New - Soon to Be - 4Runner Owner

Hello,

New here to the forums and about to embark on the joys of 4runner ownership.

After 3-4 months of shopping - I finally was able to put a deposit on a car expected to arrive this week (paying MSRP! - no mark up!).

I have a deposit on a SR5 Prem - 2WD. I honestly had no intentions of doing any serious off-roading so the 2WD vs 4WD didn't really weigh any factors in my decision making. However, having watched hundreds of videos on Youtube and watching the Off-Roading capabilities of these machines - I am now unsure if I am making the right decision of a 2WD purchase, even if I don't intend to take it off roading.

Would love the expertise of the veterans on the forum!

In Short:

Is the 2WD still capable of some basic Off-Roading to get my feet wet? (can I still have some fun with the car?)


Thank you all!

Mike

 

I'd definitely hold out for a 4WD. If you never intend to use it, it will at least boost your resale value by more than the difference in price. Also, I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

I get around in 2wd in things i needed to be in 4wd in my Tacoma, the weight over the rear end really helps out a lot in snow and loose dirt. I don't go off road much (mostly fire roads and stuff you could drive a car on) but i like having it so i can go and do something stupid at a moments notice. Or for the couple weeks a year that a sedan wont make it out of my cul-de-sac in the winter. I don't know where you live but around me 4wd will always be easier to sell and sell for more money than 2wd.

 

Def hold out for the 4wd!

 

With all due respect I say 2WD 4Runner is a very bad choice. Waste of money with less ground clearance vs 4wd models. Waste of gas.

If you don't plan any off roading why not something like a Highlander Hybrid? From what I see they are very reliable with 10 year hybrid battery warranty (forgot what is a mileage. def over 100K miles).

For gravel roads 2 of my friends have much lower ground clearance Honda Pilot (7.3in) so far no trouble. (Highlanders have 8.0 ground clearance.)

 

I live in Southern California - being new to this, I don't have an idea if the 4wd resale value is that much higher than 2wd (I'm sure the 4wd is much better but not sure if its marginal or significant). I definitely see the growing population of off-roading enthusiast so I can see it being a key point when it comes to resale.

@kmeeg Thanks for the feedback and I understand your viewpoints. However, my decision on choosing a 4runner over a Highlander comes down to some very simple things: 1) If MPG was a concern, I would've never looked into a 4runner to begin with. 2) I love the look of the 4runner. The Highlander, not so much.

Thank you all for the inputs. Going to really put some serious thought into this now. Will have to put my dealer on hold for a few days and see if they don't cancel my reservation.

 

Good AT tires will help a bunch.

 

This is basically the extent of my off-roading plans. Fire-roads, loose gravel, terrain, going off trail to a camp site to explore. I don't really plan on climbing rocks and boulders (at least not on a 2WD car).

 

4WD or there are way better road vehicles out there.

 

especially for such a small price difference for what you get.. 2 speed 4wd (2H, 4H, 4L), better ground clearance, better approach departure angles, A-trac, downhill assist,etc..

 

I almost got stuck in a gravel parking lot in a 2wd Taco when I had one. I would never buy a 2wd 4Runner unless you plan on just driving it to and from work and to the mall.

 

Looks like its 100% clear cut here.

4wd 4runner or get a prius. Hahah.

Thanks all, calling the dealer to take me off the 2wd reservation.

 

@ysbear,

Did you request that configuration or did the dealer already have an allocation for it? I don't see 2WD models listed around here, but maybe in this market dealers figure they can move anything and it's just about getting inventory, no matter the build.

Good luck with whatever you end up with.

 

Dealer had an allocation for it. Just happened to be the build and options that I wanted on the car from factory. Actually quite surprised it didn't get reserved. I was initially told a 3 month wait on a T4R of any trim.

Then I randomly got a call from a rep I had spoken with that he found a car that just slipped by all the other sales reps. The car was due for a 1-1.5 month arrival when I put the deposit down 1 week ago. Got word last night that the car is expected to be delivered at the dealership in 3-5 days.

SR5 Premium in Grey Metallic --- but 2wd - MSRP with no Markup.

 

Just go 4WD. The mpg difference is negligible and the 4Runners powertrain is pretty much bulletproof (aside from the needle bearing issue some folks have) which negates the common argument that a 4WD/AWD drivetrain is too much of a hassle or risk to maintain.

 

4wd is the way to go. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it later down the road.

 

Our driveway gets covered in ice most winters. 2WD doesn’t cut it. Sometimes I can’t even back up I out of my spot in 2WD, let alone get up the small incline.

Sorry, but a 2WD 4Runner is like a capon.

 

Curious to see if the general consensus would change if there is no worry for ice, snow, or loose gravel lets say... for 361 days of the year.

 

That 2WD 4Runner probably "slipped by" because nobody was interested in a 2WD 4Runner, haha.

I just I really do not see the point of getting one of these in two-wheel drive. It's not a great car to drive if you don't need/want to off-road capability, so I don't understand why one would suffer with the poor handling, slow acceleration, and terrible mileage with such reduced off-road capability.

 

How about sand...? If so, maybe give a little more thought to a 4WD model.

Can't speak for the 4R yet as we're still waiting on ours, but FWIW, I ran a new 1990 2WD Jeep Comanche for about 5 years in a region that gets more than 100+ inches of snow a year. Throw some studded tires on that thing, a few bags of sand in the bed and that thing was unstoppable. It was also a stick, which I think helped if you're used to driving in snow. Either way, @hallcs has a good point - tires make a huge difference and a 2WD 4R may be more than capable for your use case.

I imagine there's a reason why the 2WD allocation is available but... if 2WD fits your needs, buy it and enjoy it. You may be waiting a very long time for it's 4WD equivalent. Your $, your choice.

 

Put some good tires on it and You’ll be fine. I believe your runner does have electronic Limited Slip Differential. Basically the 2wd version of TRAC. So you should be better off than just a regular open differential.

I committed a similar sin by installing a spacer lift on my 4wd runner, but miraculously I’ve been off roading for 3.5 years now without any problems.

 

I would personally go for something else other than the 4runner if i was looking for 2WD.

I understand that you like the look of it, but you might also regret it down the road as you're might start going a dirt road then slowly have the itch to go on trails where 4WD is necessary (not necessarily rock crawling).

Like others have said, it's better to have it and not use it (until you actually need it) than not have it and not being able to use it if you ever need it. And the price difference is really not that much if you're buying brand new.

 

Get the 4WD. Even though you live in southern CA you can drive to and explore the deserts, Joshua Tree NP, Moab, various UT and AZ trails, etc. Don’t limit yourself.

Plus, you may need 4WD to hop the freeway median to escape the traffic during the next Zombie Apocalypse.

 

then at the very least i would pack a towrope and always wheel with a friend, but that's just a good practice anyway 4wd or not.

 

It’s about a $1k difference. You’re overthinking it just get the 4wd. Just my .02 cents

 

yup. just get a minivan. more space, probably better handling, better MPGs, faster, etc etc. if vanity if the only reason, its your $$. do what you want.

 

Money isn't the factor. If it was a factor of course I wouldn't be looking at a car with the highest score in gas guzzling performance.

The 4runner is a reliable and good looking car and far better than any Jeep on the market (2wd or 4wd).

I understand the die-hard community of 4wd or get a minivan. When I had my 07 STi, I was in the AWD - Boxer Engine cult and all EVOs were pieces of junk in comparison. I get it.

Allocation is tough for a 4wd. I just wanted to see if it was popular opinion to just wait it out and join a waitlist of hundreds of others trying to get one (clearly that's the opinion here).

And for those that think there is allocation for 2wd options, there are NONE. And if dealers have them, its with good reason (5k markup on a 2wd is a stupid buy).

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

 

that’s all it is, our opinion. It’s your money not ours, life’s too short man, get whatever makes you happy and go with it. It’s not like this is a 4wd or nothing place.