I've been away from this platform since I sold my 3rd Gen 4Runner but I am hoping to be back again with a 5th Gen! I want to build an overlanding rig that can do some gentle rock crawling.

Maybe you can help me narrow things down, since I want off-road and comfort features. Which year and trim 5th Gen will fit my needs?

I need: crawl control, rear locker, off-road modes.
I want: keyless entry and start, heated and ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor/cross-traffic, largest info-tainment screen.

I probably don't want the TRD Pro, because people ask too much $. I am happy to just add suspension and skid plates afterwards.

I am guessing it'll have to be TRD Off-Road or TRD Premium. Which model years included all the things I want and need?

P.S. I will eventually want to add winch, sliders, skid plates, suspension (+1-2"), lights, 35" tires, and a little more.

TRD ORP or TRD OR all model years have the locker and off road modes. I would look at one without KDSS if you plan to heavily modify. you can lift a KDSS 4runner but there are more considerations than if you just didn't have it

the TRD ORP will give you more of what you want in your 'want' requirements

TRD ORP or OR depending on if you want nicer interior or not. I would do without KDSS if its going to be more trail heavy, if its more "daily" or road driving overlanding, the KDSS will make things ride MUCH nicer.

The ORP is everything a PRO is without the color (depending on the year), badging, rims, suspension and vin number. If youre changing suspension & adding armor and bumpers, 99% of whats on the PRO youre paying for will come off.

Give us a shout for all the mods and accessories and we can dial everything in compatibility wise and make sure you get all your boxes checked. I personally wheel a TRDPro 2016 Quicksand on a 3" lift, 35s, LT, fully armored (aluminum) with a diamond 9.5 rear end. Only did the Pro because I was heavily modding and sold all the "pro" parts off which helped offset the mods.

TRD Offroad
TRD Offroad Premium
TRD Pro

You are going to want the TRD Offroad Premium, or TRD Pro, the remote start is not on every one, its kinda weird how they put it on some and not others so you may luck out and you may have to buy a $300 box to install under the dash to get it working.
The big screen is on all of the 2021+ 4runners so the base model, SR5, and Limited all get the same screen now. There are premium audio packages and technology packages that add more "stuff" but all of them get the same big screen

All of the models with the Technology Package will have this, its an option on pretty much every trim but comes standard on Limited

Limited is the only model with heated AND cooled front seats

Thank you for all the help.

With the last reply, it seems that I can't get ventilated seats without the Limited trim. I still have some digging to do.

Offroad Alliance, sounds like you have a nicely built rig. I want to get there but slowly. Not sure if a Pro is in the cards. I need to fine-tune my questions, once I am ready to pull the trigger.

Unfortunately, the Limited and PRO are the only trims with ventilated seats, otherwise the Off-road Premium would be a perfect fit for you.

Personally, I found the synthetic leather in the ORP/PRO to be much more comfortable that the real leather in the Limited. In my experience, the problem with the synthetic is that it doesn't breathe at all and you'll get a little sweaty even with AC on. My GX has the synthetic but the ventilated seats...with Summer coming up, I'll be using that feature every day.

I'm very new to this forum and also have a question. I have been looking for a blue SR5 premium (2024) Two dealers here in the Midwest have told me they are very hard to find. Are 2024 Runners in short supply at this time? Is it the color? Are the dealers 'pulling my chain' so that I consider a TRD Off Road? I do admit I like the extra features of the TRD but now I'm feeling more of a sense of urgency. To one of the dealers I mentioned that blue isn't a game changer and neither is the trim level and I haven't heard back. The other will order a blue TRD from Oregon for me. Are the 2024's gone already?

