quote:

I previously owned a 2000 (3rd gen) 4Runner manual which was also terrific. The 3rd Gen 4Runner is probably the best one of all of the 4Runners, it is slow but stone reliable.

Nothing against the 3rd gen, or the 5th gen.... but my fav is the 4th gen. I've had 3 and love them.

I have a 2019 Off Road Pro with KDSS, CRAWL Control, and associated goodies (stock for now). Purchased new in December last year and now has just a tick over 15,000 miles. Offroad performance has been pretty good so far. I haven't beat on it like I did my '98 Taco that it replaced, but even in thick, goopy, mud it did well with the stock Bridgestones.

Here is a list of the things that I would change if I were an engineer at Toyota.
1. LED's everywhere, especially for headlights. In today's world of vehicles, there is no reason they shouldn't be in every light socket.

2. Apple Carplay/Android Auto. 2020's fixed this.

3. Better tech functionality for the off-road stuff. A pod that housed a 5" screen would fit perfectly where the clock is and you could put all kinds of gauges/readouts and such in it, similar to the Torque app. Specific gauges of interest to me would be an Inclinometer, tire pressure monitor, and transmission temp.

4. Being able to lock the rear axle without being in 4Lo. There are a lot of situations where locking just the rear axle in 2WD would be beneficial. My cousins 2019 Ram has this capability, so should Toyota.

5. 6 Speed manual option (could help mitigate some of the 5-Speed auto trans complaints)

6. Factory remote start even for keyed starters. Kinda sucks you pay that kind of money and it's not even on the radar. Can be fixed aftermaket but dammit....shouldn't have to.

7. Automatic headlights.

8. Memory settings for the driver seat. While we're talking about the seats, how about bum bum warmers for the 2nd row?

Other than what's listed, it's perfect. Good highway manners, space is adequate, power is sufficient (gotta remember that Toyota's last forever because they lack power to hurt themselves ) I haven't managed to get it stuck yet even with shitty road tires, so I'd say the whizbang crawl control, multi terrain select, and ATRAC stuff is doing a pretty good job of living up to the Off Road moniker. I don't feel it's too small and I'm 6' 225.

I'm buying my Parent's 2004 SR5 that I have driven extensively since they bought it new in 2004.

Literally the only thing that went bad on it is the TPMS monitors inside the tires due to age(batteries), and the driver's sun visor that wouldn't stay up.

I have a 2018 TRD Off Road and absolutely love it. My 2010 FJ is getting up there in mileage so we dumped our Civic to get the 4Runner. It is fine as a daily driver and I have made a number of long trips (8+ hours) and have found it to be very comfortable. I don’t understand complaints about a cramped cabin. I’m not a small guy (6’2 and 250 lbs) and have plenty of room. When this one or the FJ goes, I will get another 4Runner.

4runners and Land Cruisers are as solid as they come. They are both still made in Japan... a testament to their reliability. I’m currently on the sixth 4Runner I’ve owned over the past 23 years. They have all minimal had problems, and when they did it was the typical worn out alternator or similar. I’m driving one of the last of the V8 models now and it’s got plenty of power, I imagine the V6 would be less fun. Tons of aftermarket support and great resale value are major bonuses. Sure Nissans, GM, etc are less up front but you get what you pay for.

My wife bought a'19 SR5 Premium in February this year. We're just pushing just over 9000 miles on it. We opted for the 3rd row seats as she uses this for her business (delivering cookies) and impromtu carpools with our kids' friends. We've had it through the last half of a hard ND winter and taken it down to the Black Hills in SD off road. It is very capable as long as you don't expect it to be a unibody, cross over, soccer mobile. The best part according to our dog is that the rear window rolls down. Seriously, we didn't think it would be such a big thing, but it is the one feature every vehicle like this should have, but don't.

I’m kind of a fan.........https://imgur.com/a/OE8BZne

It kicks my Jeep Wrangler’s butt!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

I previously owned a 2000 (3rd gen) 4Runner manual which was also terrific. The 3rd Gen 4Runner is probably the best one of all of the 4Runners, it is slow but stone reliable.

Nothing against the 3rd gen, or the 5th gen.... but my fav is the 4th gen. I've had 3 and love them.

I'd like to get a 4th gen V8, that'd be really cool. I think the rankings might be splitting hairs.

A good friend has had three including the one he presently daily drives. He loves them. His current unit, which is a 17 or 18 does not have enough headroom for me in the front passenger seat as it is not height adjustable. His previous two 4Runners which were 4th gens fit me fine as a passenger with regard to headroom.

I have a 2011 SR5 w 187000 on it.
20 mpg on the road and 18-19 in town.
Very reliable, probably best I’ve ever had.
Would buy another if I was in the market.

It's not long enough in the back with the seats down to sleep in if you are more than like 5'5".

4Runner is a solid SUV. It's one of the few Body on Frame SUV's still around. Sadly, even with the tech upgrades for 2020, the drive train with 4.0L and 5 speed auto is still years behind. On the other hand, this thing will run forever. You might look at the Lexus GX. Basically a 4Runner frame and body with a small V8 and 6 speedy transmission and impressive tech. Quite a bit more cost but you get more and it will hold value very well.

quote:

Originally posted by NavyGuy:
Sadly, even with the tech upgrades for 2020, the drive train with 4.0L and 5 speed auto is still years behind.

