Tacoma to 4runner - Pros/Cons?

Hey all, I have a baby on the way and am thinking about trading in the Tacoma for a 4 runner for more room especially since I found a dealer that will sell 4runners at MSRP and my Taco is worth $5k more than what I paid for it last year.

For those that have made the switch or have both vehicles and can talk from experience, is it worth it? What things are better and worse about the 4runner?

Right now, I can't get my rear facing car seat in the rear pass seat and have someone sit in the front pass seat, if I put it in the middle, there's no shoulder room in either rear seat. My thought is a 4runner I could use the rear passenger seat and still have someone sit in the front seat and other back seat. And a few years latter, if we have a second kid, we can put two in the back, I can't sit comfortably with a rear facer in the anything but the middle seat in the Taco.

Questions:
- This would be our family car, our other car is a small hatchback commuter car. Also my wife won't drive the truck, she says it's too big (it's too long), is the 4runner's shorter length going to be easier for her?
- Is gas mileage only truly going to be 2 MPGs worse between the Taco and 4runner?
- Does the 4runner ride smoother?
- Does the 4runner have worse power/gear hunting than the Taco or about the same or better?

 

We have both vehicles and love them both. Yes, the 4Runner has a shorter wheel base so turning will be easier. However, the interior feels larger than the Tacoma although it really isn't. That being said there is more space between the front and rear seats in the 4Runner than in the Tacoma.

I think our 4Runner is smoother on road. But it is an SR5 vs my Tacoma which is a TRDOR. The OR is definitely smoother over larger bumps, particularly with a little speed. My OR also has off road tires while the 4Runner still has the stock highway tires.

MPG is very subjective to how you drive. Both vehicles have range estimators and the one on our 4Runner tends to read about 70 miles less than the Tacoma but those are only estimates and need to be taken with a grain of salt. Generally the 4Runner gets a little worse but my wife usually has a lead foot and also does city driving while I commute farther and go slower to get better MPG. Both seem to fill about the same amount when we do a trip from Marquette, MI to Cadillac, MI (302 miles) on our way back home. That's doing roughly 70 MPH for half and 80 for the second half with both vehicles loaded down (although the Tacoma has a RTT and bikes attached while the 4Runner has everything packed inside).

As for "gear hunting," my Tacoma doesn't really have this issue. The 4Runner seems a bit smoother but it has the 4.0L with 5 speed and a different final gear ratio than the Tacoma. But, that being said, my Tacoma seems to handle acceleration at highway speeds much better than the 4Runner which feels sort of sluggish by comparison.

 

I debated this a lot before buying a 21 Taco. I've driven both. I have friends on both sides.

The 4.0 is better, it just is. I've driven both and the 4.0 even with 1 less gear in the 4Runner automatic and it picks up at lower RPM. I don't mind it daily anymore, but the 3.5 sounds droney and there is no replacement for displacement, even .5 liters. Also, I'd put my money any day on the longevity of the 4.0 over this 3.5. Both are still going to outlast the competition on the average though.

Manual transfer case! None of this electronic maybe it will engage nonsense. I don't go on hard trails honestly, but I've had it engage immediately and I've had it take 200 feet of movement. When you're by yourself this sketches me out.

4Runner feels bigger. It's a big ass beautiful box. I don't drive a DCLB Taco though, so YMMV. I will say on trails going around fallen trees and whatnot I'll take the Tacoma.

Gas mileage depends on soooo many factors. I get 19-20 on my Tacoma, I don't know any 4Runner in real life getting that. Driving style and mods matter though. Don't buy either one for a daily if that's a dealbreaker.

Both have a lack of gears compared to other brands, the Taco gear hunts more noticeably because of the engine drone. That's my opinion, again it doesn't bother me at all in the 21 stock computer. People are picky.

The ride depends on which suspension you buy. 4Runner has an option for their KDSS suspension. https://www.autoblog.com/2020/01/23/toyota-4runner-suspension-deep-dive/ I honestly don't know what ones I've driven. I commute my Tacoma daily and it's compact but fits me just fine.

 

My wife has a 4Runner.

It's much nicer overall than the Tacoma. Better engine with more power. The transmission is fine to me. I can't compare to the Tacoma since mine is a manual. Quiet, smoother, and more comfortable. We choose it on most road trips. Gas mileage is generally poor but it has slightly better numbers than my Tacoma. No drastic difference though. 0.5 to 1mpg difference typically.

The 4Runner is easier to turn around or whatever than the Tacoma but it's still pretty big.

 

First of all, congrats on the kid!

In 2020 I traded my 2017 Tacoma in for a 2020 4runner. Due to the same thing as you, needed more interior space for our dog crates and eventually room for a kid.

