First off, a quick introduction. I moved to Colorado for offroading in 2011, with a 2011 FJ Cruiser. Helped start
a big FJ club on Facebook in 2014, got married,
became a bit of an expert on buying/selling FJ's, wife decides she wants to consolidate my FJ and her XTerra into a 2018 4Runner. Before 1000 miles we had an Expedition One front bumper, 33-inch Duratracs, BudBuilt armor/sliders and OME BP-51 suspension.
I've been attending
FJ Summit in Ouray, Colorado since 2011. I've been leading trails at the event since 2013. At the last FJ Summit before COVID hit, I had an opportunity to talk with 3 Toyota engineers for several hours as we did
Stony Pass in my 4Runner.
I raised a number of issues/concerns with them about the 5th gen, thankfully they were taking notes. I'm waiting to see how many of those issues influence the 6th gen.
1. Reusing the 3.5L V6 from the 3rd gen Tacoma. This is probably the most concerning thing about the 6th gen 4Runner, that it would get the same drivetrain as the Tacoma. I stressed this repeatedly, as I live at ~6100 elevation and regularly take my truck over 13K on Colorado passes. They obviously couldn't tell me anything, but they didn't ask a lot of questions like this was a new concern. As much as I'd love the power of the 3.5L TT V6 that will likely be used across their top-tier (LX, LC300, Tundra, Sequoia) vehicles, that's likely unrealistic. If I had to guess, the 6th gen 4Runner will end up with a 3.5L V6 hybrid from one of their Lexus vehicles. The 3.5L on its own isn't powerful enough, they know it and the V8 Wrangler / turbo Bronco options are going to start embarrassing our trucks.
2. Integration of TSS (2020) / KDSS (2014) were detrimental to modding / offroading the trucks. For as much as I miss my 2011 Army Green FJ and would have loved a 2020 TRD Pro 4Runner, the TSS sensor being just below the TOYOTA logo basically blocks most winch installs. Some of the lower / integrated winch mounts place the winch lower so it isn't an issue, but for my Expedition One bumper this is a problem.
The KDSS issue is well known here, I simply showed the concerns that had been raised here. I think this spot has been up-armored on the factory trucks in the last year or two?
3. The 4Runner needs a full-length roof rack, like the GX and FJ have. I noted this about the other two models, they must have said "overlanding" 2-3 dozen times that day and I emphasized that a full-length roof rack helps for overlanding. I know the aftermarket has come up with solutions to this problem, but I'd rather have factory mount points on the next truck.
4. Spare tire space / fitment. I upgraded from the stock 32's to 33-inch Duratracs, and have heard (but have not tried myself) that fitting a matching spare under the rear is difficult / impossible over 32 inches. I recommended an FJ-style door with the spare mounted (the GX door already opens this way, but does not mount the spare), interestingly about a year ago I got a Toyota Owner's Intersection survey asking about the sliding glass window on the 4Runner. So I suspect that switching the rear door is something they are considering. Apologies for those of you who use it to keep out of the rain :-) but I need a matching spare. Buy an awning
5. The styling lines of the front bumper make building aftermarket bumpers difficult. Not to pick on the people that make bumpers, but the front of the 4Runner is complex and 3-dimensional and even my own Expedition One bumper -- in my opinion, one of the best looking 4Runner and FJ bumpers out there -- has gaps. It would be nice if they could figure out a way to make the front of the truck both simple and stylish, rather than complex and stylish or simple and boring.
One of the areas they asked me about, that I've seen expanded on since in Toyota Owner's Intersection surveys, is "factory approved mods". These are aftermarket parts that Toyota tests, then brands / resells as an approved mod. One of the mods they proposed in the last survey was a rear differential skidplate that still had the RCI (Loveland CO) logo on it.
Figured I'd throw all this ^^^ out here and start a discussion. I'll probably do another introduction thread but having even a small chance to talk to Toyota directly and possibly influence the 6th gen was a great opportunity that I was very thankful for. Seth, if you're reading this :-) thanks for setting that up.