To be fair, I'm happy with the 2UZ-FE; it's been a bulletproof engine. Cruising down the freeway at 80mph on 33's and armored up while barely touching 2100rpm is a nice feeling. Not to mention having that torque at the low end means I rarely use 4Lo unless it's really rough on the trails. I'd love the 1UR-FE at least (newer, lighter, slightly more power and economy) , that was one of a handful of major reasons I quickly passed on the 5th Gen when it came out. It's not so much an issue of wanting a BroDozer, but having reserve power on demand at low end on top of being armored, lifted, and loaded down with gear and mods, I like overbuilding things and having reserve is always good in my book.
The V6 is no slouch and had my history with V6's not been coloured poorly by my old S10 blazer I'd probably be running an FJ or V6 4/5th Gen. But I have come to expect that low end torque and power. The 3UR-FE with Supercharger or 1VD-FTV with Dual VGTs are my dream engines, but that's mainly because I'd want to run the beefier drivetrain out of the LC200/Tundra and have plenty of get up and go left over (and to do a 4-wheel burnout with 35" MTs and make most sports cars at the stoplight blush).
As I said earlier, if I had the money to spend on a 200 series and extra gas, I would have one by now. The LC 200 series definitely no slouch for a lot of different reasons, some of which you mentioned. I have seen plenty of pics of armored up, fully rigged up 200 series, and yes I find myself drooling from time to time....:biggrin2:
All that said, it is bigger and heavier than the older Land Cruisers (which in all fairness, is a common trend for most vehicles nowadays). And while the 5.7L engine is a certainly a torque monster, which most truck guys can appreciate, I've heard it burns through fuel at a prodigious rate, even compared to other modern V8's. The LC 200's $82k MSRP also doesn't help; that's a lot of money to spend on a vehicle intended to serve as someone's "trail rig." For those reasons, I consider the 5th gen 4runner to be the more ideal offroader/overlander/recreational truck for
most enthusiasts.
I think there is something to be said for a plain and simple, small but capable platform like the 4runner. It's a tried and true formula that has worked well for the land cruisers of old and other BOF SUV's like the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender. None of those platforms were ever known for having the most advanced and powerful powertrains; rather they were standout's for having
adequate and
reliable performance.
The TRD blower is no longer for sale. But there are a number of aftermarket options for both supercharger and turbo systems. The big difference I suppose is that the 5.7 internals are up to the task. I don't think the 1GR dual VVTi are built to take much power. And the 5.7 drivetrain is also up to the task of handling the power. The 5th gen isn't. Does it really matter for doing burnouts? Not to me. Would it matter for turning big tires - absolutely. If you're starting with a big heavy SUV - it's gonna need to be built like a tank. Even more so if you want to laden it with another 1000+ lbs of bumpers, slider, skids, and such.
The 4runner's engine really hasn't been tested in boost applications (turbo's and superchargers), so maybe we should hold off on passing judgement until we see some results.
Also, I'm still not understanding how the LC 200 is more "tank-like" and robust than the 4runner? Yes, the LC has bigger components, but it's a bigger vehicle to start off with. The 4runner has less of a load to contend with.
Dual cases should be do-able right now. I'm pretty confident a Lefty would bolt up. Just a few driveline mods and you're in business. I'm kinda partial to dual cases with the 4.7 gear set myself. My take is that the 5th gen doesn't perform well at all in 4hi in the dirt. It's probably tuning, but it really struggles to maintain speed on steep mountain roads at high elevation, even pedal to the floor. So you really do need the regular low range for normal logging road duty. I wouldn't want only an ultra low gear without something changed to perform better at 20mph. 4hi just won't do it. 125hp at 2000 rpms would go a long way.
I know we are getting into very subjective territory here, but I've driven my 4runner across plenty of logging roads and many rutted out old hunting tracks. The 5th gen's 4Hi works absolutely fine in that kind of terrain.
I can imagine out west that the engine power is somewhat reduced at higher elevations; to be clear, that is an engine issue, not a reflection of the 4runner's 4wd performance or lackthereof. I have more than enough power for the backroads that I drive, and I rarely find myself going over 20mph simply due to the lack of visibility around corners...I would likely have no reason to go much above 20mph either on a high elevation mountain logging road (safety always trumps convenience IMO).
So no one will argue that the 4runner's engine is faster or more powerful than the 200 series'...but the 4runner's engine does give you enough power to move the vehicle and cargo, and it does that with much better fuel economy than the 200 series, which is much more important to me due to all the driving I do.
It's a tradeoff: you want more HP and torque, it's going to cost you more one way or another. You want a cheaper fuel bill, you'll have a less powerful powerplant to work with. I don't see a right and a wrong answer; but I do think there is a reason there are many more 4runner owners on the road than there are LC 200 owners.
