6th Gen 4Runner Predictions!

[Throwback]

The standard 5th Gen Trail Editions are just about perfect in my eyes, though I'm a very simplistic guy and don't like a lot of fluff. The fact that it's basic and rugged is exactly why I own one.

Odds are whatever the 6th Gen ends up being, it will be more comfortable with more electronic gadgets, which means "softer" overall.

If we're going to do the "wish list" thing I'd like to see an even more basic Trail Edition. Heck, since the new Trails are "TRD" they can keep the TRD OR and TRD PRO and bring back the standard "Trail Edition."

Keep the E-locker, but remove Crawl Control and MTS.
Remove the carpet and replace with a rubberized "work truck" floor.
5 matching FJ-type black steel wheels.

 

[1engineer]

I sincerely hope some of you were not part of the focus groups the last several years. If you were then expect the next 4Runner to be a Highlander with some plastic cladding. It seems that is what many of you want.

 

[sn_85]

I think what Toyota needs to do with the 4R is give each line a real identity instead of straddling the line in each model. Keep the SR5 as a barebones no frills SUV. The Trail (errr TRD Off-Road) needs to be just that and I would like to see them put the P-rated Nitto TG2's and a Bilstein 5100 type shock on it. I don't know why they have H/T tires on a Trail model. They also need to go all out on the TRD Pro the same way Ford does with the Raptor. I feel like the TRD Pro 4Runner is half-baked with it's 1" front lift and P-rated tires. The TRD Pro should get a nice set of Fox shocks with a 2-3" lift, LT rated tires, and a throaty exhaust. The Limited can have all those safety features and creature comforts.

In essence, I'd like to see them make the Trail version actually Trail worthy and the Pro needs to be a one-of-a-kind edition instead of some slapped on parts. Some of the component choices in the Trail version sends mixed messages with it's soft shocks and highway tires.

 

[Bilbo]

I sincerely hope some of you were not part of the focus groups the last several years. If you were then expect the next 4Runner to be a Highlander with some plastic cladding. It seems that is what many of you want.

[MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] Me? Because I support safety features in all vehicles? It's all self-preservation. Those safety features like blind spot monitors, lane departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control in everyone's vehicles are more likely to save my life, and the lives of my family, than is access to a pistola in my console.

As for the Highlander, I wouldn't swap the Red Hare for a brand new $50K Highlander unless I could sell it off to fund a new 4Runner.

 

[Moonbandit]

The standard 5th Gen Trail Editions are just about perfect in my eyes, though I'm a very simplistic guy and don't like a lot of fluff. The fact that it's basic and rugged is exactly why I own one.

Odds are whatever the 6th Gen ends up being, it will be more comfortable with more electronic gadgets, which means "softer" overall.

If we're going to do the "wish list" thing I'd like to see an even more basic Trail Edition. Heck, since the new Trails are "TRD" they can keep the TRD OR and TRD PRO and bring back the standard "Trail Edition."

Keep the E-locker, but remove Crawl Control and MTS.
Remove the carpet and replace with a rubberized "work truck" floor.
5 matching FJ-type black steel wheels.

`^^^^ wow, such a simple idea that I have never seen or thought of.

^^^^Brilliant!

One can dream....

As for those wishing for a JGC by Toyota :barf: There are already a tons of vehicle options for those who love nanny sensors.

Let us leave the 4runner in masculine form in return eace:

 

[engineeer]

Here's what I'd like in order of preference. If they released the same exact body styling with the first 3 items on my list, I would sell my 2017 and take the big depreciation hit to buy one.

