4Runner vs. Prerunner Dbl Cab for the fam?

[aguabonita]

Hi all,

I am in the market for a new rig for the family (2 little kids, wife, and a German Shepherd mix). I have been doing my research and have narrowed things down to a VW Jetta wagon (probably not going to happen as it is too small), a third gen 4Runner (preferably a '99-'00 5spd w/4wd), or a 2001-2004 Prerunner Doublecab with a shell.

I am coming from the VW Westfalia world but there are some things about my rig that are driving me and the family crazy (no a/c, loud inside, costly repairs, slow and no power going up mountain passes, etc.)

Just wondering if anyone help me compare the 4runner to the Prerunner? I know everyone is different so let me tell you what I am looking for.
1. Good day-to-day reliability for the next 5 years or so. Daily driver. About 30 miles average per day.
2. Something my family will be comfortable in on longish trips. We like to fish/surf/camp all up and down the CA coast and visit places (e.g. Tuolumne Meadows, Mammoth, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, etc.).
3. Something good for cruising (daily and on the previously mentioned trips) with my dog. I lean towards the 4runner if only for the back-window-sun-roof-wind-in-my-hair-effect for the dog.
4. 4wd for occasional snow outings and light off-road ventures.
5. Air conditioning!

I am Especially interested in interior comfort. How are the seats? Ergonomics? I am tallish (6'3") and I have read that some people don't like the seats in the Prerunner. I know they both have narrow cabins but am not too worried about that. It also seems as though Prerunners are more pricey than 4runners right now (?).

Any and all info greatly appreciated. Cheers.

 

[alaskaflyer]

I would say get the 4runner, I own both a Prerunner and a 4runner and the Prerunner is fine but you have to put anything extra in the bed of the truck, that would include your dog. I think you would be happier with the 4runner as a family vehicle.

 

[96743runner]

I would get the 4Runner, seeing that you want 4wd. Prerunner tacomas are 2wd with the suspension of a 4wd tacoma, I believe.

In terms of comfort, my friend has a 02 prerunner and it is about the same in comfort, I think. More space for the kids in the 4Runner, too.

 

[Pikeman]

I am 6'3 225 and am comfortable in the 4 Runner. I think the back seats will also have just a hair more room then the Prerunner will. The 4 Runner will also allow your dog to slobber all over the kids and let him feel more like part of the family..LOL. Now for some of your hobbies, like fishing having the PreRunner with a shell might be a litle better as the fishy smell can be kept seperate from the passenger compartment. The drivetrain is the same for both with the 3.4L V6 so reliability should be the same for either.

 

[p nut]

I guess I'll be the odd-ball here. I recommend the double cab truck. Yes, I'm biased. But it's worked out well for me. One kid, no dog (yet). We're pretty comfortable in the truck. The positives are:

- LOTS of cargo room. Much more than the 4Runner.
- No dog hair in the cabin.
- Dirty stuff stays in the bed and you don't have to smell or touch it.
- More versatile around the house. Had to haul some mulch/drywall/etc. and the Tacoma was great. I hate pulling trailers.
- Better rack options due to the longer size (canoes, kayaks, etc.)
- Better resale value.

Negatives:

- The ride is better on the 4Runner due to the rear springs.
- It is nice having access to the rear cargo area from within the cabin for random stuff while on the road.
- Longer than the 4Runner.
- More expensive than a comparable 4Runner.
- Rear seats are a tad smaller than the 4Runner.

Other than that, both are pretty similar. I don't think you can go wrong with either. I'm 6' and no complaints in the comfort department.

Also, as others have mentioned, pre-runner is 2WD (with 4WD suspension). Go for a 4WD.

 

[JohnsD90]

I say go for the Jetta wagon, they are pretty comfortable with a surprising amount of storage, and if you get the TDI model thats 45-52mpg. BTW we have a jetta sedan 99.5 and it fit a family of 5 fine, maybe a little cramped as we got older but the MPG's are worth it, with 2 kids and a dog, the wagon will suit you great.

