Comparison Appreciated

[chadwicksavage]

I'm considering finally getting my first overland vehicle this fall. I'm debating between a 4th gen and 5th gen 4 runner. I backpack, climb, and canoe. So I'm really looking for something that can be comfortable, carry gear, and mainly get out of trouble down FS roads. Not really looking to run any technical trails. Maybe something to sleep on top of in a bivy with a rack. Pros and cons of each? Thanks!

 

[jgilbreath]

I have a 3rd gen 4runner and love it.

Between the 4th and 5th though it's a tough choice.

I think the 5th gen looks way better, but will be much more expensive up front. If i was to purchase a 4th gen 4runner i would get one with the v8 as i think that, along with price, would be the major advantage.

 

[birdmann]

4th Gen all the way. With a set of long tube headers and a decent intske it makes more power than the 5th, especially with the v8. Plus it's at least 400lbs lighter than the fifth Gen (depending on trim). Parts are cheaper, the truck itself is cheaper. They get better fuel mileage. The list goes on. That's my humble opinion.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using Tapatalk

 

[bkg]

4th gen gets better mileage than 5th? I gotta call BS. My 4.0 Tacoma topped out at 18. My wife's 5th gen 4runner gets as hi as 22 on the highway, settles between 19-20 mixed. I once for 24 in our former 5th gen - Frankfort, ky to Nashville. Hand calculated. 2uz (Ft awd) and 1gr won't touch that.

 

[mjac]

I have a 5th Gen simply because I could not find a Gen 4 in the type shape/mileage I required and I wasn't in a position to look any longer. Otherwise I would have gotten a V8 for the extra towing capacity and a locker model just because.

 

[ace402]

I just bought an 06 V8 4runner and I absolutely love it. I test drove a V6 and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't all that great either. Get the V8!

 

[Dalko43]

Can't speak to the 4th gen v8, though I've heard good things about it.

I've driven the 4th gen v6 extensively. The engine feels a bit more torquey and responsive than the 5th gen's V6, but I think a lot of that has to do with the differences in weight, drag resistance (4th gen sits lower than 5th gen), and gearing between the 2. The 4th gen definitely drives and looks a lot more like a crossover than a traditional 4x4 SUV, but its drivetrain and engine is robust enough to get you down any forest or logging road. If you wanted to tackle tougher trails with it, it is definitely is a good foundation to modify and build up. I never kept track on the fuel economy, but it is rated nearly the same as the 5th gen.

I own a 5th gen 4runner now. The engine seems a little less peppy, and the throttle really needs to be pushed to get some get-up out of it (conversely this setup makes driving over rough roads and terrain a lot easier). The engine/transmission setup seems to rely a lot more on downshifting to get good acceleration, especially going up hills. I think an extra gear would have made all the difference for this 5th gen setup, but that's my humble opinion. The engine aside, the 5th gen definitely drives and feels a lot more like a rugged, traditional 4x4 out of the box....higher clearance, spartan but functional interior, big trunk space, blocky profile, truck-like suspension. A lot more off-roading options with the Trail edition and TRD Pro.

Either one will serve you will. Obviously the 5th gen will be more expensive, so if $ is an issue, I'd take a 4th gen in heartbeat. If you really need to get a little more performance out of it, adding a few suspension and tire mods shouldn't cost you much.

 

[birdmann]

4th gen gets better mileage than 5th? I gotta call BS. My 4.0 Tacoma topped out at 18. My wife's 5th gen 4runner gets as hi as 22 on the highway, settles between 19-20 mixed. I once for 24 in our former 5th gen - Frankfort, ky to Nashville. Hand calculated. 2uz (Ft awd) and 1gr won't touch that.

The fifth Gen still has a 1gr. Only it's a dual vvti rather than single. And it's not bs. My wife's truck is stock (06 1gr) and it gets a constant 23mpg, hand calculated. My bosses 5th Gen with the dual vvti 1gr gets 21, and he drives like a grampa. On mine I've got 200+lbs of armor and 33"s and I'm still lighter and more efficient than the newer larger trucks. Granted mines got some engine work done to make up for the weight. Like I said, that's my humble opinion.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using Tapatalk

 

[fbksurferjoe]

Everyone is giving out great advice, I have no experience with the 4th gen. I have the 5th sr5 as stated above its not very peppy but i dont need it. I have towed with it here and there with no issues. I have a mild lift and tires and average 20 mpg mixed stop go and highway driving. I think if it is based on money there would be no issues between getting the 4th over the 5th. I definetly like the looks of the 5th gen and was why i ended up with one.

