Why 4Runners?

[johnathanng]

Please dont misinterpret my title, i love 4runners, i currently have one and i plan on getting thr TRD edition in the future. I guess my real question is why do people pick the 4runner over the sequioa and the Land Cruiser? Both seem to be very capable vehicles, but doing a quick google search shows no modded sequioa or land cruisers and im curious as to why no one lifts them and such.

 

[ironhippy]

Depends on what series of land cruiser, not too many 200 series are modified mainly because not too many people can afford to modify a 50 - 100 thousand dollar vehicle.

The older land cruisers are modified extensively, check out IH8MUD Forum

There are a few modified sequoias but there isn't as much aftermarket demand/support so you have to piece together lifts/bumpers and the like.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Sequoias like most Large SUVs end up doing mall crawling, soccer mom duty, "manly" minivan duties, ect. The large majority of owners of larger SUVs are not interested in touching dirt, but either utility and/or "Bling Factor" which is why some of them rock Dubs or taller.

The other main thing is that the Sequoia is very large which is not something you always want on the trail. I personally avoided the Sequoia because it felt too long and easy to hang up on trails vs. the 4th Gen with the V8.

Typically when people think of a Land Cruiser they mainly think of the LC100 & LC200's; the LC80's and older are pretty popular to modify and off-road. The LC100 & LC200 are not as popular to modify in the states mostly because starting with the LC100 they became "baby Lexus" vehicles. The Lexus LX470 & LX570 actually share a LOT in common; its a bit more than a re-badge with extra leather, but I'd say is like 80% similar parts. The price for many of these used LC100 & LC200's are still very high and its a pain in the ass to de-content a bunch of useless luxury crap for off-roading not to mention there aren't that many aftermarket providers for these types of components to begin with.

It mostly comes down to the fact that larger vehicles aren't as good for off-roading and the Sequoia and LC100/LC200 are still a bit more expensive than getting a used 4Runner. Also most of the people who gravitate to those vehicles are not looking for an off-road toy, they want a cushy mall crawler or "manvan."

The 4Runner has typically offered a great medium between creature comforts and off-road capability in a relatively comfortable package that lives well in day to day living while having the capability and strength off-road to wheel them hard. In this case the 4Runners tend to be in that "not too cheap, not too ritzy, and just the right size" category that checks a lot of boxes for people looking for a daily driver and/or off-road warrior. Part of the reason I bought my 4th gen was because the 4Runner ended up being the best mid-sized SUV for my needs in both off-road, utility, and daily driving.

 

[J053619]

This^

Call me crazy, but i really like the newer sequoias.
A modified one would look really sweet!

 

[BlackWorksInc]

This^

Call me crazy, but i really like the newer sequoias.
A modified one would look really sweet!

Its somewhat modded:

An LC100:

and an LC200:

[MENTION=99300]johnathanng[/MENTION]

I imagine there's not a lot of desire to modify the newer Sequoias as somewhere along the line they lost their solid front axle and now sport Independent Front & Rear Suspension.

 

[J053619]

Its somewhat modded:

An LC100:

and an LC200:

[MENTION=99300]johnathanng[/MENTION]

I imagine there's not a lot of desire to modify the newer Sequoias as somewhere along the line they lost their solid front axle and now sport Independent Front & Rear Suspension.

Sequoia image isn't showing, but oh man the modified LCs are gorgoues. I've never seen those but wish I had one now!

 

[bimrunner]

My build has my FZJ80 in it. I have both. Most don't buy the new LC and immediately mod for off-road because you can buy two 4runners for the price of a LC. I looked at it this way: buy a LC and drive it on the road for 10 years and then mod for offroad or buy a new 4Runner, have plenty of $ to mod and make into the offroad rig I want now. The 93 LC is fun too though. Probably the most capable "modern" rig off the showroom floor. Sequioa is just too big to be really very versatile offroad.

Here is my 80:

 

[Logan714]

Sequoia was way too big for me and I can't afford a Land Cruiser and I wanted a new vehicle.

I learned how to drive in SUV's so once it was time to get rid of my Camry, I decided on a 4Runner. Really no other competition out there.

 

[jediwebdude]

I've off-roaded with a couple of owners of 100 and 200 series Land Cruisers. These modern LCs are certainly capable trucks. Sometimes their width causes problems on tight trails, but they get through. I think the primary reason why you see far more 4Runners instead of LCs is due to truck cost. An 8 year-old high mileage LC will cost the same as a 2 year-old low-mileage 4Runner.

 

[bareisong]

I decided on a 4Runner. Really no other competition out there.

 

[PROFILER]

For me the sequioa was bigger than I needed and the land cruiser was out of my price range to even consider with the accessories I wanted.

 

[28.]

I think the 100 is getting modofied as much as the 4th gen 4runner just percentage wise considering number of units of each make are sold. Oh and the Yota and Lexus 100 series are pretty much identical. Just a few differences but not many. I just took my 100 series LX470 to the 4th HIH and it's pretty much stock. Land Cruisers are very capable machines right of the show room floor. Add some good tires and you'd be surprised what tey can do..
Going down Black bear Pass..

