Tacoma vs 4Runner in my shoes

Ok, Here is my dream garage :



Yeah I know, it’s messy. I try to take everything out of the garage is at least once every other year clean it and re-organize it. I am way overdue.

 

I could do that but $80,000 for 2 Toyotas wouldn’t go over too well with the wife lol. If I absolutely had to have 2, I might shoot for a 2004 extra cab Taco and the newer 4Runner .

 

I kept my 2007 V8 4x4 4Runner and got the Tacoma for utility purposes. Best of both worlds.

 

This makes me wanna sell the FJ & get one of these! Ah man, here we go again, haha.
I just got through with ALL the maintenance! If you ever want a damn good used vehicle with all the maintenance done just in time to sell or trade, follow me, haha

 

This thread isn't making my life any easier. I've always been a fan of 4Runners, and until my divorce I was lucky enough to have both a Taco and a T4R (04 V8 Sport-she got that in the split). I've had my current Tacoma for 5 years and until Covid hit I was going to replace with a new 3rd Gen this year. Now I want to be more sure my paycheques will continue to come before I commit to payments again since this one is paid for. For the longest time it was going to be 3rd Gen for sure, but now I have 4Runners on the brain again. It's a big price increase though so do I buy a used 4Runner, or new Taco? I probably have a year to figure that out....

Subscribed to keep my brain undecided, lol.

 

I have both. The 4Runner has a better engine. Has some balls. That said, my Tacoma has a nice interior and tech. I’d say go 4Runner if you can but I do love my Tacoma too.

 

I've owned a '99 TR4 and an '05 T4R w/ v8 that was quite possibly my favorite vehicle. We sold it and upgraded to an '06 100 series Land Cruiser that we still have over 10 years now with only 170k miles on it (my wifes DD). Needed a family-mo-bile as we had our second child and wanted more seating capacity that the LC could offer. That LC is a freaking tank! but the gas mileage is terrible. That said, I love my Taco but miss my Runner for sure. I use the bed in my Taco way to much now not to have a truck.

 

I test drove both with the wife. Of course the wife liked the 4Runner, and I did too. But while driving I just could not get over the fact I was driving a 40K vehicle with a 5-speed transmission. With kids out of the house and frequent towing needs, Tacoma was a no brainer.

 

I suspect there may be no one else who shares my opinion but since we have a big three row for family duty I went from my first sedan after only SUVs to my first pickup. I was looking at either the Tacoma for 4Runner. The only pros to the 4Runner were better suited to backup family duty (two kids in car seats) and full time AWD in Limited trim for better driving in adverse weather.

the Taco was more modern with more tech. Better engine, fuel economy, transmission, newer safety tech, BSM, lane departure, LED headlights, sequential turns, etc.

 

OEM LED headlights were definitely a game changer for the 2020 Tacoma. The decision to switch from the 4Runner to the Taco definitely would have been more difficult without that being an option since I found myself in some unsafe-feeling conditions in the PNW rainy winters on back roads trying to find campgrounds with garbage halogen headlights.

Finally the 4Runner is coming with LED headlights for 2021, but it's still yet to be seen what they did to incorporate them into the existing housing and if they will be as sufficient as the Tacoma LEDs. The Tacoma headlights really are incredible for improving visibility in shitty PNW night time conditions.

 

As much as I like the Taco looks. Their popularity rules. From spending considerable time on Taco and T4R forums its seems as though those that have owned both tend to lean towards the T4R. It’s like Taco gets them to love Toyotas because of the history of Toyota pick ups. But, its the T4R that they eventually end up with. Only few have gone 4Runner to Taco and regretted their decision.

I’m an over analyzer for sure and do get buyers remorse. I think at the end of the day especially after driving both, the 4Runner plus a utility trailer (that can be bought or rented) can do all my truck duties. I’d also see a lower chance of “disappointments” going the T4R route. But damn the Taco is sexy!!

