It interesting to look back at sales figures (I was lazy and went straight to Wikipedia which only goes back to the beginning of the 3rd gen) and see that the 4th gen outsold the 5th gen for the first seven years of each of their respective cycles, 560,000 4th gens to 478,000 5th gens. Of course the low sales figures for the 5th gen’s first 4 years could be blamed on the recession of 2009, and in it’s 8th year on sale (2017), the 5th gen 4Runner sold 128,296 units, second only to the 1997 3rd gen which sold 128,484. What’s even more interesting is that with only a 6 year run, the 3rd gen sales figures spanked both 4th and 5th gen, with the 5th gen only overtaking the 3rd gen sales total in this, it’s ninth year on the market.
Back in the mid to late 90’s, 3rd gen 4runners were as common as colds here in SoCal, but easy mods were limited to simple lift kits and larger wheels unless you wanted to chop it up, which of course no one wanted to do back when they were brand new off the lot. If I recall correctly, back then, the desert pre-runners were all the rage for city dwelling truck enthusiasts, whether it be a compact or full size, with the ass-to-the-ground-eyes-to-the-sky look, kinda how my old S-10 looked the first time I loaded a metric ton of decomposed granite from Home Depot. The Toyota truck (not the Tacoma yet) was of course the most commonly modified vehicle, but close to where I live, Rangers weren’t far behind. Maybe that trend was why Toyota started selling the “Pre-runner” Tacoma in the late 90’s.
Here in LA rice burners were (and still are) everywhere, and I’m fairly certain that’s where the lights-in-every-oriface trend trickled over, love it or hate it, to our beloved 4runners.
I guess my point is no one has to think back too far (unless you’re 20?) to remember a time when a certain “type” of vehicle became the hot ticket for modding and showing off. Or when a vehicle that was unique and built for a purpose became “popular” and started to become a little less unique and not used the way the manufacturer intended (GM Hummer H2?). But in reality, I don’t think Toyota really intended the 4Runner to come equipped with dual resi shocks and run like a banshee through our native deserts. Besides the crappy tires, I’m sure a stock 4Runner will get 98% of all buyers and 50% of all forum users (percentages admittedly pulled directly out of anus) where they need to go.
As many have pointed out, a very positive effect of the t4r craze is the multitude of choices we have when customizing the look of our vehicles. Never before have I ever seen so many radical customized accessories available for a single vehicle. It’s astounding. And it’s helping American artists/engineers live out their dream of building awesome gear for people who are genuinely excited about their work. Imagine how much happier everyone would be if they could make a living by doing what they love. I know almost every single piece of equipment I’ve bolted on to this very Japanese vehicle has been 100% American made.
Modding really has very little to do with where we need to go, and very much to do with where we want to go, and how we want to look along the way. I love the way my 4Runner looks with what I’ve installed. And I really love the way my 4Runner, rather effortlessly, performs where other vehicles I have driven would struggle.
What’s really nice, though, is that when I’m out in the middle of nowhere, whether it be Death Valley, Anza Berrego, up on Sherman Peak, or wheeling around Dinky Creek Wilderness, I don’t care how many “posers” there are cruising around down in the god forsaken cities of (insert state of residence here).
So maybe therein lies the key to happiness. Get the hell out of town and get out and start wheeling. Hopefully we’ll all stop caring about what “everyone” else is doing.
