In a serious car dilemma, help wanted.

my 4runner has tiptronic or whatever it is called where I can manually shift

 

So your 14' has it but the new ones don't??

 

No steering wheel paddle shifters but you can put the auto transmission into "sport" mode and use the center console mounted shifter to shift manually

 

What he said below. There are no paddle shifters in any 4runners.

 

So here's my thoughts from what i've heard.
Tacoma worse interior, longer wheelbase, leaf springs, weird drivetrain, and worse attention to detail.

4Runner better interior, shorter wheelbase, cool springs, solid engine, more attention to detail.

Except 4Runner is heavier and more sluggish. Can't throw stuff in back. Better approach angle but lower gas tank.

Taco is less sluggish but apparently weird.

This is very difficult to straighten out. Some people make the tacoma sound like crap, but others make the 4Runner sound slow and dated.

 

I think you've summed it up well.

Have you driven an example of each you'd consider buying? Anxious to read your impression too....

 

My suggestion -- Go test drive a T4R and a 2nd Gen & 3rd Gen taco today and do one right after the other -- see how you like the interior features and ride of the different vehicles.

 

Went to dealer and test drive the 2017 TRD Pro tacoma, and TRD pro 4Runner. Not sure if the 4Runner was 2016 or 2017, but it was the newest model.
Having some trouble deciding to be honest! Tacoma felt quicker, lighter, and you've certainly could tell the transmission had an extra gear. The interior was extremely modern, and there was tons of tech everywhere. It did seem like the 4Runners interior was more meticulous, but the seat material was kind of funky.
4Runner tech was a bit dated compared to taco. Definitely more spacious. The springs in the back were more comfortable but not a huge difference.
Am i the only one who thinks the tacoma exhaust is much louder than the 4Runner exhaust? The tacoma sounded like a gnarly sports car, while the 4Runner just had this constant rumble.
Give me your opinions! I really am stuck here. I can say the new engine didn't feel as bad as i expected. It loves to rev high, shifts are smooth, and transmission loves to keep the engine in the powerband.
4Runner has more of a lazy transmission that shifts when you 'ask' it to.

 

Those oem wheels are ugly as sin

You need to sell them to me

 

My 2012 DCSB Taco TRD OR T|X Pro 4x4 had the cat back TRD exhaust so my opinion doesn't fit for standard OEM systems.

As far as seat material that was one of the factors to put me in the Limited version of the T4R. I didn't want synthetic...whatever Toyota calls it.

Mine gets all sorts of use tho not really for play. It see mud on the trails around my property, it hauls the fence material, chainsaws, two large dogs (75 & 140 pounds), a boat, trailer ect. I needed a comfortable daily driver that could hold the pups & my parents who need help (both disabled when I bought it) & I put some miles on it, mostly highway. I've owned it for almost 33 months and put 100,000 miles on it. Other than an oil change and tire rotation ever 10k I bought tires at 60k, new wiper blades once a year & cabin/breather filter when needed. It's had ZERO issues & other than typical road rash it looks new inside & out. Everything (and I mean every single thing does & has always functioned as it did the day I drove it off the lot). No leaks, no vibrations (unless the wheels have stuck on mud), no pulling, no rust. The interior shows very little wear.

 

Hehe i'd love some black rims, i'll trade!

dtaco The inside of the runner was pretty nice, just feels like there going to come out with a redone one any second. The gears defiantly reminded me of my 99' 4Runner with one more gear. The Taco reminded me of my buddies mercedes- loves to play with the gears. The taco really roared with the trd exhaust though, very impressive.

