Who's had their 6th gen for a year now? What do you love/hate?

[shine]

Did my first trailrun with the Trailhunter last weekend, my son in the 2008 4th gen with me. Here are my observations from the 6th gen's point of view:

Positives:

• Driving to the trailhead for a couple of hours on the freeway, the 6th gen is definitely more relaxing when going at 80-85mph
• Cameras are great! Was spotted a couple of places, but would have been ok on my own too
• Love the built-in compressor. Pre-set target tire pressure and let the compressor handle it. Just move the nozzle to the next tire, no key press needed to continue.
• "Idling" with the engine not running. When going with others there are plenty of times where we stop and get out of the vehicle for a couple of minutes, engine still running. With the hybrid it will stop and restart the engine on its own.

Negatives:

• It's bigger! I had to be much more careful going between cut-off logs where the 4th gen just drove through with no drama
• Saw the rising transmission temp when going slow uphill in 4H. Switched to 2H or 4L to avoid overheating. Hoping Toyota comes out with a software fix
• Rock sliders are too close to the body for me to intentionally slide against a tree stump

I did play with MTS, locker, and crawl control while on the trail, but didn't really need them for this trip.

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[Rrditch]

The biggest issue I have is that the hatch and window hid dirt and dust.
I live in Utah and so a lot of my off road driving is in dusty conditions, the back hatch is always covered with dust, so now when I want to open it after I take my Wolfbox blower and nock a lot of it off before I open it. without fail no madder how I wash the 4runner the rear bumper has dirt on it a few hours after I wash it.

 

[ekvlimited]

I've only had it a short time now (several month), but I've owned a LOT of SUVs. I really like this vehicle. The only thing that really bugs me is the sound of the engine...just seems "tinny" and "rattly" (best way I can describe it).

Is there any way to make the engine sound better? Maybe a cat-back exhaust or an intake or something?

 

[JCinNC]

Got mine March 20th 2025 have about 7900 miles on it.

Hate the f brake noise in reverse

Tranny can’t stay at 15mp without getting kicked around

interior rattles from the doors while playing music.

other than that still the best vehicle on earth and this is my 3rd one.

I also have a 2024 Land Cruiser, had the same ridiculous brake squeal in reverse every morning...but it's a known problem, so your local dealership should be able to fix it. They did mine, and not a squeal since

 

[jblack]

Coming up on a year & 16k+ miles:

Likes
- Style/Looks
- Off-road capability (total beast IMO)
- Comfort (WAY more comfy on long road trips compared to my ‘18 TACO)
- Tactile buttons/controls
- I like the big screen, especially for maps
- Powertrain (again…compared to my 3rd gen TACO…this thing is a pleasure to drive)
- Heated steering wheel/seats, and cooled seats are a great add
- I really like the lane assist/radar cruise— yeah it’s not great around hard curves, but on every road trip we’ve taken it’s been a blessing.
- This 4Runner is my first and it will be with me for a very long time…it’s the perfect daily driver/adventure combo
- Tow’s our 2017 Casita great (~2700lbs)…barely feel it back there.
- Sound system + JBL removable speaker is nice IMO

Dislikes
- Jittery over small bumps, but not a deal breaker…pretty smooth ride overall. I do wish it would ride a bit more like the hybrid…not sure why that can’t be achieved.
- The paint is really weak (Ice Cap)…lots of chips already, seems thin. I now realize I should have wrapped immediately…but feel like this shouldn’t have to be the case.
- Having to manually disable safety features when using bike rack—c’mon…really?
- 8 beeps every time I get out while it’s running with key in my pocket sends fiery rage through my Italian veins…
- Driver’s door rattle while playing loud music (only happens with certain base tones)
- Hefty price tag…but I do think it’s still worth it…at least at the ORP trim level.
- Thankfully I’m in a dry climate & have only heard break squeal occasionally after washing, but it’s still annoying.

Great purchase, great ride! Happy camper here

Hybrid is 400 lbs heavier kerb weight
Most of that the hybrid battery under the raised cargo floor
Perhaps the suspension was tuned for the hybrid only
Might have to stick a sand bag in the trunk..

 

[SC4Runner]

This is my first 4Runner and first Toyota. I just passed one year, and it has just over 17,000 miles.

Likes
-Looks - a coworker called it sexy!
-Powerful - for a 4 cylinder, it’s got plenty of power, but I’m just getting started!
-Comfortable - rides well at 80-85 on the interstate
-Heated and cooled seats
-Technology - I really enjoy ALL the technology and safety features, BUT I’m taking it into the dealership tomorrow for a drive-start control malfunction. The first times it happened, I disconnected the battery and took it in for maintenance afterwards. They couldn’t diagnose it with the hard reset.
-Off-roading - I’ve taken it mostly on dirt roads, but it’s been through a few challenging sections of the SCAR.
-Build capabilities - It’s so versatile! I have barely scratched the surface for add-ons on the outside of the vehicle (bumper and a winch), and I have an updated intercooler, hot & cold pipes and a downpipe to be installed which I’m certain will give it more HP!