This is what turned me away from it when we were looking between the 4Runner and the Highlander. Why does a vehicle in 2019 still have a 5 speed automatic? The minimum on a modern car should be 6. I imagine having less gears also punishes the fuel economy for no good reason.

Even the Highlander got an 8 speed auto 2 years ago.

Wife is on her second one and likes it. It's a 2018 Off Road Premium with the KDSS. Highly recommend the KDSS, not just for the added off road capability, but the on road handling is much better with cornering significantly flatter. Another nice option but not a deal breaker is the slide out cargo tray. It makes for a flat floor with the rear seats folder, there's a storage compartment at the front edge of it not present on models without it and there is shallop storage underneath it. Makes for a great place to stow things like tow straps, receiver hitch, etc.

The bad: Sucks gas and is slow. Infotainment is dated and at times buggy. Although her 2018 is a whole lot less buggy than her 2015.

The good: Reliable, handles a lot of cargo. Will go anywhere we want it to. Resale value.

quote:

Highly recommend the KDSS, not just for the added off road capability, but the on road handling is much better with cornering significantly flatter.

I will add one note on this. If you drive on dirt roads, the KDSS is punishing because it engages and stiffens the suspension at 12 MPH and up. It can be brutal after a while.

Okay, a second note: if you have a problem with the KDSS or it fails, your local Toyota dealer may not have a mechanic qualified to work on it and repairs can be very, expensive.

Here's a great explanation of the KDSS system: https://www.whichcar.com.au/re...yota-prado-kdss-test

And a video:



Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLF6n3nMwww

I am in my ‘03 4th gen right now. My oldest daughter is driving to get her hours in. I have the AWD 4.7l model and it has been the best vehicle I’ve ever had. I have 271k, original engine and transmission. Sure, I’ve put on brakes been through a couple windshields and recently my a/c evaporator was replaced but what do you expect? My fan clutch is going out but I’ll put a new one on soon or next season since cooler weather is close.

I keep finding myself needing a truck bed and hope to get a Tacoma in the future. I’ll miss my V8, though.

I just bought Mrs. Parallel a 2019 TRD Off Road at the end of June for our 30th anniversary. As has been stated, the main reasons to buy a 4Runner are for reliability and off road capability. In my opinion they are the perfect size for trail running, not too small but small enough to get through the tight stuff.

Other than the highway tires masquerading as so called "All Terrain" tires that will go away soon, we're quite happy with ours.

quote:

This is what turned me away from it when we were looking between the 4Runner and the Highlander. Why does a vehicle in 2019 still have a 5 speed automatic? The minimum on a modern car should be 6. I imagine having less gears also punishes the fuel economy for no good reason.

And if the highlander is still built of the carolla platform, no thank you for a "real" suv that can handle anything other than asphalt.

the Highlander got an 8 speed auto 2 years ago.

___________

This is exactly the opposite to how I see it.

I do not need a vehicle that constantly shifts, whether i can feel it is irrelevant.

A five speed for that rig and that engine sounds about right. A 4 speed would be even better. And yes, I am old skool.

And if the highlander is still built on the carolla platform, no thanks for a rig other than one for asphalt.

I put 234K miles on a 2006 4-Runner Sport. Best vehicle I ever had. By the time I wanted a new one, they had out the next generation, which to me, was a huge disappointment. It was too everything, too tall, too wide, too long and too heavy. Why they felt the need the need to enlarge it, when they already had the Sequoia is still a mystery to me. If they ever downsize it, I'll be first in line.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:

quote:

This is what turned me away from it when we were looking between the 4Runner and the Highlander. Why does a vehicle in 2019 still have a 5 speed automatic? The minimum on a modern car should be 6. I imagine having less gears also punishes the fuel economy for no good reason.

And if the highlander is still built of the carolla platform, no thank you for a "real" suv that can handle anything other than asphalt.

the Highlander got an 8 speed auto 2 years ago.

___________

This is exactly the opposite to how I see it.

I do not need a vehicle that constantly shifts, whether i can feel it is irrelevant.

A five speed for that rig and that engine sounds about right. A 4 speed would be even better. And yes, I am old skool.

And if the highlander is still built on the carolla platform, no thanks for a rig other than one for asphalt.

The knock on the 5 speed transmission is that it "hunts" for the right gearing while pulling uphill, and I've found this to be true to some extent. I don't find it as annoying as some appear to, but it would be nice to eliminate it. What critics of the 5 speed don't seem to get is that this platform is optimized for off road, not for touring. Of course I guess the argument could be made that when Toyota creates the "limited" trim level that they are flirting with "touring" status and failing due to the transmission and other creature comforts. The point though is that the "antiquated" 5 speed transmission is tried and true rock solid and reliable off road. I'm sure that if Toyota builds an 8 speed transmission that is as tough and reliable it will make it's way into the 4Runner. In the mean time I'll go with what is more likely to get me there and back.

I agree with your assessment of the Highlander being on road or gravel road only. This is why we didn't choose the highlander even though it would clearly be better on long trips than the 4Runner. I'd rather have a few annoyances on road than failures off road.