• Turbo V6 diesel V8 diesel (first is more likely?)
• 6-speed transmission
• Larger gas tank for more range like the Tundra TRD Pro/Limited
• Cooled seats (on non-Limited models)
• Small convex mirror inset built-in (Rav4 style) to help see where the rear wheels are when backing up or off-roading
• Power rear lift-gate would be nice

Edit: I didn't follow the template

1. Same as 5th gen
2. Turbo V6 diesel or V8 diesel + 6-speed transmission with a bigger gas tank
3. Same as now
4. Same as now
5. I'd pay $2-3k more for 5th gen with the powertrain listed above, so let's say $45k for a TRD Pro

 

[BigredTEX]

`^^^^ wow, such a simple idea that I have never seen or thought of.

^^^^Brilliant!

One can dream....

As for those wishing for a JGC by Toyota :barf: There are already a tons of vehicle options for those who love nanny sensors.

Let us leave the 4runner in masculine form in return eace:

What ^^^ said. Give us a real trail edition with the basic trail goodies and give those who want an LE all the bells and whistles and fluff.

 

[tykkor]

Here's what I'd like in order of preference. If they released the same exact body styling with the first 3 items on my list, I would sell my 2017 and take the big depreciation hit to buy one.

• Turbo V6 diesel V8 diesel (first is more likely)
• 6-speed transmission
• Larger gas tank for more range like the Tundra TRD Pro/Limited
• Cooled seats (on non-Limited models)
• Small convex mirror inset built-in (Rav4 style) to help see where the rear wheels are when backing up or off-roading
• Power rear lift-gate would be nice

Edit: I didn't follow the template

1. Same as 5th gen
2. Turbo V6 diesel or V8 diesel + 6-speed transmission with a bigger gas tank
3. Same as now
4. Same as now
5. I'd pay $2-3k more for 5th gen with the powertrain listed above, so let's say $45k for a TRD Pro

Ooh, a V6 turbodiesel with a 6 speed transmission and a larger fuel tank/longer range? I'd be standing in the dealership the day it was announced begging them to take my money.

 

[K9trainer]

I sincerely hope some of you were not part of the focus groups the last several years. If you were then expect the next 4Runner to be a Highlander with some plastic cladding. It seems that is what many of you want.

I want mine to be as nice as a LandCruiser:twitch: without the $90000 price

 

[Simpleman74]

[MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] Me? Because I support safety features in all vehicles? It's all self-preservation. Those safety features like blind spot monitors, lane departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control in everyone's vehicles are more likely to save my life, and the lives of my family, than is access to a pistola in my console.

those "safety features" are because we are becoming more lazy as a human race.... I have never been in an accident and I have have never needed little blinky lights telling me there is someone in my blind spot... I simply turn my head in the direction I want to go PRIOR to executing a lane change.... as for the gun, by all means don't carry one... if you are as lazy as you imply you are then we don't need you carrying.

 

[acer0611]

Here's what I'd like in order of preference. If they released the same exact body styling with the first 3 items on my list, I would sell my 2017 and take the big depreciation hit to buy one.

• Turbo V6 diesel V8 diesel (first is more likely)

• 
  
  Actually i would think that if toyota would go through with a diesel, a V8 or a 4 cylinder turbo diesel would be more likely since toyota uses these over seas (4 cylinder on the toyota landcruiser prado and on the hilux/Fortuner and the V8 on their diesel landcruiser). I could be wrong but i'm not aware of any V6 diesel in toyotas lineup.
  The 3.0 L 1KD-FTV I4 diesel available has pretty good pick up and go at least on their current generation Hilux and has great mpg. A variant of this engine (3.0 L 1KZ-T/TE turbodiesel I4) was available on the 4th Gen 4Runner up to 2006. It wasn't as peppy as the current 4 cylinder and had issues with the engine seals needing replacement every 100k or so but it was an extremely reliable engine.

 

[4RunnerAquasport]

those "safety features" are because we are becoming more lazy as a human race.... I have never been in an accident and I have have never needed little blinky lights telling me there is someone in my blind spot... I simply turn my head in the direction I want to go PRIOR to executing a lane change.... as for the gun, by all means don't carry one... if you are as lazy as you imply you are then we don't need you carrying.

