4runner or tacoma

[HEAVY WT]

I was in a similar situation. I needed a new vehicle right when the new Tacoma was coming out (old Tacoma was stolen). The 4Runner fit better in the driveway which helped, but the question was do I need a box or will the back of the 4Runner work for what I was going to use it for. So far the 4Runner has been awesome. Some days I wish I had a box, but overall very happy with the SUV set up. That being said, I had a new Tacoma for a rental (Sport 2wd) and I was actually pretty happy with it after having it a week. If I needed a truck, I would look at it. I agree the Tundra may be a "better" truck, but its so much bigger. I think the 4Runner / Tacoma debate really is Box or no Box...

 

[smallfry]

I'll chime in after I have some more seat time in my Tacoma before I make a comparison to my previous 5th gen.

 

[TRDBuckeye]

I cross shopped both and never felt comfortable in the Taco. It's a weird seating position and felt like my dad's old Ranger honestly. I REALLY wanted to like the Taco but couldn't sell myself on it.

 

[Pat_reek]

4runner

I had my eyes set on a tundra but when i saw the 4runner for the first time back in '16. The new redesign reminded me of a tank. So i saved up and bought that damn thing home. Couldn't be more happier. It's your decision to make taco or T4R. You'll be driving it everyday and you'll have to deal with it. So pick wisely.

 

[4_YOTA]

I was looking for all three: Tundra, Taco and 4runner....

I do have to transport stuff for work but nothing like construction materials so a truck bed wasnt mandatory but still like the look of a pick up but the 4runner have plenty of space for the type of stuff I transport...

Unfortunately, the Tundra fuel consumption was WAY too high for me to justify it so it was between the taco and 4runner...

I saw a lot of people complaining about the seating and I thought people were exaggerating and also im not tall so the taco seating position should not be an issue for me. I tried one... HOLYCOW it was real the seating is soooooooo awkward.... the bottom of the seat is so so so low and no head room... decided to try the 4runner... it was night and day!

So picked up a brand new 4runner OffRoad 3 weeks ago couldnt be more happy

 

[Crusifix]

If I hauled sheets of plywood everyday then Tacoma... That has been my guage on what I need. Even then, I have a trailer.

 

[TEujunga]

Wow, what a surprise, the members of a 4Runner forum seem to prefer the 4Runner.

Just a wild guess, but I'm thinking if you asked this question over at Tacomaworld, you'd get different responses.

For a more balanced sample of responses, ask the same question on a BMW forum

 

[Crusifix]

Wow, what a surprise, the members of a 4Runner forum seem to prefer the 4Runner.

Just a wild guess, but I'm thinking if you asked this question over at Tacomaworld, you'd get different responses.

For a more balanced sample of responses, ask the same question on a BMW forum

Can't argue with logic.

 

[thennen]

I think it’s a combination of things....not just engine specs. The Tacoma’s throttle programming is very strange.....it’s “foot to the floor” to make the truck move most of the time. Same when you are cruising on the highway....there’s a sensation that the truck is constantly fighting you to maintain speed or accelerate. The other issue is the gearing....the auto’s 5th gear is an overdrive gear.....6th gear is an even taller overdrive gear. The truck’s stock program tries to keep you in the tallest gear possible at all times......so there’s constant shifting and lugging.

I’ll also add that when looking at engine specs, things reported on paper don’t always tell the whole story. Peak hp numbers are only that....peak. If you compared the torque down at 1500-2000 rpm, I think that would be more telling. The 4runner has torque down quite a bit lower than the Tacoma. Under about 2500 rpm, the Tacoma is gutless.....now if you wind it up, the Tacoma will move!

I get you on all this. Makes sense. Hopefully they get it all sorted out because competition is stiffening.

 

[thennen]

This makes me wonder... If the Tacoma is terrible in the "normal driving range" of RPM, then maybe drivers need to adjust their expectations of what the "normal" range should be?

I spend quite a bit of time in the motorcycle world and I see similar complaints fairly often.
Examples:
Harley Guy: This Ducati twin is terrible at low RPM, it lugs badly below 3000! (Harleys build power down low below 4500rpm, Ducatis have all thier power in the midrange 4k-8k ish.).
Ducati Guy: These Japanese inline 4 cylinders are gutless unless you rev the piss out of them! (I4 motors build power above the typical Ducati redline, 8k-14k+).

Smaller pistons have to move faster to build power. However, since they are smaller/lighter it isn't as hard on the moving parts, so higher revs aren't harder on the motor. I say let it rev!

You make a good point. I drive a Scion xA daily. That thing runs 3500RPM at 70mph, 4000 at 80. When I first got it, I was concerned about that because it’s a bit high. It’s now over 210k miles and using no more oil than before. So as long as you use good oil and keep it clean, you should be ok.

 

[Bongos]

Glad you guys had this discussion.. initially I wanted a Taco but my Wife said no to a truck.. T4R was the next best thing.. was not aware the build quality of Japan T4R to USA Taco was such a big difference.

