Honest Discussion: Do You Regret Moving to The 4th Gen?

I’ve been chasing a rattling noise for a month. So mad I almost started regretting my purchase


It was a piece of mail with one of those cellophane windows underneath my owner’s manual folio. The little crackly window was all.


Shredded that piece of mail and now I don’t regret anything anymore

 

ha! i had a similar problem for a week or so, and it turned out to be my extra sunglasses rattling in the holder. i had my regular pair i was carrying around with me, so i didn't even realize there was a pair in there.

 

I'm only 500 miles in, but so far so good. My main complaint is the turning radius, but I did that to myself going from a 2008 Outback to a DCLB.

there are some smallish things that I've noticed that I'm not pleased about, but aren't bad enough to run back to the dealership and demand a fix: a bed light is crooked, and the stitching job on the steering wheel leather isn't great.

So far the driving experience is phenomenal! I leave it in Eco mode, and crank it over to Sport when I want a thrill. Additionally, the interior doesn't look great in photos, but it's very comfortable and well thought out when you're actually sitting in the truck and driving. So far I'm very pleased. I do kinda miss my old 2.5 gen though...

 

Agree that the larger turning radius is disappointing but it's usually just an issue in tight parking lots and having the panoramic cameras usually keeps me from having to do multi point turns.

 

I’m closing in on 5k miles and love mine. Superior in almost every way to my 3rd gen.

What I miss:
The rear seat backs folded down and had plastic vs. carpet to put stuff on. The seat bottom folded forward so there was a lot more room between ‘cargo’ floor and ceiling. That being said, the underseat storage is miles better on the 4th gen.

I wish there was plastic windshield to back of cab in the seems/gutters.

I struggle to get 17MPG in the city, but high is so much better (21MPG+ up to 23MPG).

 

Having test drove both 4G Tacoma and 6G 4Runner recently I can safely say I will only buy another Toyota if it's made in Japan for nearly identical price.

 

I had a 2023 trd off road manual transmission. Now have a 2024 trd off road manual transmission. Very happy I now have the 5th generation and would never go back.

 

So what you are saying is get a 6G 4Runner to daily drive and if you need a pick up get SR Xtracab RWD if you want a midsize, or if you need a fullsize get a gas 7.3 F-250 reg cab 4x4 XL with the Off Road pkg dual batteries and Warn winch from the factory?

It's probably an optical illusion due to the wider fenders the 6G cargo opening looks more narrow than the 5G, but the opening also looks taller.

 

I didn't get a 4G but tried something different with the RR. Had a rental for the last 5 days for out-of-state trip, and they didn't have a mid-CUV but offered a 5G 4Runner. You don't realize how bad and outdated something is, until you've been away from it for a while. I drove 2G Tacos for nearly 20 years, and I've been out of my last 2G Taco exactly 1 year as of today.

Even my wife is horrified how much of a dog the 1GR-FE 4.0 V6 is, and even for being a 2023, how very outdated the interior and technology is, how wobbly the handling feels, how noisy the cabin is, etc. We both agreed it's like the opposite of a fresh oil change or a new toothbrush: you don't realize what Blah feels like until you've been away from it for a while.

Anybody else get the chance at this, getting to re-experience old that way?

 

Yes. I have a 2024 4Runner. It’s definitely analog compared to the new gens.

 

Zero regrets. Went from a 2023 SR5 to a 2025 OR. The 4th gen is a huge upgrade. More power, the Transmisson feels more smooth, better gas milage, updated interior. My only gripe right now is how cheap the paint is. Other than that, I love my 4th gen and glad I made the switch.

 

I haven’t had a chance to look at Terra up close. Is it a metallic paint?

 

Can't blame you. It's insane how the prices have increased across every trim level. They moved these to Mexico to cut costs and still raised the prices. Is what it is, but that's why 3rd gens are still selling like crazy.

 

Inflation's a bugger.

I paid about 40k for my Tacoma in 2016. CPI Inflation calculator says that's about $53.5k in today's money.

 

I paid about 40k for my TRD OR 4x4 in 2023.

 

TRD ORs start at $43k now, but are vastly improved. So basically the same inflation-adjusted price, but better.

 

My 2nd gen has the those thin cloth curtains with those "Christmas-tree" press-in clips on the inner front fender wells between the tires/calipers. Over time, they inevitably slip out of their holes and flap around. I removed them and replaced all of the clips with bigger (wider) ones and added wide flat plastic washers behind them to keep the curtains from slipping out from their small holes in the fabric. 30-thousand miles, and four years later including winter slush, everything is still in place. Those clips do not back out over time. I bought plastic curtains to replace them and they are still in the plastic bags.

 

I'd premiumed up my 2017 TRD OR with a bunch of options. Base MSRP was $34705, invoice $32153. Ended up $39700 before tax.

Interestingly, building a similar config 2025 OR lands me in the $53k territory.

 

By trim name, yes. But the actual equipment offered is very different.


Also there’s this, with the note that I bought my 4g OR P with the stab disco for $51k+TTL