What else is there?

[AKmoney]

I wonder if anyone else feels the same as I do regarding their 4Runner... I love the truck but at the same time, I feel it's starting to get a little up there in age and my eyes have started to wander, partially out of boredom. What else could substitute for it? Rough requirements would be to maintain its credible/capable offroad ability and enough passenger comfort to survive several hundred miles of pavement before arriving at the trailhead. If it got better gas mileage than what I see today (13-15mpg), that would be a bonus. I only tolerate it now because my commute is very short. This situation probably won't last forever.

I could always upgrade to a 5th Gen TRD but in many ways, I don't really consider that an upgrade. I'd lose the V8 and other than the rear locker, a new TRD doesn't offer any more capability than what I already have with my mildly-modded 4th Gen. The 5th Gen truck's underpinnings are also extremely similar to that of the 4th Gen. They're almost the same truck but with a slightly larger/heavier body.

Other SUV choices with realistic off-road capability:

Jeep Grand Cherokee. I don't know much about these. A coworker just bought one with the diesel V6 that he's in love with. I went for a ride in it and I though the seats were medieval torture devices. Also Fiat Chrysler reliability reputation.

Jeep Cherokee (not the Grand one): Most people think they're fugly. More of a lifted passenger SUV than a proper truck but that doesn't mean they aren't capable. Haven't studied these too closely. Again with the Fiat Chrysler thing.

Land Rover LR4: These things are awesome off-road. Luxurious, spacious interior. Absolutely dreadful fuel economy and to add insult to injury, they require premium gas. British reliability is as bad as Toyota's is good but supposedly these newer models aren't nearly as prone to breaking down as the older Discos were.

Porsche Cayenne: Don't laugh. The 1st gen models are serious trucks betrayed only by their rubber band tires and lack of a proper spare. These ills can be corrected. They've all depreciated massively. Awesome on-road manners and very capable offroad (with the right tires) but as with any expensive German machine, beware the repair bills.

Land Cruiser 200 series / LX570: Too big and thirsty for what I want.

Chevrolet ZR2: Not an SUV but this truck has all the proper goodies straight from the factory. You can even get a diesel engine for good fuel economy. Alas, it's a GM product so you'll find stuff like this out there describing problems that you just don't hear about with Toyotas.

 

[AKmoney]

I guess I forgot to include a Jeep Wrangler into this mix. I'm not really excited about these. They're too crude, noisy and uncomfortable for me to consider. I'm okay with not having the best off-road architecture (angles, two solid axles) in exchange for better pavement manners.

 

[Oldmanb777]

Last year when we decided to get the wife a new ride, we went through the same. There just isn't much out there to choose from. All have become mini-vans. I'm not kidding when I say that. I am crying instead. Nothing but min-vans out there from any mfg. We use the vehicles. Light rick crawling, some trailer pulling, some back country roads to fishing or camping or hunting spots. But the 4 Runner with the 4.0 was not only thirsty, but not very torquey either. At high altitude you must really run it hard to get the power out of it. When we asked other owners, we got the same thing. Sure wish we had the old V-8 back, or a turbo, and another gear. Wish we would have looked closer at the GX. After a couple of those comments, we looked at the GX and bought one. But your only options are Wrangler, not as good on the highway as we would like. Grand Cherokee. My sister loves hers, its almost 2 yrs old. And we have had 5 go through he family since 1993. All have been good cars, not perfect. The worst was a late build 1998 (we still have it) $4700 in unscheduled maint since new. My European car owner buddies spend that in a year. Surprising capable vehicle. G-Wagon, lots of dollars to buy and at least as many dollars to keep them running. Have a friend who is on his second one.
Range Rover, again expensive, but oh so nice. But again, the reliability is an issue, but from what I have been told by long time owners, its gotten MUCH better.

 

[Hepar]

I wonder if anyone else feels the same as I do regarding their 4Runner... I love the truck but at the same time, I feel it's starting to get a little up there in age and my eyes have started to wander, partially out of boredom. What else could substitute for it?

