The possibilities of the 4runner post LC250 USA release?

Not at all. There will be slight price differentiation but all three will be much more expensive than a Gen 5 and not much more of a car.

 

https://www.thedrive.com/news/2025-...-tacomas-hybrid-manual-trd-pro-goodies-report

 

Thanks for the source on this!

 

A smaller 4runner is absolutely not going to happen. Every SUV/truck from Toyota at least as big as the previous generation. Even the Sequoia got bigger, and that was already big.

Americans buy big vehicles, they expect luxury, safety, and no compromises in space compared to the previous generation. If your going to pack all the safety shit in the vehicle while maintaining the same interior space, you have to increase size.

Can you think of an example where a Toyota vehicle got smaller? I can't.

Vehicles like the Subaru Outback Wilderness are hot sellers, and it costs 40k. An Outback might not see like an alternative to the 4runner, but to people who want that look, it is. Even if you disagree with that, you can't deny the popularity of off road vehicles like the 4runner. And they all start at prices well below 55k.

None of these vehicles are convertibles (apart from the Wrangler). None of these vehicles have solid front axles. None of these vehicles are 2 door. I just don't see Toyota radically changing the target audience of the 4runner while the current audience is very lucrative in that price bracket.

 

You might be right. But, having the 4Runner and the Land Cruiser in the same market being the exact same size doesn't make sense to me. I'm not going to make up my mind until it is announced.

Also, making the Land Cruiser smaller than it has been in the past in the US market and less expensive might satisfy some part of the 4Runner market.

 

I just don't get the value of the Land Cruiser over the current 4Runner. How this will work with both on the market at the same time on the same chassis. I mean, the 1958 LC model is a slightly nicer SR5 4R. No Crawl Control, no MTS, but has e-locker in the back.

I just don't see the value there. I get that people will buy it, that's fine, they like the way it looks and they don't care or understand about money. To me, every vehicle between $50 and $80k (at which point an Ineos Grenadier becomes an option) is a giant black hole of money leaving my pocket with nothing in return.

 

The value is that is that it will be called a Land Cruiser. Toyota knows that people will pay for the name. The same thing happens for the TRD Pro. There is nothing on the Pro that says it should have the MSRP it has but the public is dumb enough to pay. The public will be dumb enough to pay for the name Land Cruiser too.

 

The Lexus is definitely made to a higher standard than the 4runner. Better materials, is quieter and overall a notch above.
For the sake of argument, forget Lexus, sit in a LC and then in a 4runner and they feel different. The LC also has better quality materials and is more tightly put together.
The platform may be same but the packaging is definitely different and it shows and feels that way too.

 

Brand names like Gucci and Land Cruiser have zero consumer value, but people are willing to pay extra for it.

Value in my case is referring to consumer value. I hope that helps clear up what I'm talking about.

 

The GX does have upgraded materials, but I think if you watch the videos by Automotive Press, construction quality at the Tahara factory is the same for Prado, 4R and GX. You might be convincing yourself that the GX and LC are worth more, but, really, it's just marketing.

 

Yes they do have consumer value if the consumer believes so. Your mistake is that you think everyone else places the same value on items that you do. That’s not how economics work. If the public thinks it’s worth what they are asking then Toyota will get it. Your brand example is prof of this. Rule number one is that an item is worth what someone will pay for it not what you think someone will pay for it. Their marketing team is is overdrive getting the public interested in the Land Cruiser.

 

O h m y g o d.

You mainsplained me. hahahahahahahahaha. What a doofus.

My mistake is replying to you, but now it's too late. I've been mansplained.

Let me explain to you, value vs. brand value.

Value is what the consumer gets for their money.

Brand Value is what the company gets for their product.

See the difference? No? That's ok.

What someone is willing to pay, is brand value.

What something is worth, is value.

Pretty simple.

Thanks for playing.

 

It is definitely part marketing. But I had the LC200 for a decade and my brother had the LC Prado. We now have the 4Runner. Both cars definitely felt and were more premium than the 4R . But comparing a LC200 to a 4R is not really appropriate. Other than size, the LC200 was miles ahead in terms of NVH levels, materials, glass thickness, etc. The Prado too was a category above in terms of overall feel once sitting inside.

But let's not digress from the topic. Toyota will have 3 similarly sized SUVs with overlapping functionality at different price points for the first time. Let's see how the market reacts. I guess there is a reason why people are buying the current gen 4R, to avoid the impending price hike when the 6th Gen shows up.

 

You’re still confusing it. But that’s ok . Confused consumers are what makes companies lots of money. Thank you as that’s what I depend on to make me money.

 

This isn't true at all. Just made up.

Yup.

Wrong, it always has been underneath. Even more with the 4th gen and 2nd gen Taco.

Yup.

The current and last gen Hilux are separate from the 120/150 based vehicles. Up until this year, the Tacoma has been related to the 4Runner, GX, and Prado 120-150. Like the Tundra vs Sequoia until 2021, has a C Channel frame section.

Amen, we'd know already if it was Mexico or Texas. Wouldn't count it out for future.

They all use the same basis shared with the 150 LC and earlier 2nd Gen Taco years, 120 LC.

Both the outgoing Taco and current 4Runner are closer, because of the extra bracing and high strength steel of the newer 150. Just like the 2010 FJ Cruiser. The 2nd gen Taco connection isn't really there in 4R, other than maybe engine.

