4Runner, Tundra, or Taco??

First post. Total newbie, lol.

However, I am not new to Toyotas or to off-roading. My first new vehicle I ever bought was a 1992 Toyota Pickup. Regular cab, 4x4, chrome package. The Tacoma did not exist in 1992. Price for that brand new 4x4 Toyota? $12,800.

Today, I currently drive a 2019 4Runner with a mild 2" lift and 33s...



I love my 4Runner and it is barely broken in with only 37k miles. I have taken it on some pretty fun trails and I road trip from Washington state down to the AZ/Mexico border every January and spend a couple of weeks exploring the desert via Jeep trails.



But, 95% of the time, I am commuting to work 15 miles via a rural 2-lane highway at 60 mph. Locally, I go into the mountains of Idaho every couple of weeks to just explore, scout for hunting season, pick berries, go mushrooming, or just enjoy nature.

For deeper woods exploring, I had a 2018 Honda Pioneer 500 UTV. I would tow it into the woods in my utility trailer that has been lifted and modified...



But, I damaged my knee on a mine exploration hike in AZ a year or so ago and had to have surgery. The result was that I could no longer bend my left knee for more than a minute or so without pain. The cramped Honda P500 had to go.

I replaced it with a 2022 KLR 650 adventure bike and have discovered that it is just awful in the woods. So, I am selling it and buying a mid-sized ATV. Probably either a Yamaha Kodiak 450 or Suzuki Quadrunner 500.

My current set-up with the 4Runner and utility trailer is perfect. I can load the ATV in the trailer, head to the woods, off-load the ATV, then set up my pickup bed tent in the trailer. Great set up.

But, I've been wanting to get a smaller RV camper and the 4Runner has a max tow rating of 5k lbs. If I get an RV, then I can't take an ATV or UTV with me.

And, the trailers that my 4Runner could tow were so small, that my 6'2" 300 lb. self could not fit in the bathrooms.

So, it seemed like I needed to upgrade to a 1/2-ton Tundra double-cab 4x4 in order to haul an ATV in the bed and town an 18 to 20 foot RV.

But, to get a Tundra capable of going on the Jeep trails in AZ and on the logging roads of Idaho required a ton of mods that would be both very expensive, and reduce it's towing capability.

Then I noticed a co-workers brand new 2022 Tacoma TRD Off-Road with a 6' bed in the parking lot at work...

It looked like it could fit a mid-sized ATV in the bed with no issues. And it seemed like with a mild lift, it could accommodate 33" tires.

It might just be the Holy Grail of vehicles for me.

In summary, I need a vehicle that will accommodate 4 passengers, is capable of tackling light to moderate off-road trails, can carry an ATV and tow an RV trailer that weighs 5k lbs.

And, during the week, deliver 16-18 mpg with a lift, 33" tires, and a winch bumper while commuting to work.

So, the point of this post is to seek the collective wisdom and experience of 3rd gen Taco owners to see if they think a 2022 Tacoma TRD Off-Road w/ a 6' bed would meet my requirements. Local dealer is listing a couple in Forest Green, which is my preferred color, and I have about $20k in equity in my 4Runner.

 

Towing 5k regularly and hauling gear/people - Tundra!

Love my truck, but if I had that requirement, I would be a in a Tundy, which is my next truck. I love my Taco, but full-size is the next step for me.

 

Yes, but ones your size might not like the back

You betcha

At the same time? And with the 4 passengers, no bueno. You'll be way over the weight capacity you'll find in the door jamb. While it will tow 5k if well balanced, WDH, and brake equipped, it won't be fun in crosswinds, steep grades or long hauls.

That's pretty iffy.

Army Green

 

The Taco is basically the same as your 4Runner as far as towing, fuel efficiency and fitting 33's, except the Taco has a bed.

So if your 4Runner doesn't meet your needs, the Taco probably won't either.

 

the backseat of the tacoma is horrible. if you carry adults often, it is not a good option for you.

tundra is the right call.

 

The guy that bought my boat came with a new 2022 4runner...just got it. It had a really weird cable hookup arrangement for the trailer lights as part of its tow package, otherwise its a hell of a nice vehicle if going on a long trip.

