We recently bought a 2010 limited v6 4Runner 6 months ago. I currently have a 2004 v8 sport edition with oversized tires, a 2006 stock height limited v8 and a 2004 SR5 v6. Our family loves 4runners I guess! I just got back towing a 2400 empty pound travel trailer from St George ut to Salt Lake City. Speed limit is 80 mph I kept the truck at 80- 85mph most of the way no trailer attached I was getting 14 mpg unloaded no trailer on the way to st George. Horrible. On the return trip with the 2400 pound trailer heading back to salt lake going up in elevation it really struggled to go any faster than 60mpg unless I kept downshifting to 3rd avg grade, It would move like a raped ape in 3rd but once it upshifted to 4th you could tell 4th was far to tall as RPMs and speed immediately dropped. Very annoying, It was a late night tow and of course after 9+ hours there and back I wanted to get home. Getting passed by diesels like I’m stopped. It was 50- 60 mpg or less the entire way unless on flat or Downhill or if I’d rev the crap out of it in 3rd on hills watching gas gauge plummet to stay 65-70. It just kept gear hunting 3-4 far more than any v6 I’d towed with before.
I usually tow with my v8s but my wife likes the comfort of the 5th gen and I thought what the heck. Never again! Probably took years off it’s life with all the gear hunting.
The new v6 auto tranny is awful for towing they geared far to high in 4 and 5 trying to achieve 22mpg rating, sure I can achieve 19 -20 all day long if I’m under 70 but I didn’t realize how much it would kill the rating to go 80-85. I didn’t realize how effortless the v8 power made a long trip.
Until I towed with this thing,
What’s beyond me is the 4Runner has always been known as a legendary off road vehicle for active outdoor enthusiasts. Most people into those activities are going to be towing and have extra gear. It seems Toyota is more concerned about appeasing the epa and putting 20 inch wheels on to keep more people on the road than off it. Since we’ve owned it I’ve felt it was pretty gutless unless you floor it then it’s fine. Ive read countless posts stating you just have to press the pedal harder. The truth is the motor does have good output for its bulky weight. It’s just the gearing, the throttle mapping and the torque curve or usable power band is sub par. Sure it will get the job done towing and is fine unloaded but if your looking to tow anything other than a utility trailer def get an older 4th gen v8 or v6. Even my 04 v6 towes amazing.

I bet you're a lot of fun at parties.

So if you drive a brick 85mph thru the mountains it gets poor gas mileage and if you stand on the skinny pedal while towing a trailer thru the mts. with said vehicle you still get poor gas mileage.

Huh---who knew?

fourwd1 LIKES this

But the OP does have an excellent grasp of the obvious.

There are solutions to what you seek..... URD/Whipple or Magnuson

I didn’t miss the ‘like’ button until just now

Yes yes. You definitely ruined it by letting the engine rev over 3000 RPM and letting the automatic transmission shift automatically. Toyota just doesn't build them to rev and shift. I've always been amazed that they don't do the sensible thing and put in a stopper to keep you from pressing the throttle pedal. Really, they'd last a lot longer if they were set up to not start at all.

Ya gotta love a post that uses the words "underpowered" and "goes like a raped ape" to describe the same vehicle.

Really missing the like button right about now. Guess it's better to clog the forum with posts like this?

its never gonna tow like your V8.

Get sprint booster and it'll make driving much more enjoyable. Solves the weak throttle input.

I have done the stretch of road the op was on from Las Vegas. There is a lot of elevation climb going to Salt Lake City. The speed limit is 80 so everyone runs 85. My 5th gen is the biggest slug I have ever drove on that road and that is without a trailer. It just runs out of breath and gets tiring. I eventually just give up and slow down because I get tired of running 4 grand in 3rd gear. I cannot see how a sprint booster would help if you are near full throttle already. It is the lack of more gears that seem to be the biggest problem.

My thoughts of the 5th gen 4Runner....

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what a waterhead....I swear to God it's the end of the world

I do not agree with your 3K RPM shifting saying that it will damage the drive train .

over 5K RPM that is too much . if Toyota designed this to not handle 3K RPM then the forums would not be talking about lifts and shocks control arms and also adding an extra gas tank ..

towing up mountains your gonna have it in the 3K RPM range and use 10 MPG to hold speed 60MPH.. high elevation lower HP...