I liked the 4runner more than the Tacoma and still do. The 4runner has a larger interior, more leg room for the rear passengers. The interior is quieter and more “refined” than the Tacoma. It’s also nice to put things in the hatch and not worry about rain or theft.

However there are cons, the bed is the main one and only one I can think of. You greatly lose hauling space and everything a truck bed offers.

Wife got pregnant 8 months ago and made the decision to give her the 4runner full time. I ended up buying another Tacoma ans trading in her sedan as it was too small for a kid (stroller, etc.).

if you can afford it, I’d keep the Tacoma and get her the 4runner.

 

Not every 4Runner comes with this. Our SR5 does not have a manual transfer case.

 

That's good to know, I was not aware of that. Only been in Off-Road/Pros myself.

 

It's still not bad. Not as good as the electronic one in my 2008 Canyon, but it gets the job done. Same can be said for my Tacoma as well.

 

We have both vehicles as well, a 2017 4Runner Limited and a ‘21 TRD OR DCSB Taco. Both are 4x4 and both are auto trans. The 4Runner definitely has more room for the back seats, although I’m able to fit a rear-facing car seat on the passenger side of my Taco and my wife (5’ 4”) can sit comfortably in front of it. I have a front-facing carseat behind me and I’m 6’ tall and still have plenty of leg room, as does my 4 year old behind me, so the Taco still works fine for my family of 4. The 4runner has about an extra 6” of leg room back there though, so it’s MUCH better for adults in the back seats.

Gas mileage is virtually the same between both, but I do have a camper shell on my Taco. Not sure how much of a difference that makes, but probably not a whole lot. Both get about 18 avg. with all types of driving combined.

The 4runner is smoother on the road. the Taco is smoother off road. But, both do either pretty darn well.

My Taco never did the gear hunting thing, neither does the 4Runner. I have Sprint Boosters in both vehicles and I have the “ECT always on” mod on the Taco, which puts the shift points where I like them, especially with the constant weight of my camper shell and stuff in the back. Both had very anemic throttle response from the factory and the Sprint Booster took care of that in both vehicles nicely. The 4runner is slightly quicker off the line, but after 1st gear, the Taco feels noticeably more powerful. At highway speeds, the Taco has a lot more power to pass cars, and I prefer the Taco’s 6 gears to the 4runner’s 5.

I think both engines are great, and I really have no preference between the 4.0 and the 3.5. Anyone making any claims that the the 4.0’s reliability is better than the 3.5 is pure conjecture. The 3.5 has also been around in different forms since about 2004, and has proven to be a very reliable engine over the past 18 or so years. We’d surely know by now if it had major flaws like past Toyota V6s like the 3.slow/blow.

The 4Runner turns tighter than Taco, but not enough to really matter to me. Here’s the biggest thing ofr me though…

I prefer driving the Taco way more than the 4runner! I’m a truck guy and if I had to pick just one, it would be the Taco by a mile. My wife would pick the 4runner though because she likes the more luxurious feel and it is a better kid hauler, no doubt. The 4runner is also better if you have a dog. We have a half great dane/half German shepherd, so he goes in the very back of the 4runner with the back window down whenever we take him with us. It’s a lot more comfy for him than the cold truck bed.

 

- This would be our family car, our other car is a small hatchback commuter car. Also my wife won't drive the truck, she says it's too big (it's too long), is the 4runner's shorter length going to be easier for her?

well that depends on your wife. lol. it is shorter and easier to drive a little bit. i kinda didnt notice a diffrence.

- Is gas mileage only truly going to be 2 MPGs worse between the Taco and 4runner?

stock for stock, i think the 4runner will eat little more gas. its just an accient motor.

- Does the 4runner ride smoother?

oh yes it does. the whole suv feels better made then the tacoma. the tacoma feels much more simple and "plasticy" where the 4runner feels better made with more isolation.

- Does the 4runner have worse power/gear hunting than the Taco or about the same or better?

the 4.0 does have more torque and it has less gears so its not going to hunt as much as the 3rd gen tacomas. the tacomas were designed to shift up and down more often.


im kind of in the same pickle as you. about to have a kid and was thinking of upgrading. didnt even think of the 4runner. its a nice suv but its accient and gets horrible mpg for the power that you get. im looking into getting a 2018 f150 3.5L Twin Turbo. still a truck. lots more room then either of the toyotas. and can get 18-20mpg average stock.

 

Have a 2019 TRD off road 4runner and a 2019 TRD off road Tacoma with a manual trans... the 4runner is well built and feels solid but it's a soulless appliance to drive.

