Tacoma TRD Pro vs. 4Runner TRD Pro

Has anyone had a Tacoma TRD Pro and switched to the 4runner TRD Pro or vise versa? I do love the tacoma, but I have two small kids and am starting to wonder if the back seat room of the 4 runner wouldn't be more beneficial for me long term? I rarely haul stuff that would require a bed. Its convenient to have the bed, but given I would only use it a few times a year and the 4runner has a hitch, I could always pull a trailer in those situations.

The tacoma trd pro has incredible resale value, i wonder if the 4runner is as good? The tacoma also has the keyless entry, push button start and wireless charger that I really like.

 

If I remember correctly the 4Runner is just below the Tacoma for resale.

 

pretty tight fit in the rear. i have 3 kids and the Taco won't deal. can't fit everyone and not even all the car seats at this point. as kids get bigger the leg room will be hard. i got a full size (3 row) SUV to deal with it since I'm not letting go of my Tacoma, no way.

 

I have the taco, my wife’s daily is the t4r. For kids and a family the t4r wins hands down. The resale will be great on both so no worries there. Buy what’s practical for your life style.

 

Depends on how tall you are, and how big your kids are. I'm 5'11". Wife is 5'9". Plenty of space for my 3 kids in the back, oldest being 4'2". I sat in the back, with the front seat set to my height. Still had 2-3" of legroom left. It's no CrewMax. But it'll be fine for my kids for many years. As long as they don't get over 6'. Then of course, by then, they'd be driving themselves.

If I do upgrade for the sole reason of rear seat issues, it'll be to a fullsize.

 

The often quoted resell value is a by model across all trim levels. Believe it or not the entry level trim holds value the best because it was already very competitive pricing.

One likes to believe that Pro and Limited would hold their value, but the more expensive the trim, the less likely that would be once the demand eases even just a bit.


1. The 4runner Pros have unjustifiable dealer add ons that can balloon your price to well above $60k.
- you won't get the premium markup back in resell ever.
2. The current generation Tacoma and 4Runner are not so revolutionary and ahead of the competition that you can count on them remaining at a premium years on years. The introduction of the next generation 4Runner or even Tacoma will likely affect the resale more on the top end trim.

That is what I would expect.

BTW a lightly used Land cruiser that has taken a hit in depreciation is infinitely better value then a 4Runner Pro with a stack of cash on top.

 

A 5 year old Land Cruiser with a decent amount of miles is still around $50k...

 

According to Toyota spec, the rear leg/hip/shoulder & head room are pretty much identical between Tacoma and 4 Runner. Actually a little bit more in the Tacoma.

So if your reason is more rear room, 4R would not be a good option (according to Toyota’s published spec)

 

Sit in both. The t4r is massive in the rear compared to a taco. T4r has the options for 3rd row seating as well. There are guys paying 10-15k mark up on pros. The resale as I mentioned before is great. If you don’t like it you won’t have any problem selling it.

 

I would suggest actually sitting in both vehicles to make that decision. I've sat in both current gen 4Runner and Taco and there is no question the 2nd row in 4Runner is much more comfortable and seemingly larger. I know the specs say one thing but actual comfort is another thing. The 2nd row seats in the 4Runner also recline. I don't know why that is the case given the numbers and specs, it could be the seating position but I feel there's more actual room in the 4Runner. I've got plenty of knee space in a 4Runner however in the Taco my knees are right up against the front seat. Take that for what its worth. Either way sitting in both is the only way to find out what is best and more comfortable and not merely relying on published specs.

 

I own both a T4R and a Tacoma. The 4R has significantly more room in the backseat. I would compare it more to a Tundra rather a Tacoma.
The space in the 4R is much more convenient for longer trips with kids in the back. Around town or just myself, the Tacoma is great. Just so both

 

Do your kids still use car seats ? Are they rear facing ? If they are then the 4Runner wins
Unless you like driving with your seat really forward

 

I had a 4runner when my kids were in car seats, but my wife had a Toyota Sienna van at the time and that’s what we mostly used. When we did load everyone up in the 4runner it was great. Would have been tougher but doable in the Tacoma.

Since the kids have been out of car seats, I like the Tacoma better. I find myself throwing the kids athletic gear in the back under a tonneau as I take them to/from sports. Love it for the beach, fishing Etc. As a hunter and fisherman I didn’t love having the smells inside the 4runner with me and it’s nice to toss things in the truck vs load up a tailgate carrier or roof rack on a 4runner. Sounds like that doesn’t matter to you.

Also, if you plan to tow anything. The Tacoma TRD Pro is rated to pull more weight than the 4runner TRD Pro. Something to consider if you have a boat or camper now or in the future.

We still use my wife’s vehicle for family trips of any distance, but no issues using the Tacoma with a family of 4 for short trips. I’m 6’2” so my seat goes all the way back. Kids are still smallish as they are elementary school age. Not a big issue for short trips.

As far as resale value comparisons, while I can’t speak specially to Pros, In my experience I’ve done better with Tacomas. addition to a recent trade I made that I mentioned to you on one of your other posts, I have also owned and sold 2 other Tacomas and 1 4runner. Sold the Tacomas easily in days and broke even (I was second owner. Sold the 4runner in a month or so, at a slight loss). So, a small sample size but in my experience good resale on 4runner vs great on Tacoma.

My two cents go drive both with your family. I bet you’ll like the 4runner better based on your situation and kids ages. If so, I say just get it. Don’t buy your second favorite over a slight diff in resale or a couple thousand dollars.

 

Yeah, this is very interesting. You only have to quickly sit in both to feel like the 4R is two or three times larger in the back seat. You are right though, on paper they are the same. This almost has to be an error.

 

You can get a 2yr old LC with 20k miles for $65k which is the price of TRD Pro on the 4runner

 

True.

I guess I didn't explain my response very well...

I agree that a 4Runner PRO with dealer markups will not be as great (%) for resale. But, if you are looking at $60k+ for a 4Runner PRO get a damn LC. Those are badass!

 

There’s T4R Pros all over Virginia in the mid 40k range. I’ve never seen one priced above 50k

 

Sure if you buy a TRD Pro 4runner with a 20k markup. In that case the person would be an idiot but who's to stop the dealer from adding a markup. The MSRP on a TRD Pro 4Runner is around $45-47K. I could get them for MSRP ALL DAY long where I live. Expand your search and you won't have to buy a $65k TRD Pro 4runner, which I have never seen. I've seen mid 50k at most. I'm assuming you must live in Cali?

 

4Runner definitely has more leg room than a Tacoma, ok. But let's not get crazy. It's nowhere near a fullsize. Shoulder room, hip room, etc. are still the same as a Tacoma. Just has a bit more leg room.

 

Not even close. The t4r smokes the taco in shoulder, hip, everything. I will take pics of my taco with the seats all the way back and the 4runner all the way back. 4Runner is way closer to a tundra then a taco.