Done with my 4runner: lack of originality, room and HP.

[Thai]

Here are two Youtube videos that should sum up Land Rover:

Here's the Final Update on the CarMax Range Rover Warranty - YouTube

(If you want to skip forward and see final warranty cost of maintaining Range Rover, go to 6:39 mark of above video.)

I Pissed Off a Lot of British People, and I'm Sorry - YouTube

 

[Ripper238]

Anyone else just bored with their 4runner? Everywhere I look here in the PNW, everyone has one that's modified and tricked out with similar accessories. I'm probably going to sell my 2010, tastefully modified, low mileage 4runner. The final straw was taking my fiancé, two kids, dog and off-road trailer, camping to the Marble mountains in NoCal. The lack of power, head/leg room and storage is getting to me.

I've owned this for 6 years now and it's been a great rig for overlanding and camping, but I'm recently engaged and am going to be a step dad to 2 young kiddos who are only going to get bigger and a second dog coming in August.

I'm seriously considering an older Land Rover LR3 or maybe an older Land Cruiser. Really need that additional power and space. The LR3 appeals to me in many ways...power, towing capacity, comfort, lot's of room and not many modified versions on the road. The LC is just a staple, hard working, dependable, larger version of the 4runner in my opinion. More of these on the road that are modded, but much less common than the 4runner.

Anyone else tired of staring at their 4runner doppelgänger every time you get on the road? The dated motor and transmission is a topic of content here so that's already clear.

Might i suggest avoiding the marriage and 2 kids? I did, and was lucky to survive with my life (just barely) and my 4Runner.

Otherwise i fear you are all wheel drive sprinter van bound.... Its the only thing that will truly give you the space you need as well as the additional towing capacity.

 

[mnofpeace]

That's a fair assessment. There's a real love/hate relationship associated with LR's. Especially the Disco 2. The LC is still a very nice option but I can't get over the aesthetic of the 99-2004ish body style...it's the front end. I'm trying to keep this budget under 20k so that's my range. Maybe it would grow on me. I'll say though, after looking at Sequoia's, there's a ton to be had with low mileage, 2008 and newer in my price range. These really fly under the radar. I'll give these a hard look as well.

2 more cents...if you do look at Sequoias, check out the upper level trims. I sat in a Limited which surely was trying to impress...it had captains chairs, leather, was as roomy as you would ever need with a growing family, and with all of the Tundra in it, surely it would be good for 200k or more miles with minimal problems getting there.

I understand about an LC100...they have this sort of love/hate thing about its looks. i like them, but not as much as i do the LC200s. If i wasnt paying tuition to an institution of higher learning, i would trade my 4runner in tomorrow for the best LC200 i could find locally for less than $35k.

 

[Saluki]

This thread perfectly sums up the frustration and admiration that 4Runner owners have with Toyota. They take forever to update their vehicles and owners start to get bored with their rig after driving the same great truck for 10 years. I don’t care how good or reliable my 4Runner is, I’m going to want the next new model with some new tech goodies like my full size truck driving friends get every 2-3 years or so. Some are fine driving their basic 4.0 V6 that is underpowered for it’s size. Other’s see the new Bronco and say to themselves (why am I still driving my 10 year old 4Runner?) I don’t blame the OP for looking elsewhere. Toyota has taken forever to update this vehicle. They will bring out a new Camry, Highlander, and RAV4 every 3 years, but they will ride the 4Runner and Tundra out for the better part of a decade plus? It starts to leave a bad taste in the mouth of even the most loyal and ardent supporter of the 4Runner platform. Come on Toyota, give us the 6th gen already!

 

[Inked]

Might i suggest avoiding the marriage and 2 kids? I did, and was lucky to survive with my life (just barely) and my 4Runner.

Otherwise i fear you are all wheel drive sprinter van bound.... Its the only thing that will truly give you the space you need as well as the additional towing capacity.

At 47, never married and no kids, I was a full time gigolo/bachelor who explored that realm of life to exhaustion. I found a wonderful woman with two amazing children...I held out for all the right reasons and found my gal. I do have a new sprinter that I'll eventually build out, but the size and maneuverability is not ideal for my intended use.

2 more cents...if you do look at Sequoias, check out the upper level trims. I sat in a Limited which surely was trying to impress...it had captains chairs, leather, was as roomy as you would ever need with a growing family, and with all of the Tundra in it, surely it would be good for 200k or more miles with minimal problems getting there.

I understand about an LC100...they have this sort of love/hate thing about its looks. i like them, but not as much as i do the LC200s. If i wasnt paying tuition to an institution of higher learning, i would trade my 4runner in tomorrow for the best LC200 i could find locally for less than $35k.

I was looking at a Limited or even the Platinums. I'm giving them a hard consideration...honestly, the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to look over the aesthetics of the LC100's. With two small one's in tow, 2 dogs and my woman, I think it be wise to have the reliability of a Landcruiser. I have to keep their safety and security at the forefront of my decision making.

