Looking at upgrading to a 4runner from a tacoma

Sold my 2015 Tacoma TRD Off Road 4x4 manual before deploying and then moving to Korea. Figured a year and a half of not being able to drive it, it shouldn’t just sit. Now just waiting til I get back to the states to get a 4Runner. Hopefully there’s still some Cavalry Blue Pro’s left in May when I get back!

 

Pretty much exactly my sentiments.

 

I've owned a 2011, 2014, 2016 Tacoma. I never thought I'd say this about a Tacoma, but I absolutely grew to hate my 2016! Didn't like the tranny/motor combo from the get-go. Had the tranny reflash done--no joy. While in the shop for the differential recall, I decided I'd had enough and test drove the 4Runner. I decided right then to trade in the Tacoma as soon as the 2018's 4Runners came out. I figured it was only a matter of about a year before the market figured out that the 2016+ Tacomas were crap and the resale/trade value would take a dive. I made a deal to trade the Tacoma for a 2018 white TRD Off Road Premium on Halloween night. I gave that POS Taco the middle finger as I drove out of the dealership. I never felt so good about trading a vehicle! I still got amazing trade value for the Tacoma and for a millisecond I actually felt like I was screwing the dealer!

 

Satch - You have done two-things with your post - 1) Further convinced me that I made the right decision when I purchased my 2016 Taco Sport I got the Manual Transmission. If you will note, the vast majority of the complaints on the Taco were those that ordered an Automatic. 2) How pleased you are with the 4Runner. I too am very impressed with my 2018 SR5+ 4R (You can see both in my driveway). Having both of these machine I can't stress enough that these are two completely different vehicles. Those that try and compare them are making a huge mistake - These are apples and oranges. Or for those that purchased a Taco with an Automatic, perhaps another kind of fruit

 

I would say that comparing the Manual Tacoma to the Automatic is like comparing apples and bad apples .

While the Tacoma and 4Runner are built for very different tasks, it's still valid to compare likes and dislikes about both. I'm really enjoying my 4Runner overall, but there are definitely some things I liked better about my Tacoma--mostly little things like: push button start, more cup holders, separate key fob, touch activated door unlock, LED DRLs, and of course the utility of a truck bed. I've driven a truck for the past 25 years so not having a truck bed for hauling stuff is going to take time to adjust to. I'm already thinking a roof rack and utility trailer are a must to handle some of the hauling chores I normally did with a truck. But right now I'm just glad to have gotten rid of my '16 Taco (Automatic) and enjoying driving the 4Runner and not thinking for a second about my engine and transmission! It just goes...

 

Disregard my PM, I stalked you and answered my own question. Congrats. The 4R is honestly a superior vehicle, and I say that having owned - and loved - several Tacos.

 

Great to see you here Meef! Loved your pics. See my pm.

 

I too grew very disappointed in my Tacoma, and lost confidence in it. I don’t regret dumping that truck for the 4runner! I differ in that I was glad to get rid of push button start and don’t care about separate key fob. The only thing I miss is the individual tire pressure display....lol. I went retro and bought an older truck for pickup needs......Works great!

 

First post on this forum. I own a 2016 Tacoma DCSB TRD Sport, Manual. It's great. Aside from some minor (as I would classify as cosmetic) issues, it has been running like a top. Since it is a manual, I don't have the issues the auto tranny's encounter. I feel the power is more than adequate for day to day operations.

Recently purchased a new 2018 4Runner OR Premium for my wife and it's pretty great as well. Honestly, to me, the ride and handling is similar between both vehicles. They both feel like trucks when you drive them.

It was odd to me that the 4Runner is rated to tow less than the Tacoma. It will be interesting to see how it handles our boat in the spring. I ran into max load towing issues last summer with the Tacoma, but I was able to get around for the most part without issue. I previously owned a Yukon and with a Yukon, you don't know you are towing anything behind you. With the Tacoma, you do know you are towing, especially with a manual tranny.

Looking forward to playing more with the 4Runner and getting more familiar.

 

I keep forgetting to mention the knobs on the 4R Heater and Radio - They are, IMHO, the best my fingers have ever encountered !! The radio knobs on the Tacoma are a joke (I replaced mine) and the heater controls are 2nd rate, in the daylight you can't see where they are pointed. Too bad that Toyota did not make more of an effort to meld the best of both of these vehicles, for example, the larger display on the Taco. Oh well, the best decision is to have one of each, like I do and to have them both in Barcelona Red.

 

About a month ago I purchased a 2018 Tacoma Sport 4x4 Double Cab. I had the truck for five days and returned it to the dealer. For me I was in pain after 30 minutes of driving. The seats were extremely uncomfortable for my body 5' 9" 175 lbs.... and I have no back issues. The main discomfort was the seat bottom and angle of the seat causing pressure to the backs of my legs. There was a fix people were doing using 1" spacers in the back mounts to level the seat. I didn't think after spending that kind of money on a mid size truck I should have to make modifications from day one. The new design on the 3rd gen was nice though. As for the 3.5 engine it was love hate relationship, but I really didn't have it long enough. Now I'm looking to buy a new 4Runner - enough said!!

 

Interesting I am the same size but never had a seat issue, I just did not like the Engine/Trans combo after 15k.