I can echo this feeling almost word for word. I love my rig. While it only has around 100k miles, it is still 16 years old (and definitely not getting any younger).

I briefly looked at the FJ's, but for their size I felt it was a step down from my 4Runner when you compare the cargo space and other features

Tossed around the 5th gen 4Runner, but it's just to big. I don't need a rig that size.

As of now there are only two cars that potentially fit all of my requirements and they're both concepts. The Toyota FT-AC and the TJ Cruiser.

If I had to make a choice today though, I'd probably end up with an Acura TSX wagon or a VW diesel wagon. As much as I like playing in the dirt, I just don't do it enough to really justify it.

 

[1engineer]

I went the other way. I now have a new 2017 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 TRD Sport Double Cab Short Bed Six Speed Manual. Love it. Getting around 22 mpg on highway, 18 around town. It has the OEM bed cover and I installed a bed extender. Flipped backwards, it provides a nice, lockable space for groceries and weekend luggage.

 

[AKmoney]

I went the other way. I now have a new 2017 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 TRD Sport Double Cab Short Bed Six Speed Manual. Love it. Getting around 22 mpg on highway, 18 around town. It has the OEM bed cover and I installed a bed extender. Flipped backwards, it provides a nice, lockable space for groceries and weekend luggage.

Good feedback. I'm trying to decide whether I want to make the switch from an SUV to a truck. And things are starting to heat up in the mid-size truck arena, especially now that Ford just announced a new Ranger. I still like the idea of an SUV. I've taken my 4Runner camping multiple times where I slept inside. Not as easy to do that with a pickup unless I got a camper shell..

 

[AKmoney]

If I had to make a choice today though, I'd probably end up with an Acura TSX wagon or a VW diesel wagon. As much as I like playing in the dirt, I just don't do it enough to really justify it.

I wrestle with this as well. When I bought my 4Runner back in 2012, it was already eight years old and had 95K miles on it. I bought it specifically as a weekend adventure-enabler and not a daily driver - it's way too much of a gas hog for that. For reasons I won't get into, it's morphed into my daily driver. My commute shrank and the gas mileage wasn't a huge concern any longer. But situations could change, you never know. My 4Runner has taken me on some great adventures (Moab, Anza Borrego, Death Valley, PCH, etc) but maintaining its level of off-road capability presents big compromises in fuel economy and handling, regardless of what type of vehicle it is.

 

[Hepar]

I went the other way. I now have a new 2017 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 TRD Sport Double Cab Short Bed Six Speed Manual. Love it. Getting around 22 mpg on highway, 18 around town. It has the OEM bed cover and I installed a bed extender. Flipped backwards, it provides a nice, lockable space for groceries and weekend luggage.

I would love to get back into a truck (used to have an '01 Taco), but it's just not practical size-wise for me either. That and I hear the autos are annoying. While I have owned almost exclusively manuals my whole life, I will admit that I'm at a point where I like the auto.

I wrestle with this as well. When I bought my 4Runner back in 2012, it was already eight years old and had 95K miles on it. I bought it specifically as a weekend adventure-enabler and not a daily driver - it's way too much of a gas hog for that.

I think for me that the biggest reason that it's not more of an issue is that I work from home, so I really don't drive it all that much. My worry is more if something were to happen to it and I was forced to buy something new.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

I know how you feel, I've owned 3 4Runners now, and after they get to a certain age I start to look elsewhere and want something newer, I've upgraded from an 03 to an 08 and now a 17 which I feel is a big upgrade for me over my 4th gens, however I always had the V6's and was always happy with them. It's really up to you and what you like, personally if I were you I'd look at a Sequoia or Lexus GX if you're looking for a V8, but that's me. I'm loving my brand new 5th gen though :thumb:

 

[Oldmanb777]

I think the 4.0 in the Runner is probably ok at sea level. Not a lot of hills to pull etc. But trying to pull steep grades at high altitude at freeway speeds leaves a bit to be desired. One of the big reasons we opted for the GX. All the ugliness and odd rear door aside, it performs pretty well. Nice amount of room inside, and comfortable for 4+ adults and gear. The mild off road stuff we have done with it (not much) certainly showed its weakness there, but its good enough for what we do. I did put a nick in that horrendous front grill. Oh well, guess I'll just have to replace it with something nice. :bigok:

 

[AKmoney]

I totally forgot about the Lexus GX. The GX460 is more or less a 5th Gen 4Runner with a 4.6 V8 and a swankier interior. Kind of a modern, freshened-up version of what I have now. Hmm...

