Any other considerations? Or do we bite the bullet, accept that we’re old and spend more money on something that’s functional but super boring?!

Thanks in advance!

 

if you have liked the 4R then continue with another lease

with the new one around the corner, maybe, see what it would take to get out of your lease if you decide to get the new model with better gas MILAGE,

‘just thinking out loud

have fun with the decision

 

Have you considered a Sequoia or a Chevy Suburban?

 

What does your wife use the 4r for? Offroading?

 

Welcome.

As far as the daily mom mobile, a Sequoia or new land cruiser might be worth waiting for.

I'm never a fan of leases for an automobile but my opinion......renew the lease until you find something permanent.

 

Get rid of the kids. It's really the only option.

 

Look at buying out the lease. If you can do that you might make some money selling it and using the residual toward a down payment when the Gen. 6 comes out. I’ve never had a third row seat but have heard they are not very usable. That might lead you to something bigger and more costly. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

Of course a Sienna, or even a Highlander would be more practical. But, I'm sure a couple of kids will fit in the 3rd row in a Limited.

Any OEM wheels will fit.

What do you mean by larger tires? There are plenty of threads about what tires will fit. In my opinion, it's not worth going to a 275/70/17 unless you want LT tires for better puncture resistance. 285/70/17's will need work to clear, regardless of trim. 255/80/17's will clear easier than 285's, but look weird on 4runners and aren't beneficial unless you off-road.


I personally think it's important to like your vehicle. But, I drive more than most people.

I'd say, go look at a Limited. Bring the kids and have them test out the back seat. If you can't find a new one on a lot, look at a used one. They haven't changed since 2010.

 

Limited with 3rd row is the perfect vehicle for my wife. My wife cannot use the 4wd selector on TRD, its too hard for her. She is happy she don't have to do anything with Limited in winter. It won over the other 2 serious choices of Highlander and GX460. And I have ORP wheels.
Honda Pilot was the first to remove from our list as 2 of my friends has fuel injector failure around 35K miles. And one friend got the second failure after sometime. VW is not within our comfort zone of reliability especially this would be a short trip always late last minute rush vehicle.

I (5' 5" tall) have no problem with 3rd row seat but when 3rd row is up the cargo area is unusable. (During this video I had 20in wheels, so ignore the 20in wheels and tires. See next video for the 17in wheels and tires)
https://youtu.be/RnbNDRR9HiQ?feature=shared

I got a small lift with 285/70R17 tires. Many senior members and well respected YouTubes call Kai says you don't need lift.
https://youtu.be/Xrp-LYkTLf8?feature=shared

 

I think a Limited with third row seats might too similar your current configuration to yield any practical difference, and it will have less usable capacity with the third row in. The Sequoia might make more of a difference.

 

I don't think a 4runner would be a good option you would be better off with a car based suv

 

Selecting a vehicle because it’s NOT a “mommy mobile” or “grocery getter” is not a great strategy - especially if you are using it exactly as such.

It’s always good to have one vehicle in the household that is unapologetically suited to the use case.

 

Two Siennas ago, when our kids were young, I convinced my wife to look at minivans. She didn't want a "soccer mom mobile" either. There is no better kid/ stuff hauler. Our first was traded in with about 100,000 miles for our current one which is just about to reach 100,000 miles. She loves the Sienna. Our kids are now 18 and 20 and we no longer need it, but she won't give up that minivan.

 

If you're considering a 3rd row, I would get something bigger and more powerful.

 

https://youtu.be/RSEfJ89SfKk?si=a3kcZouOYbVN0Xbn

 

Sounds like you need a mini van, or a car based SUV.

It would probably be expensive but you may be able to add a 3rd row to what you have. No difference in size from what you have to a Limited so you would need to make a big change.

 

Suburban. Still a truck.

 

Sienna or Tahoe/Expedition.

Sequoia has less cargo space than 4R; basically the 4R has the most space of every SUV except the giant full size American models. 3-row 4Rs have even less interior space, and no room for stuff with the back seat up.

Pilot, Highlander both have less space, despite being fatter. Grand Highlander is a wash, but that's basically a Sienna without sliding doors.

Sienna will be much easier to live with, and you still have the Tundra for when you care more about image than functionality.

 

Not to mention the 4Runner is most assuredly a soccer mom mobile, it's only the infrequent one I see in passing that's built up and / or not piloted by a MILF with booger eaters hanging out the back windows...