Agreed. ^^ If you can't put down your phone long enough to make a lane change with out technology doing it for you? Take a bus, and please don't carry. I assume we still have to look both ways at a stop sign before we pull out into traffic? So if your neck works, you should use it. I pack my camping gear with the passenger side blind spot in mind.
Side bar: Diesel and a V8 option would be great. But, there is the age old question for Toyota, would they sell enough of them to really make them a viable product.

 

[1engineer]

Agreed. ^^ If you can't put down your phone long enough to make a lane change with out technology doing it for you? Take a bus, and please don't carry. I assume we still have to look both ways at a stop sign before we pull out into traffic? So if your neck works, you should use it. I pack my camping gear with the passenger side blind spot in mind.
Side bar: Diesel and a V8 option would be great. But, there is the age old question for Toyota, would they sell enough of them to really make them a viable product.

No. Everyone seems to forget that Toyota is in business to make money first and foremost. They are only going to produce vehicles that large groups of people want, with the exception of R&D platforms.

This thread was about real predictions not what each of you would like to see.
If they built a 4Runner that was basic and geared for off road they would sell about 100 of them... all to people here at this forum.
Don't forget the current 5th Gen was built based on feedback from a large demographic of current or potential customers.

I can almost guarantee there will be no diesel offered ever and yes, people have just about gotten lazy to the point of the movie "WALL E" where fat people are riding around on personal mobility scooters and can't even turn their heads or bend over.

My advice? Learn to drive correctly or wait until they have self driving cars to move you. There have always been bad drivers. It's your job to be better than them, instead of one of them.

 

[engineeer]

Ooh, a V6 turbodiesel with a 6 speed transmission and a larger fuel tank/longer range? I'd be standing in the dealership the day it was announced begging them to take my money.

That's my dream. That way you can armor up to your heart's content and still have decent driving range off-road without having to carry multiple cans with you.

 

[Gecko]

I love all the comments about blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, auto high beams, automatic braking, etc. being for people who "can't drive and who should learn how to operate a vehicle."

Time for some of you to step into reality - many of these technologies are small features that can be turned off with a button, and they actually have significant advantages in the real world. Glancing down to grab a bottle of water or change the radio and the car in front of you makes an abrupt stop - auto braking beeps and alerts you before rear ending them. Driving in the middle of the night and at 2AM, your eyes start to get heavy - lane departure wakes you up before you veer into the other lane or worse. You're in stop and go traffic and someone flies up beside you in your blind spot when you were preparing to merge - blind spot beeps and flashes, keeping you from smashing up your quarter panel. Etc.

If you don't like these technologies, that's fine, but you need to realize that:
1) No next generation 4Runner is coming without TSS+ because those technologies are part of what will make a 6th gen 4Runner a viable production vehicle and business case to the average consumer.
2) Just because you don't like these technologies doesn't mean there's not a real world advantage to having them.
3) People who like these technologies can probably drive just fine and have already realized their value while you have probably not.

 

[Colorado S14]

I love all the comments about blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, auto high beams, automatic braking, etc. being for people who "can't drive and who should learn how to operate a vehicle."

Time for some of you to step into reality - many of these technologies are small features that can be turned off with a button, and they actually have significant advantages in the real world. Glancing down to grab a bottle of water or change the radio and the car in front of you makes an abrupt stop - auto braking beeps and alerts you before rear ending them. Driving in the middle of the night and at 2AM, your eyes start to get heavy - lane departure wakes you up before you veer into the other lane or worse. You're in stop and go traffic and someone flies up beside you in your blind spot when you were preparing to merge - blind spot beeps and flashes, keeping you from smashing up your quarter panel. Etc.

If you don't like these technologies, that's fine, but you need to realize that:
1) No next generation 4Runner is coming without TSS+ because those technologies are part of what will make a 6th gen 4Runner a viable production vehicle and business case to the average consumer.
2) Just because you don't like these technologies doesn't mean there's not a real world advantage to having them.
3) People who like these technologies can probably drive just fine and have already realized their value while you have probably not.