I think the 1st and 2nd gen Tacos set the bar so high, people expect the same out the 3rd gens. Unfortunately Toyota has industry standards such as fuel mileage that they have to meet or exceed to stay in the game (example, constantly shifting, smaller engine).

I’m probably wrong, but the archaic drive train of the 5th gen T4R will be the 1st / 2nd gen Taco equivalent. In 2022 when the 6th gen T4R comes out, people will likely be disappointed. Those disappointments are Toyota’s way of keeping up with the industry.

Taco an T4R is like a Star Wars movie. At the end of the day old fans will probably hate the new ones but everyone will still watch it .

Just my new guy rant.

 

You’ve got the best of both worlds now my friend with the 100 and a Taco. I Really wanted an 80 before I got the XJ. My jeep buddy told me “every year there’s an off-road competition and Jeep has yet to be beat.” Not sure how true that is but he then proceeded to tell me “yeah Cruisers are great if you are driving through the desert in Africa.” Should have went with my gut. Any vehicle that can withstand the desert of a 3rd world country for 25 years should be available in case of a zombie apocalypse lol.

I’m a 100% Toyota truck guy now. I’ve heard the 5th T4R referred to as a baby 80 series minus the FA. About 80% as capable but probably more reliable because of the drivetrain. But the comfort and size / power of the 100 is unmatched for long overlanding trips I’ve heard. The 200s are like small luxury condos on wheels lol.

 

I feel very similar with your points most of the time. I don't have the space to deal with a utility trailer, and where I'm from a TRD OR T4R is about $5K more than a TRD Sport/OR Taco, plus their financing isn't as good for some reason so all those points will likely bring a 3rd gen into my future. And as much as I don't think I use my truck as a truck, it happens more than I think it does. Even though I'd much rather just get a T4R. Oh well, no payments now leaves me lots of time to over analyze...

 

If I were in a similar situation, I'd get a 4Runner. In April, I traded my 2015 4Runner Trail w/ KDSS (now it's "Off Road" I think) for a 2020 Taco DCSB OR 4x4 and we both miss it. It's just a better vehicle, hands-down. The quality of pretty much everything is a step above the Taco - ride, comfort, sound, off-road ability - everything.

Off-road, you get all the same goodies (locking diff, crawl control, etc.). Tacos have a *slightly* better approach angle, but the 4R has a better ground clearance, and better breakover and departure angles. Also - a shorter wheelbase. They hold their value better year after year (if that matters to you).

Unless you need the bed for something, pretty much anything you can do in the Taco - you can do in the 4R. In 5yrs and 150K miles, the only thing we needed to replace were the tires, battery brakes and wipers. Solid SUV. Now, if you really need a bed, like for hauling stuff that'll make your 4R nasty inside (sod, cement, etc) or you need to tow more than 5K pounds - that's a different story. Taco all the way. We like our Taco...LOVED our 4R.

Ultimately, you gotta do what makes you happy bro - this is just my opinion, and you know why we all have those, right? Check out a face to face comparison of the Pro models here:

https://www.motor1.com/reviews/376963/2020-toyota-trd-pro-off-road-review/

**Edit: My daughter has a 2017 Wrangler Unlimited. You'll be glad to have something that is a bit more reliable. That thing has been back to the dealer 8 times in 3 years. Hopefully you fared better with yours, but Jeep is pretty much dead to us.

 

Sound advice. The odd few things a year a guy needs a truck for like moving or moving stuff could always just rent a truck or get things delivered. I do feel my old 4Runner was better quality than my Tacos too. Tacos are great but 4Runners are just a bit better.

 

How about a new Landcruiser for $80k? She might be okay with that? lol

We have both as well. Seems to be pretty common around here lol. The 4Runner engine and transmission are definitely smoother and it feels quicker up to about 25-30mph. After that the Taco is noticeably quicker and better in passing situations. The 4Runner did get some updates for 2020 with new gauges and headunit. My wife was contemplating trading her 2017 4Runner Limited for a new 2020, but there's not enough inventory right now to find what she wants.

