Alternatives to the 4Runner

[Steamfitter]

Is there anything that comes close to the 4Runner? I have not seen anything. These are the closest competitors for me personally:

Lexus GX: inferior looks, full time 4WD, requires premium fuel

Lexus LX: Same as GX, expensive

Range Rover: expensive and notoriously unreliable, air suspension

Tundra: too big if you aren't towing massive trailers regularly

Tacoma: too small, wind noise

BMW X5: unibody, poor reliability

Does the 4Runner ruin you for other vehicles or is it just me?

 

[Gamma Ray]

There's also the Toyota Sequoia, but I wouldn't get a current Sequoia over a current 4Runner.

The 4Runner doesn't necessarily ruin other vehicles for me. I'd love to drive my old Jeep Liberty again if it wasn't so unreliable that I had to get rid of it, but there's not much reason to drive anything else in the SUV category. I would like a fun car to play around with, though. Maybe on the other end of this coronavirus crap cars will be super cheap :lol:

 

[Steamfitter]

There's also the Toyota Sequoia, but I wouldn't get a current Sequoia over a current 4Runner.

The 4Runner doesn't necessarily ruin other vehicles for me. I'd love to drive my old Jeep Liberty again if it wasn't so unreliable that I had to get rid of it, but there's not much reason to drive anything else in the SUV category. I would like a fun car to play around with, though. Maybe on the other end of this coronavirus crap cars will be super cheap :lol:

Not to get off on a tangent, but we are in an asset bubble that includes personal vehicles. Part of my would like to get a small, fast car that didn't cost almost twice what my 4runner did.

 

[Syr4RinNC]

Not much - The wrangler is the other off road 4x4 you can get in a 4 door

Jeep grand cherokee

Reportedly reliable is better with jeeps lately, but who knows

Chevy/ GMC doesnt really make a mid size SUV that can go off road

The ford explorer though similar size is unibody and feels more like the highlander

Maybe the bronco when it comes out

But yea - the 4runner is a true do it all sport utility vehicle - family hauler, groceries/ hardware and lumbar in the back if needed, off road, towing, kayak, camping gear

 

[TRD Pro Dan]

Having driven a Wrangler and a 4Runner, I don’t find much else to be in the same category of functionality as these two. I would be curious to see how the Bronco does off-road when it comes out.

 

[Steamfitter]

But yea - the 4runner is a true do it all sport utility vehicle - family hauler, groceries/ hardware and lumbar in the back if needed, off road, towing, kayak, camping gear

The T4R fulfills a lot of different needs too. I basically use mine as a highway commuter driving to a mine every day. 45 miles each way, with deer, animals, ice, snow, dirt roads, etc. Not to mention I make a 310 mile trip to my home town every couple weeks too, and there's deer all over that road aswell. So it's nice having a tank-like highway cruiser than can go in and out of the ditch.

 

[SilverFox2020]

We have a 20 4Runner and a 15 BMW X5. The Beemer has had zero issues in 50k miles so far however I would not take it the places I have taken the 4Runner. Believe it or not the 4Runner is quieter on the road however the Beemer with 100 more horsepower is a lot of fun in the twisties.

 

[Jernik]

Having driven a Wrangler and a 4Runner, I don’t find much else to be in the same category of functionality as these two. I would be curious to see how the Bronco does off-road when it comes out.

This. I would add the Lexus GX just because it's basically a fancy 4Runner.

The Jeep may have a slight advantage offroad, and taking the roof/doors off is a ton of fun. In every other way the 4Runner is better.

The Bronco is interesting, and I too am curious how it will compare when people FINALLY get their hands on one.

 

[Gamma Ray]

Reportedly reliable is better with jeeps lately, but who knows

Personally, I hope that's going to be the case years down the line once it's time to say goodbye to my new 4Runner. Even though Jeep is Fiat Chrysler, I really loved my Jeeps. I'd love to get a 2 door Wrangler again. It was so nimble on the road. Choosing to go with the 4Runner over a Jeep broke my heart in some ways.

But if I fall in love with my 4Runner like I did with my Jeeps, then I might not get another Jeep ever again

 

[Jetboy]

Really depends on what you're doing with it.

For 90% of 4Runner owners - Highlander would be better.

For the rest it's kinda right between a Jeep GC/Subaru Outback and a Wrangler.

GX is of course very similar.
Land Cruiser 200 is just so fawking heavy, otherwise very capable. I think they'll be a great base for a family build when they get cheap enough to chop up and run 37's. On 35's they're still kind of a dog on the trails due to the weight.
Tahoe/Yukon are okay for hauling kiddos around and towing stuff. Not so much off road. But most 4Runner owners never go off road. I think that's why we see a lot of cross shopping between them.

Every midsize crossover is also sort of similar if you're not going offroad. That ranges from the Land Rovers to Jeep GC to the Honda Pilot. They're all different flavors of the same thing.

The new bronco will probably be the closest market competitor. My guess is that it will do everything better except reliability when it comes out. It should. The 4Runner is really fawking old. It should be much better in the drivetrain department in terms of power, power delivery, modern transmission, turbo, etc. The only issue I see is that it's a Ford, so it'll be questionable in reliability and durability. Even so - probably better than a Wrangler in both categories. I foresee a lot of defectors. I haven't owned a Ford since the early 90's, and the new Bronco looks compelling to me. If Toyota doesn't bring something great with the new Land Cruiser - I might buy my first non-toyota vehicle in a very long time.

Another option - LC100 or LC80. Both are comparable to the 4Runner in their own way.

