So we have been planning on a new Toyota 4runner about now before this virus thing happened.

A few things have made us wonder about the purchase and maybe we need to consider other makes and models.

We love the 4Runner. But here are a few needs that the 4Runner maybe lacking. Also there are some needs and deal breakers so I will run through some of them.

Mpg 30 mpg.
Need to tow up to 3500lbs
Need some interior cargo space.
A roof that can handle some cargo. Heavy cooler. A couple of full 5g fuel cans. etc.
Comfortable to put in a 10-12 hour day on the road.
4wd preferably. Awd (cvt) less desirable.

No hybrids
If the vehicle turns itself off, forget it.
Good rust prevention of undercarriage.
Sunroof good, not mandatory.
Decent Nav. system is good enough.
Same on communication.
Same on entertainment.

Maybe outback, maybe Passport, Highlander? What else. I would love to know if you own and what you like and don't.

Also let me know what a fair price is for what you suggest. Thanks guys.

You will not find a true 4WD vehicle with 30 mpg fuel efficiency. You would rarely break over 20 mpg in a 4Runner.

So that leaves you stuck with crossover utility vehicles, which are AWD and also rarely achieve 30 mpg unless you go small and/or hybrid.

I recommend you really weigh your “needs” against each other and decide which is more important, fuel efficiency or ruggedness.

I have only test driven a 4 runner. I really wanted to like it but I thought the acceleration was poor and IMO there was more body lean than I would like.

I do however think it has superb reliability and has some upscale features, such as leather interior, navigation, AWD (limited) and good cargo space. I don't know about packing things on the roof. I don't think it will meet your needs for mpg, if I recall correctly. I really like their black-out version of the 4 runner they are offering this year.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
If the vehicle turns itself off, forget it.

I’m sorry, but I don’t have any suggestions for you. If gas mileage is a major focus, Toyota may not be your best bet. Don’t get me wrong, we love them and have three of them. Gas mileage just isn’t where they shine. That said, great towing capacity and great gas mileage tend not to go hand in hand.

As far as the vehicle turning itself off, that is a “feature” that I absolutely loath, but have learned to easily defeat On Mrs. slosig’s BMW without even resorting to the cancel button. If you find something that otherwise fits your bill, you might consider accepting a vehicle with the “feature” as long as there is a way to disable it.

Good luck finding the perfect vehicle for your needs & wants!

For that mpg I think any traditional 4wd would be out. Subaru Ascent, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, New Explorer look like they would be closest to checking your boxes and getting nearest to 30mpg.

The Assent looks interesting but it has the 2.4 liter 4 banger? hmmmm

The Passport with the 3.6l V6 seems like a lot more rig. Better mileage too?

I just mentioned we were thinking 4Runner and might go that route. But something obviously in a different category that is going to be more comfortable and get a lot better mileage and still be able to tow a decent trailer and handle some gear.

I'd look at the 2020 Explorer. They did a really good job on it. A sunroof and carrying 5 gallon cans of gas on the roof and luggage don't exactly go hand in hand.

2020 Honda Ridgeline

I never liked hauling anything on the roof. It will kill your gas mileage on the highway.

I would feel better with a heavy cooler and 5 gallon gas cans in the bed of a truck.

Car and Driver reported 28mpg highway in their road test. Can tow up to 5000 pounds with AWD.

https://www.caranddriver.com/honda/ridgeline

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited or Jeep Gladiator with the Turbo Diesel just about hits all of your checkboxes.

If you want more upscale, a Land Rover Discovery with the TD6 diesel. 30+ mpg if I baby it on the highway, large interior capacity (optioned with 7 or 5 seats), nearly 8k towing capacity, 4wd with center and rear locking differentials, 440ft lbs of torque, all wrapped in British style. Driving it, the word that comes to mind is "stately." Just floating past traffic in my high vantage bubble of leather and quiet.

That said, if you don't honestly need 4wd, then I vote for the 2020 or newer Outback with the turbo 4. It punches way above it's weight class in terms of handling and comfort with the new, stiffer, chassis (80% stiffer then the outgoing chassis?), still carries more ground clearance than most of it's competitors while sporting a lower roofline (easier to get to the rack on top) and a long history of pretty much being the best AWD out there.

The way I look at it when it’s time to sell or trade a 4Runner pays back a lot of the extra money spent on gas, and the rest you save on repairs. Prospective buyers are never sure of they’ll be happy with them but owners seem to universally love them and keep them forever so bear that in mind. I still love mine after 4+ years and if I get 60% of my money back after 10, like the Tacoma before it, it will have been a bargain too.

My problem with the 4 runner is that the current 2020 model is a 10+ year old design. Other cars are simply putting down more power, more efficiently, and in more refined packages for about the same price. A 5 speed transmission is ancient by today's standards.

I love the car, I love what it represents and it's approach, but waiting for an all-new model seems like the smart move so late in the model's lifespan. Same thing can be said about the Land Cruiser too.

I see a ‘we’ in there, so maybe more than one vehicle in the household? I usually like a mix, for me that’s a truck for hauling, towing, and outdoor pursuits.

Then a vehicle that holds who’s here but gets better mileage. The truck is not normally used for grocery store runs.

A fair(safe) tow vehicle, that gets over 30 mpg could be tough.

