I have mentioned in a few other threads that I have a love/hate relationship with the 4Runner, it's been a very polarizing vehicle for us. For starters, we are on our third one in four years so we obviously like them but we also can't stand them in the same breath and we keep buying them in an attempt to convince ourselves that we love them more lol. They are about as reliable as any modern car can get, they are affordable, they are the perfect size for most trails, they have great resale value, and the aftermarket support is very healthy. On the other end they are full of plastic that makes them feel rather cheap, the glass and body panels are paper thin, the motor and tranny combo leave a lot to be desired, it lacks most modern tech and safety features, the road noise is very noticeable (loud cabin), it gets tossed around in high winds, it wanders all over the road at highway speeds, the fuel economy is marginal (but acceptable), and everyone and their brother has one. Now some of those complaints are subjective and others are simply a product of a vehicle in its class/size, but they are worth pointing out.

For the two of us it works well around town and on short weekend get aways. However, we have two 100lb dogs which eat up most of the interior even with the seats down, and we spend a lot of time on the highway to and from work and the ranch where its most glaring fault/dislike is illuminated. For solo camping trips it's perfect for myself to camp inside, but add a second person and the interior for sleeping is out of the question without removing everything, including the fridge/freezer. Most items have to go on the roof when traveling further reducing its handling and performance. It won't tow a decent sized boat and I am not willing to dump thousands into a supercharger that has issues of its own and will likely reduce its lifespan and reliability. I love that it will likely run for forever if properly maintained and the aftermarket is here to stay and likely only improve going forward. Looks are subjective but I think it's a timeless design and the soaring sales numbers seem to back that up.

Should we find our way back into a full-size HD truck we open the opportunity of a diesel and its towing capabilities along with the multitude of campers and bed build out options. I hate that I would have to start from scratch and should I not end up back in a PW I will have to likely purchase gears, a front locker, lift, wheels/tires, bumpers, etc. so it won't be a cheap proposition. The same can be said if we pick up a second 200 series and while it solves the power, ride, sound, and to some degree the space, it still doesn't provide us with a better sleeping option or a platform more adept at towing large loads or a bed to keep the stinky stuff out of the cabin.

In an ideal world we'd keep the 4Runner for use around town and solo trips, but that's just not in the cards right now with all of our other irons in the fire. So chime in, let me know what you think we should do or maybe what you would do if you found yourself in a similar position. Thanks!

Sounds like you need a Suburban or Expedition XL, or one of the half dozen vehicles based on those two platforms.

I wouldn't buy a GM with your money so that's out of the question. The Expedition is an interesting idea and we have considered it but I am not much a fan of the 3.5L Ecoboost especially when towing.

I daily drive a 2017 SD with the 6.7. It's fantastic. Icon coils and 2.0 shocks all around made it ride 10x smoother than stock. after the first week i was used to the added size vs the nissan titan i had before. Parking and city driving isn't all that bad, you just get used to it. Wife loves her Toyota but she also loves taking the Ford to run errands if i'm not using it.

XLT is meh, but i'll get Katskinz eventually to replace the cloth seats. I'm slowly deleting all the chrome as well via retrofit headlights and vinyl color match wrap. The jump to the lariat with the nicer stuff was too much to justify for me, trucks are stupid expensive.

These new fords are incredibly quiet and smooth vs prior year HD trucks. It's still a 3/4 ton though lol.

Those 3.5's have proven themselves IMO, the Expedition would be on our radar if we needed to upsize the Toyota due to another child. thankfully that's not in the plans lol.

Oh yea I am familiar, we've had four 6.7L's Power Strokes since 2011, I am fan. They've all been King Ranch models less the first one which was a Lariat. Not sure which trim level I'd go this time around, part of me says XL/XLT and fix/upgrade what I don't like but I'd likely end up in a Lariat. Our Power Wagon was easier to drive and smoother too even with the FOX coil overs on the 2017 SD, probably due to the rear coils and articulink arms on the Power Wagon, but the Ford isn't the worst thing in the world park or drive around town.

If I am being honest with myself the Super Duty is first in line for the replacement and another 200 series Land Cruiser is right behind it. We have a 2019 LX 570 (Lexus Land Cruiser) and we LOVE it, a second one would fit the bill as a larger version of the 4Runner, but I'd get the Toyota this time around. The EcoBoost is a polarizing motor, my father hated it in his Raptor and there tons of complaints against them, but there are just as many who praise it at the same time. I wonder if they will offer the new 7.3L gasser in the Expedition going forward, that would be sweet.

I have this poll on three different forums and not a single person has voted for keeping the 4Runner, maybe that's a given considering my complaints about it, but I did expect a few to vote for keeping it. I guess I'll see where these polls are later this week.

Then get the 'gator. It has the Raptor engine.

You can get a full size truck for 50k. or a 4runner for 42k. Easy choice lol. 900lbtq or slow?

our plan is to keep both vehicles for the next 10 years so good luck to me and the Ford

"it wanders all over the road at highway speeds"

Mine doesn't, but I keep it under 70 or 80. It doesn't wander at all. Well, maybe if the wind is blowing 40 or 50.

It doesn't even wander when I'm pulling my boat.

Same here. I average 80-90mph and the 4Runner is as stable as it can be. No wandering at all.

I would build it and have it as your dedicated off road vehicle along with your grocery getter and daily. I tow a fish and ski boat, which, is only 3k#’s and it does fine. It sounds like you have enough money for a dedicated tow vehicle. The larger trucks will never go where the 4Runner can and parking them for shopping and running around town is a pita. Just MO.

What kind of head winds and cross winds are you seeing on a daily basis? It's wide open and flat here on the Texas Gulf Coast and winds are steadily in excess of 20mph on the regular. Everywhere you go is 70+ mph, the only time we are under 70 is when we are in town and it's a pleasure there. This is our third 5th Gen and they've all been tossed around by the winds, it's not an isolated event or unusual. And if you're driving 90 mph on the regular that's something lol.

If I had the money for an LC... I'd wait 2 years for the next gen then get it.

Get the new power wagon. You know you want one.

This gets my other halves vote. She wants to wait for the 300 series to come out, and then buy one in the second model year of that generation. Sometimes she surprises me, I've trained her well. For now we have the 2019 LX on 33's, it'll keep us happy and content in that area until that happens in 2022-ish.

The more I think about it the more I think keeping her around another year or more isn't the worst idea ever, I'll just have to look past its shortcomings for the time being.

On another note, you've gotta love the poll results when you give people the option to shoot you the bird lol.

What part are you in? I'm in Lake Jackson / Freeport area quite often.