Could use some guidance - 4runner prospective buyer

[Cook]

I'm sure many of you are long time 4runner and /or toyota loyalists, but did you consider the grand cherokee at all? The interior is much nicer. I feel like the 4runner is stuck in the early 2000s with its empty black squares where switches go, hard plastics, "perforated" look steering wheel, red accents on some trims, etc. Also, did any of you consider the land cruiser? That has a much nicer interior. I didn't like them at first but they've grown on me. The one thing it doesn't have which I love about the 4runner is the rear window going down. Curious if anyone else was on the fence like me.

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[Nodak]

This is my first 4Runner, and I plan to keep it 20+ years. Something tells me the hybrid battery and/or the sunroof will cause the most headache over the long term. Anything I’ve ever had with a sunroof, it was a disaster at some point. I’ve also been on this forum and 6G4R FB pages long enough to see that the biggest problems have been with the hybrids IMO. No thanks. Hard pass for me. Not knocking any other opinions, I’m just giving my $0.02!

i wouldnt worry about the moonroof. my 2014 moonroof never leaked in the 12 yrs i had it. hell i used the rolldown back window more than i did the moonroof and that motor never died. i drove constantly in the summer with it down at highway speed. and yes i paid the price in a dirty interior from it.

but hey it was my last hurrah 4R where i was going to enjoy rolling that window down as much as i could..

this 25 4R, i wont roll it down at all except when the dogs are being taken to the groomer.

 

[Nodak]

I'm sure many of you are long time 4runner and /or toyota loyalists, but did you consider the grand cherokee at all? The interior is much nicer. I feel like the 4runner is stuck in the early 2000s with its empty black squares where switches go, hard plastics, "perforated" look steering wheel, red accents on some trims, etc. Also, did any of you consider the land cruiser? That has a much nicer interior. I didn't like them at first but they've grown on me. The one thing it doesn't have which I love about the 4runner is the rear window going down. Curious if anyone else was on the fence like me.

the LC250 wasnt really a choice i my opinion, it wasnt a true LC in the sense of the old toyota LC they use to sell in the USA. the only way you could get close is to bump up the top end lexus LX series.

been driving toyota's since 1980's (see sig) so i am biased. but i have tried others but i always went back to toyota, it was just so familiar to drive no matter the model.

one thing is consistent is that toyota over the decades has always laid out the interior exactly the same as far as driver controls and what not.

yes some years they had odd placements but in general they always follow the same pattern.

the really big change was the cruise control set/increase/decrease function. i still dont think they have nailed this down yet with the radar and constant cc direction since they gave up the dedicated stalk for it.

otherwise, not much has changed from my perspective on how things are laid out either in my 14 4R, 18 tundra, 23 tundra, 25 4R, 16 taco, 12 taco.

i can even vaguely remember my 84 celica gt fastback, 87 cressida and 91 cressida

 

[4Runner4Fun]

I also wouldn't worry about the sunroof. I drove a 2002 4Runner for 21 years and never once had a problem with the sunroof. And Toyota hybrid batteries are fantastic. The old school chemistry used in the 4Runner doesn't have a lot of power density (about half that of lithium by weight) but it lasts a long time. I plan to keep my Pro for 15+ years and am not worried about either. I'm more worried about sensors, catalytic converters, and electronics than anything mechanical and all new cars have those.

I didn't consider the Grand Cherokee because it's not a body on frame SUV. I wanted a truck-based SUV for some real off-road capability and long-term durability so most SUVs were out, otherwise I would have kept my Highlander. Ironically Toyota offers three in the mid-size category....4R, Land Cruiser, and GX 550 and I looked at all of them. Overall I liked the 4R the best. Maybe silly but one factor for me was that the 4R takes 87 octane. All these vehicles are not very fuel efficient (especially the GX) and paying 30% more for premium for no noticeable performance improvement bothered me. In the Midwest premium is around $1 more per gallon which adds up to over $1000 per year or $15,000+ over the lifespan I plan to drive it, with the same power specs as the Land Cruiser that Toyota says requires premium. I liked the driving feel and cockpit layout of the 4R better and wanted the off-road goodies of the Pro as well so that's what I went with.

