Thinking of moving from 4th to 5th?

[4by4runr]

I love the look of the 2010-2013 and have racked up 265k on my 2004 4th gen but I'm getting the itch to move into something newer. Yesterday I went to a dealer that had a 2013 Limited with 130k miles and checked it out. It was in 7/10 condition but the interior layout felt a bit more like a minivan with the nearly flat floor board. Additionally the solidness of the body sounded a little tinny, some of the interior plastics felt cheaper and to boot, this one had a slow leak between the center diff and the transmission.

Has anyone gone from a 4th gen to a 5th and found similar observations. Or just curious to any thoughts out there in general. I can sit and lay on my hood or roof without even a thought about it denting, not sure about the 5th gen.

 

[Maka15]

You def won’t be laying on the roof without denting a 5th gen. My 2020 got hailed on while parked at work and it tore that car up for like 8k in damages but that got fixed and sold.

Waiting for my 2023 Limited to finally arrive at dealership. Should be any day now but for the body of the vehicle it is fragile just like any new car.


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[4by4runr]

Thanks Maka, wasn’t sure if I was imagining that or not. Mechanically mine is great but it’s from Arizona and the paint is spent. Did you have a 4th gen?

 

[4by4runr]

Don’t everyone talk at once please. Boy the 4th gen group is a lot more helpful.

 

[Maka15]

Haha, you’re welcome and no I didn’t have a 4th gen. Only had a 20 TRD Pro and soon hopefully this week a 23 Limited


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[02SE]

I'm afraid I can't help, as the 4th gen lacked sufficient headroom for me, so I never bought one.

I liked the 3rd gen I had for 22+ years. I like the 5th gen more.

 

[Captain Spalding]

Don’t everyone talk at once please. Boy the 4th gen group is a lot more helpful.

Perhaps your expectations are a tad high. You are asking a question that can only be answered by people who have owned both a 4th and 5th Gen.

 

[Pedro367]

Perhaps your expectations are a tad high. You are asking a question that can only be answered by people who have owned both a 4th and 5th Gen.

Not to mention it was asked on a Saturday at 3PM when, at least I'd assume, most aren't inside on internet forums. Then we got 12 minutes and 47 seconds to come up with a 3 page thread so he can decide if a vehicle is worth purchasing based on if he can sit on the roof or hood. I usually just bring a camping chair to sit on when I need. That's just me, though.

 

[John in NC]

I went from a 2002 Trooper to a 2011 4runner and felt the same way about the 5th gen being tinny and a bit 'cheap'. But it's all relative. I've had only a couple minor maintenance items pop up on the 5th gen and the Trooper repairs were adding up $$$.
Maybe look at a few more.
Now if you can find a 10-13 Trail in Shoreline blue jump on it! I missed my chance to snag one... they also made the limited in that color, but the Trail is the bomb.

 

[MZ2215]

Has anyone gone from a 4th gen to a 5th and found similar observations.

No, not really. When I want to sit down I usually choose a seat inside the vehicle or a portable chair stowed in the back so unfortunately I can't speak to differences in roof/hood rigidity. I doubt there are many hoods theses days that are meant to support the weight of an adult. My '15 limited is better in basically every way compared to the '07 except a little lack of low end torque (my '07 was a v8). Better ride, quieter interior, more options, more ergonomic, more efficient. I can't speak to lower trim levels but the interior materials on my limited are much nicer than my '07 SR5.

 

[5thToy]

I'm a little put off by the attitude, but I will respond anyway as I have owned both.

Yes, the sheet metal on 4th Gens felt more substantial and some of the interior materials were of better quality IMO but I am comparing 2003 Limited vs 2019 SR5P so that might not be fair. That said, the two gens (at least V6 DVVTIs) are nearly identical mechanically, built in the same plant and have had more time to work out the bugs.

 

[mjg514]

I love the look of the 2010-2013 and have racked up 265k on my 2004 4th gen but I'm getting the itch to move into something newer. Yesterday I went to a dealer that had a 2013 Limited with 130k miles and checked it out. It was in 7/10 condition but the interior layout felt a bit more like a minivan with the nearly flat floor board. Additionally the solidness of the body sounded a little tinny, some of the interior plastics felt cheaper and to boot, this one had a slow leak between the center diff and the transmission.

Has anyone gone from a 4th gen to a 5th and found similar observations. Or just curious to any thoughts out there in general. I can sit and lay on my hood or roof without even a thought about it denting, not sure about the 5th gen.

hey [MENTION=97848]4by4runr[/MENTION] - i can give you some initial thoughts as i just picked up a 5th gen last month ('17 ORP) after having and still own a 4th gen (SR5 V6 4x4) for the last 3yrs.

some quick thoughts:
exterior - no doubt the metal body panels on the 4th are a bit thicker than on the 5th, but the 5th is still really well built and tough. i really do like the overall exterior look of the 5th vs the 4th....always thought the 2014+ body looks like the perfect mashup of a 4Runner and an FJ Cruiser.

interior: no doubt the 5th gen is much nicer...it is literally 10yrs more modern. the seats in the 5th gen are super nice...again, prob because they aren't from 2007. my 4th gen had 3rd row seats, which i immediately removed. the 5th gen only had 2 rows of seating....i can fit a lot more in the back of the 4th vs the 5th, especially width wise.

engine - for having the exact same 4.0L, they drive very differently. from what i have noticed so far, the transmission in the 5th gen wants to wander in/out of gears a lot more than the 4th. the weight of the 5th also seems to be a bit heavier in general so gas mileage isn't quite as good as i get in my 4th....my 4th has a 3" lift and 33's, and 5th is bone stock as of now btw.

