Does the 4Runner make a good family car???

[Stangallmotor]

Hey Fellas, I'm new to the 4Runner world. Just found out my wife is having a baby so it's time for a family car. Neither of us have a car big enough, I recently sold my RAM R/T and she has a 2010 Beetle.

I have my eye on a 2014 SR5 4x4 with the 3rd row seating. MSRP is 37,200. Dealer is asking 35,388 for it + 2837.44 for tax & fees + 446.77 for DMV for a grand total of 38,672.21. Is that a good deal? We are located in Nor Cal if that matters.

So how do 4Runners stack up as family cars? We are also considering Tahoe's or a crew cab full size truck.

Anyone regret buying one?

Out of all the cars we looked at 4Runners have really caught my eye and most likely we will end up with one. Only downside IMO is the interior is a little cramped.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[PitbullRescuer]

They're great family cars. And congrats on the baby!

 

[toyota4life]

I agree, great family car. My opinion is the wagon platform in general (where trunk is part of the car) is the most practical for family, whether its in a station wagon, SUV, Van, Crossover etc. vs. the sedan platform. Allows easy access to trunk from the car and gives you the height to throw in strollers etc.

Depending on your intended use and lifestyle, you can then decide which "wagon" best suits your needs. I love camping/offroading/skiing, so 4runner fits the bill.

Most important feature for me though for a family car is rock solid reliability, and the 4runner definitely has that.

Edit - i have the exact truck you are looking to buy, dealer should be able to do little better on the price (assuming its a non-premium model)

 

[Americas High Five]

Easy to maintain, reliable and decent on gas. What more can you ask for in a SUV?

I have a 2yr old - plenty of room for all the gear. But if you plan to have more than 2 kids I would like into something a little bigger like a Sequoia.

 

[bimrunner]

As always, it depends on what you plan to do with your family and how you plan to use the vehicle. I have 4 kids and we all fit into ours but it is not as comfortable as our MDX, but you don't wheel an MDX... Every option is going to have pluses and minuses. Personally, I like driving the runner best out of the three suvs I have, but you are asking a very subjective question. Sounds like a reasonable/average deal for our area. I'd call around to internet divisions of all the greater Sac dealers and get their best offers if you want to make sure you are getting the best deal you can get.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

If you haul around a lot of crap for the baby 4runner interiors fill up very fast.

 

[T4RT]

Congrats on the little one! We have two little people and the 4Runner really works well for getting the job done. As they get older they like to climb in into the truck when the independence stage starts. Highly recommend it for a family of 4. If you plan on more than 2 kids, I would suggest something larger.

 

[Stangallmotor]

Thanks for the responses, Yea it's just a basic SR5. I'm pretty sure it's not a premium model but I'll double check. So what would be a good price?

I plan on taking this vehicle off roading. I used to have a 2008 lifted Tundra and I miss going to Pismo and stuff. If we end up buying one I want to install a 3 inch lift and 33 Inch Baja Claws.

 

[1engineer]

Hey Fellas, I'm new to the 4Runner world. Just found out my wife is having a baby so it's time for a family car. Neither of us have a car big enough, I recently sold my RAM R/T and she has a 2010 Beetle.

I have my eye on a 2014 SR5 4x4 with the 3rd row seating. MSRP is 37,200. Dealer is asking 35,388 for it + 2837.44 for tax & fees + 446.77 for DMV for a grand total of 38,672.21. Is that a good deal? We are located in Nor Cal if that matters.

So how do 4Runners stack up as family cars? We are also considering Tahoe's or a crew cab full size truck.

Anyone regret buying one?

Out of all the cars we looked at 4Runners have really caught my eye and most likely we will end up with one. Only downside IMO is the interior is a little cramped.

Thanks in advance!!!

Yes it's a great family ride but you have to ask yourself what the intended use will be:
1. On road all the time?
2. On road with a bit of dirt road every now and then?
3. On road with some trails?
4. On road/off road/trails a lot

Are you going to pull a boat or a 5K trailer?

CUV's are much more efficient if you are not going to do any heavy off road or pull a 3.5/5K trailer. They offer more room and more amenities.
If you are going to go off road a lot then there is not much better than the 4Runner.

