Favorite 4runner Generation, why?

How Would You Place the Gens in Order from 5th Place to Best?

I recently thought about how I would place the 5 Generations of 4runner in order from least best to number 1. So I made a video on my thoughts. Let me know what you think the best order is.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PAq45SpJzEo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Only had experience with 5th gen and 4th gen but I would take my V6 Limited 4th gen over the 5th Limited I owned any day. Way more driveable, puts power to the ground better and interior materials quality is on another level. I still believe the 5th gen was a cost cutting disaster
 
I'm a relatively new owner of a 2nd gen 4Runner, I love the looks and the feel of it but it's been nothing but unreliable for the time i've had it. The headgasket problem was a pricey fix and I fear the fuel system is about to give out as well.

Based purely on looks it's my favorite generation though, with the 1st and 5th gens coming in 2nd and 3rd
 
1st gen

I've only owned a '95 & an '86, and the '86 is my favorite so far. Camping, banging around on the trails, and fitting into compact car spots when I'm in the city.
 
1st gen for now. I love going topless. But the 2017s have some really nice features. May get the ole lady one.
 
jspagna1 said:
I loved my 3rd Gen (1997) bought it new and had it for 16 years and it was still running strong with 170,000 miles till I gave it to my brother-in-law who killed it. :( That truck did everything great off-road, mud, snow. There was no stopping that think.
I just wish it had more HP & interior room.
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3rd Gen - Toughest, best looking, most reliable SUV ever made from any brand.

You shoulda kept it, it would still be alive. I've had my truck 17 years as of Feb 6th.
I've been modding it since 2014 & I love the same if not more than when it was new.
4th th gens are pretty ugly stock, but they look good modded, 33's & a Demello FB with an 8cyl could convert me.
5th gens after 2014 are cool looking except the Limited's with that ugly ass chrome strip across the front & 20" wheels.
I like the 1st gens with the SFA, cant argue their cool factor.

If I totaled my 3rd gen I keep telling myself I'd get a 5th gen TP or Pro but deep down inside I know I'd fly down to the Southwest & drive home a rust free 3rd gen with a manual trans, TRD S/C & E-Locker.
 

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CookieRoe said:
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.

toyota-4-runner-1989-1993.jpg
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I have to say, in a lot of ways, besides the 3.0, I really love this era of Toyotas. They get a bad rap, but the 90's Toyotas had a lot of quality built into them. Just one example: The weight and feel of the door. Close a 1994 door, then close a 2002. The 2002 feels like you are closing a door made of tin foil compared to the 1994. I have to say, it just feels solid. I really like the style and seat fabric. I would trade the fabric in my 2002 for second gen options, or at least 1999 options. I think they look a lot better.

Funny, I remember riding on the bus, in like, 4th grade seeing a 1st gen on our route every day thinking THAT is what I want when I can drive!


I have and love my 3rd gen. I came into it by way of my 1994 Extended Cab 4x4. (I so miss that truck and am sad that I sold it.) I wanted something that I could transport my drums in and have them safe from the elements and also have a few more seats. That truck was solid and never let me down. I was considering a 2nd gen as they were cheaper and easy to find. But, I test drove a few 3rd gens and was surprised by the additional power of a 3.4 V6 over by 3.0 5-speed. That did it for me. That, and this site helped sell me on it. It is the nicest vehicle that I have owned, and it seems to keep getting nicer as I mold and mod it to my liking.

If I could have another 4runner, i wouldn't mind having a 1st gen. Maybe just a 4 cylinder stick. I love those straight angles.
 
Net4n6 said:
I love my 4th gen. V6, 4x4, sport ed. Bought new. Paid off. I handed down to my son. I will take it back when my son decided to get new car. It took us many locations that we never thought we could be. Too many camping trips and vacation memories with the kids and wife.
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From my previous post ^. My older son is about to head to college. He handed the 4runner to his younger brother which will be driving soon.
 
Something about the 3rd gen just does it for me. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing. There's something even about the way a 90s truck smells that makes me want one. Working on tracking a 4WD near Texas currently.
 
Years ago I owned a '90 5sp, 4WD. Loved the look but had to sell it as I commuted 22 miles each way to work in heavy traffic. Recently I bought my son a '92 5sp 4WD because he needed a car and fondly remembered my '90. Shortly thereafter I bought myself a '99 Auto 4WD so my life wouldnt mind driving it. As much as I have good memories of my '90, the '99 is light years ahead in terms of comfort, usability and technology (but pathetic by today's standards). I love the body of the '99, the tank-like ruggedness and of course the roll down gate window. Personally I'm not fond of the latest 5th gen 4Runner body style.
 
This winter when I was looking, it was close between 2nd and 3rd. I like the looks of both, but I kinda like the nostalgia of the 2nd gen which mechanically is very similar to my first car. I married an older woman, so I guess maybe I just have a thing for beautiful, older (but not old) girls.
In any case, I'm midway through the 3.4 swap and might do a SAS in a year or two. After that, I'd love to get a 3rd gen with locking rear differential. Maybe I can convince my older lady to let me keep both.
 
3rd! I've had 3. They're just timeless and bullet proof reliable if you can keep the rust away from the frame.

I did drive a 2nd gen for a while. Loved the car other than the engine.
 
I've owned three - a second gen, a fourth gen and now a fifth gen as of late February.

As for a favorite, it's hard to say and still pretty early in the life of my fifth-gen 4Runner.

While all three were and are awesome vehicles, it's so far a pretty close call between the fourth and fifth generation. The fourth had a great V8 in it - tons of torque that I am missing in my fifth gen, which just doesn't feel as fast and doesn't have the same ability to accelerate on hills or pass slower cars. I'm loving the fifth gen because it's much more refined and just buttoned-down than my other two. The creature comforts on it are miles beyond what I had in my 2004 and light-years beyond what was in my 1992.

All that being said, my first two 4Runners took me everywhere I wanted to go, got me past every obstacle I threw at them and never let me down. My current one has gotten me up to the mountains for skiing a couple of times and was a great partner doing some light off-roading. I am certain it will be a great companion for years to come, and I have a feeling it will soon be my favorite of the three. If only it had another 30 or 40 ft-lbs of torque to match my old V8, it would be perfect!
 
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