Proud of my 4-th gen

[jediwebdude]

5th Gen looks great, but I luv my 4th Gen

If you have your 4Runner registered online with Toyota, I'm sure you received the same email I did with the slick videos of the surfer babe and the National Geography photographer equipped with the 5th generation 4Runner. While I would love to have the sliding rear deck and the party mode audio system, I can't tear myself away from my '07 4Runner. Maybe if Toyota hadn't made it so nice, so enjoyable, and so useful, I'd consider trading up.

It is an awful shame they did away with the V8 option. I rely on my V8 to pull my camper trailer. That engine is so dang smooth...it is always a treat to accelerate.

Anyways...just expressing my devotion to my 4th gen.

 

[kinchy]

Ditto..although they made improvements, the interior looks a bit better the no V8 option sucks. My 06 Sport looks as good as it did the day I bought it and just turned 30k miles. It's paid for and I agree, the 5th gen doesn't deliver any substantive reason to get a new payment book

 

[CJ3Flyr]

I have the V6 and I am very satisfied. I love my 4wd system including 2wd mode. I will give the 5th a thumbs up for exterior appearance. It's grown on me and it has a little more FJC in it and a little less 1st gen Highlander. Other than a slight looks advantage I'll take a 4th gen any day... Next up for me will probably be a used GX470. IMHO it'll be everything I want.


Now if they'd drop a little turbo-diesel in the 5th I might be singing a different tune

 

[olsen_karl]

I have an '08 SR5, and finally sat in/checked out the 5th gen at a car show on Friday. It looks a lot better in real life than it does in the photos.

The 5th gen doesn't feel any larger inside in any dimension, with the exception of headroom. I like the exterior look of the 5th, but I think the interior materials quality is a bit nicer on the 4th (some of the plastics on the 5th are harder and feel cheaper). Interior styling: both 4th and 5th have their quirks and weird designs.

To me, the one big negative on the 5th is the deletion of fulltime 4WD from the lower trim lines. Now I would have to spend a lot more $ for a Limited to get fulltime 4WD (upper $30K?), where the 4th gen with fulltime 4WD was available much less (mine was about $26K). Granted, the Limited comes with nicer creature comforts too, but still... it's at least another $10K for basically the same vehicle.

I want fulltime 4WD because I drive in the snow a lot in winter, and I prefer fulltime over part time systems. YMMV.

 

[jediwebdude]

I want fulltime 4WD because I drive in the snow a lot in winter, and I prefer fulltime over part time systems. YMMV.

Ya know, my 4Runner's full-time 4WD rarely gets used here in Texas. But last month when we had to trek through Oklahoma on Dec 27 (the day after OK was hit with a massive snow/ice storm) to visit family in Missouri, I came to appreciate it in a whole new way. We left the 2WD family vehicle in the garage and took my 4Runner because of the road conditions. That meant no rear entertainment system for the kids, but counting the stranded cars served as a replacement.

While Oklahoma had done a decent job clearing much of the interstates, the exit ramps and surrounding town roads were a different story. Seemed most of the stranded cars were on the sloped sides of exit ramps. The 4Runner's 4WD kicked in just about every time we stopped for gas, food, and potty breaks. The best was a steep long hill...looked like only a few vehicles had made it up...the 4WD stayed on the entire time and we got up no problem.

Gas station parking lots were scary. Most were ice-covered, and cars were sliding all over the place. We saw a pedestrian almost get hit by a sliding car. I'd drive as far around the sliding cars as possible.

Here's what the typical parking lot looked like:

 

[Gromulus]

, The 4Runner's 4WD kicked in just about every time we stopped for gas, food, and potty breaks. The best was a steep long hill...looked like only a few vehicles had made it up...the 4WD stayed on the entire time and we got up no problem.

Sounds like the 4Runner's drive system was good fit for your recent trip.

BTW, you do know that the 4WD system on your vehicle is full-time and doesn't need to "kick in" or "stay on". It is what it is.

 

[progress4m]

I just have read short article in C&D about 2010 4Runner and according to them it did 0 to 60 in 7.8 sec and delivered 18 mpg for mix driving. After reading I was disappointed about Toyota redesigning 4Runner and removing V8option, but at the same time proud of my 4-th gen (2005 with V8). You do not see it very often when newer mode of the truck or SUV is less capable of towing (5000 Lbs for 2010 vs. 7000 Lbs for 4-th gen V8), slower (almost by a second in this case) and gives you the same gas-mileage.
Just sharing my thoughts…
eace:

 

[eskimochaos]

I just have read short article in C&D about 2010 4Runner and according to them it did 0 to 60 in 7.8 sec and delivered 18 mpg for mix driving. After reading I was disappointed about Toyota redesigning 4Runner and removing V8option, but at the same time proud of my 4-th gen (2005 with V8). You do not see it very often when newer mode of the truck or SUV is less capable of towing (5000 Lbs for 2010 vs. 7000 Lbs for 4-th gen V8), slower (almost by a second in this case) and gives you the same gas-mileage.
Just sharing my thoughts…
eace:

Yup 0-60 in 6.86 for the 05+ V8's and ease of acceleration under 2k rpm.