Exhaust sound on TRD Pro

I am thinking about getting a 20-23 4Runner TRD Pro. I had a 20 Tacoma TRD Pro and I hated the exhaust sound.
Does the 4Runner TRD Pro share the same exhaust and if so, has anyone switched out the mufflers on either a Taco or 4Runner TRD Pro with standard mufflers?

 

Actually, I have both a 23 Tacoma TRD PRO and a 22 4Runner TRD PRO, and, on the 4Runner the exhaust is a little louder and more drone than on the Tacoma, so you'll probably find it even more obnoxious if you didn't like it on the Tacoma which is almost 5 ft behind the cab.

The exhaust sound on the 4Runner grew on me tho, I also have a snorkel which adds a bit of noise and now I find the one on the Taco a bit too quiet.

I wouldn't change it right away if I were you, maybe it grows on you as well, and, if not, you can always do it 6 months later.

Oh, Loud pipes save lives!

Just my 0.02 not looking for a debate.

 

Thanks for the info and insight. Your idea of waiting a bit is valid. Thanks again!

 

Hey, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it..

And, i edited above, after you posted, also, my hearing isn't the best, 25 years of working construction and renovations and never wearing hearing protection, so don't take my input as gospel.

LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!

 

My parents have a 24 trd pro 4 runner and I have a 23 trd pro taco. The trd exhaust on my truck barely sounded different then stock on my brothers 17 taco. The 4 runner with the 4.0l on the other hand sounds much better and deeper, I really like it.

I got sick of my exhaust and put a black widow venom 250 muffler on it. Much better, not crazy loud barely any drone but enough sound to make me happy. My old colorado zr2 had a black widow widowmaker on it and was very loud.

I could never figure out why people actually pay money for the trd exhaust on tacomas and say it's the best sounding option

 

I'm of the opinion that neither vehicle deserves to be loud.

Whether it's a NA 6 or a turbo 4, neither have a cool sound. No acoustic trickery will make it sound cool. Every expensive exhaust, every one sounds like you drilled a hole in the muffler. Ptptpthptpthptgprh.

There are many ways to make the truck cool. Sound isn't their strong suit. Just my opinion, feel free to enjoy the vehicle how you please.

 

My issue with the exhaust sound is that I am old and most of my miles are on Interstates and I like to be as quiet as possible.

 

Most of the stock noise trickery happens on purpose. Delete the resonator(s) if it has one (under the hood and/or above, the muffler), butyl mat the doors and rear.

It took a weekend, but my 3rd Gen is rather quiet and pleasant from doing so.

 

We have a 2022 TRD OR with the pro exhaust (and the lift, air intake, grille, and skid plate) and a 2024 4Runner Pro.
The Runner seems louder....could be because it's an automatic, (versus the manual on the Taco) so it gets revved up a bit more when accelerating, but I notice the difference.
As another poster mentioned, having the tailpipe further away, and under the bed instead of the passenger compartment may contribute to the Taco sounding quieter to the driver.

 

I never thought about the tailpipe being farther away on the Taco than on the 4Runner but it makes sense. The butyl mat is a good idea. Years ago I had a 1st gen 4Runner that the guy I purchased it from put the mat throughout and it was surprisingly quiet on the road (just really slow).

 

I think it has more to do with the 4runner having a different engine then the tail pipe being further away. My truck has the exhaust dumped above the axle and it made zero difference in sound from stock.

 

I really like the 4Runner TRD Pro but I am beginning to wonder if I would be better off with a GX460 (or GX470).

 

The 4runners and gxs are very nice. I really like my parents pro, terra with 275/70r17 at4ws and the roof rack delete. Pretty clean unit.

 

The exhaust on the 4Runner Pro sounds good except paired with a 5 speed transmission, I wish the gear shifts were a little less audible at times.

If you are even considering a GX, I'd just go that route. The 4Runner feels less refined and more truck-esque and rugged so if leaning towards creature comforts the GX might be a bit better for you.

 

The only bad thing about the GX is the fuel consumption paired with the premium gas requirement. My buddy has one and his 11mpg is rough on trips.

 

11MPG?! That's poop. I hope it has a slightly bigger fuel tank, those stops for gas would get old.
In the 4Runner, we average 240 miles out of a tank I'd say. 15MPG if I'm cruising 80-85 on the highway.

 

Yeah he has 33" KM3s which force him to carry the spare on the roof. But even at low speeds on the dirt it doesn't do great on the consumption front.

 

Are we still talking the TRD PRO tho?
Because the exhaust on my 2021 Tacoma TRD Sport was quieter than on my 23 TRD PRO.
Also the exhaust on my 2022 4Runner TRD PRO seems to be louder than the exhausts on the OffRoad I test drove, which is what the OP seems to wanna do(replace the PRO exhaust).

 

Re: TRD Pro exhaust - I had a 4Runner TRD Pro test vehicle for a week a couple years ago and the exhaust was... a lot. Not just the volume, but the tone and something about the frequency/resonance just made it bothersome after an hour on the road. And I was daily driving a Miata at the time, so the fact that the 4Runner's exhaust bothered me is saying something. Needless to say, I loved the TRD Pro as a whole but wasn't a fan of the exhaust at all. I remember thinking that if I were to buy one, it would be the first thing I would change, even if it meant replacing it with a stock exhaust from a lower-trim 4Runner (I owned a 2018 TRD ORP and the exhaust never bothered me even if the 4.0 isn't a great sounding engine).

Fast forward years later and I put an aftermarket exhaust on my GX460... the volume can also be a bit much at times (long uphill sections of highway) but the sound of the V8 is actually worth hearing...

As for gas mileage, the 11 MPG mentioned by @Cetacean Sensation is an anomaly. Fuel economy isn't a GX strong suit but a lot of people get close to 4Runner fuel efficiency numbers when stock and equal or better to a 4Runner when they are modified in similar ways (the V6 has to work a lot harder to push around a lifted truck on heavy tires than the V8 does). I can still swing 18-19 MPG on long highway drives in my GX, and it's lifted on 34"s with a bunch of armor. The around-town gas mileage is bad, but it wasn't great in my 5th gen T4R either (or any of my 4Runners for that matter). @dms90 if you're seriously considering a 460 and have any questions, I have a ton of experience with both vehicles and an happy to help in any way I can.

 

My 23 TRD Pro exhaust was annoying. Not cause it was loud but just droned burbles gurgles and sounded shitty. The annoying stuff.
Added the K&N intake kit and it changed the sound to a more low deep sound throughout the daily driving rpm range. No more of that V6 burble. Much better.