 

[chadwicksavage]

I don't want to throw a wrench in anything but how does a newer xterra compare to either of these trucks? The cost is similar to a 4th gen (8-17ish k) but it would be significantly newer with less miles.

 

[krax]

Is this also going to be a daily driver as well?

Both are great vehicles.

It's 2016, so the newest 4th Gen is already seven years old and most will have a fair amount of miles on them. The advantage of the older models is price, the amount of aftermarket support and, if you can find it, the V8 engine. There are some with factory rear lockers, but I'm not sure about ATRAC. If you're looking at 4th Gen 4Runners, you may as well scope out the GX470 as well. You can find 2009 GX470's with less than 100K miles for around $25K.

I love my 5th Gen as an overland platform, but what I really like is how well it does as a daily driver. Modern conveniences like integrated bluetooth and back-up cameras are nice for day-to-day driving. The comfort and lack of road noise in the newer vehicles helps a lot with the long paved stretches too. I've got friends with 4th Gen 4Runners and my 5th Gen is roomier and more comfortable.

 

[Honu]

like some others 5th gen here

daily driving is really nice we have a trail and I wanted the KDSS for that flat road feeling and was impressed with it
no hard core 4x4 anymore just trails etc..
so we might travel 90 miles on the road to do 5 miles of dirt so the on road is also HUGE to consider

we also looked at the lexus mentioned and they are really nice but more road like and not quite as many 3rd party options

 

[Danimal]

My random musings. I think I win longest post award in this thread?

The frame/suspension are really not that different - one is the Toyota 120 platform (4th gen) and the other is the Toyota 150 platform (5th gen). To my knowledge, the difference is a bit of stiffening and some improvements for crash ratings. So any perceived differences in suspension, the way it drives, ground clearance to chassis components, etc is likely due to the fact that 5th gens are just newer with lower miles, changes in shocks/springs, or the perception that the big burly body of the 5th gen gives. The exceptions to this would be KDSS or other computer controls I mention below.

My father has a V8 4th gen, and I have a 5th gen Trail. His 4th gen is a really nice vehicle, road noise is low, it rides really smooth, etc. However, I really like my 5th gen because;

Body:

• Mine is a 2015, and the thing looks burly and I love the way it looks. I'm ashamed of my vanity.
• I percieve the approach/departure angles to be better, but that may just be my perception
• Projector headlamps on 2014+ models is nice
• Fits a bigger tire - my 5th gen has 285 load range E tires with only 1.25" lift in the front. My dad's 4th gen can't pull that off - but some guys on this forum can tell me if I'm wrong here
• Windshield wiper heater & mirror heaters are standard on all 5th gens

Interior:

• Seats are more comfortable - more firm than a 4th gen which I like
• Speakers on tailgate is cool for hanging out
• Rear seat (I don't have a 3rd row) reclines
• Entune doo-hicky is really nice, bluetooth and other whatnots. Things I wouldn't have asked for, but I like having.
• Ergonomics are better than the 4th gen in my opinion
• It doesn't look like a 1990 Camry in there like the 4th gen. Sorry 4th gen guys... It looks more like a cool 2010 Camry in the 5th gen. So, only a minor improvement I suppose...

Suspension/4WD:

• KDSS is available and I'm a huge fan. Around town it's incredible, with 200+lb on the roof it's even more incredible, and off road I'm convinced it improves the flex of my stock vehicle by a moderate amount. This is standard on the Land Cruiser and I like that it has trickled down to my humble 4Runner.
• Lockers are easier to find on the 2014+ model year because they significantly increased the production output of trail models with rear lockers
• Multi-terrain select & crawl control are neat little gimmicks to impress your friends once a year.

You can tell by the reasons I love the 5th gen that it comes down to how much money you want to spend vs. little "nice to have" things. Nowhere in my list does capability, reliability, or utility really come in to play. The one exception is payload as others have mentioned; if you're going to tow, then you know what payload you're after and if the 5th gen with it's lower capacity vs a V8 4th gen is a candidate or not. Either vehicle is awesome in most respects, so you need to determine how much money you want to spend vs. what you really want in a vehicle to be happy.

