What to expect if I swap my 4Runner for a Taco...

I have been thinking about giving my 2012 4Runner to my wife and getting a Tacoma. The 4R is my first Toyota, and I really do love it, but we could use a truck. Our kids are getting to the point where their bikes and other gear won't fit in the cargo area of the 4Runner. It would be nice to just throw their gear in the bed and head to a game. I could also use a truck bed for the various projects we're up to our ears in at all times around the house and garden.

I thought the Taco and the 4R would be very similar, and on paper it seems that they are. But, I finally sat behind the wheel of a buddy's Taco the other day, and I gotta say, I feel pretty deflated about getting one.

Here's why:

• The interior seems very plasticky. Not something I expected from Toyota. It just seems that every little detail is well thought out on the 4R, like Toyota took pride in designing and building it.

• The Taco's cab layout and seats feel more like a car. You're sitting more on the floor in the Taco as opposed to sitting up in a chair in a 4R.

• Overall, the Taco double cab feels cramped compared to the 4R.

• They both seem to be incredibly reliable platforms that hold their value well.

• The most surprising downer I've found is that the Taco actually has a lower payload rating than the 4Runner, especially the double cab models.

Overall, I expected the Taco to be a 4Runner with a truck bed. But it seems like it's more of a Camry with a truck bed. It's almost like the two trucks were designed and built by two different companies.

Still...I could really use that bed...

Has anyone else here made the move from a 5th gen 4Runner to a Taco? Any regrets? Maybe it would grow on me. My opinions are based on a very brief encounter with a Taco. Or maybe I need to check out a Tundra as well.

 

Yet has almost a 2000# towing capacity advantage...

 

If you are big in either dimension(wide/tall) then I would think the taco would feel cramped. I cant handle the on the floor seating as well as rubbing my hat on the ceiling, especially on bumpy roads.

IMO:
Best cheap fix for you would be a used utility trailer.

Best fix is getting a Tundra, especially if you can keep the 4rnr for when you need the mpg. Anyone I have let drive my Tundra loves the power and interior size.

 

Yep. Lower payload, but higher towing capacity.

 

It's a weird world man.

 

I had three 5th gen 4Runners before the Tacoma. However, I have realistic expectations and you are trying to shoehorn the two vehicles into the same mold and they definitely are not the same.
The Tacoma is a truck, plain and simple. The Toyota engineers did a good job giving it a truck feel. It rides rougher. It is louder. It is a truck. The 4Runner is a nice SUV. An equivalent truck would be a F150 that was nicely appointed.
The Tacoma, purposely, is, for the lack of a better term, brash. It's design is athletic and in your face. It was designed as a fun vehicle or a work vehicle. Because of the rear leaf springs, it's bouncy. It's cramped because it's NOT designed as a family vehicle. It's designed to haul two adults comfortably and two others not so comfortably.
They both are extremely capable though. They were designed for much different demographic targets.
My kids are now grown and i need a truck. I now haul more stuff that people. I love my truck but back several years ago I needed an SUV.

Very simply, your only question should be, "do I need to haul people or stuff." People the 4Runner is much better. Stuff the Tacoma wins. If you need to haul both get a 4Runner and a trailer.
Oh, test drive test drive test drive.

 

Awesome review. OP, @hiPSI tells it like it is.

 

i pretty much agree with your list, i could also add to it.
i have both t4r and tacoma, if i had to chose one it would be the tacoma no question.
but it comes down to what makes you happy, not what others think.

 

Plastic interior? Have you seen the FJ's? Haha.

I'm the exact opposite. I want less creature comforts and more reliability. A non power option. No touch screen. A plastic floor option for easy cleaning and water proofing.

Bottom line is it's up to you. I wouldn't pick the best Toyota for you. I'd pick the best vehicle for you. Test drive everything. I test drove tacomas and waited 6 months before I pulled the trigger on my truck. No regrets. Love it. Works great for me and what I need it to do

 

I’ve had multiples of both. The only things 4Runner has over the Tacoma is the rear seat room and height adjustable front seat. I’ve had just as many squeaks and rattles from a 4Runner. People get all hipity dippity about made in Japan. In my experience, they’re both fine vehicles. Need a truck bed, get a Tacoma. If not, get the 4Runner.

 

Had a 2017 4Runner TRD Off Road that I had to sell do to a change in life circumstances. When I was able to get back into a new vehicle it was a hard choice between the two but the utility of the Tacoma won out over the “refinement” of the 4Runner. I Am more inclined to use the Tacoma over the 4Runner. I also prefer the driving dynamic of the Tacoma compared to the 4Runner. Both great vehicles but if fuel doesn’t matter, get a Tundra!

