There are no ill effects. The 4th gen V6 has the same center differential, so nothing will be damaged if you use it on dry pavement. The parts are basically identical to the V8, but there is a 2WD mode in the transfer case and an Automatic Differential Disconnect (ADD) up front. Just don't lock the center differential on dry pavement. The 5th gen (except Limited trim) has no center differential, so it would be bad to leave that in 4WD all the time.

AWD is great on the 120. Seriously.

Why would you ever want to leave it in 4hi that is the main reason not to buy the V8. Who the hell wants to drive around in awd all the time go buy a subaru. Also the towing difference is barely noticeable if you need to tow that much go buy a vehicle that was meant for towing. So basically all the v8 gives you is a marginal amount more power which is then taken away by being in awd all the time, worse gas mileage and oh yeah a nice $1000 gift every 80,000 miles.

I look at it this way....a Hand Job (V6) and a Blow Job (V8) both achieve the same result. BUT one feels so much better!

I love my V8 AWD, wouldn't change it.

Love my v8.

I agree, I love my V8 AWD and wont change it. From my research the gas mileage difference is only 1 miles / gal so next to nothing. I also love the AWD, its lot of traction - much different than 2wd.

I'll line my V8 runner with 35's and stock gears up against your V6 any day of the week! You can then try to tell me how it is "marginally" more powerful. lol
You do NOT lose any power in AWD, and actually after driving around for a week without the front driveshaft I can tell you that in 2WD you can hardly get it to hook up. Awesome burnouts/donuts at will though! As for mileage, stock it does great. I consistently got 19mpg, which is great for a 5000lb box on wheels. Lets see what mileage the V6 gets with 35's .... The same or worse, especially since it's working way harder to do anything and everything. The timing belt I'll give you, it's annoying and retarded, but there is a huge difference that numbers on a piece of paper just can't show you. As for AWD only, well get an FJ cruiser t-case, bolts right in, then you have 2WD for day to day life.

Will say that for my first mileage check, on a trip across the State, I got 19 going and 20 coming, driving on the e-way at 68 mph. Faster, I would expect to be much less, and this with the V-6 in 2wd.

Yup, at 60-70 mph long cruise I averaged the same. 70+ it dropped fast! City/highway combined I got 16. Nowadays with the big heavy tires and lift I average 13, and 80+ on the freeway nets me 8-9mpg! Lol.

Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.

This back and forth arguing is hilarious.

All I'll say is that I absolutely love driving my V8, brings a smile to my face every time.

The sound of dat V8 doh!
https://m.flickr.com/photos/132186222@N08/30665102013/

Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.

If yer getting mud on yer windshield you must be doing something right.

I have had some wheel time in the GX470 and my v6 T4R.
The only thing I really liked about the V8 is that it really flattens the hills.
The V6 is constantly down shifting.
They really dont feel much different to me as far as get-up-and-go.

Related question: Do the AWD v8's generally last as long as the v6's that run in 2wd, without major repairs? I mean the longevity of the driveline (t-case, differentials, etc). I had a 2000 2wd with 230,000 miles for a few months last year (all I could afford at the time), that needed the whole rear end replaced from worn diff gears, bearings, and u-joints. And it had never even been taken offroad. I ended up selling it instead of paying to fix it. I don't look forward to having to replace all of that mess on my 2003 AWD if it starts to go! I figure it sees a lot more wear and tear over the life of the vehicle compared to the v6 since it is constantly being used and stressed, even as a pavement princess. Of course this is all just conjecture, but has anyone seen a noticeable difference between the two, since people generally drive these trucks to very high mileage?

Of course the engines and main components can go forever on these trucks but when all of the expensive 4x4 parts start to go, I imagine maintaining these things gets very pricey.