Anyone Else Looking Back at 5th Gens?

[MudBug64]

Hello fellow 4Runner Lovers!

I've completed about 6 months with my new 2025 TRD ORP Hybrid in Heritage Blue. I came from a 2018 TRD ORP in Gray.

The car is a beast and I love it. The car finally feels like a 'modern car', up to date in features and technology. However, a few things have been getting to me. And I still get this lingering feeling that I've never been 100% satisfied with my purchase. I've been wondering if anyone else has felt the same way.

Dislikes about my 2025 model:

Observations from a 6'0", 190lb guy.

• Cabin feels cramped. Either instruments and dashboard are too bulky now, or cabin really just is smaller.
• Harder to get in than the 5th gen. I have to bend to not hit my head. I don't know if it's the seat height (even at its lowest) or seat edges, or just a flatter car top design overall.
• The Moonroof seems to lower the ceiling too much vs. 5th gen. Takes more headroom than I wanted, and it goes all the way into the middle of the vehicle. It's a huge bulk. If you seat on the back, it just feels so high up vs. the front seats, and you can't really lean forward because of the lowered ceiling from the moonroof, so you'd hit your head. The head feels 2 inches or less from the ceiling. You could look up in the old car and see the entire ceiling vs. this you feel you're literally against it.
• Rear seats don't lay flat.
• Hybrid battery takes up more room than I wish in the trunk area.
• Electric just turns on when you're basically going downhill or flat with low acceleration - Hybrid basically just turns on
• Great design, but matching a Tacoma in the front.
• Front leg seat gap feels smaller.
• Back leg seat gap feels smaller. I can barely put anything on the floor behind my seat, for example.

Lots of pros, which I know everyone would list the same items here, so I'll skip that part. We know what's good in it.

Now, back to the 5th gen. Every time I see a 5th gen drive by I catch myself intently looking at them.

Below is what I sold.

Reasons I sold my 5th Gen:

• Bad gas mileage: I remember saying to myself 'if one day they launch a hybrid 4Runner, I'll buy that and keep forever'. Well, 22mpg in the new is better than 15mpg I used to get, but it's not like it's 30mpg or higher to be that life changing.
• Only 5 gears: It would drive me crazy that a modern automatic vehicle would only have 5 gears. 55mpg to keep low rpms. Going above that just felt overreaching for that engine.
• High 4 felt clunky, especially turning and when compared to the new one - or am I just delulu with this?
• Air vents would blow air even when it was off. I had to adjust temperature when the vents were off because air would still come in. Engineering flaw or old-school charm?

Above all, things I loved and do feel nostalgic about:

• That car design will never die. It is fabulous, badass, and eternal.
• Turning the car on and hearing the V6 and startup is iconic.
• More spacious cabin, higher 'ceiling'
• It was hard to fill that car with stuff. It just fits a ridiculous amount of gear.
• Higher headroom, even with moonroof.
• Did all the mods myself, went on countless adventures and trips.
• It was paid off, bought with 20K and sold with 60K miles.

If I were to go back, I would get a Pro with lower miles in the same gray color and build it. However, I can't stop thinking if I would regret immediately and want to go back to the 6th gen or not, and above all, if I am the only one feeling this way. Is the 5th gen's place in the past, and I should get a move on, or not?

Thanks for reading and looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

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[Dead Horse]

I think the combination of the windshield being raked back quite a bit further and the black headliner together give a much tighter feel to the cabin than the 5th gen.

I agree it certainly feels smaller.

 

[Scrappopatamus]

I came from a '18 TRD Pro. I loved that vehicle. I purchased a '25 Pro with the intentions of keeping the '18. I agree the '25 is a better vehicle, absolutely more contemporary. Mileage is better, acceleration, handling all much better. Not sure if you have a difficult time seeing out of yours at night. I didn't tint the front windows but feel my peripheral vision in the new one is somewhat compromised in relation to the older one especially after dark. The new one is much more comfortable, especially the seating. Sound system is better along with storage and I like the phone charger. I traded my '18 Pro for a new Land Cruiser. I'm really liking it

 

[Desmolicious]

I don’t own either but have driven both. Hope to get a 6gen in Jan.
Hated the transmission in the 5gen. Hunted and lethargic.
Real bummer the seats no longer fold flat in the 6gen.

Coming into this neutrally it seems the only thing for me the 5gen has going for it is ‘it will last forever!’. I don’t really care as I’m just looking to get about 100k -150k miles out of it before I change.

 

[02SE]

Well, I've owned a bunch of Toyota trucks and SUV's since the days when I worked at a Toyota dealer as a Master Tech. I REALLY wanted to like the 6th gen. I've looked at them closely, driven the different models, and haven't been able to convince myself to sell my very low mile 5th gen TRD ORP.

If the 6th gen works for some, then more power to them.

My 5th gen with 6k miles.

 

[2222CareBearStare]

My wife and I both have a 25 TRD ORP. I think she absolutely loves hers but I'm a little disappointed in mine (mostly for the same reasons the OP pointed out, along with poor NVH).

 

[Desmolicious]

My wife and I both have a 25 TRD ORP. I think she absolutely loves hers but I'm a little disappointed in mine (mostly for the same reasons the OP pointed out, along with poor NVH).

You should test drive a 2026 when they come out and see if the NVH has been improved.
There apparently is quite a difference between the first model year 250 LC (2024) and the 2025 so it seems Toyota can make substantial changes without announcing it. Maybe they did the same w the 6gen 4Runner.

 

[FoozGrind]

My 2016 5th gen was perfect. My 6th gen not so much….

 

[4Runner4Fun]

Obviously a lot of this is personal preference so there isn't a right answer. In my case, I drove a 3rd gen for 21 years and loved it. My main issues were poor fuel economy, transmission that hunted for gears, underpowered especially at freeway speeds, outdated tech, and seating comfort. I rented a 5th gen and felt like I was driving a bulkier 3rd gen so I waited for the next gen. The 6th gen fixed my complaints (although I'd like even better mpg). There are a few areas the 6th gen is a backwards step vs the 5th gen (and of course pricing made a big jump) but overall it's a big upgrade in the areas the 5th gen fell short for most people. I'm quite happy with my 6th gen Pro. The real factor will be long-term reliability but I'm optimistic based on the build details and how Toyota clearly engineered the 6th gen for reliability knowing that if they lose that, they lose future buyers.

For those that like the 5th gen better, there will be plenty of used ones around for a while. The Ineos Grenadier might also be interesting (like a modern-ish 70 series Land Cruiser). Then we also have the GX 550 and Land Cruiser but that's likely not appealing to those that like the 5th gen better. The only model that looks potentially interesting to me is the upcoming Scout Traverse but that's a long way away since I wouldn't consider one until many years after they start production. In the end there is no such thing as a perfect vehicle so we just have to find one that we like the best (and can afford) and then focus on the positives so we're happy with what we have. All of these vehicles are actually pretty awesome when you really think about it.

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