5th gen OR 6th gen 4Runner?

didn’t some folks tundras need a new engine?
I love driving loaner cars personally
one time I got a new, red Jetta, it was pretty neat. they lied about their emissions but so would I LOL
seriously though I wish you best of luck

 

Yeah only 100K folks need new engines.

 

Had to check this wasn't the same post as before because I swear this exact topic came up, but then I remembered that's just because every thread in the 6th gen section becomes about this subject (or an LC250 comparison).

If you ask this anywhere on this forum the answer is going to be 5th gen. Because of turbos, I4, blah blah blah, something something post covid build quality, etc. If you like the 6th gen, get the 6th gen. If you want to be safe, maybe wait a model year or two just in case.

 

sub'd

 

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...^^^... Great post ... this guy says what I really wanted in a 5th Gen (to be perfect for me) which was basically a few more updated electronics and and 8 speed auto to be a perfect truck for another 15 years ... lol

 

Traded a 2023 for the 2025, within 3 days I was blowing up my salesman asking if they sold my 2023. Not for me.

 

Get out of my head and reading my exact thoughts!

 

Did you end up buying back the old one?

 

Hello! I’ve taken receipt of my 1st 4Runner! It’s a 2025 SR5 4wd. I know, it’s against advice from loads of you who tried to guide me. Reasons are I got really frustrated with the prices of used 5th gen’s with low mileage. The second reason is, the 6th drives really nicely, handles nicely in turns, acceleration , wireless CarPlay. Neg Observations so far: hood vibrates like crazy and is easy to press down because according to TrdJon it’s alu & door sounds cheap when closing.

 

Congrats, keep us posted how things go.

 

^almost exactly what I was gonna say. Great minds, and all that.

 

Congrats on the new ride OP, thanks for updating us, now post pics!!

 

Don’t sweat it, as much as we complain, it’s a 4runner and it’s ultimately all about what you decide is the best compromise.

I was looking at buying new a 1.5 years ago and couldn’t go for what was being asked around me compared to used, you just ended up in an inverse situation!

 

I’m just glad that I got my 2021 when I did, since even back then Toyota was threatening to update the thing… but my only regret is that I didn’t wait for the 2024 when they finally deigned to add the rest of the farkles to the TRD Pro. I’ll keep mine forever, but I am planning on buying a 2025 Tacoma hybrid (if it ever leaves Mexico, which is a fraught question these days), so I’m also in the position of being a risk-taker. The new 2.4L turbo hybrid drives very nicely indeed, I must say.

 

Are you ever going to tow anything? I'm not sure how the 2025 turbo is going to like that. I'd wait until that was "real life" tested to commit to one.

 

Tacoma 2.4T’s been around for a bit longer so that will help and turbos in a gas engine have been around for a very long time.

There can certainly be issues but it isn’t like F-150 EcoBoosts are blowing up towing left and right.

 

Wifey was telling me a woman she works with traded her 2021 5th gen SR5 Premium in on a new 6th gen SR5 a couple weeks ago.

Apparently she didn’t like the new one because wifey said her coworker traded it back in and got her 2021 back. Her old one hadn’t sold yet, lucky for her. Unbelievable. I wonder if she lost money on that deal.

As for me, I’m still not tempted in the slightest by the new one. I was at my neighbor’s again the other day, he has a new Tacoma with that pee wee 4 cylinder. We popped the hood on it to admire(?) it. I didn’t say anything to him of course, but I’m just not impressed at all with that rat’s nest of wiring and plumbing under the hood on those new ones.

 

Did she say what she didn’t like about it?

 

Sorry for delay. Didn't realize I had a question to answer. I myself was very curious about the woman's concerns, so wifey got me on the phone with her.

One of her biggest complaints was she didn't like the handling, particularly the steering. Maybe she could have gotten used to it, given time to adapt. (Curiously though, quite a few weeks ago, I got to drive my neighbor's brand new 2024 (new old stock 2024 left-over) Toyota Tacoma. I thought the steering sucked on that as well. I assume it's the same design of steering on the new 4Runner? I didn't say anything negative to my neighbor about it. But it's beginning to sound to me like Toyota did something to cheapen the steering on these things?)

After that, in no particular order, her other gripes- She claimed that the new 6th gen T4R had less rear seat legroom than her 2021 model. Her new 6th gen did not have the power tailgate, and she said the tailgate was too hard to reach up and pull closed compared to her 2021. She said the infotainment screen would quit operating intermittently on her new 6th gen. She said she didn't like the way the rear seats folded up to stow compared to her 2021. She also didn't like the sloped (her word) floor of the rear cargo floor when the rear seats were folded up. I gotta get to the dealer to get inside one of these things for myself. She was disappointed in the fuel economy. She said she had expected a big jump in fuel economy with the new one, but apparently that is not the case.

Maybe this vehicle is going to be too heavy for that little piss ant 4 cylinder engine, the vehicle weight negating any chance for noticeably improved fuel economy? I guess time will tell.

So, I don't know. That's just one person's evaluation. But, it did leave a bad enough taste in her mouth that it drove her back to the dealer to reclaim her "old" dinosaur 2021. Interesting. I wonder if others are going to be getting buyer's remorse and wishing for their old T4R back. I want to drive one for sure. But I can't imagine seeing myself giving up my beloved 2022 5th gen.

