1st of all a 4Runner is not a truck, it’s a grocery getter disquised as a truck. The front bumper of my Excursion has more steel than a complete 4runner.
I looked at 4Runners last year, they are cramped and drive and handle like crap (compared to more modern similiar class vehicles).
A Suburban is much better for most, probably gets better mileage and has much more room.
I’ve never understood the market for mid-size SUV’s and pickups – the gas mileage is really no better than a real full size truck or SUV only you get a lot less room.
Besides, for most SUV buyers a modern CUV is a much better choice than a 4Runner – you get better handling, more modern/advanced safety systems and suspensions, better MPG and on and on…
4Runners were great….20 years ago.[/quote]
Yeah, I’m serious. 4Runners are on a light truck chassis. Currently, they are built on a “Tacoma” chassis (formerly “Hi-Lux” chassis). They were mostly 6-cylinder vehicles, which, in the past, was mostly 4WD with a std 5-spd transmission. Yes, they “bounce” more in traffic in comparison to an AWD passenger car such as the Toy Highlander. They are now sold with mostly 2WD transmissions which are automatic. I erred when I said that it was “rare” to find a new or used 4Runner for sale in SoCal. I meant that it was “rare” to find a 4WD for sale (the 2WD’s are plentiful). Why are they so “rare?” Because their owners (all the way back to 1987) don’t sell them. Hello?? They keep them for life. For good reason. Because they last well past 300k miles if maintained. For off-road, it doesn’t get much better than than a 4Runner or Toy HiLux/Tacoma (Jeep and Toy Landcruiser excepted).
The 2013 4Runners are a pricey $40K to $50K, depending on options.
Yes, most (4WD) 4-Runners have been further modified over the years… for off-road. That is where they belong, IMHO.
Yes, I would agree that there is less cargo space in a Toy 4Runner than a full-size SUV (ex Suburban or Tahoe, etc). 4Runners are a mid-sized TRUCK. The Toy Landcruiser is built on a Tundra chassis. It is a whole different animal.
I’d take a 4WD 4Runner any day of the week or year if I could afford the weekly gas fillup (I can only afford ONE vehicle at a time). I would MUCH PREFER a 4WD to an “on-demand AWD button on the console” as is featured in the Lexus RX.
I drive in snow, mtns (very high altitude) and am a long-haul road driver when I hit the road.