 

I've been watching a ton of videos and eyeballing my buddy's Taco at work. The Tundra is out. Just too big, expensive, and seeing a lot of annoying little issues with them.

The Taco looks like it will tow about the same as my 4Runner in the real world. So no advantage there, other than being able to put a mid-sized ATV in the bed while towing a little camper.

The trade-off is passenger comfort; the 4Runner has much more room inside. However, I rarely carry passengers and usually my rear seats are folded down for cargo. The Taco rear seats would also be down 98% of the time with my cargo tote full of off-road supplies and survival stuff. So, it's a wash.

I was surprised to learn that fitting 33's on the Taco is the same as the 4Runner, and fitting 35's is just as expensive and complicated.

The roughly 20" in increased length of the Taco means I need much more lift in order to keep it as capable as the 4Runner. But again, I only go on challenging trails on a once-a-year road trip down to Arizona. Local roads around here are Subaru level. Anything difficult is gated off, hence the ATV to really explore the woods.

But, in a couple of months, my lease ends and I can buy the 4Runner for $24k. It is worth around $42k trade-in. The Taco I want and will have to order, is $48k. So, I can "buy" a 3 year old 4Runner for $24k, or a brand new Taco TRD Off-Road for $30k.

It's very difficult to decide which way to go. Hopefully will get more concrete numbers from the dealer soon.

 

I just posted this in another thread.

“I have owned my new TRD OR since Tuesday, and still can not get the power seat adjusted to be as comfortable for my 6’4” self as my son’s manual seat SR…..ugh

BTW - my wife, my son, and I all easily agree that the seats in both our 2022 Tacomas are far more comfortable than the seats in our 2016 4Runner SR5. After 6 years and 100K miles of 4Runner ownership, we all agree the 4Runner is over-rated.”

If you are only hauling one other person, definitely recommend the DCLB Off-road Tacoma. You absolutely do NOT need to lift it and put 33” or 35” tires on it for what you are doing. Just buy a set of aggressive 265/75/16 tires like the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT like I did and you will be good.

 

Dude, you need a Tundra for what you want to do. A Tacoma doesn’t have the power or payload capacity for what you want to do, or the cabin space for 4 adults. 2nd gen Tundras are bulletproof trucks. I’d take a 2 or 3 year old one with the V8 over a brand new 3rd gen Tundra with the turbo 6 anyday. Those are the ones with issues to work out, not the last gen. Not sure why you think a Tundra isn’t capable of doing the same trails that you do now in your 4runner without thousands more $$ in lifts, etc… They’re very capable and the cost to lift isn’t much more than a Taco… shocks and springs are shocks and springs.

 

I’ve had 3 3rd gen Tacos and 2 5th gen 4Runners…..all great trucks. Consider a GX460.

 

I'd try to find a V8 6 ft bed used Tundra if I were you

 

My wife has a 2019 4Runner, and I’ve got a 2020 Tacoma. You’re a big guy. The seats and space in the 4Runner are much better than the Tacoma. You need a half ton, IMO.

 

I love my Tacoma- but you need a tundra. Find a Super Cab, 6.5ft bed, TRD Off-road tundra. Either pre 2022 if you don’t care about tech/mpg, and want a V8, or a post 2022 if you want better mpg. Those trucks Will do what you want.

My outlander 650 fits in the bed of my Tacoma, but only with the tailgate down. Makes it a huge pain in the ass to trailer like that, not to mention REALLY slow.

If you’re just doing one at a time, then yeah, tacoma Will work. It’s a 4Runner with a bed and a a slightly longer wheelbase. MPG Will be roughly the same as your 4R.

 

One of each!

 

Get a Rokon. Problem solved.

 

They float, would own.

 

Get a V8 Tundra and you'll be very happy. Wont take that many mods to make it capable, honestly.

 

Tundra is the best choice for you. You’re too big for a Tacoma. Lol

 

this is the route i went. no regrets. have had a 4runner and two tacos... the GX is best (for my application).