I like to think of the 4Runner as a highly modified station wagon - lifted up and ruggedized for the trails yet able to perform family duties on the road as well. With this added capability comes some drawbacks though. You have 4WD components that need a bit of maintenance and also efficiency loss. My lifetime mpg is about 19.9 mpg. You can buy a CUV and get 27 mpg easy. Your choice!

 

[tobyson21]

Long winded reply...

Congratulations! My 2 cents...

We have a 9 month old and a 3 year old.

Enter 2014 4runner Limited 3rd row....we've had it for about 6 months. When I left having quick cars to get a "slow" car, I wanted something that was capable of some other form of automotive enjoyment, reliable, safe etc.... The 4runner won because I'm too cheap to buy a Land Cruiser....and I personally wanted more than a crossover could offer.

The 4runner is odd. It's got a high step in height (I am 5'6" and tower over my wife), rougher ride and less storage space than a comparable sized crossover because it's a body on frame. That being said, when I pull stumps out with it or drive it off road, I am fully confident that the 4runner has more capability than I have confidence...

Back on track, 3rd row, I bought it because my wife had visions of loading up the cars with people. The 3rd row has very little headroom. I've never used it. I wish I had gotten the sliding floor or nothing instead. Maybe I'll use it this summer when we have some out of town guests coming with no car. It also raises the trunk floor by a couple inches.

My wife (~5'1") has issues putting the "bucket" style kids seat into the back seat. It's a bit high for her and my 9 month old is a porker 21lbs

If you are tall, the rear facing seat may hit the seat back of the front seats, depending on driving position. Something you may want to test.

It holds a lot of stuff, but due to the 3rd row and my vertical shortcomings, the lift is relatively high.

Ride is ok, truckish, but expected since it's truck based. I don't mind it at all, neither does my wife. It's a bit loud on the highway, mostly due to my tire choice (Toyo AT2). It handles like an off road capable vehicle.

All that being said, I'm happy. I have fun driving it, my kids love it. My 3 year old can even get into it herself using the power running boards. It holds enough for my family to go away on the weekends. It can do things that a crossover wouldn't be happy doing

Hope that helps,
Todd

 

[Stifler]

1. Congrats on the baby

2. Its a truck not a damn car

3. Check truecar.com for pricing or USAA if you are eligible.

 

[mfregeau20]

This will be my second 4runner in my family and with 2 kids it has been plenty for me in terms of space. Like has been said it is all about intended use and what you can live with and without.

Personally you can't go wrong with the 4runner for the family. Took mine on vacation to Disneyland. Did great all the way down I5 and back up HWY stopping at Pismo myself where it handled the sand with no issue.

Good luck and shop around

 

[03_4x4Runner]

This will be my second 4runner in my family and with 2 kids it has been plenty for me in terms of space. Like has been said it is all about intended use and what you can live with and without.

Personally you can't go wrong with the 4runner for the family. Took mine on vacation to Disneyland. Did great all the way down I5 and back up HWY stopping at Pismo myself where it handled the sand with no issue.

Good luck and shop around

Did you drive on only the beach or back in the big dunes?

 

[Ghost.]

I have only one offspring and she is 3. She has trouble climbing in by herself but the height is perfect for me and the interior feels waaaaaaayyy more roomy than it looks from the outside.

 

[DannyLlama]

Like everyone is asking.. What is the intended use of the SUV?
If no off roading and your wife is ok with it, I would go with a Mini van.

Mini van's are better on cars, can fit more gear/people and might be safer.
Obviously totally different platforms.

Also, how many kids are you planning on having? Are you planning on having this as the primary transport of children?
I ask because we are a month away from number 2, I spent an hour trying to figure out how to put the infant seat in the center while having one seat on the driver side. Well, you can't, 4RUNNER is not equipped to have 3 child seats in the back. If you are planning on having 3 kids back to back, you will out grow the 4R. SO - [MENTION=89562]bimrunner[/MENTION] your kids must be out of safety seats.

If you plan on a third row seat, consider your cargo area gone. There is maybe 3" of cargo area if you use the third row seat, not even enough room for a stroller, maybe grocery bags.

Now - I love this thing and its an INCREDIBLE machine. It's served us well and have used it for many different uses. You just really have to know what you intend on using it for.

Have you looked at the Pilot? Has a bit more cargo space.

