Tacoma to 4runner - Pros/Cons?

We have owned the 4Runner and currently have a Highlander and Tacoma. The Highlander is the superior family vehicle, in my opinion. It rides MUCH smoother than the 4Runner and was recently redesigned. You’re going to need more space, so SUV or minivan will be more practical. I traded my 4Runner for the Tacoma because having a truck and a SUV was more practical.

 

Cant help with the 4R, but my Britax Marathon Clicktite (clickright?) fits behind the driver seat with the seat pushed all the way back.

That being said, we're looking to grab a 4R in the next couple of years. Theres no room for two kids and a dog in the taco

 

I've leased a 2017 sr5 4wd 4runner and now a 2020 TRD OR 4runner. The 2020 TRD OR 4runner rides so much smoother than the sr5 models. Both are very comfortable for road trips (better seats, higher visibility) and feel very solid going down the road. More so than the Tacoma. Also, the 4runners shift so much better than the Tacoma. Another bonus is the 4runners are built 100% in Japan. (Toyota quality).

Downside is no power lift for the rear hatch (aftermarket options available), it could use more HP/TQ, and gas mileage is significantly worse than the Tacoma. Another thought, the rear doors are shaped/cut awkward for reaching in and out, which could be an issue if you're reaching in and out to access a child's car seat.

I drive the 4runner way more than the Tacoma and unless I need the truck bed for something the Tacoma usually sits unused most of time.

I didn't care for the unibody Highlanders, but they're worth driving for comparison.


Edit: I'm planning on buying the 4runner outright at the end of lease if that tells you anything.

 

I should also mention the 2020 and up 4runners have redesigned their radios like the Tacoma's to accept apple car play. The downside is they don't put out hardly any wattage/sound to the rear speakers. Our 2017 4runner had a much better sounding factory radio.

 

I traded my 2017 4Runner for my 2020 Tacoma. Agree with previous post to test drive at highway speeds to check for the front steering wheel wobble. It was present in both of my 4Runners. The 4Runner would be a better family car in my opinion, due to the backseat room. That said, I raised my kids in a 2002 Tacoma (1st double cab Toyota made I think.) But, the 4Runner will be better suited for a family car. Kids require so much stuff! I also agree with a previous post that the Tacoma is more fun to drive. The 4Runner was nicer I guess, but boring. Honestly, if looking for a practical family SUV, our Subaru Forester has been awesome. Or maybe a RAV4 or Highlander or Honda Passport? The 4Runner will be better off road but for daily driving duties, there may be better options.

 

Havent only owned a Taco and a 2nd gen at that, I dont think the interior space is drastically more in the 4R. I'm in the same boat having had my first child and my 2nd in the next few years, I think for us the options are 1A) 15-18 Tundra or 1B) 13-16 Land Cruiser. That massive jump in interior space would warrant changing vehicles IMO.

 

I have a 21 Tacoma Sport and the wife has a 21 4Runner limited. The 4Runner is a more refined and comfortable vehicle overall. Part of that is the fact it's a limited. We had a 2104 4Runner SR5 and it wasn't nearly as quiet and comfortable as the limited. Another nice feature the limited has is full time 4WD.

If I was in your position I would also look at the Highlander. It has considerably more room and would be better for a growing family. However if you want to retain the off-road capability the 4Runner is the ticket.

I am in the minority because I actually prefer the drivetrain in my Tacoma over the one in the 4Runner. There is actually very little difference IMO, but the Tacoma feels sportier to me because it like to rev. The Tacoma seems to get slightly better gas mileage on the highway.

 

I have a 2018 4Runner Limited and a 2019 Tacoma AC TRD OR. First, the 4Runner has awesome visibility when driving it. Meaning it feels smaller just because you sit up and it has a lot of glass around you to see out of. It's my wife's daily driver, which she loves it. I love driving it too. MPG is slightly less then the Tacoma (-1 or 2 mpg), and frankly, I like it's 5-speed better, being more responsive (not hunting gears). Set the cruise control on 80 mph and it goes.

We also have the Limited, which besides 4 part-time and 4-low, its always in full-time four-wheel drive, which in the winter we have a lot of mixed road conditions, which the full-time is great to have as it sticks to the road like glue. I personally would suggest to look at the Limited for that ... I like my wife having that added safety. Plus, the leather seats are also really nice, and the back seat has a lot of room for passengers, including plenty of room in the back. We've taken road trips with friends and it's very comfortable for four adults and luggage. The 4Runner is a solid ride.

The Tacoma of course has the truck bed value, which is why I have it. I frankly think that having both makes a great combo. If you need more of a family friendly ride, I think that the 4Runner is it. Longterm I do plan to replace the 20" wheels with 17" TRD wheels.

 

Chico Keyfit, it clips into the base in the car and then into the stroller.

 

Give the Sienna a try.

Vehicles I have had in the past:
4Runner: 1994, 1999, 2004, 2019
Corolla: 1995, 1999, 2003
Odyssey: 2000
Sienna: 2012, 2013

Currently: 2016 Sequoia, 2019 Tacoma

For a family with new baby(ies), minivan is the most practical vehicle. We were skeptical with it at first, bought a $2000 beater Honda Odyssey before our 1st one was born, after my second came along couple years later, we had 2 Sienna's at the same time. Wife drove the very well equipped AWD XLE, I had the bare bone one. These things made life so much easier.

