4runner vs Land Cruiser vs GX. I’m changing my mind daily!

[Soloflight]

Ok, here is my story. I have owned 3 gen 5 4 runners. 11, 16 and a second 16. All Trail model. unfortunately I have 2 college age doughters who now each have gen 5 trail 4 runners! Both got full dobinsons springs. Bilstein shocks, sliders,and real off road tires. Same will happen with a 6 gen.

I will use the vehicle off road, not a lot, but enough to know I need the off road capability. Where I take it is borderline jeep only territory. The rest of the time I will drive around town, back and forth to Tahoe for skiing weekly during winter, back and forth to the Central Valley for hunting weekly during duck season. And trips back and forth to Montana,Oregon and Colorado. So basically road trips, around town, snow, and off road! I own an F250 diesel truck, so hauling and towing is not an issue.

GX was originally the choice, but I don’t really like the all touch interior and the fuel economy seems to be terrible. Cost of fuel doesn’t matter, but filling up all the time especially on road trips is a deal breaker. I really like the engine though.

Then I looked at Land Cruiser, better interior, but stupid small fuel tank, and needs a lot of upgrades for the off-road stuff. 20” wheels are dumb, and that is all that’s available in nor cal. Would buy the premium package. I do find it very comfortable though.

4runner. My previous 4Runners were the absolute perfect vehicles for my use. New one? Not super happy with the 4cyl non hybrid drive character but it is more powerful than the old v6. Hybrid is nice but I hate the raised floor. Seating is comfortable, but it seems like you really have to look under the roof line at the windshield. Way more interior storage the gx/lc.

So I’m sure many of you went through the same process. Why did you end up at 4runner vs the other 2? I’m looking at TRD off road premium or maybe ever Trailhunter, but I hate the gimmicky snorkel. Thanks for the help!

If you have money (4runner), if you have more money (LC Prado) and if you have lots of money (lexus) problem solved

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[sliver]

Ahhh the Toyota decision... I wanted the GX for the engine, the Land Cruiser for the allwheel drive, and the 4Runner for the look and true offroad capability.
GX:
The Price ruled out the GX. I would have to go with the base, and add things to it to get it where I want.

Land Cruiser: I like the interior, I like the all wheel drive, and the Premium came with all the bells and whistle I wanted... So all I would have to change on it, would be tires...

4Runner : I am one of the few who liked the sound of the snorkel, and the Trailhunter had EVERYTHING I wanted and more.... Except all Wheel drive, but do I really need the all wheel drive? 2 wheel is enough, and I can switch to 4 wheel if I really need it...

But I was still going back and forth between the Land Cruiser and the Trailhunter. Until my boss bought a Land Cruiser... I ordered the Trailhunter the next day... LOL.

I've had the Trailhunter for almost 6 months now. And I have not regretted it a single day. I love the look, I love the hybrid max (plenty of power) The one time I took it offroad, it ate the trail for breakfast... And it is an enjoyable drive to work and to costco too ; The only downside I faced and it happened twice, is if you need to carry 4 people, the backspace is not comfortable for a long drive.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with the LC or the 4runner. The GX is too much $$ for the little difference (I'd want the GX for the engine in it, and according to the comments above, it's not even worth that)

I hope it helps.

 

[drchip]

To me the TRD Pro looks WAY BETTER then the LC or GX.. put some bigger wheel/tires on it and. get 17mpg and happy as can be

 

[zgreen]

My two cents. I did this comparison too and even added the Sequoia as a question mark. Ruled out the LC over the 4runner, just want as impressed. I have two very young children and decided the Lexus was not beat option for the mess. The Sequoia didn't add anything I needed. I have a TRD Pro and could not be happier. No regrets. I put 35" tires on it and still get 17mpg. Couldn't do that with the Lexus.

Hey Adam. I have a Pro as well as am looking to do a tire upgrade. Would you be up to sharing your set up with the 35's? Did you keep the Pro rims or get something different? Any rubbing or trimming to get them to fit? Same suspension? Lift? Thanks in advance!

 

[sf jakey]

Well, at the price I was offered for a new TRD off road premium, neither the LC or the GX is really in contention. 16k more for a LC and 22k more for a GX. For basically the same vehicle. Looks like I will be in my 4th 4runner soon.

 

[glocke12]

I owned a GX 550 Lux + for a month, bought my wife a LC w premium package in November, and bought myself a 4R TRD ORP two months ago. The best of these vehicles would be the LC w the 20s swapped out for 18s and a more aggressive tire. MY GX rode like crap for an $87k vehicle, got only 13.5 MPG in the rolling hills of western PA, had a stupid touch screen for climate controls, and had the dumbest 22 inch wheels imaginable. The hybrid power plant in the Toyotas isn’t a world beater, but I have zero complaints. I bought my 4R to downsize from my 2024 Sequoia, and really did it spur of the moment bc the dealer had the color and wheels I liked the best sitting on the lot. The amount of hard cheap plastic in my ORP is shocking. The single zone climate control was unexpected. I didn’t notice it until after my purchase. The second row has much worse leg room and head room than the LC and GX. But if we need to take the family or more passengers, we just take the LC. I’ve decided that if you don’t do legitimate off roading, there’s really no reason to buy the 4R and that’s okay. Highway driving is choppier and much noisier than the LC and GX. If it could do it over, I’d probably buy a limited or platinum 4R, swap out all the shiny parts and grilles, throw the TRD upgraded 18s on it and call it a day. The noise from the trail hunter snorkel would be an absolute deal breaker for me. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

You convinced me. I went out and bought the HB white roofed LC of my dreams!

