I'm still not sure why there are so many people that want to talk $h!t on the CRV - especially people that have never owned/driven one. As I already stated, I owned one for 5-6 years and it was a great car. It is obviously not a 4Runner, but it is still a high quality build and very capable car for what it sounds like the OP is going to use it for. I have since upgraded to the T4R, but my needs have changed. Comparing the two is apples and oranges. They are obviously very different vehicles for all the the reasons we already know, so I won't bother listing them.
I think you'll be very happy with the CRV, but I will say that you should at least look at the Rav4 if you are going to the Toyota dealership to look at the 4Runner anyway. It is very similar to a CRV (size wise) but has a locking dif and V6 option which is like the best of both worlds. The Sport Edition would probably be best in my opinion. It is still much smaller than the T4R, but I still think it is a better looking vehicle than the new CRVs. That said, my mom just drove her new CRV home tonight!
Anyway, don't let the people on here that choose to judge the quality of the vehicle based on the stereotypical driver sway your opinion. I honestly think you'll be happy no matter what you choose. As for me, I was happiest with a 4th Gen T4R and wouldn't ever look back, but your needs are different than mine.
Good Luck