Anyone have a 4Runner and wished it were updated inside or lighter? It seems like i need to decide if i want a lighter, more modern truck, or compromise tech/modern transmission/engine* for an older sturdy car

*As much as people hate on the engine, is was decently fast. It impressed me how the transmission and engine tag-teamed to maximize engine power. They certainly tied it well with the TRD exhaust to make the engine sound gorgeous when it likes to REV. I assume they didn't take this exhaust approach on the TRD Runner because it's suppose to be a more refined passenger car

 

Glad to hear a happy taco story. Now we're pretty even here between taco and runner owners.
You agree that the tacos have a more aggressive trd echaust than the runners? Might just be the newer ones but i sure think they are.
Did yours come with the synthetic seats the trd pro comes with? I heard people said it wore out pretty quick

 

Sorry for the confusion man. I had a 2nd gen Taco and now have a 5th gen 4Runner. The leather in the Limited 4Runner is one of the factors that pushed me to that version of the 4Runner.

As far as exhaust, my 2012 Taco was a T|X Pro that came with a cat back TRD exhaust. It was for sure louder than my current 4Runner.

The 4Runner (at least mine & those I know personally) is 100% bullet proof. I mean absolutely ZERO issues. Of course I put miles on my previous Tacos too and only ever had very minor issues.

 

But if everyone uses that logic, then nobody would ever improve. You need to put some faith in toyota to make a good normally aspirated V6. It's a very conservative engine anyways. If people can trust ford to make a 510lb torque high boost 3.5L V6, then shouldn't we trust toyota to make a simple V6? Just my opinion. I don't think people should judge the tacoma strictly by the engine, but the car itself

 

I sure don't wanna be the guy doing the testing for Toyota so I can't agree here. To me, the engine & tranny (especially reliability) are too much to not play a huge part in judging a vehicle.

Good luck OP keep us posted.

 

The 3.5 felt pretty good to me, But nobody knows the reliability.
I feel like the tacoma might be be better i am just me, nobody else to cart around.
On the other hand, if the 4Runner is better off-road i'd choose it.
I guess i've narrowed it down to off-road performance

 

I thought the tacoma was the better off-roading platform until i saw this video:

Now i'm not so sure.
Nobody's done a head to head of TRD Taco and TRD Runner. It seems like the new taco is advertised as a 'high speed off-roader' with the new fox shocks.

 

I went from a 2015 Tacoma TRD sport to a 2016 4runner TRD pro, back to a 2017 Tacoma TRD off-road. Without a doubt the 4runner was a much nicer driving rig, on and off road. A lot nicer interior too. I got 17-18mpg on the freeway. I loved it, but a truck fit the bill for all of my hobbies. When I originally wanted to get back into a Tacoma, I had ordered a 17 pro and wasn't a fan. I didn't like the big badges, interior, hood scoop etc. it was a little too flash and in your face. And it didn't drive much different than my tacoma prior to lifting it. Everything appetizing about the TRD pro tacoma would be things I'd pay money to change. I think you'd be just as happy with a TRD off-road or sport with some nice wheels tires ect. If you're set on the 4runner, you won't be disappointed with how well the pro does on and off-road.

 

The reason I don't want to mod is because i need to drive around a farm in hawaii 4 times a week. It's filled with mud pits, big rocks, and bumps. I can't mod the car until the warranty wears off (set on a new car), so i basically need a beast to handle it stock. Here's an example of some of the mud i need to get through. This is some of the easier stuff on the ride too

Picture doesn't do it justice. The mud is between 12-14 inches deep. I'm sure almost tacos and runners would get through easy, but these conditions amplify with tropcal storms (2-3 a month)

I am not set on either yet. It's a big investment, really trying to think it over.
It would be pretty fun sitting in the back of the taco with some beach chairs. Certainly would keep your lunch from getting sandy.

You said the runner was a nicer driving rig. What kind of differences if i may ask? I'm sure it did a better job soaking up those bumps w/ the coils. What did you notice off road? My car is going to live 70% of its life off the pavement.

 

It just was a quieter smoother ride both on and off road. I hike quite a bit and I always haul ass down old logging roads and barely feel the potholes. I'd go test drive one. My new truck drives great but it's still not as nice as my 4runner was