I searched and found several "almost on point" posts, so here goes.

I'll be changing jobs soon and will be back in the "24/7 on call regardless of road conditions" mode, requiring me to possibly drive about 80 miles, at night, in a blizzard on unplowed roads.

But, like saying "I'm only buying this thing to go off-road in the wilderness", you still have to get there.

I'll be going on several 1800+ mile trips several times a year (often in dry conditions) and the last time I did the DC to Santa Fe trip in a stock 2016 2dr Wrangler, I was ready to shoot myself. Highway driving in the Jeep was just painful - between the twitchy steering, the wind noise and the buffeting.

So why am I looking at a 4R over a traditional SUV? Two significant things - the real AWD capabilities and the near bulletproof'ness. I'm getting too old to swap vehicles frequently so this'll probably last me 15+ years.

After far too many years of German cars that are magnificent when they run, I went over to the dark side 7 years ago and bought an Acura TSX wagon. It too has old'ish tech but has needed nothing but regular maintenance. When a Mercedes decided that it wanted to occupy the same space 5 years ago, I immediately replaced it with the identical car (a year newed, but really the same). The biggest problem in 100k miles was an almost failing battery replaced under warranty.

So, my only concern is the daily driving part. I know that if you're on a forum that you either hate the car (and are here to complain) or you love your car, warts and all.

I don't see the usual gripes that you hear on the usual forums even amongst fanbois (I was on the Wrangler forum for a year or so and the issues - water leaks, that twitchy steering and other significant stuff - took up most of the forum) so, aside from wheel balancing issues that affect some, but not all, owners, there don't seem to be any systemic issues. Am I overlooking something?

So, the bottom line at the bottom - how is this thing at being a daily driver? Is a cross country jaunt just that or is it a chore - like driving my sister's Wrangler to Santa Fe?

I'm looking at a Limited but hate the front end, so I'll be something with that down the road.

Oh, and a final question - are there any differences (except for color and minor bits) that have changed since, say, 2015? I'm talking infotainment, mechanical or driveability? Any of those years to avoid for some reason? I normally buy new, but with these there may not be an issue if you find one where the biggest hurdle it had was a speed bump in the subdivision.

TIA. Snide comments about searching aren't appreciated but I have my flame suit on

You sound like you need a limited. Get a limited. I have a limited. Its great.

My Runner is pretty comfortable for long highway journeys. Nice and stable. Seat is comfortable on my back. Not super quiet but not bad. Sure, it's not my A4 but it's pretty good. Difference between the A4 and 4Runner in highway manners isn't nearly as big as the difference in repair bills. That Audi was murder. Nothing ever goes wrong with my 4Runner.

+1 on the LTD

The highway comfort and Toyota reliability are what drove us to the 4runner>Wrangler. I love the Wrangler, but the thought of cruising @78mph on the PA turnpike for 250 miles made my body ache lol. In the 4runner on the other hand it was as comfortable as can be! Safety is another big one, with 2 girls on board still in car seats I simply couldn't justify the Wrangler.

I make a lot of longer distance drives in this vehicle. Two largest cons in my opinion... first thing you'll notice is the power and gearing, hitting hills mountains is annoying, and forget using cruise control unless driving in totally flat environments. Second is the seats aren't all that comfortable. Don't know if they are different in the limited. In my off-road they're acceptable, but I wouldn't call them comfortable.

Even with the above, I still love my 4Runner and wouldn't get anything else. Rent one and take it for a couple hour trip, see what you think.

I like it quite fine. I'm pushing 75,000 in my 2016, and I'm almost at my 3 year anniversary. I've driven it through 9 states for business and pleasure, even loaded with kids for vacation. It has its drawbacks (it is *not* a German sedan) but I've enjoyed the switch, as I knew I would. (I came out of the Honda truck after 8 years driving it)

*only complaint is the vortex generators create a noticeable whistle at the highway speed I drive when in Texas

I've got the LE and enjoy it, but there are definitely changes you can make if you want to spend the time and effort. If you just want to swap front ends, see if you can pick up one removed by someone who added a new front bumper.