Kinda funny.. When I was shopping for my 4th Gen, it was "V8 or bust". Like I said, I never intended it to be a daily driver so I didn't care about the gas mileage. Why not go for the bigger engine? It even gave the truck a higher towing capacity in case I was ever stupid enough to do something like buy a ski boat It's been almost six years on and I have no regrets.

It would sure be nice if Toyota offered something like a turbodiesel here in the states, not only for the better fuel economy but for the much better performance at high altitude. Even the V8 4Runner isn't the greatest hill climber at elevation.

 

[ndcent]

It would take a very special vehicle to get me out of my 4Runner. That vehicle came up for sale and I went to look at it. Waivered a couple days and it was gone. Oh well.

Good luck out there owner of amazing TRD supercharged icon suspension flawless Tacoma with 35k miles.

 

[Thai]

I totally forgot about the Lexus GX. The GX460 is more or less a 5th Gen 4Runner with a 4.6 V8 and a swankier interior. Kind of a modern, freshened-up version of what I have now. Hmm...

Kinda funny.. When I was shopping for my 4th Gen, it was "V8 or bust". Like I said, I never intended it to be a daily driver so I didn't care about the gas mileage. Why not go for the bigger engine? It even gave the truck a higher towing capacity in case I was ever stupid enough to do something like buy a ski boat It's been almost six years on and I have no regrets.

It would sure be nice if Toyota offered something like a turbodiesel here in the states, not only for the better fuel economy but for the much better performance at high altitude. Even the V8 4Runner isn't the greatest hill climber at elevation.

GX is actually pretty good. It is fancy 4runner Limited + KDSS (instead of XREAS) + Lexus fancy stuff/luxury. The problem is that it still uses 6-speed auto which means that fuel economy kinda suck badly.

But...for a nicely loaded GX460...you can get a Toyota Land Cruiser with all the luxury of GX (and then some), more off-road cred, bigger vehicle overall, and basically same fuel economy despite size (thanks to 8 speed auto).

In looking around, what impress me most is the new F150. The turbo engine gets 18/23 mpg on regular gas. Now, there is a diesel too that will get 30 MPG on the highway!! The interior is cavernous! The Platinum model with FX4 package gives it nice capability (rear locker) and near-luxury offerings...for price of Lexus GX (while being even roomier, better gas, and more practicality). Did i say that it comes in diesel hitting 30mpg on highway?! Very quiet too on the road. But the ride is truck-like, for better or worst. And it comes with AUTO-4wd, which means that you can leave it in 4wd and forget and keep driving all day long!

(Oh, F150 has a great frame, clean underbody, already-installed rear axle breather tube, can tow anything short of a building!)

 

[ddnww]

I wouldn't consider any of those an upgrade, even if they are newer. I was going to go from a 4th gen to a 5th gen, but too many guys were not happy with that change. I unfortunately just had to get a truck so I sold my 4th gen and bought a new f150, but I plan to save up and buy another 4runner, either a 3rd or 4th gen.

 

[AKmoney]

As good as they are, I can't really consider a full size pickup (F150, Silverado, etc). They won't fit in my garage. If I could, I'd probably look at a used mildly Tundra.

