Picked up my 4Runner today... Comparing to Taco

Picked up my '21 TRD ORP 4Runner today and honestly couldn't be happier. While a part of me will miss my Tacoma it was 100% the right decision as I had used the bed in my 2017 TRD Sport 3-4 times in the last three years and only 1 time where I could not have carried the same load in a 4Runner.

Having only had my 4Runner for a few hours so far this is a very preliminary comparison but overall it is a much more substantial vehicle. The doors are heavier, the buttons and knobs feel more solid and it is much roomier for both the driver and front passenger. The visibility inside and out of the truck is amazing and the front windows are massive.

The engine and transmission are much smoother and feel more premium. Basically like a luxury vehicle compared to the Tacoma. Although so far I have to admit the 3.5 in the Taco felt a bit more sporty and aggressive when you punched it, will have to try out the 4.0 more but it feels slower but much smoother as a trade off.

Seating position is world's different and the 4Runner is exactly what a 6'0 guy with wide shoulders needs. Taco was livable but always felt a touch claustrophobic.

Suspension is also way smoother but it may not be a fair comparison (TRD Sport with Hitachi shocks vs TRD OR with KDSS). I don't think you can chalk it up to the TRD Sport's stiff ride alone though, the better weight distribution in the 4Runner makes it much more balanced.

On the braking side though I actually like the Tacoma better, rear drums and all. 4Runner nose dives a lot, will take some getting used to but not a major complaint.

Curious to know what others to made the switch think.

 

Congrats and enjoy! We have an 18 limited Taco and a 20 limited 4Runner. You couldn’t have said it any better, I agree with everything you said though I haven’t noticed any nose diving during braking. I plan to keep the 4 runner for myself and trade the Taco for whatever my wife wants. Good Luck!

 

It's not an apples to apples comparison man. I came from a 4Runner to a Tacoma. Tacoma won because hauling. I then went to a Tundra because towing. Trying to compare the three is apples to grapes to watermelon. You can't because each fills a niche. Enjoy the 4Runner but don't compare. It won't work.

 

Nice.

 

Congrats. I loved owning both. I’m wanting to get another 4runner again and do a full build this time.

 

Your breakdown is spot on. I had a 4Runner in 2016 for 9months that got totaled after being rear ended. Fast forward, I Just bought a 2021 trd sport Tacoma (dream truck) three months ago. As much as I love the Tacoma, I like the 4 runner more. Two different beasts for sure, but the 4Runner felt premium in every way, even though mine was a sr5. That’s not to say I don’t love my Tacoma. I totally do and will keep it for ever, unless I get rear ended.

 

enjoy your new ride.

 

Nice.

i myself enjoy driving my wife’s 4Runner on the weekend when we go out.

 

The 4Runner is 300 lb heavier. All that extra weight went somewhere, and the vehicle feels more substantial as a result. Really dated interior though.

 

Tundra / 4Runner is where it’s at if you want quality over the Taco. Have noticed the same as you over many vehicles.

 

I have both 19 Limited taco and a 20 ORP 4 Runner without the KDSS.
IMO they both are great vehicles. The TSB update on the transmission solved all my issues with the Taco stays in the lower gears longer which in turn gives it more pep. I really love my truck.
The wife loves her 4 runner. But to me it does have a softer ride, rolls and nose dives more when braking. But both are great vehicles.
Peoples needs should dictate what they drive. You cant go wrong owning either of these vehicles.
They are both damn near bullet proof and will last forever.

 

I have an 18 TRD Pro 4-runner in addition to my Taco. There are only two reasons, IMO, to take the Taco over it.... the manual transmission, the bed.

 

Manual 4R would be super cool, but I can’t survive without a truck bed.

 

Came from a 5th gen 4Runner to my 3rd gen and can confirm the quality and “feel” is much better on the 4Runners. Weird to say but the 4Runner had a more “truck” feel to it. The Tacoma felt more sporty compared. As much as I wanted the fit and feel of the 5th gen, the Tacoma pickup platform fills my needs much better.

Old 2011 4Runner:





Current 2020 Taco:

 

Joining this older thread. I kept getting those letters and emails from the dealer that they wanted my 2018 TRD Sport Tacoma and were offering ridiculous value propositions. Specifically, a couple thousand more as a trade in than I paid for it. Anyway, just conceded and ordered a 2022 4Runner. I owned and loved a 4Runner in the 1990's, then switched to Tacoma when 4Runner no longer offered in Manual trans. Have owned a 2010 second gen Tacoma and a 2018 third gen. I have a very handy trailer for when I need to haul serious or dirty loads. So, I'm cycling back to the 4Runner. All metallic gray (96 4Runner color was called Anthracite something or other). Of course, I am waiting for Japan plant to build, shipping to haul across the ocean, dock workers to unload it, trucking to deliver to dealer and dealer prep and hand the keys to me. Hopefully this year, but I am not placing bets.

 

I owned a 1991 4Runner for 272,000 miles and loved it. When I went to replace it with a 2006, Toyota had discontinued the manual transmission, so no sale. So I purchased a 2006 Nissan Xterra with a 6MT and drive it 305,000 miles. Went to replace it and not only was it discontinued, but the Nissan Frontier, which had the same drivetrain, discontinued the manual transmission, which brought me full circle to the Toyota Tacoma, specifically for the 6MT. I do not regret my choice. No manual transmission, no sale. I would buy another 4Runner in a heartbeat if Toyota offered it with a manual transmission.

 

The drive train is a relic, but its bulletproof. I really liked the comfort of a '19 4Runner when I test drove it (and the wife even more so). Love my cozy Tacoma though and I really like the separate space for hauling things that should not go in vehicle.

 

My 4R is an automatic with a manual transfer case, my Taco is a manual with an electronic transfer case ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

I owned a 2016 4Runner SR5 for a couple years, and I currently own a 2017 4Runner Limited and a 2021 TRD OR Tacoma. They’re all great vehicles, but I personally enjoy driving the Tacoma a lot more. The 4Runner seems like it has a little more power off the line, but the Tacoma is noticeably quicker in the rest of the gears. Passing people at speed is way easier in the Taco. The 4Runner can barely get out of its own way sometimes.

Everyone bashes the Taco’s auto tranny, but I swear the 4Runner’s is worse (at least against my ‘21 Tacoma)... Both 5th gen 4Runners I’ve owned did this double downshift thing sometimes, where they will skip a gear and go from 5th straight to 3rd at freeway speed if you give it just a tiny bit too much gas too quick. So when you mean to just casually speed up a few MPH and maybe drop one gear to get there, all of a sudden you’re nearly redlining it. It’s pretty annoying. My Taco has never once done that in the year I’ve had it. I happens less than it used to because you just learn to avoid it better over time, but that’s my biggest gripe about the 4runner.

The 4runner does ride a lot smoother, but it also handles more like a tugboat. And it feels heavy to me, more like a full size. You feel the road more in the Tacoma, but it still rides very smooth for a pickup IMO, and it’s way more nimble on windy roads than the “SS 4Runner”. The 4Runner is definitely a better vehicle for the whole fam tho (2 kids and a big ass half German Shepherd/half Great Dane), but if we’re not taking the dog, the Taco works fine for the 4 of us. All in all, they are both great for very different things. I haul a lot of work related gear, and need a truck bed. I’d have to take 2 car seats out to fold down the rear seat in the 4runner to get the storage I need, so for that alone, the Taco suits me better (besides I just like the way it drives more personally). The 4Runner suits the wife a lot better hauling mostly kids. She doesn’t dislike driving the Taco, but she loves the plushness of the 4Runner. It also has heated seats, and women like a warm butt.