 

[JSparky]

I bought a 2016 Tacoma brand new. Loved the looks, loved the ride, interior is simple but I loved that about it. After 3500 miles of a POS 3.5L V6 that is gutless down low and makes no power until 4500 RPM, I had enough and traded it in. Shifting issues even after updates, useless 6th gear, pretty useless 5th gear unless there was no wind and completely flat road. The 3.5 and 6 speed auto does not belong in a truck by any means. Bought my 2016 4Runner brand new and couldn't be happier. Do yourself a favor, buy a 4Runner.

Did the same exact thing, had the manual which probably helped, but the shifter would stick in gear after cruising on the freeway. Owned a 2013 before the Tacoma as well. There are a ton of differences between the cabins that might not be apparent at first. I recommend spending some seat time in them, preferably with one of your travel partners, so you understand what kind of space you have.

Ditto on what others said about the seat position, 4Runner feels much more truck-like, the Tacoma made me feel like I was driving a car.

 

[northcoast]

If you don't need the bed and need the back seat, this is a no-brainer. I took the wife and baby on a road trip in a Tacoma (it was a '15, but the logic is the same), and she wanted to ride in the back seat with the baby, and she could not have been more miserable. While that phase is temporary, the better room in the back seat is definitely a plus.

Oh by the way, the 4R is bullet proof. That engine has got to be one of the best production engines ever made in terms of its reliability.

 

[LandCruiser]

Wow, what a surprise, the members of a 4Runner forum seem to prefer the 4Runner.

Just a wild guess, but I'm thinking if you asked this question over at Tacomaworld, you'd get different responses.

For a more balanced sample of responses, ask the same question on a BMW forum

Tacoma needs to be much cheaper before it's something worth recommending.

 

[Thrasher_S]

You make a good point. I drive a Scion xA daily. That thing runs 3500RPM at 70mph, 4000 at 80. When I first got it, I was concerned about that because it’s a bit high. It’s now over 210k miles and using no more oil than before. So as long as you use good oil and keep it clean, you should be ok.

Yep. My dad had a Ford truck with the 7.3L Diesel that liked to cruise at about 1800rpm. My wife's little 2.0L Mazda cruises at nearly 4k and it has done so for 200k miles. Letting the 3.5L Tacoma rev isn't bad for it. That's where the power is, so do it! If you want/need more power, buy something else, just know you are (probably) going to take a hit in a lot of other ways. The Tacoma is a great little truck, but it's a little truck. Even an F150 is quite a bit bigger.

 

[JizMachine]

I came from a 2012 taco that I owned for 5 years with no issues. As others have said the uncomfortable seating position and lack of traction in 2wd in winter were why I'm in a 2017 4runner now. Unless you need the truck box I'd go with the 4runner no question

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

 

[epjfsa]

I bought a 2015 Tacoma (4 cyl, 5 spd, 4wd, access cab) that I liked quite a lot but it was super basic and had kind of a "tinny" feel to it. No doubt it was durable and would do what it was made to do for a long time, but the 4runner just feels higher quality. I test drove a new 2016 6cyl tacoma trd pro (or whatever it was called that year) and it didn't feel much more refined than the 2015. 4Runner simply feels better overall.

And to add to what others have said, 2wd traction kind of sucked even during light rain. Not much weight over the rear wheels on a 4000 pound pickup with composite bed.

 

[Road Bull]

Another Taco to 4Runner transplant here. After years of driving company trucks, I needed to purchase a vehicle when I transitioned into another position that did not provide a company car. I had loved the “look” of the 4Runner for years and had been interested in them but couldn’t justify the price for limited use and getting to and from the airport so I purchased a used 2015 TRD Sport Taco for a good price. Liked the Taco fine and it was a nice truck but one day happened to be perusing CarGurus and stumbled across a Certified 2016 Limited with 16K about 8 hours away for what I thought was a fantastic price and mentioned it to my wife. Couple days later she asked if I really liked the 4Runner and if so, call and inquire. After several calls back and forth and I was the proud owner. Took a two day road trip and brought her home. The Taco was fine but the fit and finish of the Runner is a night and day improvement in my opinion. No Regerts!

I see what you did there.:first:

 

[Bmnorm2]

Question for those who know. 2019 Tacoma 3.5 produces 278hp @ 6000RPM and 265 lbs/ft of torque @ 4600RPM. For the 2019 4Runner 4.0 it's 270hp @ 5600 and 278 lbs/ft @ 4400. Those numbers are kind of similar (the 4Runner's peaks arrive a little earlier), and with the Taco being a few hundred pounds lighter, I would think it would be a wash. But most everyone says the Tacoma is slow. I've never driven a Tacoma - is the auto transmission that bad of a fit for the engine? Or maybe a combination of that plus having to wait a few hundred more RPMs for the peak power to arrive? Just curious. Thanks.

Thee attached post are not the actual dyno's: but a visual example of what many of the other poster's mentioned about torque across the entire curve. There are a number of other differences, but focusing just on bore and stroke, the tacoma 3.5L (94mm x 83mm) is a de-stroked 4runner 4.0L (94mm x 95mm). Same bore, shorter stroke.

In addition to the engine's power curve, Mass, aero, tire RR + Diameter, gearing, will all contribute to the total "Road Load" and resulting grade-ability of a vehicle.

Anyways... 4Runner all day unless you really need the open bed.