No offense meant to Tacoma owners, but...

I'm in a loaner crew cab while my 4runner is in the shop. V6 auto, and what a disappointment. 6 sounds like a 4, never seems to know what gear it wants to be in, seat cushions seem too short, and a slightly weird driving position. Other than better brake pedal feel, the 4runner is a massively better drive than this thing. Not really sure why these Tacoma's have such a rabid following after spending some time in this thing. Makes me appreciate the 4runner more.

 

I have a Tacoma and my wife has a 4runner. The 4runner is more comfortable for trips. The Tacoma has a bed and I can haul stuff. They both have their purposes.

you’re kinda comparing apples to oranges though. Ones a truck ones a suv.

 

I get that but I've driven plenty of trucks that drive great. There are some aspects of the Tacoma that just seem substandard. The jerky indecisive transmission for example.

 

The automatic gets a lot of complaints. Some say a re-tune helps a lot. Plus the fake Atkinson engine makes less low end torque than our 1GR.

I know a bunch of people who have them and love them.

 

my transmission doesn’t give me issues. Sometimes it searches but I’ve had the same issues with the runner. However the Tacoma is a midsize truck with a midsize engine. The trucks you’ve probably driven have V8’s.

I love both my 4runner and my Tacoma.

 

I have a 2022 Tacoma TRD Off Road along with the 4Runner. Great little truck. No steering shimmy, no complaints on the transmission and only one panel/skid plate for removal during an oil change. 4Runner is better for long trips and I prefer the driving position in the runner as well. Would not get rid of either.

 

I’ve had both, the 2nd gen Tacoma drove better than the 3rd, but my manual 3rd was pretty nice. But yes, the 4Runner is more comfortable and 15 to 20 grand more than the Tacoma.

 

Not just full sizers. I recently drove a newer Colorado and it's a night and day difference. More comfortable, rides better, better performance. Just a massively superior truck. I'm not saying the Colorado will hold up as well over the years, and I know it won't hold it's value as well, but it's a better driving truck. Most of the comparison tests put the Tacoma behind all the others too.

 

I drove a Canyon Denali, and Tacoma before buying my 4R. By far all Canyon trims were more comfortable than the Tacoma for me. I still don’t trust GM quality the way I would like but I think it looks great and was comfortable for sure.

I just like the SUV and Toyota 4R write up better. It’s nice to have a roof over all my stuff and it fits in garage easier.

I would definitely be tempted to try a Canyon though. The Taco was a rough ride for me and the bed seems flimsy compared to the canyon. The doors, bed and hood just seemed more solid on Canyon. Not picking on Taco guys this was just my initial thoughts after an afternoon with them.

 

different strokes for different folks I suppose. I prefer the Tacoma over ranger and canyon/Colorado.

 

I drove my friends 2017 rubicon recon wrangler that was lifted 3.5 inches on 35s, now that was a uncomfortable ride compared to my 4 runner (granted it isn’t lifted) felt like I was in a tiny ass box driving something with very shitty steering (not a fan of steering gearbox handling, especially when lifted) and a SLUG. I don’t know how people enjoy wranglers as a DD unless they don’t drive long trips. My brothers Tacoma is pretty nice for a little truck and he has no complaints at all loves it.

 

I had a 2017 TRD Sport before moving to a 4Runner. The build quality is definitely a step below 4Runner, no question but the price reflects that somewhat.

It's more cramped, a bit janky and clunky (get used to the noises) but for a mid-size pickup it's still the best one out there and the most reliable.

Yes the 3.5 has little low end torque but I actually find it a bit peppier than the 4.0 for acceleration when you are already at speed (passing, merging). The gear hunting is an issue with the 4Runner too but overall the 4.0 is a truckier engine, with truckier gas mileage - the 3.5 is more sophisticated with a touch better mileage but yeah, anemic low end torque.

My biggest issues were 1) Tacoma Lean - this tendency for the truck to sag to the drivers side fairly noticeably and 2) ice buildup in the door jam that bent the door near the hinge when I tried to pry it open. Despite this being reported on the forums but quite a few owners and seemingly a design flaw, it was not covered by warranty and with that I was done. I had it fixed at a body shop on my own dime and traded it in for a 4Runner.

That said... I still miss it sometimes..

 

Agree with you, I just came from a 2018 TRD Off-road Premium Tacoma. The low end is a little weak, but IMO it has a lot more get up and go than the 4.0. The 4Runner seems like a dog to me. Once you got the Tacoma in the middle of the RPM range it would move, it handles better as well IMO. The quality may seem a notch above on my 4Runner ORP, but it was also 47k vs the $33,900 I paid for the Taco back at the start of 2019. I must have been lucky, I didn’t have any of the abnormal shifting that you hear about. It was an awesome truck and looked great. I just needed a little more interior room for my growing boys at this point. They are both great vehicles, I feel it boils down to if you need a bed or not.

 

^^^ That is a damn good looking truck.

 

My trade for the 4Runner

 

When I lost my 2nd gen, I didn't want a Turd gen simply for the drivetrain and the exterior styling is not my favorite. I do miss having a pickup at times though.

 

I find all mid size pickups uncomfortable and too cramped. But then in a full size it’s like I’m swimming in an ocean.

 

I'm gonna say this:

I had 16 Gen 3 Taco before moving to a 21 4Runner. I wish Toyota hadn't gotten rid of the 4L V6 in the Tacoma. I dropped some serious dough in my Taco (including getting a tune). Having said that, I miss my Taco sometimes. But I really like my 4Runner. But as someone else mentioned, each has their own purpose. One's a hauler. The other is a grocery getter (you can your own puroses lol).

 

Where are you seeing Tacomas for $15-20K less than a 4Runner?

Or, are you comparing a base, 2wd Tacoma to a 4Runner?

 

So maybe it’s more lie 10 to 15 grand.

 

Seems to me a base SR V6 4×4 Double cab is about $6500 less than a base SR5 4×4.

 

So here they all are.

 

Yeah. So, in order to compare prices, you need to start with a double cab Tacoma with power windows.

Aside from that, the Tacoma off-road starts around $6500 less than a 4Runner off-road.

So, it looks like about a $6500 difference when comparing comparable models.

Edit: the biggest difference looks to be about an $8,000 difference between the limited Tacoma and The limited 4Runner.

 

To get into a Tacoma your at 27, to get into a runner your at 38.

my point, your paying more for the 4Runner than a Tacoma. My original numbers where based on my recent purchase, what it cost me to.

 

Yes, you can get into it Tacoma for 11,000 less. But, for a comparable vehicle you are paying 6 to $8,000 less.

I always hear comments about how ridiculously expensive the 4Runner is compared to the Tacoma. But, when you compare apples to apples it's not as bad as people make it sound

It's like complaining that a Camry is more expensive than a Corolla. Well, yeah, they're different vehicles.

 

What year is the loaner?

 

I love my 2.5 Gen 4.0. It’s a great truck & not a turd Gen. 2009-2015 Tacomas are awesome trucks!

 

I bought my 2nd gen in 2015 knowing the 3rd gen (as a relatively unproven platform) was right around the corner as I wanted something proven and tested. Worked out fantastically well, sold it at 80k miles with zero issues for a crazy amount pre-COVID and never should have sold it. Hoping to duplicate the experience with my incoming 'Runner.

 

Not actually sure if it was a '21 or a '22 but it only had 800 miles on it.

 

what trim?