I traded in mine after 150k trouble free miles, it still had the original spark plugs. She's used to 4Runner's before we had kids, but really it's kinda small. Sequoia is what she ended up with, and I traded her 4Runner for my current Tacoma.

 

I agree we have a 2021 Highlander Limited and that thing is super nice. We really enjoy it.

 

The 4Runner will save your ass in an accident.

 

I've always liked SUV's and the 4runners are beastly with beastly history.

 

This lol. There is no replacement for displacement in terms of cargo space. If this is your first kid and you plan to have another get a minivan. Get an AWD model, ready to overland off the lot. Ours is fwd and is like a fukin rocket. Still don’t understand why it has a better power and shift logic than my newer Tacoma…It is a very nice ride and one less thing to worry about with kids. Plenty of space, low to the ground, with huge sliding doors to get kids in and out. Get a Sienna now, 4Runner later.

 

A cannot speak to a T4R specifically, but i did go from a 2016 DCLB to a GX470 and as far as family life and dad duties....SUV platform hands down.

 

FORD!? We were a long time Ford family (my dad worked for Ford in the 60's). We've had many! my wife loved her Excursions. Too many engine/drivetrain issues....
I ordered a 2015 SHO twin turbo with the Performance Package. I had the car for 6 months then they did a software upgrade (recall). Then the fun started! Dashboard kept going black while driving. Infotainment system kept crashing over and over again. Couldn't control the radio, AC, defrost, NAV. Very dangerous when the windows fogged up. It spent 6 months at the dealer who couldn't fix it. They brought in a Tech "specialist" who just reinstalled the software. It worked for 15 minutes then crashed again. They wanted to pull out the dashboard and replace the wiring harness. They said it would take another 4 months (with no loaner!)
I wanted them to get me a new car. They tried a head swap on the infotainment system. It worked long enough for me to trade it in. Bye Bye !
I guess what I'm trying to say is Ford just didn't stand behind their defective products. This wasn't a cheap Fiesta! It was an expensive vehicle.
This is my second Taco and it's just as great as the day I bought it. My first Taco (Gen 2) had 280k before I sold it. My Fords barely made it over 100k without draining my bank account.
Toyota owners don't let Toyota owners buy a Ford.
But if you do - be forewarned.... Learn from my expensive mistakes.

 

Swallow your bro' pride and get a Highlander. Problem solved. 4Runner is an outdated dinosaur and the Tacoma is pretty tight for hauling around a baby. Of course, I hauled babies around in a 91' Civic, so its all relative .

 

We have both, and i have to say that if i was looking at having kids, the 4R wouldnt be on the short list as a kid hauler. We love our 4R but...
I would be looking at something with 3 rows of seats, and space behind that last row. Kids take up a lot of space. I have a 3 that are grown, and 1 that's 12.

 

Hey man, I went from a Taco to 4runner 10 years ago. Have 237,000 miles on the T4R now and have made many a long multi thousand mile trips with 2 kids. I couldn't be happier with the runner. As a matter of fact, I just moved into a 2017 Land Cruiser and my boy will drive the 4runner now that he is old enough! I had britax car seats rear facing followed by booster seats followed by no child seats in the T4R with zero issues. I've averaged 18-19 MPG and run KO2's. I highly recommend it as a family hauler with some good off road capabilities!

Is gas mileage only truly going to be 2 MPGs worse between the Taco and 4runner? 18-19 MPG if you drive mixed, less off road obviously
- Does the 4runner ride smoother? Depends on your tires. If you go LT vs P, pressure will be higher and will feel rougher. Stick with P stock at 33 psi and it's pretty smooth. I also have KDSS.
- Does the 4runner have worse power/gear hunting than the Taco or about the same or better? I thought it was about the same, only around 45MPH or in mountains. Switch to sport mode in mountains and issue goes away.

Hope this helps!

 

We had a 5th gen 4R for 4 years, before trading it in on a Sequoia. First things first, you need to know that the various trims of 4R have drastically different suspension systems, and even different driveline. A Limited 4R is very different from the rest, and obviously KDSS in other trims can make them different.

Anyway, if you really need space and have the budget, the Sequoia is the better family car. It also has WAY better drivability with the V8 and 6spd. It's no off road King...

As far as 4R vs Tacoma. If you don't need a truck bed, the 4R is better as an every day car. Bunch of nose dive with the 4R. Close a door on the taco then on a 4R, noticable difference, and that's similar in every inch of the vehicles. I know I'm not allowed to talk positively about the 3.5L on this site, but I like the driveability of my Tacoma better than the 4R with the 4.0. 4.0L feels less strung out, but felt more gutless in the 4R than my Tacoma with the 3.5L. I'm not saying the 3.5 would be better in the 4R, just that overall drivability of the engine/trans combo of each, leaves me liking the Tacoma better.

If I didn't need the Tacoma to do "truck stuff" with, I'd pick the 5th gen 4R 10 out of 10 times for myself and for a family. And keep in mind, I do not have the gear hunting, engine/trans complaints about my Tacoma that is talked about... If I had drawn that straw, I'd favor the 4R even more.