Dan

 

[Dalko43]

I'll add this in because I've seen a few others bring it up:

- Comfort is entirely subjective. I've driven the 4th and 5th gen back-to-back on numerous occasions. The 4th gen seats (cloth) feel very comfortable from the outset. The 5th gen seats (again cloth) feel a bit more stiff in the beginning, but you get used to them for long drives. I've also driven a few lexus vehicles. Neither the 4th or 5th gen feel nearly as comfortable as those, but we're getting into apples-to-oranges at that point. My reason for bringing this up is that I've never really noticed an extreme difference in comfort between the 2 versions.
- Everyday practicality. Bluetooth and backup camera (which come standard on the base trail, though not sure about the SR5) is definite a nice-to-have but certainly not necessary. Entune seems nice, but I'm not sure what it really offers over simply streaming Google Maps or Pandora from your iphone via bluetooth. Are any of these features worth the big premium you'll pay for a 5th gen over a 4th gen...again that's entirely subjective, but IMO no.
- MPG. 4th gen v6 and 5th gen v6 are very nearly the same with the minor difference of VVT for the 5th gen. The 4th gen is lighter, sits slightly lower, and I believe has slightly different gearing relative to the 5th gen. So if the 4th gen v6 has slightly better mpg than the 5th gen, I wouldn't be surprised, but the difference is likely marginal. With careful driving on long highway stretches and road trips, I've gotten 22mpg, sometimes 23 mpg, and ~19-20mpg with more mixed driving. Given how bulky and off-road oriented this 5th gen is, I'm perfectly okay with those kinds of numbers....everything is a compromise. I wouldn't let the marginal difference between the 2 v6's be the deciding factor for you...they'll be about the same in the long run, and obviously the 4th gen's optional v8 will be a bit worse.

In the end, they are both toyotas, both 4runners and they both work well. If all the subjective things like looks, comfort, practicality really mean a lot to you, then yeah the 5th gen is the way to go. If you just want something that will give you the best bang for your buck, especially if you are considering putting some mods into it, the 4th gen (either the v6 or v8) is without a doubt the better option. I love my 5th trail edition, but for the $, a mildly used 4th gen v8 (even with some suspension and armor mods) still comes in almost $10k below what you'd be paying for a slightly used 5th gen trail.

 

[JSimmons]

GX470 for comfort and luxuriousness if that is a concern. I had an '08 4Runner with the 4.0 V6 on 255/75R17 tires, and drove the rig cross-country loaded down with tons of gear back in 2013. Drove perfectly fine. Plus, the 4.0 did great on 87 octane gas, whereas my current GX470 with the 4.7 V8 strongly encourages the use of at least 91 octane. Not sure if that is a concern, but I suppose it is worth noting for some folks. Also, the 4.7 V8 is a heckuva pig. I'm lucky to get 16/17 mpg on the highway.

That being said, the GX470 is the same 120 platform as the 4th generation 4Runner, but it seems to make much more efficient use of space. It has a higher roofline, third row seating that can be removed and lots of creature comforts that you probably don't think you need, but then once you experience them they're great. For example, the GX470 has A/C vents all over the place which passengers (the dog) enjoy. I think it has 10 "oh ********" handles, a rear DVD system for miniature humans' enjoyment, a swing-out rear door instead of a hatch and pretty much every surface is covered in leather.

Suspension-wise, I think it is a wash. The GX470 is a tank. A pig. A pig-tank. It definitely wallows a bit more than the a 4Runner in stock form. My 4Runner had a full OME suspension when I parted with it, so it was a bit more nimble than stock. The GX470 has airbags in the rear right now, but to be honest I'm fairly certain I will be swapping out the stock suspension for a coil spring setup at some point in the near future.

If modifying your rigs is a concern - go with the 4Runner - in any generation. The GX470 does not have a very robust aftermarket dedicated to the GX470 specifically. In actuality, most of the gizmos meant for the 4th generation 4Runner seem to be interchangeable with the GX470, but you have to do a bit more research to figure out what works and what doesn't with the GX470. That being said, a built GX470 looks pretty cool!