Everyone has different preferences. I would say if you're not set on a truck-based SUV, there are a lot of good unibody vehicle options that would probably be better than a 4runner.

 

[chouser]

I also wouldn't worry about the sunroof. I drove a 2002 4Runner for 21 years and never once had a problem with the sunroof. And Toyota hybrid batteries are fantastic. The old school chemistry used in the 4Runner doesn't have a lot of power density (about half that of lithium by weight) but it lasts a long time. I plan to keep my Pro for 15+ years and am not worried about either. I'm more worried about sensors, catalytic converters, and electronics than anything mechanical and all new cars have those.

I didn't consider the Grand Cherokee because it's not a body on frame SUV. I wanted a truck-based SUV for some real off-road capability and long-term durability so most SUVs were out, otherwise I would have kept my Highlander. Ironically Toyota offers three in the mid-size category....4R, Land Cruiser, and GX 550 and I looked at all of them. Overall I liked the 4R the best. Maybe silly but one factor for me was that the 4R takes 87 octane. All these vehicles are not very fuel efficient (especially the GX) and paying 30% more for premium for no noticeable performance improvement bothered me. In the Midwest premium is around $1 more per gallon which adds up to over $1000 per year or $15,000+ over the lifespan I plan to drive it, with the same power specs as the Land Cruiser that Toyota says requires premium. I liked the driving feel and cockpit layout of the 4R better and wanted the off-road goodies of the Pro as well so that's what I went with.

Everyone has different preferences. I would say if you're not set on a truck-based SUV, there are a lot of good unibody vehicle options that would probably be better than a 4runner.

What happens, exactly, when the hybrid battery goes bad? Does it give you any warning that it's about shot?

 

[Nodak]

well if you have a hybrid for more than 10yrs/150k miles, more than just the battery packs needs looking into.

not always the battery pack itself that goes bad, supporting components could cause the pack to look bad.

ive seen some old prius/camry's go 12+ yrs and battery packs still good.

 

[SouthCoast]

What happens, exactly, when the hybrid battery goes bad? Does it give you any warning that it's about shot?

More than likely, it will brick and throw a warning to contact a dealer. Unfortunately, the hybrid uses the battery pack to start the ICE. If you lose the hybrid battery, you can't drive the vehicle. The only option/workaround is the multi-switch option which installs a dedicated alternator. Even if the battery fails, the alternator can still start the ICE. it's a pretty crappy "gotcha" by Toyota to provide this redundancy for an option but not give it to every other buyer...

 

[Cook]

I also wouldn't worry about the sunroof. I drove a 2002 4Runner for 21 years and never once had a problem with the sunroof. And Toyota hybrid batteries are fantastic. The old school chemistry used in the 4Runner doesn't have a lot of power density (about half that of lithium by weight) but it lasts a long time. I plan to keep my Pro for 15+ years and am not worried about either. I'm more worried about sensors, catalytic converters, and electronics than anything mechanical and all new cars have those.

I didn't consider the Grand Cherokee because it's not a body on frame SUV. I wanted a truck-based SUV for some real off-road capability and long-term durability so most SUVs were out, otherwise I would have kept my Highlander. Ironically Toyota offers three in the mid-size category....4R, Land Cruiser, and GX 550 and I looked at all of them. Overall I liked the 4R the best. Maybe silly but one factor for me was that the 4R takes 87 octane. All these vehicles are not very fuel efficient (especially the GX) and paying 30% more for premium for no noticeable performance improvement bothered me. In the Midwest premium is around $1 more per gallon which adds up to over $1000 per year or $15,000+ over the lifespan I plan to drive it, with the same power specs as the Land Cruiser that Toyota says requires premium. I liked the driving feel and cockpit layout of the 4R better and wanted the off-road goodies of the Pro as well so that's what I went with.

