4Runner vs. Venza someone please help
- Thread starter volrus7
- Start date
I doubt there would be much difference between the two. Both are very safe vehicles. The 4Runner is heavier, which helps in some cases, but it is also far more likely to roll over, and roll overs are very, very dangerous.
I agree. It isn't like a Venza is the size of a MINI or Miata. Also, unibody vehicles usually have great structural rigidity.
Well, call me stupid but I'm not exactly worried that much about the difference in safety between the two vehicles as I think they're both very safe.
Dsir56, if you want to look at it that way why don't you get a CDL and drive a dump truck or tractor trailer? I'm sure you'd stand a better chance in those than you would a 4runner.
Dsir56, if you want to look at it that way why don't you get a CDL and drive a dump truck or tractor trailer? I'm sure you'd stand a better chance in those than you would a 4runner.
fxoffroad
New member
TTown
New member
I am a very analytical person. When I make a purchase I usually end up making a spreadsheet to help with my analysis. My decision came up to keeping my 03 4Runner or trading up to the 5th gen.
That being said I have to factor in the emotional aspect of driving a car. Who cares what it looks like on paper, what vehicle excites you the most? I've had my car since February and still get excited to drive it everyday. This isn't the nicest vehicle I have owned since I have had 3 Lexus in the past, but I truly love owning this truck. I don't mind getting stuck in traffic which happens all the time in SoCal.
It sounds to me that on paper the Venza is what works for you, but something tells me you WANT the 4Runner. Get what you want, you only live once!
Either way consider yourself fortunate. If your worse problem is deciding which new vehicle to purchase is, then you are a lucky person in this world.
That being said I have to factor in the emotional aspect of driving a car. Who cares what it looks like on paper, what vehicle excites you the most? I've had my car since February and still get excited to drive it everyday. This isn't the nicest vehicle I have owned since I have had 3 Lexus in the past, but I truly love owning this truck. I don't mind getting stuck in traffic which happens all the time in SoCal.
It sounds to me that on paper the Venza is what works for you, but something tells me you WANT the 4Runner. Get what you want, you only live once!
Either way consider yourself fortunate. If your worse problem is deciding which new vehicle to purchase is, then you are a lucky person in this world.
Subaru FTL
2005 Saabaru (really) - traded it in, dealer worked on it, on a test drive the engine blew up
2006 outback xt limited - just returned as uh it was awful - CPO - in two months the sunroof stopped working (has to be replaced), drivers side window won't go up and down (fixed), and a check engine light won't go away despite many visits to Subaru.
I'm currently carless and hopefully deciding today...
1. Honda Pilot
2. Toyota 4runner
want to fit 2 dog cages side by side (a no go on the 4th gen), want leather, nav, sunroof, etc - under 30K... uh
My thoughts on Subaru, research reliability.
2005 Saabaru (really) - traded it in, dealer worked on it, on a test drive the engine blew up
2006 outback xt limited - just returned as uh it was awful - CPO - in two months the sunroof stopped working (has to be replaced), drivers side window won't go up and down (fixed), and a check engine light won't go away despite many visits to Subaru.
I'm currently carless and hopefully deciding today...
1. Honda Pilot
2. Toyota 4runner
want to fit 2 dog cages side by side (a no go on the 4th gen), want leather, nav, sunroof, etc - under 30K... uh
My thoughts on Subaru, research reliability.
Leather and Nav for under $30k is going be a tall order -- likely impossible -- on a 5th gen 4Runner. You could probably find a used 09 Venza w/ leather and nav, though, for under $30k. The cargo area on the Venza is quite wide but height might be an issue. Quite a few 08 Highlanders out there w/ those options too.
Ryan F.
New member
Well said, TTown. Buy what you want. Cars/trucks cost too much to get utilitarian, and buy what you think you need. Gotta have some passion!
True. Don't get me wrong, I like my 4Runner. But every time a drive a car, whether it is Mrs. M1911's C-class, or a rental car like a Ford Fusion or Hyundai Sonata, I quickly realize just how badly my 4Runner handles. Those cars track better. They ride better. Turn-in in a corner is simply amazing in comparison, and none of those are sporty cars. I put up with that because I need the capability of my 4Runner and use it on a regular basis. But if you don't need that capability, it is a lot to put up with.
But, in the end, it is your money so buy what you want and enjoy it.
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That is why I have a GTI as well. I drive my GTI through the week and enjoy the peppy engine and great handling. Then, when I get in the 4Runner, I enjoy the smooth ride and general SUV feel. Then, I get back in my GTI and love it again. Then, I can hop in my wife's MINI and get a totally different feeling.
For an SUV, I really like how the 4Runner drives. Sure, it isn't a corner carver, but after a long drive, I feel way less tires/abused than my other two cars.
fxoffroad
New member
You don't have a 5th Gen, do you?
Mine is a 4th Gen, but I've driven a 5th Gen. My comments about my 4th Gen apply to the 5th Gen as well. They both have pretty much the same advantages and disadvantages.
Ryan F.
New member
Eh. I get your point, but I don't know about all of that. I don't have a 4th Gen, so I have no basis to judge--so I won't. To me, handling is relative. Relative to the SUVness of the 4 Runner, the X-REAS suspension does a terrific job on my Limited. I come from a car perspective, and honestly, the 4 Runner is about 750 lbs. more vehicle than I have EVER driven. It handles just fine relative to what it is. I love the damn thing, and wouldn't trade it for anything.
My '03 V8 Limited has XREAS. I agree that the handling is pretty darn good, for a truck. But you can't fool physics. It is a top-heavy, body-on-frame truck with a solid rear axle.
