Ours is fun to wheel, would definitely take the Runner over it though. The rough ride, (current) lack of power steering, carburetor, single case, etc. make it impractical and uncomfortable for longer trails. Still a lot of fun to get through stuff with just the basics.
I'd love to build an HDJ45 some day (1HD-T engine in an FJ45 truck body), agreed it's probably not the best choice for most real life situations though.