What to expect if I swap my 4Runner for a Taco...

I don't know man, we have a blast in ours. I guess it's all in how you use it. I use it to take my family camping, kayaking, and off-roading. There are a lot of trails in Tennessee, and you'd be surprised what a mostly stock 5th gen can do. The A-TRAC is surprisingly great, but some of you Taco guys already know that. I'm trying to keep from bolting more crap onto my truck (bumpers, winch) that I don't really need except in specific off-roading situations. As far as my 4R interior goes, it just seems to me to be very well made utilitarian.

I will say the 5th gen 4R transmission's factory shift points took some getting used to. That wasn't fun. It tries to get to 5th gear as quickly as possible. If you don't put your foot into it, it will try to get to 5th gear before you hit 35 mph. I just keep it out of 5th until 50 mph by keeping it in Sport mode.

 

Well, if the 4Runner’s factory shift points were difficult for you to adjust to, you really need to take the Tacoma for a long and diverse test drive. I’ve had both recently and, to me, the 4Runner shifting feels pretty normal. The Tacoma is intentionally geared for better mpg and, if I’m reading your statement correctly, might make you crazy. If you can accept that it shifts the way it does to optimize gas mileage you may be fine with it. But it does shift earlier and more often than the 4Runner.

 

One potential reason to go with the Tacoma is the ability to get leather seats and a six speed manual with exceptional reliability. This is the reason we’ll likely end up going Tacoma. Not many options out there bring all those to the table.