On Last Dollar Road...

 

[Brique]

What i don't understand is why first gen sequoias aren't being used more for off road when tundras are so popular. I used to have a Tacoma but should have gotten a 4runner to begin with.

I can definitely see the shortcomings of a bigger vehicle off-road, but for expedition-type builds I'd think it would be a nice platform (again the first gen sequioia, not the newer minivan version).

 

[m85476585]

Around here, first gen Sequoias sell for less than comparable (4th gen) 4runners. The drivetrain is basically the same as the V8 4runner, but it looks like it gets 1mpg less according to the EPA. At about 800lbs heavier than a 4runner, it won't be fast, for sure. The turning circle is about 5ft wider, so it would be harder to park and harder to drive on tight trails.

2007 specs compared:
Length: 14.7 in longer
Height: 6.3 in higher
Ground clearance: 1.5 in higher
Width: 3.7 in wider
Wheelbase: 8.3 in longer
Approach angle: 2 degrees less
Departure angle: 4 degrees less

2007 Toyota Sequoia SR5 4dr SUV 4.7L V8 4x4 5-speed Automatic Features and Specs
2007 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4dr SUV 4.7L V8 4x4 5-speed Automatic Features and Specs

Incredibly, the early 2nd gen with the 5.7L V8 gets better MPG than the first gen with the 4.7L, despite being about 500lbs heavier and having a much bigger engine. That makes it about the same as my V8 4runner. Maybe I should upgrade, then get the supercharger. 504 hp and 550 ft-lb of torque!

 

[Martinjmpr]

I really like the 1st gen Sequoia, almost bought one when it was time to sell my 3rd gen T4R. The things I didn't like about the Sequoia were the column shift transmission (I shift my auto a lot, so I like the floor shift) and the way the 2nd row seat flipped forward (it looked like it would be difficult to remove.)

Not crazy about the 2nd gen Sequoia, I'm hoping that the 3rd gen might not be so bulbous and rounded - to me it looks like an over-inflated minivan.

I do like that the Sequoia, AFAIK, is the only Toyota currently sold that has true multi-mode 4wd. It's one of the features I love about my 4th gen V6. Multi mode means you can run 4wd on paved roads when there is intermittent ice or snow for extra traction, and then when you don't need the extra traction, you can run it in 2wd. There's no 4runner that can do that, they're all either part time 4wd or full time 4wd.

 

[racer107]

Guess I'm not the typical 4R buyer-I don't have any plans of off roading. I wanted to get rid of my van and car and replace them with one vehicle that could tow my race trailer and also be a decent daily driver. Had no interest in anything non-Japanese, so my choices were few. Drove several V6 and V8 4R's, '03 to '08 Sequoias, and a QX56. The QX was blingy as hell, the base model is like an optioned out Limited 4R- but it rode like crap and had a non working tach at just over 100K ($700 fix). I Loved the Sequoias- the 05-07's had plenty of power and smooth ride. The 380 HP 5.7 in the '08 was fun but felt a little less torquey and relaxed. After missing out on a couple nice ones I came across an '07 4R Limited in great shape at a great price and bought it a couple weeks ago, thinking it's a better do-it-all ride than the giant Sequoia. I like it, and it'll suit my needs but honestly I think I should have held out for a 2WD Sequoia...would have got the same mpg or better than my 4wd 4R and a much better on-road ride and cargo/passenger capacity at the expense of being a little unwieldy at times (city parking).

 

[toy4xchris]

my love for the 4runner goes back to their pedigree solid utility vehicle based off of the bullet proof chassis and drivetrain of the Hilux.
The other reason is price when I got into the 4runners originally they were a capable and dependable CHEAP Toyota SUV, Land cruisers were expensive and sequoias didn't exist yet.
My 1st 4runner

 

[T.Rock]

Please dont misinterpret my title, i love 4runners, i currently have one and i plan on getting thr TRD edition in the future. I guess my real question is why do people pick the 4runner over the sequioa and the Land Cruiser? Both seem to be very capable vehicles, but doing a quick google search shows no modded sequioa or land cruisers and im curious as to why no one lifts them and such.

Simple answer is two-fold:

1. Size
2. Price

 

[junkyardbiker]

3. Reliability

4. Cool factor on the trail

5. "Is that a jeep?"

 

[58rennur4]

I owned a 92 xcab but we out grew it when kids got bigger. Even when I owned that I always loved the mid/late 80's 4runners. Kids gone so I bought one - 85 4runner

Ownership cost is low and the money you spend on it you can get a lot back if you sell. I paid 2200.00 for rig. If I spend 8500.00 on it my cost to own is around 290 per month over 3 years. Imaging what you can do with 8500

Lets say I did that and sold it in 3 years I easily get 4000- 5000 grand back. Say I get 4500 back that's 150 month to own over 3 years - less fuel and general maintenance...

So fun, low cost, and practical....