I doubt you will see 30mpg out of the taco, i know in my 97 v6 5 speed 4runner i see 21mpg on a day i am very conservative on the throttle, i usually see 19mpg.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Well if 4wd is a requirement you can cross the pre-runner off the list. Pre-runner means 2wd with a 4wd look.

You will pay a lot more for a comparable double-cab Taco than you will for a 4runner. There are two reasons for this: First, the 1st generation Double cab was only sold in the US from 01-04, whereas the 3rd gen 4runner was sold from 96 to 02. Second, there just aren't as many of them, so they demand a bit more money.

I actually went from at Taco (extended cab) to a 4runner because it was more suited to my needs.

With a Taco if you want the rear locker (very good to have) you have to find one with the TRD package. On 4runners you can find a good variety of base (SR5) models with the rear locker up through 2000.

All 01-04 Taco Double Cabs have automatic transmissions. You can get a manual on the 4runner up through 2000.

99-00 Limited model 4runners and all 01-02 4runners have a neat multi-mode transfer case that lets you run 4wd even on paved roads. This was never an option on the Taco.

Overall I found the 4runner to be much more "refined" than the Taco and that's why I'm glad I made the switch.

But that's just how it suited my needs - you are going to have to decide which features are more important to you.

Honestly you can't go wrong with either choice but IMO the fact that you will pay ~20% less for an equivalent 4runner would be enough for me.

 

[haddix]

If say if you need 4wd go with the 4runner. If 2wd is ok go
for the taco.

 

[p nut]

4. 4wd for occasional snow outings and light off-road ventures.

I say go for the Jetta wagon, they are pretty comfortable with a surprising amount of storage, and if you get the TDI model thats 45-52mpg. BTW we have a jetta sedan 99.5 and it fit a family of 5 fine, maybe a little cramped as we got older but the MPG's are worth it, with 2 kids and a dog, the wagon will suit you great.

I doubt you will see 30mpg out of the taco, i know in my 97 v6 5 speed 4runner i see 21mpg on a day i am very conservative on the throttle, i usually see 19mpg.

:nono:

Also, he never said he's looking to get 30MPG out of the new vehicle.

 

[hkspwrsche]

Im getting ready to sell my 4runner to look into a 4dr truck but, probably a tundra. My current house and the ones Ive looked for the future dont really have room for a trailer. Otherwise a 4x8 trailer would basically add a pick up bed pull behind.
If youve got room to store it Id look into the 4runner and add a trailer.

Hi all,

I am in the market for a new rig for the family (2 little kids, wife, and a German Shepherd mix). I have been doing my research and have narrowed things down to a VW Jetta wagon (probably not going to happen as it is too small), a third gen 4Runner (preferably a '99-'00 5spd w/4wd), or a 2001-2004 Prerunner Doublecab with a shell.

I am coming from the VW Westfalia world but there are some things about my rig that are driving me and the family crazy (no a/c, loud inside, costly repairs, slow and no power going up mountain passes, etc.)

Just wondering if anyone help me compare the 4runner to the Prerunner? I know everyone is different so let me tell you what I am looking for.
1. Good day-to-day reliability for the next 5 years or so. Daily driver. About 30 miles average per day.
2. Something my family will be comfortable in on longish trips. We like to fish/surf/camp all up and down the CA coast and visit places (e.g. Tuolumne Meadows, Mammoth, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, etc.).
3. Something good for cruising (daily and on the previously mentioned trips) with my dog. I lean towards the 4runner if only for the back-window-sun-roof-wind-in-my-hair-effect for the dog.
4. 4wd for occasional snow outings and light off-road ventures.
5. Air conditioning!

I am Especially interested in interior comfort. How are the seats? Ergonomics? I am tallish (6'3") and I have read that some people don't like the seats in the Prerunner. I know they both have narrow cabins but am not too worried about that. It also seems as though Prerunners are more pricey than 4runners right now (?).