Is there a specific color you prefer? Some colors are only available on the Pros. Some of the Pro colors came on the OR/ORP a year later. If you can find a Pro at MSRP or below with a specialty color you want, I would go with the Pro. Since your looking for a 21+ you would not have to modify or really add anything. There are great inexpensive kits to lift the Pro Fox suspension up 2.5” and can add 33” tires later if you want. Putting nice aftermarket suspension on an ORP after will cost you $2k mid grade to $3500 high grade. $500+ for a factory OEM heritage grill. $1000 for new OEM Pro wheels. Front fenders are already trimmed for clearance on the Pro for tire clearance. Factory OEM Pro front skid plate $270. If you like the Pro roof rack, it would cost you $500. TRD Pro badges all around, priceless. If you have to pay for the labor to have everything above installed would be about $1500. That comes to somewhere in the neighborhood of $6500. And the Pro will always have better resale. Obviously, as many members have stated, if you’re going to add your own high end suspension, you want different wheels, grille, skid plates, non special color, etc. then an OR or ORP may be for you. The ORP comes with a sunroof and the softex interior which I really like. Good luck with your search.

You're going to have to choose between the rear locker and the ventilated seats unless you add either after the fact.

Personally, with your requirements, I'd buy a Limited and add a rear locker.

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This is an interesting take on the situation. Thanks. I see what you are saying, you can add a locker to the Limited but adding ventilated seats to a vehicle without them would be a big hassle.

I would use ventilated seats more often, but I value a rear locker more. Decisions

I might have to sacrifice on the ventilated seats.

Does the Limited come with 3rd row seating, or is that an option for the Limited? I do not want 3rd row seating.

I have been owning and following 4Runners for over 15 years and I could never see or justify the additional cost for the PRO. To me, the OR or ORP is the best trim available.

Third row seating is an option on the Limited. However, there are very few that come with third row seating, i.e. they are rare.

When I bought my 4Runner, my son talked me into getting the third row seating (the grandkids love it back there, but it is not for adults), but I had a really hard time finding one because of the rarity. Just happened that one showed up one day at my dealer, a trade from another dealer, so I snagged it before it disappeared.

The 3rd row is optional on the Limited, you see some that have it and some that dont. The 3rd row folds flat into the floor, so if you have it, and you dont need it, when the seats are down nothing changes. You still run the exact same rear floor mat from a non 3rd row to one with 3rd row. When the seats are folded down its a flat floor just like the non 3rd row. Personally, we had the 3rd row in our 2012 and used it a few times, but mostly always had them folded down. Our 2023 was not optional to get 3rd row but i would have gotten 3rd row if i could just for that potential "what if" you need to carry an extra kid or two. There is no reason NOT to get it, unless you are simply worried about the $800 extra it costs. When the back seats are folded down its simply like they are just not even there.

As others have said, the answer is Off Road Premium. I did and then upgraded the suspension.

You lose the auto climate control, premium sound, and built in remote start.

The climate control isn’t any big deal.
You can upgrade speakers easily.
Remote start is an easy add too; I used the plug & play one from Start-X (Amazon) and it functions exactly like factory, using existing key fob.

A few misconceptions in this:
1. The 3rd row seats do not "fold flat into the floor". Rather the rear floor is raised about six inches above the floor compared to a 4Runner without the 3rd row seating. The loss of cargo space due to the raised floor is noticeable.
2. Yes, the rear cargo liner from a non-3rd row 4Runner will fit when the rear seats are folded, but it must be removed when the 3rd row seats are up for use. If you are away from home when you need to raise the 3rd row seats, what do you do with the cargo liner?

A much, much, better solution for a cargo liner for the three row 4Runners is to get the one available in Canada, OEM part number PK241-89H01-01/02: Genuine Toyota Cargo Liner 10-24 4Runner PK241-89H01-01 PK241-89H01-02
– Toyota Customs

What makes it better:
1. It does not need to be removed when the 3rd row seats are raised.
2. It covers the back of the 3rd row seats with when they are down so you have them covered when you carrying stuff that might damage them.
3. There is a flap that covers the gap between the seat back and very rear that folds up when the seats are up (see second picture in the listing).

Edit: you can also see the raised floor in the second picture.