Wrong, it does with the Tacoma and even more next year. Link provides no proof of "nothing to do with the Tacoma". It very much has, for a long time.

I don't think it will be initially. Stuff like that's pretty public ahead of intro. Still Tahara at intro.

It's not likely for intro. Maybe down the road, but not yet. Thailand? Wouldn't work, when it's not sold there and the new Fortuner looks different than the 6th gen. It's still Tahara for intro, Mexico probably later.

The manual part might not be true.

 

Lol!

So, they are built in different countries at different factories. They do not share frames, they do not share seats, they do not share differentials, they do not share door panels, grills, transmission options, different transfer case options, etc etc.

But, sure, they're the same thing.

The only thing that you were right about is that starting next year they will be more similar than they have been, as they will both be built on the same platform for the first time since the 80s.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking!

Very opinionated for the first time poster who is also wrong about almost everything he said.

 

Exactly. A troll with a fishing pole. LOL

 

You forgot that they don't share engines! The 2GR is a car engine. The 1GR is only available in trucks and SUVs. They will of course share the 4 cylinder turbo in future generations.

But don't feed the troll unless you want to keep it as a pet. LOL

 

I wouldn't jump to conclusions. No comment on the other assumptions, but to focus on the main point.

Link 1, Link 2

That's from print media, but if you look deep enough you'll find out:

The LC120, UZJ120 GX, 4th Gen 4Runner, early FJ Cruiser and early second gen Tacos shared a common "platform". The Tacoma had the C-Channel frame section, while the others were fully boxed. Just like the larger Tundra and Sequoia, one having a C Channel and the other being fully boxed

The LC150 introduced a modified basis with higher strength steel and some other improvements, which applied to the 2010 4Runner, GX 460, 2010 FJ Cruiser, later years of the 2nd Gen Taco and 3rd gen.

The pickups are now fully boxed like the SUVs.

They are all shared in basic form. The level of sharing increases next gen.

I've made my point, as this is more about the 6th gen.

 

So, I guess that from here on out, every BOF Toyota is the same exact thing according to some experts.

 

Don't listen to all these ladies trying to get tough with the new guy.

 

I guess being able to distinguish between completely different vehicles makes us "ladies"?

Compelling argument.

 

Haha, it's really the facts that matter and nothing else really. Had to put that one to bed.

I'm not gonna get myself worked up over being taken outta context and of course, reasons.

Toyota I bet, never favored having to build these trucks in North America and dragged their feet on it forever back in the '80s/90s.

The reality that the 4Runner requires different parts suppliers due to being built in Japan versus Cali/TX/MX like the Taco, probably dictates the differentiation with some visible components such headlights and etc.

There's a reason why the '03 4Runner looked so similar to the Tacoma, despite being built in different countries. The logistics and differing market needs made for needed differentiation, but the common platform was always there.

The Taco running on a slightly longer cycle 2nd gen, probably explains why the 5th gen 4Runner (2009-24) didn't have as much styling similarities to any Tacoma like previous gens. Tried to bridge that link with the '12 Taco up front, but I never really saw it with the 3rd gen (2015-23).

The Sequoia (2022) moving to TX, had to happen because of the fact of how too many components which been already designed, were to be shared with the new Tundra (2021).

The first gen Sequoia (2000) looked like the 2000 Tundra ('99), but they shared no exterior sheet metal until the 4 door DC Tundra (2003) came out.

The Hilux Surf died, because it wasn't really a Hilux SUV anymore and the Prado had already taken its place elsewhere.

Would've thought the next gen Fortuner and 4Runner became one on TNGA-F share cost, but nope. New Fortuner looks different from new 4Runner. Same for the new Hilux (well obviously).

New 4Runner is just the current truck design theme chiseled up, still built in Japan, but no more 6 under the hood and still no manual either ( ). Will be interesting to see how this all plays out with the buying public.

All these crazy 6th gen theories from the 'net are just annoying, if everyone is getting lost and wrong hopes up for what isn't even reality.

Peace to ya

 

Nobody even knows what the 6th gen looks like yet, aside from a bunch of renderings.

Everybody already knows that the 6 is gone. Some of us are still holding out hope for the manual option, but not holding our breath.

I do tend to agree with your last statement, to an extent. Some people were even talking about bringing back the V8, which obviously was never going to happen. We are talking about Toyota, not Mopar.

 

"Same exact thing" isn't what I stated above, so I think you should remember that it's not really decent to take anyone out of context. Context is very important.

Reread what I've stated above in my first post and then you'll get the point.

Funny enough, countless users are listed "New Members" because of the forum software, regardless of how many posts they made.

I'm not saying much beyond that, as this isn't the "question newly registered users thread", it's another one of many threads about the 6th generation 4Runner and me seeing false claims about "nothing to do with..."

 

Maybe a bit of an overstatement on my part. But, saying that the 4Runner is a hardtop Tacoma is a hell of a stretch as well.

Just because they shared a platform at one time, and have shared a lot of parts along the way does not make them the same vehicle.

I would have agreed with the statement back when the Tacoma and 4Runner did share a lot of parts, similar grills, doors, fenders, etc.

But, they share almost nothing now. So, I will continue to disagree with anyone who claims they are the same basic thing.

 

If the 6th Gen T4R is priced close/same/above base LC... I think folks will crossover to own a LC

 

I'm already considering it.

But, I have to imagine the 4runner will start in a similar price range as the current generation. I'm going to wait until Toyota announces something before I get all excited or disappointed.