 

My son had a jeep Cherokee. Motor and transmission are fairly bullet proof. In 4 Wheel Drive the thing would go pretty much anywhere fairly easily - unstoppable.

With that said, I don’t think jeep would be in any future conversation. Every little thing that could possibly go wrong, would go wrong. Headliner coming down, dashboard lights blinking on and off at night, electrical in general issues, AC compressor, rear tail door not opening. The list is long and ugly.

 

I'll toss out my $.02 since I just switched from a 2017 OR 4Runner to a 2020 OR Tacoma

4Runner Pros

• Ride quality - this cannot be understated. While on our most recent (1500 mile trip) the Tacoma was moderately uncomfortable for me and very uncomfortable for my wife who has back problems. Everything seems stiff, which was never the case with the runner (bought both new and took lots of trips). The passenger seat is manual (absolutely NO reason it should be) and it is hard to find a comfortable spot on the seats. I felt less of the road driving the 4runner and would pick it hands down for any longer trip.
• Better gas mileage - not much better but I cannot for the life of me get my tacoma above 17 MPG even on the highway. My 4runner got up to 20 sometimes when we traveled. Not sure what's up there but I'm noting it as a positive for the 4runner.
• space - so much better for families or people with pups. We packed up so much for our country side excursions and beach vacations and never wanted to more room. Also had a roof rack (which didn't require drilling) and was able to store stuff up there as well.

Tacoma Pros

• It's a truck - I cringed every time I scratched the interior, stained carpet, etc. using my 4Runner for home projects. It is not a truck in any way other than the driving "feel". If you need a truck at all, then this isn't even a question (pick the tacoma).
• Technology - I was surprised to see all the extras/features that were in the taco that weren't in the 4runner. LED Headlights, full apple play integration, keyless start/auto start, digital screen for driver (all tech info). My only real complaint when it comes to tech is the steering wheel controls which don't make sense (volume up should be where the call feature is, etc.). Dealer joked when I bought my 4Runner originally bc I was like "I have to use a key"
• Mod Friendly - I love to make my cars my own. The Tacoma has more mod support and options than I've seen with most sports cars. Not to say that the 4Runner doesn't also garner a lot of support in that category but you can change almost everything with Tacos.

Both vehicles are extremely dependable and great mechanically (at least to me). If I was to redo it all over again I may have kept my 4Runner but it would be close between the two. I got a phenomenal deal when purchasing the Tacoma and needed a truck more than an SUV, so that was really the only reason I made the switch. I will admit too that I like the way a modded tacoma looks over a 4Runner.

 

It never left me stranded BUT I never took it far enough to be in that situation. Just after it was built I was supposed to go to Moab with by Jeep buddy. I didn’t end up going but now that I think about it I’m glad I didn’t. That would have been a miserable drive with the rear end coil conversion.

It was always little things like you said, electrical, little switches or some other small item. As much as I put into it it still wasn’t an overlander built to go long distance comfortably.

Hindsight is 20/20. Anytime I see a Jeep in tow on the back of a motor home, I know it’s going far. Nobody wants to drive a moderately to majorly modified Wrangler from California to Moab. Almost any newer Toyota truck would do that with way more comfort. I’m thinking a KDSS equipped T4R would have my passengers saying “awww we’re there already.”

 

I’d go 4R. Imo they’re better built and do everything better at least compared to my 19 four cylinder 4x4. Offroad is substantially more comfortable, interior is more comfortable, with a proven drivetrain. I really would’ve gotten a 4R had I been able to afford it. But at my price range under 28k it was damn near impossible to find a 4R without 100k miles on it near that price range. So I just bought a new taco instead. I like my truck, but I’d be happier with a 4R. But my wallet wouldn’t be.