I know gas may get back up there, at least one can enjoy $1.09 per gallon now.

We were looking at 4Runners about two years ago for my wife. It was just not a good match for her. She test drove the Highlander, and that’s what we got. Decent fuel economy for it size, enough power to get it going, and rides like a Cadillac. It does have roof racks, but I am not sure of the load limits. It is AWD though. Towing capacity for the 2020 is 5,000lbs. Interior space is immense, and with 3 row seating can be custom made for the situation. With both rear rows down, you could easily sleep 3 in the back. Lol. It does have some cool and annoying safety features. The intuitive cruise control and auto dim high beams are neat. The lane avoidance system is annoying. Both can be disabled. The Bluetooth can be a nuisance, as it detects whichever phone is first to connect.

It does have the dreaded “engine kill” if you depress the brake firmly enough. There isn’t a way to permanently disable it, but it is a simple push of the button to turn it off.

I think we get around 27mpg, but that’s 75% city driving. I’ll have to check.

We leased this one, but will probably get another if we don’t buy this one. It was involved in a hit and run, and was repaired. But it just feels “tainted” now. Lol

I’ve got a 2019 4Runner 4wd I bought new last year. Overall I like it but acceleration is lacking but I’ll put up with that due to the expected reliability and resale value. You will definitely not get anywhere near 30 mpg in a 4wd 4Runner, I also own a 2018 Subaru Forester XT with the 2.0 turbo. I can get close to 30 on straight highway speeds of 60, above that it drops. I’ve owned several Subaru’s including the Outback with 6 cylinder and you will not get 30 mpg with all your other stipulations.

I almost bought another 4Runner since prices have dropped and my Forester has low miles and is still worth a lot. But the acceleration in the 4Runner annoys me. The Procharger would make driving it great but I’m afraid the drivetrain reliability would suffer:
Procharger for 4Runner

Ford 150 with the 3.0L Powerstroke is 30mpg rated and 4wd.

My buddy just picked one up and it is impressively quiet and smooth.

30 mpg and towing and being able to tow 3500 lbs is not going to happen without a Diesel.

As for rust prevention don’t look to any manufacturer for that.
If you have a Krown location near you $150 each fall will be your best bet.
https://www.krown.com/en/

Or you can buy a Wax Wool kit and do it yourself.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
So we have been planning on a new Toyota 4runner about now before this virus thing happened.

A few things have made us wonder about the purchase and maybe we need to consider other makes and models.

We love the 4Runner. But here are a few needs that the 4Runner maybe lacking. Also there are some needs and deal breakers so I will run through some of them.

Mpg 30 mpg.
Need to tow up to 3500lbs
Need some interior cargo space.
A roof that can handle some cargo. Heavy cooler. A couple of full 5g fuel cans. etc.
Comfortable to put in a 10-12 hour day on the road.
4wd preferably. Awd (cvt) less desirable.

No hybrids
If the vehicle turns itself off, forget it.
Good rust prevention of undercarriage.
Sunroof good, not mandatory.
Decent Nav. system is good enough.
Same on communication.
Same on entertainment.

Maybe outback, maybe Passport, Highlander? What else. I would love to know if you own and what you like and don't.

Also let me know what a fair price is for what you suggest. Thanks guys.

For what it's worth we have a newer Highlander. Very pleased with it.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
The Assent looks interesting but it has the 2.4 liter 4 banger? hmmmm

The Passport with the 3.6l V6 seems like a lot more rig. Better mileage too?

I just mentioned we were thinking 4Runner and might go that route. But something obviously in a different category th

at is going to be more comfortable and get a lot better mileage and still be able to tow a decent trailer and handle some gear.

Pretty sure the Assent is available in a 6 cylinder as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Powers77:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
The Assent looks interesting but it has the 2.4 liter 4 banger? hmmmm

The Passport with the 3.6l V6 seems like a lot more rig. Better mileage too?

I just mentioned we were thinking 4Runner and might go that route. But something obviously in a different category th

at is going to be more comfortable and get a lot better mileage and still be able to tow a decent trailer and handle some gear.

Pretty sure the Assent is available in a 6 cylinder as well.

Negative. I believe Subaru has officially dropped the H6 as an option on any of their vehicles.

The Outback/Legacy went back to an XT & got the 2.4T Turbo 4 from the Ascent.

Q7 Diesel will get you 30 mpg, going to look into the roof storage though.
also trunk storage isn't up to my snuff, but likely similar to the 4runner

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
My problem with the 4 runner is that the current 2020 model is a 10+ year old design. Other cars are simply putting down more power, more efficiently, and in more refined packages for about the same price. A 5 speed transmission is ancient by today's standards.

I love the car, I love what it represents and it's approach, but waiting for an all-new model seems like the smart move so late in the model's lifespan. Same thing can be said about the Land Cruiser too.

Yes the 4runner is a dinosaur. My neighbor bought a brand new 2019 limited and sold it earlier this year. He said he was only getting around 13-14 mpg and the ride wasn't great. I would definitely wait for an update.

As for the Op's question - 30 mpg will be tough with every other requirement. It will almost have to be a diesel to get that, so the Q7 might not be a bad option like Timdogg mentioned. I love the Q7 diesels.