 

[Turbo8]

I really wanted a landcruiser in HB with a white roof initially.

Lack of availability and price were a deterrent. Reading various things on the internet about the 4runner being a more capable off-road vehicle sealed the deal. I have no idea if that last comment is really true or not, but I did get to check out a black LC at the dealership ( no clue what trim ) and wasn't really impressed.

THe 6th gen 4runner just impressed me more in terms of looks and comfort, but man this HB/white roofed LC's just look sooper dooper nifty

They are pretty cool looking.
Mechanically they are very similar to the 4runner. I personally feel like the LC is underpowered on the highway compared to the GX. Other than that, the LC and GX are great.

 

[Joey_Midnight]

Not sure what you mean by looking under the roof line but i have a non-hybrid and i like everything about it substantially more then my 5th gen. The hybrid is really pointless on these cars, i see 22-24mpg going to work mostly highway. If its packed and i stay around 55mph or less for the trip ive see 27.5 mpg multiple times with this arb roof rack and no front air dam. I do like the v6 and thing the gx is the best looking of the lineup but the interiors bland ess and lack of rear roll window is a negative Also dont like fulltime awd or again hybrid setups.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Well I personally like the 58 with the round headlights.

The new Land Cruiser is nice as well, but doesn't seem as roomy for some reason in the cockpit area. The seats are a little bit more refined than the 25 4Runner also having a lot of plastic.

Ground clearance probably isn't as good on the Land Cruiser. Gas mileage is not as good and you are stuck with that hybrid configuration; You have no option.

That's why I lean towards simplicity keeping the drivetrain simple, engine simple very easy to work on.

The hybrid environment seems to complicated and complex for off-roading.

I would not be taking that off road on anything more compromising than a flat cow Trail.
Just my two cents here.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Crap I was just watching a YouTube clip of some PhD at a university that explains the iForce Max powertrain on how the engine and the electric motor, transmission and transfer case are all connected; he even has a model of it on his workbench and explains the kind of output the electric motor gives and how the clutch system works.

Pretty interesting amazing how much more power it does put out. It's worth a watch you could probably just search for I Force Max Toyota hybrid. Some explanation should come up.

 

[BillyG4Runner6G]

I really love my TRD PRO. It is a shame that Toyota didn't offer the PRO with the Twin Turbo 6 and all- wheel drive. I personally think it would have been a huge hit. With that being said, the Pro comes very well equipped but like most members here, stock is never enough. I have plans to add the Westscott Design lift and 295/70R18 Nitto Recon Grapplers. If you have plans to modify your rig for off roading (suspension, tires etc.) like you have in the past, I think you need to stay with the 4Runner theme and get a TRD Off-Road with the i-FORCE MAX. It will give you the best bang for your buck and then you can add your preferred choice of suspension, wheels, tires wider Trailhunter fender flares. I don't think paying a premium for the top model is smart just to turn around and replace parts. The Pro's are going for over $70K + so it's something to consider. Good luck!

 

[4Rgurl]

Hello. I did look at the Lexus SUVs. Obviously the interior is luxurious but the exterior look of the Lexus SUV was not as appealing to me and it was a lot more money for the Lexus brand.

I have a Toyota Prius and it's way over 200k miles and I decided I was going to get another Toyota. I was all in on the Land Cruiser with the new look and the new technology. I was looking for the best deal and was about to commit.

But when my son saw the all blacked out 4Runner ORP, he said that it looked alot better than the LC. He thought the LC looked too much like a box. "boxy" is what he called it.

I took a closer look at the 6th Gen. I agreed with my son. In my opinion, the 6th Gen body's contour lines flowed nicely from bumper to bumper. It had just the right amount of sharp angles and rounded curves, creating a great looking SUV!

My thoughts: Good luck! With those 3 options, you can't go wrong! They're all under the Toyota banner!

No glam shots but here she is!

I agree! I went in with the plan to get a LC and ended up leaving with a 4Runner. In person the LC did not catch my eye the way the 4Runner did.

 

[drjim]

I’m having this debate too. My problem is Toyota really made perplexing decisions around trims and models.

I want a rear locker and MTS but also fulltime 4WD based on where I live. So that means the LC or GX. But I also want a third row, and only the 4Runner Limited and SR5s have one. And then in either of those I am giving up the rear locker or fulltime 4WD.

Single zone climate is also a dealbreaker so even if I could live without fulltime 4WD that knocks out the TRD ORP. Fuck Toyota.

 

[Turbo8]

I’m having this debate too. My problem is Toyota really made perplexing decisions around trims and models.

I want a rear locker and MTS but also fulltime 4WD based on where I live. So that means the LC or GX. But I also want a third row, and only the 4Runner Limited and SR5s have one. And then in either of those I am giving up the rear locker or fulltime 4WD.

Single zone climate is also a dealbreaker so even if I could live without fulltime 4WD that knocks out the TRD ORP. Fuck Toyota.

Sounds like you need the LX700h

 

[sf jakey]

I ended up with a TRD off road premium. Didn’t want hybrid, so that ruled out Land Cruiser. Honestly I didn’t see the difference between 4R and LC. Basically the same in a different suit. 4R win for comfort, cargo space and interior storage spaces. GX is very nice, better drivetrain, but in the end I was going to be spending 25k mor for a GX and it wouldn’t do anything better than my 4R. I won’t tow, have a Ford Super Duty for that, so this is it. So far I like it.. plenty of power surprisingly. MPG about 18-19. Tech is nice but I still wish for a regular radio with preset stations. Getting used to the car play.

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