I am a seven time Tacoma owner. I have owned two 3rd gen 4runners. I am in the market for an SUV for my family now. What do you guys think of the 4th gens? What are the advantages over the 3rd? Mainly will these do mild off roading factory? What are the lines? Is the base the sport? I would like selectable 4wd and not alltime. I appreciate and Thank you for your opinions!

Jeff

Obviously, we're biased here in the 4th gen section. But when I was originally buying a 4Runner, I was torn between the two. I chose the 4th gen for a few reasons. 4th gens have way more power, whether you get the 4.0L V6 or 4.7L V8. I like the full time 4WD because it doesn't impact MPG enough to be significant and I get great traction in all conditions (and it's easier on the tires too). Gas mileage is better with the 4th gens as well. I like the size of the 4th gens overall too, not to big, not to small. The 4th gens have a stronger frame over the 3rd gens. The only advantage of the 3rd gens is more stock ground clearance, which is easily fixed with a minor lift on a 4th gen.

Definitely the 4th Gen for the power, space, and nicer ride. V6 if you want a selectable 4WD. I wanted full-time 4WD, so my choice was easy. I went with the V8.

Like mentioned above; 4th gen v6 SR5 sounds like a good match. Some have a third row, if you need it.

I have one of each and if I were forced to sell one, the 3rd gen would go. The 4th gens have a more desirable size and style to me. Better power and comfort. I love both 4runners, but the 4th gen wins out in every category if you ask me. Don't throw the full time 4wd out before you research it and drive one. I felt the same way you did, but now that I have the v8 I could never go back (and I've had a few v6 4th gens before my 08 v8).

I had a low mileage 2001 that was totaled in an accident this summer. We replaced it with a 2007. I have to say that in some respects I preferred the 2001. I really liked it's size compared to the 2007. The V8 is nice as I primarily use the 4runner for towing or carrying passengers. My daily driver is a Frontier. No serious complaints about the 4th gen but the one thing that I wish that I could change is the idiotic power latch on the rear hatch.

Really?! I like that feature and the auto close function, except for when the battery is disconnected and you need to open the rear.

Curious to why you don't want AWD? It's the same Torsen torque sensing differential as the acclaimed Audi Quattro with the added ability to lock the differential to act as a traditional 4x4. It's a very good system that offers very little(arguably zero drag) parasitic drag on the drivetrain and improves handling in most all conditions.

Coming off a '98 2WD SR5, I knew I wanted a '09 Trail Edition. It took soooo long to finally find one I almost pulled the trigger on a low mileage 99 Limited. Really, the late 3rd gen limited's with selectable full time AWD and rear locker are only barely eclipsed in capability by the 4th and 5th gen TE's and then, only by a little. The engine and refinement / comfort of the 4th gens is far superior, however, and Im and very glad I held out for the TE I was looking for. At first I thought the 4th gen was humongous but now it just seems perfect in size, big enough, but easy to park and off road on tight-ish trails. The problem with 3rd gens now is that with the kinds of mileage you find them at, 4th gens are only a couple grand more for a whole lot more truck. Like others have mentioned, the crappy ground clearance of the 4th gen is easily handled by either a simple spacer lift or a more capable full suspension upgrade, still very reasonably priced.

As someone who just went from a 3rd gen (99 SR5) to a 4th gen (07 SR5 V6) I can tell you that the 4th gen feels way more refined and "updated" than the 3rd gen. Even the newest 3rd gen (2002) is really based on a 1995-96 design, so you're talking about a platform that is nearly 18 years old.

The ONLY things I liked about my 99 over my 07 are the manual shift lever for the transfer case (I HATE the dial 4wd selector!), the nice factory clearance (mine was a "tall coil" 99) and the rear E-locker which wasn't available on the 4th gen until its last year (2009.) And really the suspension and selectable locker can be fixed in the aftermarket.

The three things that impress me most about the 4th gen are: 1. Significant increase in power 2. Decent increase in MPG and 3. Much less interior noise compared to the 3rd gen.

The things that bugged me the most about my 3rd gen were the combination of lackluster MPG (I could hit 20-22 if I really babied it but only on long highway drives and never while pulling a trailer) combined with the small fuel tank resulted in really short range (as in, I was typically filling up at around 230 - 250 miles.) OTOH, the 4th gen not only has noticeably better MPG, it also has a much bigger gas tank (23.5 gallons) and as a result, it's easy to get over 400 miles on a tank.

We dropped like 25K on our 06 V8... DUDE GET A 3RD GEN THEY'RE SO MUCH BETTER

Are you being serious? Why are they better and in what sense

The 4th Gen has a lot more space, more power, more refinement as others have said.

But what hasn't been mentioned is that the 4th Gen is a lot safer than the 3rd Gen, which may be a consideration for its use as a family SUV.

What do you guys think of the 4th gens?

-Love mine! Best vehicle I've ever owned, easily.

What are the advantages over the 3rd?

-Already covered: More spacious, more power, better fuel economey, more refined, more modern, etc.

Mainly will these do mild off roading factory?

-Yes

What are the lines? Is the base the sport?

-The basic trims go:

SR5
Sport
Limited

Then there are special models like the Urban Runner, Trail Edition, and (in the Southeast) X-SP.

I would like selectable 4wd and not alltime.

-Then you don't want a V8... (but trust me, you DO want a V8 ;) )