 

[Oldmanb777]

You can have a new GX 460 for less than $60k, a new Land cruiser is about $88k. LX is about $98k.. A little more than 1 mpg less in the Land Cruiser. The space in the GX is much more accommodating to adults than the 4 Runner is, especially in the back seat. It uses pretty much the same frame and suspension, but has another gear, lower gear diff, and the V-8. It also is a lot heavier. we are getting low 15 mpg around town, and 20 mpg on the highway. The highway is mostly mountain driving, usually with a bit of a load. Speaking of loading it down. It carries a load very well. You can really tell it is truck based when you put a load in it. It climbs the mountain passes really well for being normally aspirated. The Land Cruiser/LX third row seats fold up to the side. That takes up a lot of space. The gX folds into the floor. Seems like I have more room. But the floor when second row is folded down, isn't flat, bummer. It's ugly.....................But a nice ugly duckling.
I would have bought the Land cruiser, but wife wanted something smaller. Coming from a first generation Grand Cherokee, she didn't want too big of a car. I find the size of the gX is very nice. Really fits what we need.

 

[Thai]

You can have a new GX 460 for less than $60k, a new Land cruiser is about $88k. LX is about $98k.. A little more than 1 mpg less in the Land Cruiser. The space in the GX is much more accommodating to adults than the 4 Runner is, especially in the back seat. It uses pretty much the same frame and suspension, but has another gear, lower gear diff, and the V-8. It also is a lot heavier. we are getting low 15 mpg around town, and 20 mpg on the highway. The highway is mostly mountain driving, usually with a bit of a load. Speaking of loading it down. It carries a load very well. You can really tell it is truck based when you put a load in it. It climbs the mountain passes really well for being normally aspirated. The Land Cruiser/LX third row seats fold up to the side. That takes up a lot of space. The gX folds into the floor. Seems like I have more room. But the floor when second row is folded down, isn't flat, bummer. It's ugly.....................But a nice ugly duckling.
I would have bought the Land cruiser, but wife wanted something smaller. Coming from a first generation Grand Cherokee, she didn't want too big of a car. I find the size of the gX is very nice. Really fits what we need.

New 2017 Land Cruiser can be had for $72-75k around here...and what i like about TLC is that it comes only one way...fully loaded, even with adaptive cruise control, 360 camera, semi-aniline leather, etc.. To get all that in GX460, you will spend around $70k since Lexus dealers don’t discount much.

 

[Oldmanb777]

Wow, I'm surprised. The LC sticker here is $88k. The best deal we could come up with was $82k. That was through a broker. The dealers were hard on sticker price. And some even had added fees over that. Our GX is the luxury version, it was ~$66k out the door, tx,lic etc. I would have gladly done a fly and drive if I could have bought a LC for that. But again wife didn't want the bigger car. For that diff, I certainly would go for the LC. I think it will also hold its value better. And there are aftermarket mods readily available for the LC, not so much for the GX.

 

[AKmoney]

I would never buy any of this stuff new. The depreciation is too heavy.

A buddy of mine spent about $35K on a used LX570 a couple years ago. It had 130K on the odometer but who cares? As we all know, these things set the bar on reliability. It's been great for him. Given this, I just can't see spending $50-60K more on a new one.

If a Land Rover LR4 got better fuel economy and wasn't known to break down every other week, it'd probably be the winner for me. They are amazingly good off-road:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muAsALvJ3XE

 

[Oldmanb777]

I would never buy any of this stuff new. The depreciation is too heavy.

A buddy of mine spent about $35K on a used LX570 a couple years ago. It had 130K on the odometer but who cares? As we all know, these things set the bar on reliability. It's been great for him. Given this, I just can't see spending $50-60K more on a new one.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muAsALvJ3XE

Your not 63 years old, and have spent a lot of years under a car.
At this point in my life, I want to play with it, and not work on it. I remember those days when I was exactly where you are. I have only bought 2 new cars in my life. But as I get older.............New sounds better all the time. Let someone else have the headache of fixing it. NOT as rewarding, but just the way it is. Probably because I never bought new in the past, I can now afford to retire, and pay someone else to do the dirty work. I APLAUD your attitude. It's what made us great. The ability to do for yourself, and make it your own:thumb: