Some thoughts after demoing a 4th gen

So I just got back from trying out the demo at my dealership. I have previously had a 2017 TRD Sport DCLB and currently have a 2022 ORP 4Runner so that is the frame of reference I'm approaching this with. The demo unit was a DCLB Sport 4x4 premium automatic.

First, right of the bat I am back to the comparatively cramped visibility that is very similar to the 3rd gen but if memory serves, a bit worse on the 2024 actually. My 4Runner has huge boxy windows and it will be hard to move away from that.

The fit and finish of the truck, compared to my Texas built 2017 and Japan built 4Runner was actually pretty impressive. Everything felt solid, modern and "expensive" whereas some of the components of the 3rd gen felt cheap even when it was new. I didn't spend 2 hours playing around in the cabin but the buttons and switches felt heavy, stiff and again expensive feeling.

The seating position is definitely better than the 3rd gen but my issue was that at a comfortable seat height my visibility to the cluster becomes a bit obstructed especially with one hand on the center of the wheel. Almost like you are looking down at it at an angle. Mildly annoying but maybe I needed to adjust the seat more.

The steering feel is very modern and car-like. Obviously I was expecting that but coming from a dinosaur like the 4Runner with hydraulic steering it stood out immediately. Picture the steering feedback of a new Camry, that's what it feels like for better or worse.

On to the drive, the engine and the transmission....

So this is where I was impressed the most by far. This turbo 4cyl feels BEEFY. It sounds good, it feels grunty, the turbo spooling is very noticeable and frankly sounds awesome. No issues with responsiveness, normal mode felt very trucky and sport mode felt more like a muscle car. The transmission was remarkably smooth. None of that ridiculous gear hunting the 3rd gen is infamous for and that even the 4Runner has - it was buttery. I want a stick shift but this is making me have second thoughts.

Braking is good, no nose diving like the 4Runner, feels very planted.

Tested the transfer case briefly on city roads in a straight like. Works like you'd expect and know with Tacos and 4Runners. You switch on the fly and it blinks until the front end is locked. The 4lo is very easy to flick into by mistake but it has a lockout and will just beep at you to switch into another mode.

Overall the truck feels big, heavy, expensive, beefy and refined if those are enough adjectives. Still nervous about long term reliability but this thing is way more fun to drive than the 3rd gen or the 5th gen 4Runner. You will not miss the 3.5 or the 4.0. Trust me on that.

Interested to know what anyone else who has demo'd a unit thinks.

 

I think that it’s an overpriced mini Tundra and an actual CrewMax Tundra can be had for what these are going for.

 

Posts like these make me want to swap to the new manual truck…I like my truck but I don’t like the 3.5L. I need to test drive. I actually have a hunch the new turbo motor will be more reliable than the 3.5L, but time will tell on that of course.

 

Now for the good news. In this wonderful country we live in you don't have to buy one!

 

Be thankful you got the manual, bc the auto is total dog poo… Don’t see how ppl even deal with it

 

Just swap the engine while you do the transmission. What’s another ECU among friends anyway.

 

I'm a fan of the 4th gen and if I had known it would be available with the 6MT I would've waited. They address all of the small annoyances that I have with my '22, which I'm still in love with.

 

I just took delivery of my 24 Limited and I agree with your assessment. I was surprised by the level of fit and finish on mine. The Limited trim adds things like soft touch door panels on the top of the door, auto up windows for all 4, acoustic glass (don't know if all trims have this or not) and every light on the truck is LED. Even the Canyon Denali still has incandescent turn signals.

Everything in the cab that you touch feels solid. The seats are excellent with good adjustability. The 2.4 is awesome and the transmission is so much more responsive than past Toyota 8-speeds. It feels alot like driving a diesel with all the low end torque available. No it's not an F-250 power-stroke but its nice to have the grunt at low rpms. My Tacoma was $55,687 MSRP. I paid $52019 out the door. I feel like I got a hell of a truck for that price!

 

I really dig the 4th gen roofline especially..really cool

 

Can you though?

 

Is your 4Runner stock? Was the 2024 in normal driving mode? The 2024 Sport you drove had leather seats and the 14” screen?

 

Which dealer did you buy from?

 

Jim Norton Tulsa, OK

 

You got $5,000 off MSRP? Oklahoma dealers suck very much so I’ve found.

 

Jim Norton in OKC was a good dealership for me also.

 

Hopefully they’ll be better than the 3.4 turbo V6. They’ve apparently been having a lot of issues with them in the new Tundras - some are needing new engines in less than 20,000 miles.

 

55,687-52019=3668 so no unfortunately I didn't get 5k off. I just got lucky. I wasn't on any waiting list I just wanted to drive one. Wasn't really ready to buy yet. There were none on the lot that weren't already sold. I went inside and it was sitting on the showroom floor. It was a dealer trade from Waco, TX. They had just cleaned it up from the 300 mile road trip. It was still dripping water on the showroom when I got there. Sales guy says it hadn't been there an hour before I bought it.

 

Haven't driven one, but would like to take a PRO trim around the block. Interesting feedback about the car like steering. Apparently it's an electric rack. Curious how that will hold up or work with bigger tires.

 

Sorry, OTD implies taxes included to me so figured you were around $50k pre-tax.

 

The two engines are quite different in several ways, hopefully that means the Tacoma motor is better. The timing cover system is designed as two layers (front and rear covers) which should pretty much eliminate timing cover leak issues. I’m not sure about the Tundra on that part. Electronic controlled wastegate in tundra while simple reliable vacuum controlled on Tacoma. That should be a win. Single turbo vs twin, so half as many turbos to go bad, if that’s a concern. As for complete engine failure, no telling on that one with the Tacoma and no telling on the tundra, but failures do happen so I can’t say much about those. Could just be an unlucky manufacture on those. I care more about the design choices like the other items mentioned above.

I’m excited for no stupid things like composite coolant pipes on the back of the motor. Since it’s a 4 cylinder with only one bank, no pipe needed. Should be another pesky issue to avoid. Time will tell, I’m sure it’ll have some of its own undesirable problems but I feel like this is the truck they put all their R&D into. The way they announced the 3rd gen, it felt like almost no R&D went into it. They essentially threw in a slightly tweaked Atkinson motor from the FWD cars and sent it.