Possibly Trading for 4Runner

I've seen both in person....and been inside both. I think you'll be disappointed in the Venza. It's very bland looking and not a very big vehicles. And it's not all that spacious in the back. The new Sienna though? Pretty sharp looking...and interior room is obviously ridiculous.

Both vehicles are hybrid only and both available in AWD.

We owned an '04 Sienna for 7 years when the kids were young. I'm telling you...there is not a more convenient and practical vehicle on the planet than a minivan when you have kids. Get the van.

 

sounds like vasectomy time.....

 

I drove a rental for my week trip in Utah this Thanksgiving break, and I'm not going to lie, I absolutely loved the Sienna. It was an awesome vehicle. I told my girlfriend that she's driving one when we have kids and I get to keep my Tacoma

 

Two seats will fit. I'm 6'3 and ran one rear and one forward in my dcsb. Now they're both forward facing. Not as roomy as a Tundra or something bigger but not like the kids are doing cartwheels back there anyways. They're strapped in.
Rear facing behind passenger seat of course. Wife is 5'4 so it works. She has a Runner as well and has more room but we've taken my truck on trips several times. We survived.

 

He said it’s a Graco 4EVER

 

Yeah, I never understood why Toyota did that by not making the 3rd row option available on the off road trim or the PRO. There should be nothing preventing it from not working as its an option on the SR5 and Limited trims. That's something the Bronco or Wrangler don't even offer so I hope Toyota reconsiders a 3rd row option on the next 6th gen OR trims. If nothing other than the differentiate it from the other vehicles in that segment.

 

OP, I went into the dealership with my heart set on a Tacoma summer of 2019. I thought it looked better, had more modern options/touches, and there were more deals to be had on it vs. the 4runner so it was thousands cheaper. But the tight back seat was a breaking point for me. I'm 6'1 and my wife is 5'11. We have a toddler (still rear facing) in one of those heavy/giant convertible seats and an infant and my wife likes to sit in the back with the kids. That would have been torturous for all parties involved so the 4runner was what I ended up buying and driving home after 1 test drive. 4runner drove better, felt more solid, and while you lose out on the bed, the 4runner has a very generous cargo space.

Thankfully my wife has since gotten a Honda Pilot that is our primary family hauler now but i'll occasionally take the kids to see the grandparents in my 4runner.

The new highlanders are very nice as is the new Venza if you're looking for a strict family hauler. They'll be much better at the family hauling and driving around town bit and just be smoother and more efficient. The 4runner would be a nice compromise.

 

That's gonna be a tall kid

 

i have a 2nd gen tacoma and a 19 trd pro t4r. i LOVE the t4r, very comfortable, good space, i have two large dogs so it's been a great dog mom car. the only thing i hate about it is the manual liftgate. it's heavy, and the handle is so high up that you don't get good leverage. i rarely get it open on the first try. my last 2 suv's had power liftgates and i really got spoiled by that. but once again, if the handle were lower i think it wouldn't bother me as badly.

 

Aren't they pretty much the same size as far as seating goes?

 

Seems like a full size truck would be the better option

 

I come from a huge Toyota Family with a few Tacoma’s, tundras, Corollas, Highlander’s, but mostly Ravs. My dad alone is getting ready to buy his 10th Rav 4 this week and I often take his on trips when I want to take a lot of friends with me. They have a ton of rear seat room, are easy to get in and out of, and not to mention you can get a TRD Off Road version that gives you a little lift and some sweet looks!

Just a thought from a fellow Toyota Loyalist! Lol

 

4Runner has more rear leg room

 

Check crash ratings on the 4Runner if it's gonna be used as a primary family ride. It's pretty bad, because it's so ancient.

 

I was curious about this, so I checked. This is what Toyota says about both. If figured that since rear seat leg room is the defining point for the OP, it would be worth checking the actual specs from Toyota.

Tacoma: 32 inches
"Toyota says there are about 38 inches of headroom and about 32 inches of legroom in the rear seats."

4Runner: 32.9 inches
"Next, we have shoulder room with 57.8 inches in the front, 57.8 in the rear, and 57.7 inches in the third row. ... Finally, we have leg room with 41.7 inches in the front, 32.9 in the rear, and 29.3 inches in the third row."

Toyota RAV4: 37.8 inches (!)
Front passengers will have 41.0 inches while those riding in the back will have 37.8 inches.

Toyota Tundra: 34.7 inches
In a Double Cab, rear seat passengers will find 34.7 inches of leg room. However, CrewMax offers them nearly 8 more inches to stretch out – 42.3 inches.

Toyota Sequoia: 35.3 inches



Note: Pulled these quickly, so I hope the math is correct.

 

DAMN the RAV4 coming in clutch with the leg room..
What's your source?

 

Look at this (I have no affiliation with the dealer):
https://www.toyotaofdowntownla.com/2020-toyota-rav4-interior/

Given that you like to play (a good thing) and you need more leg room), maybe that rugged off road Rav4 would be a good fit for you? Certainly worth checking out.

 

Thank you. Maybe it'd be worth it to sell my corolla privately and get into a RAV4.

 

Both the little ones are already tall for their age

 

Tell me about it. My daughter is 3.5 and is the size of our friend's 5 year old boy..