4wd system - since i have an ORP, there's no doubt that with A-TRAC, crawl control, multi-terrain select, and with a legit locker in the rear, there's no doubt it's going to be much more capable offroad truck, especially once i can finally get it built up similar to the 4th.

those are just some things that came to mind right away....feel free to shoot me a DM if you have more questions.

 

[02SE]

Just for the sake of accuracy, the Single VVT-i 1GR-FE (4.0 V6) in the 4th gen, is almost entirely different from the Dual VVT-i 1GR-FE (4.0 V6) in the 5th gen.

Different block, crankshaft, pistons, cylinder heads, intake, exhaust, etc.

The Dual VVT-i 1GR-FE in the 5th gen makes more power throughout the rev-range. But the 5th gen is a heavier vehicle, and the Drive-By-Wire throttle is programmed for lazy opening, to smooth operation, and improve fuel economy.

 

[gomiami]

Not to mention it was asked on a Saturday at 3PM when, at least I'd assume, most aren't inside on internet forums. Then we got 12 minutes and 47 seconds to come up with a 3 page thread so he can decide if a vehicle is worth purchasing based on if he can sit on the roof or hood. I usually just bring a camping chair to sit on when I need. That's just me, though.

Yeah. I have been following this website for 14 months or so before joining and I don't even bother checking in much during the weekend. It is a dead period.

 

[Cleazy]

Don’t everyone talk at once please. Boy the 4th gen group is a lot more helpful.

I have both. 06 Sport with 165k and a 21 ORP with 20k.

The 4th gen is lighter, gets better MPG, and just feels more solid. Dont get me wrong i love the 21. Cant bring myself to get rid of either of them. maybe i should get a 3rd gen also.

 

[balong48]

I went from an 03 with the V8 to a 11 with the V6. Going from V8 to V6 was a huge difference in terms of power delivery.

In terms of "solidness", I'd say the 4th gen was definitely less tinny sounding than the 5th gen. The doors sound more hollow and my hood bends in the wind while driving in my 5th gen. However, I don't think the hoods bend as much on the 2014+ 5th gens - I didn't notice it while driving one.

Material choices overall seem like a step down, but they're still durable. I had the melting dash issue in my 4th gen (which Toyota amazingly took care of at no cost to me 12 years after the car was made). I've nicknamed the 5th gen the "recession edition" as it was in it's final design stages during that time frame. I do dearly miss my dual sunvisors, my sunvisor that slides on the rail (can't remember if they've since added that) instead of the stupid plastic extension, I miss the burger tray, I miss the overall lighter feel (it is lighter) of the 4th gen, and I miss my V8. Sadly I think 6th gen will also be a "pandemic/recession edition". We've already experienced what that's done to the Tundra, though it seems like the issues have finally slowed down.

My 5th gen averages 17.2MPG if I drive normally and I can get 21MPG if I baby the pedal. I never tried to baby my 4th gen and I'd average around 18.3MPG.

When it comes to rust, I think my 5th gen is holding up way better - thinking back to when my 4th gen was 12 years old. My 5th gen turns 12 next month.

TLDR; there's nothing really wrong with a 5th gen other than the fact that is really long in the tooth for this generation; but what that means is it's super refined and reliable at this point. There are definitely differences between the 4th and 5th, for better or for worse, but they're both great vehicles and I still enjoy my 5th gen despite some of the lost features.

Edit: OP has the V8.

 

[wsgoat]

I have both. 06 Sport with 165k and a 21 ORP with 20k.

The 4th gen is lighter, gets better MPG, and just feels more solid. Dont get me wrong i love the 21. Cant bring myself to get rid of either of them. maybe i should get a 3rd gen also.

Currently own both gens that I purchased new from Toyota. I enjoy driving/owning both, but if I had to choose one....it would be the 4th. As others have mentioned, the overall fit/finish/quality of the 4th seems better, not to mention all the little extras the 4th has that were engineered out of the 5th (burger tray, drivers A-pillar assist, locking gas cap, glove-box secret compartment, oil filter re-location, storage areas on the rear wheel wells, fold flat cargo area, throttle-mapping, etc.) I know, first world problems and not a deal breaker by any means, but I hope to always have a 4th in the garage.

 

[mostapo]

Currently own both gens that I purchased new from Toyota. I enjoy driving/owning both, but if I had to choose one....it would be the 4th. As others have mentioned, the overall fit/finish/quality of the 4th seems better, not to mention all the little extras the 4th has that were engineered out of the 5th (burger tray, drivers A-pillar assist, locking gas cap, glove-box secret compartment, oil filter re-location, storage areas on the rear wheel wells, fold flat cargo area, throttle-mapping, etc.) I know, first world problems and not a deal breaker by any means, but I hope to always have a 4th in the garage.

Amen to this. I like my 14 TEP but miss my 08 sport daily. For me it's the little things mentioned above that just make it a much more user friendly experience. Oil changes were a breeze, the burger tray was a gem and the shift knob and resting position while driving was more natural. The shift knob and position of the shifter on my 5h gen I find uncomfortable from start to stop.

 

[1fast_e]

While I liked my 4th gen I prefer the room the 5th gen has to offer. Both having the same motor you won't be missing out on reliability, but the 5th isn't as responsive (assuming because of the weight).
I didn't like my 4th gen until it was lifted as it looked too much like a station wagon. The fifth gen can pass without modding IMHO.

Best wishes

 

[1jzgte]

hugeeeeeee question... do you tow? if you do then stick to a v8 if you dont at all stick to a v8