Sure 5th Gen 4runner started in 2010, and then was changed to 5.2 in 2014 with new front bumper/fogs/etc ..I would say that giving the Tacoma the 6th gear with the same engine, over any change in the 4Runner with the same engine/needs, is definitely favoring the Tacoma. It's an easy change to make in the production line, if it offered an improvement (which I assume is why they did it in the Taco), so why not also make the change in the 4Runner? Lazy, cheap, or both?
Correct. As was the Tacoma in 2012. New bumpers, headlights etc. the Tacoma had the 4.0 motor or before the current generation with the 3.5 and the 6th gear. I’m sure that’ll be in the next generation 4Runner. They’re not going to make the production change like that and the evidence shows that. Easy or not for them they’re not going to do it, why would they? Sales are the best they’ve been.