Any and all info greatly appreciated. Cheers.

 

[aguabonita]

Thanks for your kind responses folks. I enjoy reading these posts and very much appreciate your time.

A couple of things to mention.

Yes, I would love to get good gas mileage (and my Catholic guilt will weigh on me forever if/when I get a truck) but we do have an econo car in the form of a Matrix which gets pretty good gas mileage. Note to self (a bit of rationalization here) - almost any of the new cars I am considering do better with respect to gas/pollution than my '87 VW Vanagong with its outdated boxer engine.

If I'm not mistaken there are certainly a lot of Prerunners that do have 4whl drive. They may be harder to come by than a 4runner, but they are out there.

You folks all have mentioned some good points worth considering. What sticks out the most to me is the fact that the double cab is more expensive than most 4runners and the fact that you can get the option to get the multi-mode transfer case in the 4runner that Martinjmper mentioned. I don't know if I would ever need that in my neck of the woods but it seems like a neat option.

On the other hand, throwing my dirty/wet dog and surf/fishing gear in the back of a truck certainly sounds appealing as well. You can probably see why I am torn as both vehicles have their merits. I know that there are more important things to worry about but my neurotic nature leads me to over analyze these types of decisions.:ybrick:

Anyways, I will consider all of those points. I am really looking for a 5 year vehicle as I know that the Ford Ranger is being updated to include a double cab and ecoboost engine. Will wait that one out for a couple of years after they release it to see how it fairs as I am gun shy about buying newly released products.

Kevin

 

[JohnsD90]

The Prerunner's are 2wd, all of them are, they have most of the feature of a 4wd TRD without being a 4wd.

 

[aguabonita]

The Prerunner's are 2wd, all of them are, they have most of the feature of a 4wd TRD without being a 4wd.

Gotcha. You are totally correct. I guess I have been meaning to write Tacoma Double Cab with 4wd rather than Prerunner.

My apologies for the confusion.

 

[p nut]

There have been plenty of PreRunners converted to 4WD, just in case you run into one of those.

Sometimes, on decisions like this, it's best left to good ol' George:

 

[topdown4runner]

One thing you can do if you go the 4Runner route...get one of those plastic liners for the back. Acts kinda like a pickup bed that traps dirt, water, etc...to keep the carpet clean.
As to the "fishy" smell...that's what coolers are for

I sold my 96 T4R to buy a T100 pickup.
Shoulda kept the 4Runner and got the pickup anyway.

Eventually gonna get a 99 - 02 replacement 4Runner and keep the truck for hauling stuff.

( the 97 4Runner in my sig. is not MINE. It belongs to my better half and I can't to what I want to HER truck )

 

[theizzardking]

isn't the whole point of a prerunner is that it's 2wd?

as in saying a 4wd prerunner is the same as saying you own a 2wd 4x4?


and why would you do the swap into 4x4 with a prerunner? isn't that just a waste of time and money as they are the same exact truck but one is 2wd and one is 4x4...right ?!?!?!


or is this just a toyota branding thing now and no longer means what it did in baja style racing scene?

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I prefer the 4Runner since you don't need to worry about having weight in the back for winter and I don't like an open bed at speeds over 70mph as they get tossed around more in heavy winds but can be remedied with a topper but that's just another expense.

 

[theizzardking]

isn't the whole point of a prerunner is that it's 2wd?

as in saying a 4wd prerunner is the same as saying you own a 2wd 4x4?


and why would you do the swap into 4x4 with a prerunner? isn't that just a waste of time and money as they are the same exact truck but one is 2wd and one is 4x4...right ?!?!?!


or is this just a toyota branding thing now and no longer means what it did in baja style racing scene?

not slamming anyone here and question is not directed at the op, just wondering about this really, i always though a prerunner was a 2wd dune machine.....