Anyone Else Looking Back at 5th Gens?

[MartyMcFly]

I found normal is kinda a half pregnant mode. I either want mpg or vroom vroom

Ha, this is amazing! Point taken!

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[glocke12]

I traded my 2011 Trail Edition 5th gen for a TRD ORP back in August.

I think that overall the interior feels smaller to me than the 5th gen, but I'd need to see actual numbers comparing the two before I commit to that because part of me thinks it close or the same in terms of overall square footage, but the re-design makes it seem smaller and the space is not used efficiently or wisely.

The loss of a larger console compartment is something that irritated me at first, but really that compartment gets filled with crap that never again sees the light of day again so its not that big of a deal.

The rear seats not folding flat is a HUGE deal for me and I don't know what they were thinking. You lose a good amount of horizontal space, and can't really crawl into the cargo area from the rear when they are tumbled forward. Frankly speaking, it is an incredibly stupid design and the fact that they included a strap to secure them when off-roading is laughable. If I had the space too store them where mice wouldn't get into them I'd be removing them.

The paint and metal on the exterior just plain sucks also. The is more easily chipped on these than on the 5th gen, and the metal is so soft, that within three days of owning mine I had it in a body shop to repair a small dent I put in it by leaning lightly on or against it while detailing it. That never would have happened with my 5th gen and even though it was a small dent it was on an angled seam and required panel removal and repainting/blending.

Overall though ? It is hands down a better vehicle than the 5th gen in terms of handling/power and features. I am still blown away by some of the tech in this thing. Coming from a 14 year old 5th gen with 300k miles on it, the tech in this thing made me feel like I jumped light years into the future and I feel fortunate to be able to have this vehicle.

 

[Gumpus]

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!

I admire your honesty.

 

[Desmolicious]

Put it this way. If you are shopping for a 4Runner right now, and could buy a new 6Gen or a used 5Gen equivalent for the same price or less, what would you pick?

I’m going into this as a 4Runner newbie, and there is nothing that would make me pick a 5Gen. They are great cars, but the 6Gen is much more appealing to me. It flat out drives better, has more power and mpgs and add the modern tech it now gets it is a no brainer to me.

 

[NotApplicable]

the metal is so soft, that within three days of owning mine I had it in a body shop to repair a small dent I put in it by leaning lightly on or against it while detailing it

This is kinda crazy. I haven't been able to find info yet on this: are any of the body panels aluminum on the 6g?

 

[glocke12]

This is kinda crazy. I haven't been able to find info yet on this: are any of the body panels aluminum on the 6g?

That I dont know.

What happened is that on the 3rd or 4th day of ownership I was detailing it and using a raised platform to access the roof and center hood area for waxing. The only thing I can think of is that either my knee was resting lightly on the RF quarter panel or I leaned on it lightly to while doing this and that was enough to cause the dent. While doing this I was very conscious about not putting all my weight on it. Thats something I did countless times on my 5th gen so didn't think anything of it.

If they aren't aluminum it's very mild/soft steel. My dealership offers a full year of PDR, which I think says a lot about how soft the metal is in vehicles these days.

I grew up in the 70s, started driving around 1985, and in those days you'd hang out with your friends and people would be sitting on your vehicle while doing so. Thats not possible with vehicles these days for sure.

I still get sick looking at these photos.

 

[NotApplicable]

That I dont know.

What happened is that on the 3rd or 4th day of ownership I was detailing it and using a raised platform to access the roof and center hood area for waxing. The only thing I can think of is that either my knee was resting lightly on the RF quarter panel or I leaned on it lightly to while doing this and that was enough to cause the dent. While doing this I was very conscious about not putting all my weight on it. Thats something I did countless times on my 5th gen so didn't think anything of it.

If they aren't aluminum it's very mild/soft steel. My dealership offers a full year of PDR, which I think says a lot about how soft the metal is in vehicles these days.

I grew up in the 70s, started driving around 1985, and in those days you'd hang out with your friends and people would be sitting on your vehicle while doing so. Thats not possible with vehicles these days for sure.

I still get sick looking at these photos.

That's terrifying! I suspect it is indeed steel. In my experience Aluminum much more readily pops back into place after being deformed. I guess everything is second to weight savings / MPGs these days... even ruggedness of a BoF SUV!

 

[Desmolicious]

This is kinda crazy. I haven't been able to find info yet on this: are any of the body panels aluminum on the 6g?

Walk around it with a magnet. If it sticks it is steel, if it does not it is aluminium.
AL is more expensive than steel, and with all the cost cutting Toyota has done (no hood struts, some trim levels don't even have insulated liners on the underside of the hood etc), I very much doubt they are using AL.

 

[NotApplicable]

Walk around it with a magnet. If it sticks it is steel, if it does not it is aluminium.
AL is more expensive than steel, and with all the cost cutting Toyota has done (no hood struts, some trim levels don't even have insulated liners on the underside of the hood etc), I very much doubt they are using AL.

I pick mine up tomorrow

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