I just found this funny pic on line a few days ago and saved it. I laughed when I came across it. It sums up my opinion on what I call the tiny piss ant 4 banger. LOL. Hell I don't know. I'm just an old fart caveman stuck in the olden days. I subscribe to a couple of good old slogans- "There's no replacement for displacement", and, "IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT".

I don't give a rat's behind about needing to rely on a turbo to help force-feed an under-sized engine. If one of these things eventually pulls up beside me at a stop light, and then blows my doors off with their turbocharged jack rabbit start, I don't care. I just drive normally. My big 4.0 V-6 has plenty of power for me and the way I drive. I have nothing to prove to anyone with how I drive.

 

Spot on. And don't forget the new price tag ain't pretty either. So lots of challenges there. I think we will see a whole new customer base on the 6th Gen. And many of us old farts' looking at other platforms in the near future or just dying with the 5th Gen slowly.

 

It is probably due to the new to 4Runner electric steering to work with driver assist steering and lane centering. People who are used to hydraulic steering systems often find the electric steering overboosted and vague at lower speeds.

I have a version of it on my 2025 MY subcompact(from another brand) I bought this year and it kind of sucks, my 20 year old Corolla has better steering feel. But that's the way all new cars are going and there was exactly choice of 1 if I wanted a manual so I have to live with it. :/

LOL. These are all points people here have raised but got dismissed by optimists who weren't buying a 6th gen anyway.

 

I think that card expired after putting out essentially the same vehicle for 15 model years.

 

So what? What do you do with the 4Runner such that you find the 6th gen does better than the 5th gen?

 

The leg room, cargo area and mpg are what I have been suspecting for a while now. I’ll glad a 5th gen owner has now finally owned a 6th gen and given a good comparison.

 

I think that will be true. 4Runner newbies will be buying the 6th gen while past owners will be keeping or looking for used 5th gen’s.

 

No clue. Just an observation that changes were due.

 

I gotta agree, my wife has a 24 GMC Acadia AT4 and it’s a much better road car than my 23 OR, mpg, ride, better speakers, comfort, room. Off road of course my 4runner is better. If i drove mostly on pavement and not trail roads i’d get something other than a 4runner.

 

Yah, I guess I can also understand what you're saying Jack M. But in my particular case, here's where I'm coming from- I've mentioned previously on the board here that when I obtained my 2022 SR5 Premium 4WD in November of '23, I was fresh out out of my 2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 Double Cab 4WD, which I had purchased brand new for myself.

So for me, this 5th gen T4R is a thrill to have, something "new" and exciting for me personally, even though the 5th gen has been around for 15 years, lol. I am so satisfied with it, that I fully intend on keeping it for many years to come, No interest in the over-priced, pee-wee engine 6th gen.

It's hard to explain- Even though the "dinosaur" 5th gen is "new" to me, it feels like an old friend, it reminds me in ways of my '06 Tundra. I feel completely familiar with it, and I feel I can "trust" it, like I did my '06 Tundra.

 

9/10 times I'm using mine for commuting but go camping every month or so in the wilds of the Ocala National Forest or Georgia - which requires hauling a 6x10 cargo trailer as a camper - but I'm not doing any strenuous off-roading, although the ONF can get dicey if we've had heavy rains. In town, keeping at speeds of 30-40mph my mpg range from 17-23. At highway speeds of 70-75 (I call it the Land Yacht for a reason - this thing lumbers and isn't built for speed) the mileage typically drops to around 20-21mpg. The driving is surprisingly smooth and nimble. I'm so happy for having finally purchased a 4Runner that if I won the lottery right now, I'd keep my 4Runner as my daily driver but would add a Lexus GX550 for when I need to do serious highway travel and hauling. This vehicle cured me of coveting luxury vehicles such as Mercedes, Porsche, etc. I'm VERY happy with mine and what I need it to do.

If I were to purchase another 4Runner in the future, I would wait at least 5 years and see what happens with the 6th Gen. Let Toyota work out the kinks first.

I also prefer the looks of the 2021 Land Cruiser over the new one. The new one looks cheap although the price tag will tell you differently.

 

I agree T F. If 6th gen buyers are happy with their purchase, cool.

If, God forbid anything bad happens to my 2022, ie. if some SOB steals it on me, or some idiot wrecks in to me, I'll be on the hunt for a good clean pre-owned 5th gen replacement. I don't see myself owning a 6th gen.

Another thing that concerns me is this new upcoming Honda Passport SUV. Not that I currently have any interest in owning one- but I see it is going to retain using a naturally aspirated 3.5L V-6. For those who are poo-pooing the seemingly tiny 4 banger in the new T4R, the V-6 Honda may be an attractive alternative. I think Toyota is making a grave mistake dumping the V-6 from the T4R. But what do I know. Time will tell.

Other than that- ALL these new machines, regardless of brand, pickups, or SUVs, are JUST TOO DAM F'ING EXPENSIVE! Screw that. Who the h_ll can afford them? I don't want those kind of payments strangling me. But I'm also retired. If you're working, and on a secure 6 figure income, more power to you. But for the average person, these prices are absolutely ludicrously criminal. Highway robbery.

I don't know. I just think anything north of say 40K for a 4Runner is nuts. They are out of their cotton picking minds with what they're asking. I guess I'm living in the past for sure with my idea of prices. I'm thankful I was able to snag my pre-owned 2022 SR5 Premium 4WD for just north of 31K (before taxes) back in November of '23. And, we just paid it off recently. No $700.00 plus / month car payments here.