Favorite 4runner Generation, why?

[2010nctaco]

I'll give a biased vote for the 2nd gen, if you can get one with a 22re.... There's literally step-by-step instructions to straight axle them. You can easily turn them into crawlers or just simple and reliable off road machines. The 2nd gen is still a plentiful and relatively cheap as well....

I've had an 88 sas, a 93 and now an 03. The 93 has been my favorite though. I bought it for $900 with the head gasket blown. Toyota warrantied it in 2014 under the head gasket recall. It was slow and sucked gas but I loved that truck. The only reason I got rid of it is bc a buddy wanted it and I found a smoking deal on my 2003 4runner. I'm fact my 03 doesn't have many more options than the 93 had.


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[jwatson]

I like the modern things of the fifth gen, but think the first gen is a classic. Would love to get my hands on one.

 

[thewjsand]

I have to agree, though I have to extrapolate slightly:

Owned: 1985, 1994, 1998 (supercharged manual), and 2006. I really want a 5.5 Pro or TEP.

85' was the best car I ever owned. With mud terrains I still got 20 MPG around town, and you can't beat the Bikini top in summer. The 2nd generation had the worst toyota motor of all time, though the look was epic. The 3rd gen's are still one of the best looking, the clean ones in MN looks better than most of the new SUVs out there. 4th gens are solid but mine is long in the tooth and in need of enhancements- I am not willing to invest. The back half of the 5th generation are really awesome and the technology is huge sense of security. So my vote is:

1st Gen (84-85 specifically)
5th Gen (+14 (Pro specifically)
3rd Gen (+00)
4th Gen
0 Gen (Trekker)
2nd Gen

Miss this truck sooo bad... PM me and i will tell you my salvage to glory story.

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[Nervo19]

I've had two 1st gens; one bought new and sold at 100k miles, two 3rd gens, and a 4th gen and also have a 2016 Tacoma which has similarities (maybe) to a 5th gen. My favorite is the 1st gen but it's probably the least practical for middle age and baby seats and groceries. I think the 3rd gen is one of the most perfect vehicles for me. I wish I could still buy them new. The 4th gen is bloated and has terrible blind spots. I hate the push button 4WD. Why did they do away with the cool factor of a second shifter? I never bothered driving a 5th gen because I need a Tacoma for the bed but all I see is more bloat and electronic conveniences that lead away from the things that made the originals great. Just MO.

 

[Notafarmer]

3rd gen all the way, hard to beat the looks and size of them

 

[Sean K.]

I like the body style on the 2nd Gen best.....the solid front axle on the 1st Gen, the locker option available for the first time on the 3rd. The frames were thicker/stronger on the 1st and 2nd Gen and both had gear driven tcases available....22RE is legendary in terms of reliability....but short on power. The 3.4L is reliable and mediocre in power. Interior on the 3rd Gen is simple but nice.....understated and practical are good descriptors. The 4th Gens are nice looking....but sit too low, are substantially wider making them hard to get down tight trails and are overly complicated. The 5th Gens...IMO....are ugly.

Oh....full disclosure: I own a 3rd Gen.

***EDIT*** So basically, I'd want a 2nd Gen body with 3rd Gen interior on a 2nd Gen frame, with a 1st Gen solid front axle (something WIDE though....like 67-69.5" WMS to WMS), locked f/r, 3.4L or the 4.7L out of a 3rd or 4th Gen, with dual gear driven tcases out of the 1st or 2nd Gen, 3 link/4link, swing out tire carrier, etc. Ya....keep dreaming right? Just goes to show: Real 4wds are built, not bought.

 

[Sean K.]

I'll give a biased vote for the 2nd gen, if you can get one with a 22re.... There's literally step-by-step instructions to straight axle them. You can easily turn them into crawlers or just simple and reliable off road machines. The 2nd gen is still a plentiful and relatively cheap as well....

What axles are you running on it? It looks like a D44 rear as the tubes look too small to be a 60....and I saw 6 lug wheels in some other shots, so I'm assuming D44s f/r. Are those 40" MTRs?

 

[v_man]

What axles are you running on it? It looks like a D44 rear as the tubes look too small to be a 60....and I saw 6 lug wheels in some other shots, so I'm assuming D44s f/r. Are those 40" MTRs?

I have a passenger drop D44 from Wagoneer in the front, and a D60 in the rear....Tires are 37x12.5x17, with 5.29's...:tea:

 

[Sean K.]

I have a passenger drop D44 from Wagoneer in the front, and a D60 in the rear....Tires are 37x12.5x17, with 5.29's...:tea:

So is it a semi-float rear 60....looks from the hub that it's full float. Where you get the 6 lug conversion?

 

[v_man]

So is it a semi-float rear 60....looks from the hub that it's full float. Where you get the 6 lug conversion?

The D60 rear is full float, shafts are bolted right to the hub. I know this because I pull the shafts every so often to chase down oil leaking out the hubs and all over the calipers:ybrick:

I picked up the D60 already setup with the 6 lug conversion so unfortunately I can't comment on what kit was used although I believe Sky manufacturing makes one...

 

[Sean K.]

The D60 rear is full float, shafts are bolted right to the hub. I know this because I pull the shafts every so often to chase down oil leaking out the hubs and all over the calipers:ybrick:

I picked up the D60 already setup with the 6 lug conversion so unfortunately I can't comment on what kit was used although I believe Sky manufacturing makes one...