2020s have Toyota Safety Sense and CarPlay I believe, but otherwise are the same.

I agree with all of this. It's not as quiet (with 34" tires) or fast as my old A8, but is also cost half as much. If you did DC to Santa Fe in a Wrangler though, the 4R will feel like an Audi in comparison. I'm a big guy, and in the last few years I've done DC to upper Maine, DC to Kansas, DC to Boise, Boise to Death Valley, Boise to San Diego, Boise to Yosemite, and a bunch more trips in the 500 mile range. Gearing up for Boise to Jasper, Alberta in August. I find it to be a great road trip vehicle.

Creature comforts haven't changed much, unless you wait for a 2020, when infotainment gets upgraded. Obviously there are differences between models, most notably in the Limited.

+2 ...

Is there a reason why you're not looking at Highlanders? I drove my dad's 94' Highlander and my 10' 4R last night and his, while older, feels like a a new sedan. Really light and smooth. Go to a dealer and drive both back to back and see for yourself.

If wanting to go light offroad, better tires should get you there I think.

For what you need for long distant travel, I vote Highlander.

Yep, I sold my S6 when the extended warranty expired. As long as it isn't like the Wrangler on highway I'll be happy.

Yeah, the turnpike in the Wrangler had me asking "are we there yet?"

Yeah, the power is a bit of a worry. Will it make it up (and down) Pike's Peak without issues? Renting one is a great idea.

The car play is completely uninteresting for me - real men don't use iPhones , but some of the nannies might be interesting if they work as intended.

I'm surprised as to how many people here came from Audi, but, quite frankly, I've decided that I'll never own a German car outside of Europe.

Thanks guys, this has een most helpful.

I love my runner and will never change, but tend to agree that the Highlander is a much better cross country option.

Reason: Highlander is a car platform and has a true AWD system. Pretty much start it and drive, the system does the rest. It is also quieter and a little more comfortable.

4Runner Limited is a fulltime 4wd vehicle unlike other 4runner models that have to be put into 4wd. Traveling at hiway speeds in poor weather isnt a great time to worry about putting a car in 4wd. With that sais the Runner is far more off road capable than the Highlander if you get in some real crap.

Both are a great choice if you go Limited in the Runner, but the Highlander will be more comfortable.

we frequently travel from western pa to the middle of the state for off roading trips... it snowed pretty hard once on the way there and I felt more confident in the 4runner with full time awd than any vehicle I've ever owned. While the independent front definitely doesn't have the amount of travel that the Wrangler has, its worth the sacrifice on road. We hung in there with a lot of lifted Wranglers on 35s as well with minimal damage to our rear bumper cover (it has since been replaced with a ExpOne bumper). This is of course assuming you plan on off roading anyways lol. If not then this is of no concern to you.

Another vote for renting one.

I took 2 test drives before buying my 19 Off Road. Neither test drove revealed the nose dive on braking or significant body roll this thing has. Mine handles like a Buick station wagon.

I read the KDSS equipped 4R handles better w/ less body roll. Recommend you get one with KDSS...

Wish I would've known that in advance.

Going to see if changing the suspension helps the body roll.

Edited to add: Took a 3.5 hour drive (each way) to visit Missouri's Capitol yesterday. Found the seats comfortable enough.

This is the other nice feature about the Limited (some do not like it because the added cost when it fails), the XREAS makes the 4runner feel more planted than the other trim level I test drove.

I go back and forth on lifting (coilovers) because I know it means eliminating my XREAS and I am one that does enjoy the ride of it.

Thirded for a rental, or just go to a dealer and test drive a non KDSS vs. KDSS model and you'll see a huge difference. That's exactly what I did when I decided on the Pro. The body roll is tremendously reduced on the road/highway and imo it's very worth it if you plan on lots of distance trips.

Still nosedives like crazy but that's actually strangely fun for me.