I do agree that it is more car-like than the 4Runner but with a trailer tow of 5400 pounds and a GVWR over 6500 pounds it is a truck that's for sure. It is a RWD platform and thats says a lot and one of only a couple available now. After enjoying the content my wife Acura TLX AWD has and seeing it on the Explorer/Aviator and many other SUVs in it class, the 4Runner has really shown its age and how much Toyota has ignored it. Driving on two tracks is about the extent of my off-roading like 99% of 4Runners I bet. I do use the truck to haul things often. I do like the few inches of height advantage the 4Runner has, and its commanding view, but I would gladly trade that for better fuel economy, better on-road behavior and up to date features packages.

I'm not concerned about turbo engines any longer. Ford won LeMans with their twin-turbocharged Ford EcoBoost V6 engine 647 hp / 550 lb⋅ft. It was a truck engine with significant amount of production parts in it. They know what they are doing.

I believe the Explorer/Aviator AWD system is a 4WD system unlike the fwd-car based systems.

In 2020 the Explorer was a 1st year vehicle so I didnt considered then.

I seriously considered the European imports as well as other Japanese manufacturers however most do not have a 6500 GVWR rating. They are all significantly more expensive. Infinity lol.

Nope. Reread the post and check the specs. Explorer/Aviator are REAR WHEEL DRIVE PLATFORMS.

Except for pointing out that Toyotas are generally weird looking who said anything about looks compared to years?





fan boys lol

.

As much as I would love to disagree with the OP he is actually partially right. The 5th gen 4runner is a pretty terrible option for what people are looking for these days out of a modern "SUV". ie. 99% on asphalt and MAYBE 1% on graded dirt roads. This includes all of those fancy Instagram "Overlanders"

Just about any other option out there in the mid sized SUV land has better tech, is more efficient, is faster and is way more comfortable. The 4runner is only good as an offroad biased platform but the majority of owners tragically don't use it for that. They buy it for the image and suffer through its shortcomings.

So to the OP, go get your Ford Explorer it suits you much better. I mean police departments, municipalities, rental fleets all love them. Go do you

By fan boys you mean...people who bought a 4Runner without expecting it to be something it's not?

Can't wait for the next thread:

"I can't believe how slow the 4Runner is, look at the powertrains on the Urus and Cayenne Turbo! Wake up Toyota!"

troll? idk, just seems full of it. I know a troll, i am a troll

I bet most people who look at these Fords do not cross shop with a 4Runner, and if they will they will quickly dismiss it just because it doesn't have all the techy features. Personally if I wanted something full of tech with more power and better fuel economy, I'd be looking at the Lexus brand. My wife drove an RX350 before we got her the 4Runner, and yea she lost some of the cool features and better gas mileage, but loves the 4Runner even more and I'm glad we made the switch.
Yes 4Runner is old, but it is tried tested and true to its roots, awesome capable machine and I would never look to trade it in for something else, especially a Ford lol unless you love being at the shop on a monthly basis!
Next time compare apples to apples.

What exactly does that mean in in the scheme of thing? Highlander still has a rear diff. GX460 is AWD only so it doesn't compare to a 4runner then?

Explorer is a:
unibody
Independent rear suspension
NO 4lo transfer case. Seriously is this right? How do you even compare them then lol.
Full of fluff tech to break.
Hybrid option

It's for soccer dads like the highlander.

The reason that the current Explorer is more car like is because it's a crossover, and if I wanted a crossover then I would've bought one. I wanted a body on frame SUV which is one of the main reasons I bought a 4Runner. There may be a few features that I wish my 4Runner had but overall it's pretty much the exact vehicle that I want it to be. My previous '13 FJ Cruiser was my first Toyota and it sold me on the brand and platform. I will be sad day if the next generation 4Runner becomes a crossover like so many of its older competitors.

I've had several Ford vehicles in the past including 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation Explorers. I really liked the 1st & 2nd gens but since I've been a Toyota owner I really don't have a desire to own a Ford again.

Toyota is the world's largest auto mfg and what I'm hearing from folks is that Toyota can only do reliability, and nothing else. That's crazy to think that. Power, fuel economy, reliability, technology all do not have to be mutually exclusive. If we keep accepting mediocrity, then Toyota will continue to deliver mediocrity.

The 4R is the best choice for my purposes, but it's far from perfect.

tried and true 4runner. never doubt my brute even for a second. at nearly 160,000 miles I'd have zero concerns taking this baby across country. runs like a top. drives like a brick down the highway. wouldn't change it for the world. creature comforts? don't care. I don't even have my phone paired to the vehicle, don't even use the radio. never used a heated or cooled seat. backup camera is helpful though

Gawd, what was I thinking????? Gonna rush down to my local Ford dealer so I can trade my TRD Pro for a Navigator!

That's only 400 more lbs than a Runner. None of the vehicles mentioned are any good for towing anyway.

As far as the Runner being ignored, dealers can't keep them on the lot so that in itself says quite a bit. There's a lot to be said for less complicated vehicles. Some people just don't want all that garbage. I don't need to control my vent positioning through a touchscreen and I don't need massaging seats with 97 way adjustability all through the same touchscreen.

That ecopoop in the LeMans car doesn't have the emissions equipment street engine do so there's less to capture heat and less to go wrong.

The AWD in the sploder is just AWD. There's no mention even a locking center diff for 4wd.

We know what we bought, apparently you didn't. Next time I'm doing a trail here in Colorado, I'll think about how my life would be so much better in a Ford Explorer.

I've always wondered why you didn't buy a Highlander. It's always seemed like that was more like the kind of vehicle you should be driving based on your own preferences for independent rear suspension crossover vehicles. 4R seems like an odd choice.

You seem dissatisfied with what you bought. The obvious answer is to sell what you have, and buy what you want.

I think everyone, but apparently you, understands what the 4Runner is, and bought it for that reason.

We have numerous vehicles which fill various roles. The wife mainly drives a ridiculously fast CUV. It's fantastic on road. It's hard to beat as a mall-crawler, and does surprisingly well on the odd racetrack, but it's not going on any 4wd trails.

All our other vehicles do what we want them to, as does the 4Runner.

With used car values what they currently are, now's the time...