 

Yeah, but it’s a Ford. When that thing breaks down, dies and goes to the great scrapyard in the sky in a decade or so, all the Tacos and 4Runners made around the same time will just be hitting their stride and will keep running reliably for another 10 or 20 years.

 

I went from a T4R to a Taco, but my reasons were mainly due to space/convenience. I was flipping houses at the time and was towing a trailer with all-kinds of stuff for the various projects. Just got tired of the towing if it was not needed, when those tasks could be better handled in a long bed Taco. As others have advised, for a family SUV, the 'Runner is better. If you need to use a bed a lot, then the Taco is preferred.

 

I am debating this too. What seat are you using ? I have a rear facing seat for my newborn and have room for someone in the back (either side) when the baby is anchored in the middle (as recommended).

 

I've owned two 5th generation 4Runners and now the Tacoma. If I was rich enough, I'd have both. Only reason I gave up the 4Runner is to have a longer wheelbase for added stability for towing our travel trailer as well as a spot to throw dirty/wet/muddy stuff without worrying about messing up the interior. Now that we bought a house last year, it'd be impossible for me to not have a truck bed. Even just having the short five foot bed, I put it through it's paces all the time.

Quality and daily livability-wise though, the 4Runner wins out in my opinion, especially since they've added the LED headlights (headlights were absolutely garbage before that). I absolutely loved my 4Runners. And you can't beat having the full rear window roll down - such a great feature. And yes, the interior feels much more spacious on the 4Runner as well. 4Runner transmission is much more predictable. Rear disc brakes are nice. Gas mileage might as well be pretty comparable.

But unfortunately, I need the truck bed and with it just being me, wife, and dog, limited back seat room isn't a huge issue, although it is annoying sometimes.

Only thing to look out for is during your test drive, run up to highway speeds and back down a few times. Some 4Runners have a strange front wheel wobble that people struggle with finding a solution for and apparently Toyota can't figure it out either. Changing wheels and tires can make it either worse or better. Seems to be a crapshoot.

All that to say, if I didn't need the longer wheelbase and bed, I'd give up my Tacoma for another 4Runner in a heartbeat, but I still really love the Tacoma.

 

Good:
I have both, and as much as I love the Tacoma, I will drive the 4Runner every single day if I’m not going to the mountains offroad. It’s an overall better feeling on road, it’s very roomy inside, the engine is decent, and generally feels like a more “complete” vehicle. MPG won’t make a significant difference. Depending how you drive, it is maybe a 2-3 MPG difference between the two. The 4Runner is a few feet shorter than my Tacoma. Fits easier in our garage.

Problems:
The 4Runner isn’t a truck and will never do truck shit. That’s a major problem.

 

I really liked the 4Runner, more so than my Tacoma but my wife liked the Highlander even more so we went with that since it would be her daily driver. Have you considered a Highlander instead of the 4Runner?

 

I’ve had both came from T4R to my Tacoma. Pros and cons stated well above. If you are making a change due to having kids do yourself a favor and buy a Sienna. Seriously, the minivan makes everything easier and will be handy hauling gear on more civilized road trips. We love our minivan and drive it almost exclusively (keeps the mess out of my truck ). The 4Runners are great vehicles, Tacoma’s are great vehicles, the Siennas are great vehicles. Buy what fits your lifestyle best.

 

Get rid of the small commuter and replace it with a 4Runner.

The way people drive nowadays, busy texting and driving, I would be afraid of having my small children inside a small commuter.

Plus rear facing seats is only for 2 years or so.
Time flies so quickly!

 

I have both. For me I would never not have a truck. I use the bed for to much. The cab is smaller in the Tacoma but we do okay with a New born and 5 year old. It’s just a little tight (I’m 6’1”). There is much more room in the 4R for car seats.






- Is the 4runner's shorter length going to be easier for her? It is shorter but I find them equal when driving. It’s no harder or easier than the Taco.

- Is gas mileage only truly going to be 2 MPGs worse between the Taco and 4runner? Yes.

- Does the 4runner ride smoother? It drives extremely smooth for a 4x4. I was impressed.

- Does the 4runner have worse power/gear hunting than the Taco or about the same or better? It is much better than MY Taco but I’m on 33”, armor, bumper, etc. To me it drives way smoother and gets up to speed better.


I bought my Taco to do truck stuff and with full intentions on off roading it. It’s my favorite vehicle I’ve owned.

I bought my wife the 4R for a family vehicle, big cargo area, 4x4 and that I won’t have to worry about her out in the snow or other bad weather. It’s refined. It’s one of the last years of the generation so all the kinks and issues have been resolved. I really like it but I wouldn’t replace my truck with one.