 

Reading your post, OP, it seems you think the Tacoma is just a 4runner with a bed. They have different frames, the runner shares more similarities to the land cruiser and Lexus gx470. The runner frame is also fully boxed, the Tacoma frame is partially boxed with open c channel in the rear, designed for more flex on the longer frame. For reference, I had a 3rd gen acces cab Tacoma, now a 4runner, the Tacoma is 21 inches longer than the runner.
The runner is designed and built solely in Japan, the Tacoma is designed and built in North America, and is a different animal all its own. The Tacoma is a traditional truck, with leaf springs in the rear, the runner has coil over suspension, thus the difference in ride. As for interior, the runner is obviously more roomy and the rear seat has much better space, and the seats are very comfy. If you’re needing a truck to haul the family in, it sounds like a full-size would suit your needs better.
Test drive a lot of different trucks to see what works best for you.

 

I’ve had both this year. I settled on the 4Runner mainly because my kids and their stuff fit better in the back seat. The Tacoma will feel more cramped. You are correct. Both front and back, but especially in the back seat. I think the limited headroom in the Tacoma contributes to that feeling. The Tacoma does feel more plasticky. You are correct again. I actually prefer the Tacoma dash, though, especially the larger and clearer screen. I don’t think the Tacoma feels like a Camry with a truck bed. The opposite, really. I miss the ruggedness of the Tacoma. In my opinion, the 4Runner is more comfortable and smoother. The Tacoma is more rugged and more fun. Both are great. Just different and really great choices depending on what your family needs.

 

We looked at both and chose the 4R over the Taco but hopefully will compliment it with a Taco soon. The 4R is better for driving around town or road trips but the utility of the Taco is really nice when I have stuff I don’t want to put inside the 4R.

 

Nice truck! I haven't spent much time in an FJ, actually! I'm with you on wanting less creature comforts and more reliability. That's why I drive a truck with decade-old drivetrain with no 6th gear. It is the definition of outdated. But with that comes the fact that it's bulletproof.

My 4R is a bare bones SR5 with no nav, no heated seats, no leather, etc., and I gotta say I think the 4R Limiteds look awful with all the chrome and "luxury" features. But the gray plasticky interior of my buddy's Taco looked like something GM would build, not Toyota. Again, my impressions are based on a very limited experience. You're right; I do need to go test drive everything.

That's exactly what I thought before hopping into my buddy's Taco. I realized that is not the case, and it was a bit of a letdown. But that's ok. I do need a family hauler AND a truck. If we keep the 4R for my wife to drive, I could probably get away with a smaller truck. Need to spend more time with one, and maybe I'd come to appreciate it on its own merits, not on my incorrect assumption that it's a 4R with a bed.

 

I think the 4R is also (slightly) better for offroading with its shorter wheelbase, better departure angle, and A-TRAC (standard on all 5th gen trims) and options with KDSS (I had to choose a 3rd row over KDSS ) We've had a blast with ours finding trails around middle Tennessee. Hoping to plan a trip out west this fall.

 

This. Hands down.

I rolled a converted boat trailer (so I had the tilt to load/dump feature) for 30 years.

Found that Vega wheels fit perfect, so could run 13" car tires instead of puny boat 8 or 12" stuff. Bearing Buddy's made keeping the bearings lubed easy peasy.

The only reason I gave it up was due to running out of storage space.

 

Ridgeline.

 

Tundras are great and comfortable. They are big. I didn't need that and have had 3. If.u want suv ride and more.room and smaller truck the honda ridge is just that. I just dont.like the looks. I did have 16 Colorado diesel I traded for my 18 Tacoma and I put 55k miles on it and it is more comfortable and more room than tacoma.too. I just never liked the interior a nod looks wasnt near as nice as Tacoma. Plus I prefer Tacoma and I like Tacoma size for wide and i. We have 04 Gx 470 and have had since new and is a 3rd vehicle. She got a new tourareg in 14. It has 114k on it and both the SUVs we have are more comfortable but we always take my truck. Put 350 miles on it this weekend and starting to get more comfortable a d used to seats. I sure love the truck

 

Having had SUV's, my world fits best with a truck now. There's just more room in the bed to cram gear. But if you have kids, I don't know how well they will fit in the rear. It's not the most optimal seating option. In fact, i've taken the rear seats out of the DCSB for more dry storage. Everywhere we go in the truck is long haul and no one over 5' was very comfortable in the back for 4+ hours. Now, if we go with 2+ people, I ask the other group to drive and use the truck as the mule. It works well that way.

It's a great vehicle for 2 adults and gear. but if your children are adult sized, they are not going to feel comfortable. you can get a decently equipped full size pickup for the price of a TRD sport/OR. Maybe that's the road for you if you have children that are getting older. Besides, if they aren't adult sized now, in a few years, they will be. If my wife and I had children to haul, we would not have a tacoma. we would have had to stay in a larger SUV or get a fullsize pickup.