This thread perfectly sums up the frustration and admiration that 4Runner owners have with Toyota. They take forever to update their vehicles and owners start to get bored with their rig after driving the same great truck for 10 years. I don’t care how good or reliable my 4Runner is, I’m going to want the next new model with some new tech goodies like my full size truck driving friends get every 2-3 years or so. Some are fine driving their basic 4.0 V6 that is underpowered for it’s size. Other’s see the new Bronco and say to themselves (why am I still driving my 10 year old 4Runner?) I don’t blame the OP for looking elsewhere. Toyota has taken forever to update this vehicle. They will bring out a new Camry, Highlander, and RAV4 every 3 years, but they will ride the 4Runner and Tundra out for the better part of a decade plus? It starts to leave a bad taste in the mouth of even the most loyal and ardent supporter of the 4Runner platform. Come on Toyota, give us the 6th gen already!

So true...for me, the lack of Tech doesn't bother me as much as the archaic transmission and lack of power...which is why I can settle with an older LC. Give me the 2003 or newer and I get the better 5 speed transmission.

 

[Gecko]

Having felt very similar to you and then making the upgrade to the GX 460, I think you should give it a shot. If building is your thing, there are a few very cool GX builds, growing aftermarket support and it's way, way less common than the 4Runner.

V8/6AT is just no comparison to the V6/5AT in terms of drivability. Like we all know, 270hp/278lb-ft of torque is plenty on paper, but hooked to that 5AT with tall gears and no urgency to downshift makes the 4Runner absolutely awful to drive. The GX is no speed demon but it moves and you don't have the lethargic feeling of always nailing the skinny pedal to the floor just to get through traffic or merge.

GX takes all the great things about the 4Runner and dials them up a few notches: comfort, drivability, power, quality, quietness, etc.

Only thing will be cargo room. If you really need much more of that, a GX is not going to help you much. But for everything else, I'd rather have a GX over an LR3, LR4, or LC100.

Oh - the best part? My GX is +2MPG over my 4Runner with two more cylinders, 30 more hp and 47 more lb-ft. The torque of the V8 mean you don't have to wring it out just to get through an intersection, and lower RPMs everywhere mean you're burning less gas (especially on the highway).

 

[Thai]

Having felt very similar to you and then making the upgrade to the GX 460, I think you should give it a shot. If building is your thing, there are a few very cool GX builds, growing aftermarket support and it's way, way less common than the 4Runner.

V8/6AT is just no comparison to the V6/5AT in terms of drivability. Like we all know, 270hp/278lb-ft of torque is plenty on paper, but hooked to that 5AT with tall gears and no urgency to downshift makes the 4Runner absolutely awful to drive. The GX is no speed demon but it moves and you don't have the lethargic feeling of always nailing the skinny pedal to the floor just to get through traffic or merge.

GX takes all the great things about the 4Runner and dials them up a few notches: comfort, drivability, power, quality, quietness, etc.

Only thing will be cargo room. If you really need much more of that, a GX is not going to help you much. But for everything else, I'd rather have a GX over an LR3, LR4, or LC100.

Oh - the best part? My GX is +2MPG over my 4Runner with two more cylinders, 30 more hp and 47 more lb-ft. The torque of the V8 mean you don't have to wring it out just to get through an intersection, and lower RPMs everywhere mean you're burning less gas (especially on the highway).

Yup…what he said! I would also pick GX over Sequoia. Very high quality vehicle. I loved mine when i had it except for seat comfort issue…but i think that was a “me” problem rather than a widespread seat issue.

 

[MN_Pat]

This thread perfectly sums up the frustration and admiration that 4Runner owners have with Toyota. They take forever to update their vehicles and owners start to get bored with their rig after driving the same great truck for 10 years. I don’t care how good or reliable my 4Runner is, I’m going to want the next new model with some new tech goodies like my full size truck driving friends get every 2-3 years or so. Some are fine driving their basic 4.0 V6 that is underpowered for it’s size. Other’s see the new Bronco and say to themselves (why am I still driving my 10 year old 4Runner?) I don’t blame the OP for looking elsewhere. Toyota has taken forever to update this vehicle. They will bring out a new Camry, Highlander, and RAV4 every 3 years, but they will ride the 4Runner and Tundra out for the better part of a decade plus? It starts to leave a bad taste in the mouth of even the most loyal and ardent supporter of the 4Runner platform. Come on Toyota, give us the 6th gen already!

This. Seems a double-edged sword. Not making revolutionary changes to a solid platform leads to that awesome reliability. It also means there are 10+ years of the same style 5th gen that look just like yours.

ex. Left the north country on a trip for Co and UT. Seemed everyone in Co/Ut had a 4Runner so we started doing a daily count. Too much, reduced to just counting white ones to match ours. 10 in one day.

 

[Kenrunner]

Land Rovers are a little like small town gossip. One local gal decides to have a fling and suddenly the whole town calls her a clown whore, has the clap laced with herpes, and aborted her meth baby. Point is, not all is true with the Land Rover...the Disco 2 was the classic abomination from my understanding, kind of like the "town whore" but LR did things right with the LR3 and LR4...but her reputation is forever tainted with her previous outing.