Gotcha. Thanks for the lead.

Ya, factory SF 60s are pretty rare......

Are you using some sort of FIPG or Ultra Grey to seal the hub/axle junction or just the paper gasket? If you're not using an FIPG or similar, give it a shot....I haven't had any leaks on any of my FFs using it.

 

[v_man]

Are you using some sort of FIPG or Ultra Grey to seal the hub/axle junction or just the paper gasket? If you're not using an FIPG or similar, give it a shot....I haven't had any leaks on any of my FFs using it.

I've been using the red or gray RTV sealant, thanks for the tip on the FIPG , I had not heard of that . There's just one hub seal or gasket in there , so it's pretty simple, it just has a mind of it's own when it wants to leak ....

 

[Vinsil]

Loved my first gen. It was awesome, but not a great family vehicle after I built it. Too over the top and it went on a trailer after a while.

My favorite is the 3rd gen. Period. Best looking, love the drive train, looks and last year a manual trans too.

BUT! The 5th gen is growing on me especially as a daily driver and my wife loves it (it's hers in the end) and I'm going pretty mild with it. It feels more like my prior two 80 series more than anything and that....makes me smile.

 

[Sean K.]

I've been using the red or gray RTV sealant, thanks for the tip on the FIPG , I had not heard of that . There's just one hub seal or gasket in there , so it's pretty simple, it just has a mind of it's own when it wants to leak ....

Wait, is that a picture of the shaft/seal/bearing from your rear 60? If so, it's semi-float. Otherwise, the bearing would be inside a hub body, not supported by the shaft itself, but riding on a spindle with the bearing enclosed in said hub body.

As for the leak, FIPG can't hurt, but if the sealing surface is nicked or misshapen, it won't solve the problem.

 

[Hitman]

4th gen all the way. Here's why:

1st gen & 2nd seemed grossly underpowered and obviously were lacking in features (but might have been fine back in the day)

3rd gen I owned and loved the styling, but...

4th gen I also owned and still own, still looks good, but also seemed quite a bit more powerful and a lot more refined than my 3rd gen. To me, it was the best version by far, but I still like the styling of my 3rd gen a bit more.

5th gen I don't like the styling at all and I only drove one once and it just seemed like a step backwards in the way it drove. Much more wallowy around bends, excessive nose dive when braking, and it somehow seems less powerful.

6th gen: I can't wait to see what Toyota comes up with. Hopefully they'll style it better than ever and fix all the stuff that we don't like about the current generation.

 

[CookieRoe]

My favorite seems to be the 2nd Gen. I dunno why. It was/is just cool. I WANTED one when I was 16 (around 1991). At the time, every SUV was utter crap. My neighbor had the Pathfinder, which was nice, but I didn't care for it. Almost had the opportunity to have a red V6 SR5, but I had no where to put it and the wife would've killed me. Anyway, I had two 3rd gen Surfs when I lived overseas and miss them to this day, but they were smallish inside. Turbo diesels made them slowish compared to V6 equipped models. My current 4th gen is awesome, plenty of power and space. I really like the 5th gen, but I sincerely doubt I will ever have one, unless Toyota decides to abandon the 4Runner after the 5th gen is cancelled.

 

[SomeDay]

First generation.

 

[toyo]

Iv'e owned them all minus the 5th although I have worked and driven them a lot. I feel the 4th Gen is the perfect balance of refinement, power, off-road capability. My son has the 1st Gen and I find it so cool to see how far they have come.

 

[Beaumont67]

I'm a big fan of ICONIC styling like the old muscle car / a 1967 Chevelle S/S hardtop sheet
metal lines are timeless & pleasing to the eye, just like a '57 Chev. Belair from 10 years earlier.

So when it comes to Toyota, the Gen3 is close to perfect in SUV styling...simply timeless.
- very nice in full frame drive-ability & safety
- with general comforts of AC, PW, PDL, air bags, etc.
- and a solid 4x4 transfer case & good winter traction
Only CON is a 4.0L-v6 would have been nice.

The new 4Runner for 2017, is sure to be another winning design....Gen6 (?) almost sexy.

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2017 Toyota 4Runner Release date, Price and Redesign

By Peter Fowler 21 Dec 2015
The Toyota 4Runner occupies first place among real off-road sport utility vehicles. The 2017
model year 4Runner updates are purely functional. The car will use an IMV platform, like the
EU-spec Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser Prado. However, the wider application of light alloys
will decrease the car weight by as much as 190 lbs. The new Toyota 4Runner 2017 will have
more aggressive features in the design, reminiscent of current TRD versions. The grille will
become wider, as a continuation of the ribbed hood. Round LED fog lamps will be placed in
the original vertical niches in the bottom of the bumper. The wheel arches will increase
slightly in size.

 

[barfass]

First and Second

I owned a 1989 T4R - Gun Metal Grey with black top. Reminded me and many others of the Toyota from Back to the Future. Wish I still had it. Now have a 1995 Sequoia Edition. I am more of a 2nd generation kind of guy. Like the first but limited with doors, etc. 3rd Gen just seems too urban and mainstream for me. So, 2nd Gen is number 1 for me, then First gen.