My 5th gen 4runner vs 3rd gen tacoma comparison

I've owned a 2018 tacoma trd off road (3rd tacoma is the current gen tacoma 2016 to current) and currently have my 2021 4runner trd off road.

3rd gen taco was cement (loved that color) auto transmission and the 3.5 v6 which is controversial since a lot of guys aren't a fan. The issue isn't so much the v6 but the ecu mapping from the factory due to cafe standards. It did gear hunt some and when I merged on the freeway I found having to put it in sport mode and down shifting manually helped.

Tacoma had halogens but led drls (2020 tacos were the 1st year to have led headlights). My truck had the technology package which meant color matching rear bumper, blind spot monitors and back up sonar. Surprisingly the 4runner has none of it, the taco had the tss as well.

One part I did like over my 4runner is the Tacoma had an inclonometer/gyro on the scroll thru menu which showed you the pitch and angle of the truck. The 4runner has that utterly stupid and useless screen where to shows you the position of your front wheels and rather poorly.

Tacoma trd off road had no hood scoop, the trd sport does but no locker with the sport. The trd off road has mts, and crawl control. Also only cloth seats as the Tacoma doesn't have a trd off road premium model (they obviously have the pro which comes in softtext).

The back seats are way roomier in the 4runner. My taco was a double cab but to get a baby seat, we had to move the passenger seat almost all the way forward.

The taco is also a c channel frame compared to the 4runners stronger fully boxed frame and if you did frequent off roading you have to box the frame or get bed stiffners for the bed.

While the 4runner does have a shorter wheel base, the ground clearance is very low stock especially if you have kdss. Stock taco has a higher ground clearance.

Also with the tacomas they kick down the pro colors to all their models the year after unlike the 4runner.

Taco is made in baja Mexico or Texas and obviously the 4runner is only in Japan.

Seating position was a little low on the taco where your legs are almost flat out, the seats seem a little better quality on the 4runner.

Overall both great vehicles but the 4runner is the better built vehicle and the better choice for camping/off roading (strictly numbers wise)

 

Congrats on the 4Runner and thanks for the write-up.

 

I had an '18 tacoma OR. It got totaled recently and I switched to a '21 T4R. I have to agree with pretty much everything in your post. Thanks for sharing!

 

The 4Runner has an actual transfer case lever, rotating electrical switch on the Taco...

 

That's right! Well only the trd 4runners, the sr5 and limited are rotary knobs like the Tacoma

 

I had a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road and had a love/hate relationship with it. Loved the looks and how it drove when I lived in a mostly level area, but then I moved to a hilly area in the mountains and the transmission drove me nuts. traded it in for 2018 ram 2500 6.4 hemi... I loved the ram and the power it had, but stiff coils and solid axles front and back, made it hurt my back to drive on the back roads around where i live (and my half mile long gravel driveway) so I wanted to start looking at something with IFS again and missed the off capability with the tacoma so traded the RAM for a used 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Premium. I have no regrets with any those 3 trades.. I tell people the 4runner is everything I loved about the taco with nothing I hated lol. the 4runner is less gas milage than the other 2, but comfortable, tons of cargo space, and shorter wheel base than a 4 door wrangler. I can go almost everywhere my side by side goes on my land with the 4 runner, places neither truck could fit. I'm happy with it. I added a 2" leveling lift and rock sliders to 4runner and that's it. the taco had a lift and 33"s and sliders as well. the RAM was bone stock b/c it was too heavy and big to do any off roading i like lol. side note... I enjoy driving the 4runner around back roads around here almost as much as my motorcycle! which is pretty awesome if you ask me