As far as the 100 series, I'd agree with the styling. Pretty boring lines, but the newer LC's modern styling is too much mall crawl for me, just my opinion. A sacrifice of some dependability for more comfort and power seems like backwards thinking and I might regret that in the future...much like sleeping with the clown whore. :banana:

I think every vehicle has its positives and negatives. The T4R is no exception. The 6-cyl is underpowered compared to, well, more powerful vehicles. The LR3, as well as other LR models, has…issues. Many issues. I’m sure you’re prepared (financially) for that.

I don’t know which model/year you have, but have you considered just swapping your F5V for the 2UZ-FE V8? Again, I don’t know if you’re planning to buy it or finance it, but maybe the monthly cost of doing the swap-out would be similar to borrowing/car payments. Just a thought.

Ultimately, it comes down to preference and personal choice. It’s no smudge on the T4R. We’re all in different places in life. Maybe you’re entering the Land Rover stage. You know, kinda like puberty, when we all lose our minds a little bit. Small joke.

 

[mscot]

Has anyone done a v8 swap on a 5th gen?

 

[CajunMikeR]

Has anyone done a v8 swap on a 5th gen?

rsg_t40r on IG

 

[ahtoxa11]

ex. Left the north country on a trip for Co and UT. Seemed everyone in Co/Ut had a 4Runner so we started doing a daily count. Too much, reduced to just counting white ones to match ours. 10 in one day.

I'm in CO. Can confirm.

 

[Mr_Bingley]

What's the old Australian saying? "If you want to get in to the Outback get a Land Rover; if you want to come back get a Land Cruiser"

 

[bob3dsf]

I had an 88 supra turbo for a minute. Turbo went out and gaskets blew at same time. Would have cost more than the car was worth to fix it. Less than 100k. "Toyota reliability"

Really? a 1988 turbo and that calls into question "Toyota reliability?" and what year did this happen? Please, you're just trying to be contrarian. I get it's terrible when it's your car, but this occurence is a sample size of.... 1.

 

[mscot]

Really? a 1988 turbo and that calls into question "Toyota reliability?" and what year did this happen? Please, you're just trying to be contrarian. I get it's terrible when it's your car, but this occurence is a sample size of.... 1.

Probably around 96. As I said, the car had ~80k miles on it.
The reliability thing was sarcasm. You can pull your panties out of your ass now.

 

[KDMcD]

I have a 2020 4Runner ORP and a 2017 Land Rover Discovery. The only mods made to each vehicle are a change of wheels, adding KO2s and rock sliders. Added a small lift to the Disco, which is more of an everyday appearance desire versus off-road need.

I worry about longer-term reliability of the Disco, but it has been perfect thus far. It is a far more comfortable and interesting vehicle than the 4Runner, however. The Discovery is also better off road in every metric.

If you aren’t going to drive it 200,000 miles, I would get what you prefer and keep it maintained. If you are going to drive it for the rest of your life, the 4Runner is probably better. Definitely more boring, however.

 

[Thai]

I have a 2020 4Runner ORP and a 2017 Land Rover Discovery. The only mods made to each vehicle are a change of wheels, adding KO2s and rock sliders. Added a small lift to the Disco, which is more of an everyday appearance desire versus off-road need.

I worry about longer-term reliability of the Disco, but it has been perfect thus far. It is a far more comfortable and interesting vehicle than the 4Runner, however. The Discovery is also better off road in every metric.

If you aren’t going to drive it 200,000 miles, I would get what you prefer and keep it maintained. If you are going to drive it for the rest of your life, the 4Runner is probably better. Definitely more boring, however.

Do you attach the sliders to the Discovery? If so, then why? You land on that slider and your door sill and anything attach to the slider will be damaged. $$$$ damage repair bill. Adding slider to unibody just lowers your damage point (closer to ground and more likely to damage) which then just damage the rest of the door sill.

If i were you, then i would just attach those soft door steps because clearance is better with those steps and if you hit it lightly, those steps just bend and get damage but won’t cause further damage to body.

 

[turbo8]

I was getting tired of my 3rd gen and wanted something with more room, power and range.

I ended up with a LX570 which is very unique now. Everyone still thinks it is a GX and built on the 4runner platform though.

 

[Thai]

I was getting tired of my 3rd gen and wanted something with more room, power and range.

I ended up with a LX570 which is very unique now. Everyone still thinks it is a GX and built on the 4runner platform though.

Hey that is better than people thinking that i drive a Highlander! At least, with GX, people think that you have class…….people think that i am a soccer mom! eep:

 

[Snowtrooper]

Really? a 1988 turbo and that calls into question "Toyota reliability?" and what year did this happen? Please, you're just trying to be contrarian. I get it's terrible when it's your car, but this occurence is a sample size of.... 1.

I don’t think I’ve seen an 88 turbo anything on the road lately unless it’s a Sunday car/ garage queen. But, I’ve seen plenty of Toyota trucks/ 4Runners that will require carbon dating.

I left the need to “be special” back in my younger sports-car days. Nowadays, seeing a doppelgänger is kind of an assurance that we will lack no donor parts. I appreciate you all.