I happily throw myself into the crowd that would like those things. My wife has a 2016 Outback with the Eye Sight and I have to say that adaptive cruise, blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alerts are great features.

It is very nice setting cruise and not having to think about it if someone pulls in front of you, the stop and go traffic feature when it will creep along without your intervention makes heavy traffic much less tiring. Getting a beep if there is a car or a kid when you are backing out of a spot in a busy lot is a nice addition to normal prudent driving. The blind spot monitor is a nice help when you have the rig fully loaded for camping and have made it tough to look our the rear side glass.

I would be happy with a 6th gen that kept the same basic foundation as the current model and changed/added:
- Engine refresh to add 15hp/tq and increase economy a bit
- 6 Speed box
- Auto climate control on all trim lines
- Power seat memory (does the limited have this already?)
- Additional tech features mentioned above
- A similar warning to the sunroof being open for the rear glass as well
- Push button start/auto entry on all trims
- Illumination on every button/switch instead of half, lol

 

[sn_85]

I looked at those on-line the other week, they peek my interest a little bit. I am not a fan or Nissan usually. Test drove another Nissan SUV years ago and was not impressed at all. I might have to swing by a dealership and take a look, but will not go out of my way to do it

I'm more of a Toyota guy myself but dagum the Sequoia and Tundra need to step into this decade. If I were buying a truck or SUV today the first ones I'd look at would be the Nissan Titan or Armada before the Tundra and Sequoia. My brother has a 2004 Titan that he still runs today and I think it has around 240k without any major mechanical problems. Similarly my dad has a 2006/7 Armada that is still running solid today with nearly 200k on it. So they make good cars too, just not the Pathfinder lol

 

[Brandonium]

This exactly. One shouldn't have to ask to have all the damn buttons in the cockpit illuminated. Clearly this is too damn hard for a manufacturer like Toyota to do... op2:

- Illumination on every button/switch instead of half, lol

 

[philsey]

those "safety features" are because we are becoming more lazy as a human race.... I have never been in an accident and I have have never needed little blinky lights telling me there is someone in my blind spot... I simply turn my head in the direction I want to go PRIOR to executing a lane change....

Amen Brother, amen. I was test driving something for the wife awhile back. I forget, a RAV?, a CRV? maybe - and the friggin steering wheel was tugging at me. WTF?? Turns out it's some kinda Lane Departure bullshit.

If I were King, the one technology I would decree would automatically disable any cell phone while the car is running. The cell phone is our biggest driving safety hazard EVAH!!

 

[Bilbo]

those "safety features" are because we are becoming more lazy as a human race.... I have never been in an accident and I have have never needed little blinky lights telling me there is someone in my blind spot... I simply turn my head in the direction I want to go PRIOR to executing a lane change.... as for the gun, by all means don't carry one... if you are as lazy as you imply you are then we don't need you carrying.

[MENTION=139682]Simpleman74[/MENTION] I'm happy you are an attentive driver, but you aren't paying attention to what I said! I don't crave all the safety features because I can't drive without them. I want them on all vehicles because I don't trust the average driver to attend to the task. But heck, we only have about 10,000,000 road accidents and 35,000 vehicle deaths in the US each year.

So, I grant you are an outstanding driver. You are still safer if all those other people around you have the little blinky lights. And so are they.

Every now and then, someone posts a photo or two of their 4Runner after it has been totaled and the occupants walk away. The front end is completely destroyed, but it crumpled and nothing penetrated the firewall. Or every single air bag deployed in a rollover, but the pillars held. Invariably, someone will comment "She's totaled, but she did her job."

All those new-fangled, nannyish blinkies? They're just part of the job. Welcome to the world of overcrowding and bad roads.