Just noticed a ton of new 4Runners at the 2 Toyota dealerships in my area.

SR5-s MSRP for $46k

TRD-s MSRP for $50k+

Guy at one dealership said they are expecting a bunch of Tacomas and Tundras as well.

No hybrids though ... (Rav4, Sienna, etc)

I got my SR5 in 2018 for $35k ....

35K in 2018 is worth $43k in today dollars due to inflation. Plus you get fancy features like factory LED lights, much nicer center infotainment, Toyota safety sense, etc. A much better bargain compared to one in 2018 if you look at it that way.

WoW Bidenflation. For 8K$ more you get $20 worth of LED lights slightly better but still crap infotainment center, and false seance of security. Sign me up, NOT.

It makes me feel better every day I paid $31.5K in 2015 and spent my well earned dollars on the upgrades I needed.

We got our SR5 in 2014 for $$33.8K before CA Sales tax (341K miles on that one). Our 2023 ORP for $48K all in, no sales tax in Montana. Love them both. Still the best deal around. Other than the locker in the ORP, none of the other features mean much to me, but my wife likes them.

We got our SR5 in 2014 for $$33.8K before CA Sales tax (341K miles on that one). Our 2023 ORP for $48K all in, no sales tax in Montana. Love them both. Still the best deal around. Other than the locker in the ORB, none of the other features mean much to me, but my wife likes them. The change in cost is immaterial.

Wonder if people are finally waiting for the next gen. Will be interesting to see if the sales numbers hold up on 2023/2034 model years.

Unlike six months ago, 4Runners are sitting on lots now for one reason: interest rates. How easy is it for the average middle class American to finance a thirsty $45-50k SUV at 8%? Toyota might be finally forced to offer a promotional interest rate on 4Runner, like they've been doing for Tacoma for a long time.

Dealers are doing their part of the equation in some places: offering dealer discounts. I paid sticker in early April. That same no-haggle dealer is doing $2,200 on all trims except TRD PRO now.

I also got a good deal on my 2020 back during the covid lockdown,
I got a 2020 SR5 for $36k (MSRP was $39,990).
Went to my dealer for service this week . had a lot of Tacomas for sale and two 4runner TRDPRO's in orange .

Our 2020 TRD ORP had a MSRP of $44.5K. We got it for $38.5K and that was a pretty normal deal back then. $50K now for essentially the same TRD OFP plus LED headlights is robbery. These trucks are not worth more than low $40k's considering how outdated they are.

True. The standard interest rate for car loans in Kansas City is now 8.49%.

With the holiday season starting on Wednesday (promotional rates run all month long so a "black Friday" rate would begin on November 1 even if they don't start advertising it until closer to Thanksgiving,) it will be interesting to see if Toyota Financial offers up something attractive to move units off the lot.

Inventory is, for the first time since Mid-2021, is beginning to stack up around here. Without some interest rate relief, that inventory is only going to multiply.

Yep. Back in August I was helping my 18 y/o son buy a used 2020-2022 Mazda 3. We found a 2021 but it was way overpriced and they wouldn't budge. He decided to keep his current car until he's back from college break in December. The two Mazda dealers we dealt with won't leave me alone now. Texting, calling, and emailing daily about would I consider this, that, and other. They are VERY desperate. Same goes for my friends in real estate and home loans. They rode the gravy train for years and made a bundle. They hardly had to work. Now they're sweating layoffs or have had to move on to other less lucrative jobs because their commissions were down 50%+ almost overnight.

As my real estate broker/friend in Missoula said “will you still love me when I’m working at Walmart as a greeter?”

In real estate, everyone is a superstar when rates are low and the market is red hot.

I have been holding out since '21 for the next gen and I have officially given up. I spent today calling around to dealers in search for a Tahoe, sadly.

That is one reason, not the only reason though by far. Who wants to buy a vehicle that has not been significantly improved in the last 14 years - not many! The reviews online for the newer 4Runner all harp on this factor which could push people away as well. Toyota could not even be bothered with filling in the old heated seat blanks in the console area from 14 years ago, that is just pathetic to me.

Sure, I have owned mine for just about 14 years now and had basically NO problems - you can't say that about very many vehicles, so that is a huge selling point, but it is not everything.

The answer to that question is "145,000 in 2021, 121,000 in 2022, and 88,000 so far in 2023 in the US". The fact that such an outdated vehicle continues to sell in high numbers speaks to the demand for the dead last "simple tech offroad oriented traditional SUV" out there. I doubt any other vehicle that gets a 4/10 from Car & Driver is still a six-figure per year seller in the US. It's not a car people buy for spec sheet reasons, because $45k+, 16/19mpg, 7+ second 0-60mph, and body on frame with solid rear axle are not specs that sell commuter cars to people. People buy the 4Runner because they know what it is.

People like me are sure that Toyota US realizes this, and have carefully considered that in regard to what they will do with the 6th gen 4Runner. I wouldn't be surprised if they offer a non-hybrid version of the Tacoma 2.4L, for those "I want it as simple as you'll make it" people. Maybe the traditional transfer case lever will even live on in some trims, who knows. Maybe just maybe the Tacoma 6MT could migrate over.

Some people fret over empty seat heater switches; some people install their own.

I care most about reliability. Tech and doodad features add cost and reduce reliability. Example: Wife’s 2023 ORP with forward looking sensors in the front windshield increases replacement cost from $250 to $1200. 5 months and 14K miles and got our first rock chip in Montana. Just a chip in the lower quarter, so not ready to replace. We did purchase the windshield insurance for $900, which gets you a windshield a year for 5 years. Would much prefer the windshield without the sensor.

I have work colleagues who can’t live without Apple Car Play. I don’t have a single car with GPS or Apple Car Play, but I still make it from A to B without getting lost.