 

It’s funny how exactly similar our situations are and our thought process. Weird timing. My wife has been driving a 2011 4Runner for 10 yrs and we have 2 kids (6 & 8). It runs like new but we’d like the 3rd row and “newer tech” so will be picking up a ‘22 4Runnner SR5 Premium w/ 3rd row on Tuesday. The 3rd row will only be used to transport child neighbors/teammates on shorter trips to practice and school, etc. In my opinion, there’s just enough space for them. I don’t like the 8” of space behind the 3rd row and that was almost a dealbreaker, but she loves the style/feel of the 4Runner and hates the thought of a Telluride/Pilot/Atlas/MDX or anything else I brought up (she’s used to Wranglers and trucks in her younger years). There’s no chance she’ll drive a minivan (my brother has a ‘22 Sienna and it’s nice but just not her cup of tea). We’ll just make do with a roof rack or cargo carrier if we really need the cargo space. Sure, gas mileage sucks and it’s not the most practical vehicle a mom could drive, but I justify the choice because of bulletproof reliability, relative affordability, perfect city driving size, and the fact that we both just really love the 4Runner. I’m tired of waiting for the 6th gen and figure if it does come out in 2025 it’ll take a few years to work out the kinks and actually be available at dealerships without markups so we’ll keep the 2022 for a few years and trade it in at that time. Kids will probably outgrow the 3rd row by then anyway. Can’t wait to pick up our ‘new’ one this week!

 

Facts. Nothing fucks up your life like kids. They are the gift that keeps on taking

 

You have to assume that the Gen 6 4Runner will be as perplexing as other recent Toyota releases. So that leaves you a choice between the Sequoia and the Gen 5 Limited. Compare them both carefully. The rear compartment on the Sequoia may not have enough room for your kids stuff. Check it out. If I had a few kids I might take the Sequoia (just because it looks awesome.) But if it works for you space wise, buy a Gen 5 now and hold on to it. You will never need another truck because of the proven powertrain if you maintain it well. And trucks are going to get progressively worse in the future, not better. And that is not Toyota’s doing or fault, its emission standards. So there is no advantage in waiting unless you can wait for a more fully perfected EV Toyota truck say in about 8-10 years.

And remember, you are not getting old, everyone else is just getting young!

 

Welcome. First thing I would do is find out what the residual buyout is on your lease. You might turn a nice little profit on it selling it yourself vs turning the lease in.

As for the 3rd row seating in the 4Runner. It will work but won’t be very practical. You’ll also lose some of the floor cargo space when the seats are folded down.

If a sienna is not an option, then take a look at the new grand highlander.

 

wow, lots of responses, more than I anticipated. Kind of split down the middle too.

HarleyRunner- situation is identical and our minds alike. We too operate with a cargo box if we need to go anywhere.

I heard one comment that really stuck, each household needs a vehicle that strictly fits the needs (something like that); it’s not a bad thought but we’re just in limbo mode. And no, a minivan is a non starter for both of us.

I should have clarified that the lease is up and I have buyers waiting for us to make a decision so they can purchase it. We owe $34k, buyers are offering $39-40k. We’ll see if I can get higher when it comes down to making a move. I doubt it though based on current supply around the Seattle/Puget sound area. For a lease we don’t want to put down anymore than 2k since that’s just burnt money and we’ll just selling in a few years.

I think one thing became clear here. I may want to see about a larger suv. The increased price of $20k just seems absurd.

Ill keep you guys posted but if there are any more pearls of wisdom, like creative ways to transport

 

Oh and here’s the thread that takes the “W” for perfectly describing my wife, kids and overall situation.

 

One more thing, for those commenting about getting rid of or not having these booger eaters. Without them we’d be keeping the 4r and buying a 911. That dream will have to wait 10 more years (hopefully less). Call it a mid life crisis, I’ll feel no sadness bombing by your minivan. And yes, they are the gift they keep on taking. My investment in bats, gloves, bags fees and travel is enough to fund the monthly on that 911. ‍♂️

 

I agree 1000%

 

my name resembles that comment

 

But wait, after 50 it really does get better.

Seriously!

 

Are you looking to forego what you might really want to act as a bus service for the kids' team? Do Mom and Dad both typically ride together or not usually? With one of you, you already would have room for your two kids and two friends. Third row would probably add capacity, but then where are you going to put all their gear? Just a few of my thoughts.