 

[bimrunner]

Like everyone is asking.. What is the intended use of the SUV?
If no off roading and your wife is ok with it, I would go with a Mini van.

Mini van's are better on cars, can fit more gear/people and might be safer.
Obviously totally different platforms.

Also, how many kids are you planning on having? Are you planning on having this as the primary transport of children?
I ask because we are a month away from number 2, I spent an hour trying to figure out how to put the infant seat in the center while having one seat on the driver side. Well, you can't, 4RUNNER is not equipped to have 3 child seats in the back. If you are planning on having 3 kids back to back, you will out grow the 4R. SO - [MENTION=89562]bimrunner[/MENTION] your kids must be out of safety seats.

If you plan on a third row seat, consider your cargo area gone. There is maybe 3" of cargo area if you use the third row seat, not even enough room for a stroller, maybe grocery bags.

Now - I love this thing and its an INCREDIBLE machine. It's served us well and have used it for many different uses. You just really have to know what you intend on using it for.

Have you looked at the Pilot? Has a bit more cargo space.

Good point. It should be noted that my kids are out of booster seats etc. It would never have worked when they were younger. We had a minivan that my wife finally dumped last year for the MDX. It was far more practical for little kids. She was happy to return to a less mommy-mobile, but it did make more sense when we were a younger family to go with a van even though we both didn't like driving it. The utility was just not something that could be argued with.

 

[KidVermicious]

I'm going to quibble. The 4Runner makes a horrible family car. If you want a family car, get a family car.

The 4Runner makes a great family SUV, and there's a huge difference. If you buy it expecting a trucklike ride and relatively poor MPG, you'll be fine, and if you regularly take your family places you need a capable truck to get in to, even better. If you buy it expecting a car, you stand a good chance of being disappointed, and if you don't actually need a truck-based SUV to haul your family around, there are much better vehicles out there for your family.

The 4Runner is a not a car, and if it's a car you're looking for, I'd look elsewhere. That's my two cents.

 

[Sac State]

First thing my 4yr. old said when she sat in the 3rd row was, 'how do I get out'? And I have to agree with her. Buyers remorse on this option.

The 3rd row is nice for riding in a parade, but I would hate to think of my kids or anyone sitting back there and getting into a serious accident at speed. As the driver, I couldn't get them out quickly and if the truck is rear ended there is no headroom for error. Plus, the 3rd row people are dependent of people in the front opening the door. I guess this could be said for any 3rd row vehicle.

My two kids love to play in the 2nd and 3rd rows while I am washing it or working in the yard. If nothing more, the truck attracts children. :dance:

Personally this is my 3rd 4Runner in the last decade, spanning three generations, the '14 is the best yet. I love the versatility, ruggedness, step-in height and amenities.

Reverse engineer the process. Goto Edmunds, Cars.com, etc. and start researching what you feel you would find satisfying. Everything out there has unibody, CVT's, 5 inch of ground clearance, no 4WD, slimy dealers, personally unattractive vehicles and you will soon see the 4Runner is the best by leaps and bounds.

I love the Toyota truck heritage. I am biased, my first vehicle was a '80 SR5 5MT pickup. Super White of course.

 

[mfregeau20]

Did you drive on only the beach or back in the big dunes?

Was just on the beach between the two entrance's but went through the deep sand between the road and hard-pack with no issue's. There is another member from So Cal who has taken there 2014 out there as well that I remember seeing.

There are plenty of people who have driven on the Dunes with better than stock tires with no issue's. Decent AT tire will do.

 

[DigableKid]

Family of 4...

I'm 5'6" and my wife is 4'11". She can get in an out and can secure my four and one year old just fine but prefers the help of nerf bars.

We go camping, frequent off road trails and hit the desert pretty regularly. We also head to the snow come winter. The Runner is ideal if you' guys are into these types of activities.

I have the third row seats but don't consider the Runner a "7 seater". It's just there in the case I need to haul more than 5 people. For what it's worth, it has already been used quite a bit.

You had a truck so you know how a BOF vehicle feels. The Runner, based on other member feedback, is a world of difference when it comes to: nimbleness, on-road manners and parking but not on a unibody level.

Those who had you consider what and how you plan to use the vehicle said it best.

FYI... this comes from a guy who gets all googly-eyed whenever he sees his Runner.