Hertz 5th Gen - missed my 3rd

[Frequentfleyer]

Drove my first 5th gen the last couple of days thanks to Hertz. I don't know if the group would agree, but it felt like I was driving my Lexus sedan just sitting higher. It made me appreciate my 3rd gen a little more...it actually rides like a truck. Sure made me wish for 4 wheel discs though!


2000 Millennium Silver SR5, 90k miles, bone stock.

 

[Jpsolberg]

drove a Trail Edition in December while my 99 4Runner was getting new CVs. buddy of mine works at a dealership so they gave me a demo for the day. The new ones sure ride nice and yeah I really want 4 wheel disc on mine for the street. But i noticed really quickly how much i appreciate my 3rd gen when I had to go into downtown. the 5th gen is just too big i found. plus the seats arent nearly as nice.. but maybe thats because mine has 130k on it lol

 

[GSPRunner]

I own both, and I've owned a Lexus sedan so I can honestly say that the 5th doesn't ride like a Lexus sedan. Nice 1st post.

 

[LittleCaesar]

My sister-in-law has a 13 4wd Limited (no KDSS). It is a nice family and dog hauler, and yes she even has the soccer ball over the fuel filler door. For a family the extra space over a 3rd gen is an added benefit.

She knows me too well to let me take it off road, nor would I want to. My brother does tow jet skis behind it a couple of times in the summer. That engine sure does love to rev high when towing anything.

 

[paddlenbike]

The 5th gen to me just feels like a big, slow, ponderous van. It's really hard to beat a 3rd gen.

 

[GSPRunner]

The 5th gen to me just feels like a big, slow, ponderous van. It's really hard to beat a 3rd gen.

Oh come on, tell us how you really feel.

 

[paddlenbike]

Oh come on, tell us how you really feel.

Haha, well, a lot of people have the feeling that the 5th gen doesn't feel like a 4Runner anymore and I agree. When you go from a 3,800 pound supercharged 3rd gen with a manual transmission and jump in a 4,700 pound 5th gen with an automatic transmission, the latter feels pretty pathetic. To each is own though--it doesn't mean no one should buy one, they just aren't for me, and I'm comparing a modded vehicle to a stock one, so not fair exactly.

 

[sn0wrunner]

I drove a rental last month too. I really liked it. I think [MENTION=82154]GSPRunner[/MENTION] has the right idea. I want a 5th gen and to keep my 3rd gen.

 

[smallfry]

I have both at least till next Sunday when my 3rd gen heads to northern Michigan.

I think the building quality of the 3rd gen is a little better than the 5th, some things just feel kind of cheap and I really can't tell where that extra weight.

 

[repo]

I test drove a 5th gen trail a while ago and was kind of disappointing too. Windshield made a whistling noise and the hood flapped around on the highway. Didn't feel agile, in fact an old lady honked at me when I tried to enter a roundabout the way I would with my 3rd gen. It had a spacer lift I think, and 33 tires and the steering felt sloppy. I love my 3rd gen and have such a boner for it again while I've been fixing it up lately. Replaced lbj/tie rods/bushings/rack guide, etc and went for an alignment and it felt so good on the way home that I took an hour detour down all the worst snow and mud washed out dirt back roads I could find and had a blast hooning about on them.

I think after it's fixed up I will keep it but start looking for a 2008 or 2009 4th gen. Or maybe a 5th gen. Want something with side airbags.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I just bought a 2015 Trail last week - love it.

I liked my 2002 Sport a lot but it was time for that new car smell.

 

[Unner]

I think once they start getting older and the values start to drop you'll start to see more love for them as they become cheaper and therefore easier for people to afford to modify. I'm 99% sure TRD makes a Supercharger for 4.0 V6 in them and you may even be able to swap the 6 speed out of a Tacoma into the 4Runner to gain back some of the things you supercharged guys are talking about. I'm sure a stock 5th gen is a good bit faster than a stock 3rd gen...

 

[MK1Power]

New cars in general just don't have that same driving feel or character as the older cars. Nothing new compares to my 80's MR2's and I have yet to drive anything that feels like the 4Runner. New cars all feel oddly similar to be honest, all of the assists and everything just make it seem boring and definitely like an appliance rather than a vehicle. When these become older maybe my opinion will change, but right now I can't see justifying almost 30k for one. But I like older cars so thats probably just my opinion.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

To each his own.

My 2002 Sport was a most excellent vehicle. I can assure you whoever end's up buying it (which may have already happened because I have yet to see it listed on the dealers website) is going to get a truck that was very well loved and maintained.

That being said, do I like my 2015 Trail more after a very short time. Hell yes.

That's not a knock on my old truck, but a manufacturer like Toyota does one thing very well - they improve what they build every year.

Read about the 2015 Trail KDSS suspension. It is some serious off-road technology and not even available on the TRD. Add the locking rear diff, crawl control and a boatload of other things and you have a pretty competent off-roader right out of the box.

Add the Entune audio/navigation system, 4 wheel disks, 120V outlet, etc.. and it's not even in the same league.

Loved my 3rd gen, but it's a different vehicle from a different time.