 

[Gamma Ray]

For 90% of 4Runner owners - Highlander would be better.

Front wheel drive-based. Meh.

 

[Jetboy]

Front wheel drive-based. Meh.

What kind of driving are you doing in an underpowered 5000lb SUV that you could tell the difference? If you're not going off road, which most don't, I'm not sure what benefit rwd based platform really has.

I spend a bit of time in the dirt. I have a snow plow on my 4runner in the winter. I tow my camper. Etc. For me it works great. A truck with extra seats. But most 4runner owners do none of those things. Most buyers are soccer moms and really would be better served by any number of crossover options.

 

[engineeer]

I went from a 2017 TRD Pro to a 2017 Range Rover Sport 5.0L Supercharged and can chime in about it.

The RRS is better in most ways (features, speed, handling, fuel economy, etc.), but it better be considering it's 2x the price. I've had mine since 12 or 15k miles on the odometer and recently cracked 40k. I haven't had any reliability issues, but I (purposely) bought the goldilocks year where you get the widescreen infotainment, but not the dual screen one that has had software issues. It's been on a strict 16k mile service internal, 5k mile tire rotation, and once every 6 month software update interval.

I felt just a touch more confident in the 4Runner when off-roading for whatever reason, but the RRS can definitely hold its own on all of the same trails I took my 4Runner on. It just does it in a much more electronic/tech way if that makes sense. The 4Runner felt more mechanical and engaging.

That being said, I'm hoping the 6th Gen 4Runner brings me back to the platform.

 

[Gamma Ray]

What kind of driving are you doing in an underpowered 5000lb SUV that you could tell the difference? If you're not going off road, which most don't, I'm not sure what benefit rwd based platform really has.

I spend a bit of time in the dirt. I have a snow plow on my 4runner in the winter. I tow my camper. Etc. For me it works great. A truck with extra seats. But most 4runner owners do none of those things. Most buyers are soccer moms and really would be better served by any number of crossover options.

I'm a RWD junkie. I don't think I ever drove a FWD.

 

[Dan.3]

I have no plans on buying a Bronco but I do think that its going to take a good chunk of the market share. I definitely see people defecting from the Wrangler and FJ Cruisers.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Yeah, there's nothing else currently on the market that even comes close to what I want besides the 4Runner. The 4Runner has it all -- serious off-road capability, body-on-frame, great on the road, smooth ride, a good level of "creature comforts".

 

[shootskden]

we love our 3rd gen 4runner, and for the little trips around or when you want to be extra comfortable, the rav4 adventure has been super capable so far. AWD is of course no 4x4, but it's a great daily for zippin around but still havin some capability. maybe a baby 4runner.

 

[JayceeP]

I’ve had mine for 7 years. I don’t off-road unless you count construction zones. It’s a great vehicle, super reliable, looks nice, and drives like the day I bought it. When I look at depreciation, I don’t think I could have leased a mid-size car for what my cost of ownership has been with the 4Runner.

Having said that, I was in the dealership last week and the interior of the new Highlander is pretty damn nice. Not sure I could go there but the Platinum Highlander has caught my eye.

 

[Thebeastlives]

I went from a 2017 TRD Pro to a 2017 Range Rover Sport 5.0L Supercharged and can chime in about it.

The RRS is better in most ways (features, speed, handling, fuel economy, etc.), but it better be considering it's 2x the price. I've had mine since 12 or 15k miles on the odometer and recently cracked 40k. I haven't had any reliability issues, but I (purposely) bought the goldilocks year where you get the widescreen infotainment, but not the dual screen one that has had software issues. It's been on a strict 16k mile service internal, 5k mile tire rotation, and once every 6 month software update interval.

I felt just a touch more confident in the 4Runner when off-roading for whatever reason, but the RRS can definitely hold its own on all of the same trails I took my 4Runner on. It just does it in a much more electronic/tech way if that makes sense. The 4Runner felt more mechanical and engaging.

That being said, I'm hoping the 6th Gen 4Runner brings me back to the platform.

The 4runner would only be for you if need a very capable offroad vehicle for weekend gateways. The RRS is very capable if you modified the tires and protect the underside. The 4 runner Pro comes ready for serious offroad adventures which most buyers don't have the skills or desire to take. Taking trips to the back country 50 to 100 miles from anyone or anything I would never do in a RRS. I know my 4 runner will start every time, won't break as long as I pick the right line and offroad right and make sure it is maintained right. I never knew if my RRS would get me back to the house after leaving the dealer for one of the routine maintenance services. I do believe if your lifestyle isn't occasionally about getting deep off grid in some very rugged terrain than most SUVs can be the 1 for you instead of the 4 runner

 

[Thai]

Is there anything that comes close to the 4Runner? I have not seen anything. These are the closest competitors for me personally:

Lexus GX: inferior looks, full time 4WD, requires premium fuel

Lexus LX: Same as GX, expensive

Does the 4Runner ruin you for other vehicles or is it just me?

I guess it depends on how much off-roading you do and are you willing to mod.

Lexus GX advantage is that you get FULL-time 4wd AND KDSS all in one package...that is a killer deal. The V8 is a big plus given that 4runner is under-powered. But yes, it does require premium fuel...but the extra power and comfort features of a Lexus (interior quality, LED headlights, very quiet) may be worth it for some. Downfall of GX is the approach angle is pretty bad due to the front end design.

Personally, i went with Land Cruiser. Again, full-time 4WD and KDSS combo is what i want. You get the great ride and plenty of luxury. Expensive yes, but at least it runs on regular gas...and with low gas prices these days, i love it.