Everyone has different preferences. I would say if you're not set on a truck-based SUV, there are a lot of good unibody vehicle options that would probably be better than a 4runner.

Wow that is super bizarre. The same hybrid powertrain in the 4runner takes 87 but in the LC it takes 93? Pretty unusual, plus the LC I like is ~$10K more MSRP over the 4R. There's a local Limited to me that I may need to go look at this weekend

 

[DannyvanDelft]

The battery is why I went with the ORP instead of the PRO. I don't want to deal with hybrid/electric anything for as long as I can. If the Pro came in 4cyl only, I'd have taken that.

 

[NotApplicable]

Wow that is super bizarre. The same hybrid powertrain in the 4runner takes 87 but in the LC it takes 93? Pretty unusual, plus the LC I like is ~$10K more MSRP over the 4R. There's a local Limited to me that I may need to go look at this weekend

Check out the limited or platinum. They bump up the interior look & feel to a place you may be more happy with. Still more utilitarian than Jeep’s upper trims, but then again with Jeep you’re in a Stellantis vehicle. We have many a happy Jeep convert on here that I’m sure would chime in.

My 2018 Wrangler JL was an electronics nightmare right off the lot. Got rid of it in under 6 months.

The LC is mechanically … identical to the 4Runner Hybrid by almost any measure except the LC can be had with FT4WD + rear locker which is not an available combo on the 4Runner. Some like the packaging of one more than the other. For me, I knew I didn’t want the hybrid (not for reliability concerns, of which I’d have none), and I don’t have the satin chrome allergy everyone on here seems to, so the Limited 4Runner was a perfect fit.

I have more of a “legacy” connection with the 4Runner than LC since this is my 4th 4Runner including 2 my parents had that I grew up riding in! Unfortunately didn’t learn to drive in them because they were stick, and I didn’t learn stick til 21.

 

[detamble13]

I just picked up my Limited on Friday and really like it so far. Switching between your full size truck and the 4Runner you'll find that the 4Runner is much more "snug". We traded in a Sienna and that had significantly more interior space but we wanted something that could tow. Shopping vehicles was a task in itself and the midsize segment has a lot of choices so you want to prioritize what you need and eliminate vehicles that don't meet your criteria.

I looked at the Land Cruiser but it's only available as a two row hybrid. I wanted gas only with three rows. Mind you that third row is tight for anyone taller than 5' 6".

I looked at the Grand Cherokee but am skeptical with Stellantis quality. Also prefer a body on frame and the 4Runner came standard with the towing equipment I wanted.

I've daily driven a 2011 Camaro SS with a sunroof for 14 years now. Canadian winters and all. No leaks so I'll be surprised and disappointed if my Toyota sunroof does.

 

[HVLA]

If you plan on keeping it forever, stay away from the hybrid and a sunroof. The battery will eventually require replacing, and the sunroof will eventually leak. I went with the ORP as it seemed to be the best value.

You realize how cheap a hybrid battery replacement will be in 10 years?

 

[SC4Runner]

You realize how cheap a hybrid battery replacement will be in 10 years?

I have no clue. Do you know how much they will cost?

 

[HVLA]

I have no clue. Do you know how much they will cost?

Maybe a couple grand. The hybrid system is just as reliable as the transmission. If you are worried about something that has a longer warranty than the rest of the drivetrain you arent thinking things through clearly.

 

[Nodak]

typical new oem battery packs installed at a dealer will run between $2000-$8000

refurbs (not oem) will run around $1500-$3500

mind you that is just the battery pack. the misc system(s) components may go bad before the pack since the pack warranty is 10/150k but the sub components are only 3/36k unless you get the toyota vsa up to 10/125k

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