Dislikes
-Windshield wiper noise
-Paint chipping - I did buy the warranty. We will see what (if anything) is done if it gets much worse.

 

[RunnerRocks]

...
Dislikes
-Windshield wiper noise
...

Have you asked any dealers about the wiper noise ? One told me that every similar vehicle makes the same noise.

 

[OnePunchPan]

Did my first trailrun with the Trailhunter last weekend, my son in the 2008 4th gen with me. Here are my observations from the 6th gen's point of view:

Positives:

• Driving to the trailhead for a couple of hours on the freeway, the 6th gen is definitely more relaxing when going at 80-85mph
• Cameras are great! Was spotted a couple of places, but would have been ok on my own too
• Love the built-in compressor. Pre-set target tire pressure and let the compressor handle it. Just move the nozzle to the next tire, no key press needed to continue.
• "Idling" with the engine not running. When going with others there are plenty of times where we stop and get out of the vehicle for a couple of minutes, engine still running. With the hybrid it will stop and restart the engine on its own.

Negatives:

• It's bigger! I had to be much more careful going between cut-off logs where the 4th gen just drove through with no drama
• Saw the rising transmission temp when going slow uphill in 4H. Switched to 2H or 4L to avoid overheating. Hoping Toyota comes out with a software fix
• Rock sliders are too close to the body for me to intentionally slide against a tree stump

I did play with MTS, locker, and crawl control while on the trail, but didn't really need them for this trip.

Have you had any other issues with the increase trans temp overall?

 

[shine]

Have you had any other issues with the increase trans temp overall?

Not on this trip, but I was in 2H most of the time.

I did see rising trans temps while in 4H on an earlier day trip, and knowing about this problem definitely makes me more likely to stay in 2H or 4L. I never ran it to where warnings started popping up.

Do you see the same problem with your Limited in full time 4wd High?

 

[RogueWarrior65]

Cons:
The kick tailgate opening feature. My success rate is less than 1 in 10.
The fact that rear window being even partially down conflicts with the tailgate motors doing anything. If you hit the button and the window is even a tiny bit down, the motors don't work and the window buttons stop working until you force the tailgate shut.
The trailer configuration UI/UX. It makes no sense whatsoever.
The lack of a step on the rock sliders though the aftermarket aluminum ones are nice.
The tilt wheel doesn't go up very high.
The Drive Connect subscription. Seriously? WTF? Kiss my lily white butt. On the plus side, my phone no longer annoys me with windows open notifications when it's in the garage.
And, of course, the snorkel noise.

Everything else about this vehicle is awesome especially coming from a Gen 1 4Runner. It's a very comfortable ride on both back country roads and long trips. I recently did a 12-hour drive and was worried about being exhausted. I felt fine after. The active lane assist is nice but I wish the wheel-tap timeout was longer.

 

[Joe Dirt]

2025 TRD orp. Non hybrid.
I agree the kick lift gate is kind of fiddly at first, it took me a while to understand what's going on. You pretty much have to activate it and step aside. I physically had to put a little piece of tape on the bumper where the sensor is so I wouldn't look looney dancing around trying to find the sensor spot..

The one item that really Tans my hide is if you open your door the emergency break goes on! Really!
I guess that would be a good feature if I've totally lost my brakes going down a twisty steep grade and needed to bail out!
Yes there are workarounds.

Yeah there's probably a lot of things I could complain about or talk about that I like, but at some point you got to tell yourself; hey it's not burning oil, it gets fairly good MPG and I like it in the dirt.

 

[OnePunchPan]

Not on this trip, but I was in 2H most of the time.

I did see rising trans temps while in 4H on an earlier day trip, and knowing about this problem definitely makes me more likely to stay in 2H or 4L. I never ran it to where warnings started popping up.

Do you see the same problem with your Limited in full time 4wd High?

I don't. Haven't had an issue yet and been keeping an eye on the temps whether I'm in FT4WD, 4HI or 4LO

 

[Nodak]

The one item that really Tans my hide is if you open your door the emergency break goes on! Really!
I guess that would be a good feature if I've totally lost my brakes going down a twisty steep grade and needed to bail out!
Yes there are workarounds.

you can turn off PKSB in the menu but you get a perm. icon on the MID display and you have to clear the warning on every ignition on

 

[Desert_6Gen]

My list of dislikes is a lot longer than my likes. Main reason why I went to a 4Runner wasn't because it's the best or second best. It was for the resale value.

Exterior:
Exterior isn't bad with the exception of the double mustache front bumper.
Dissapointed the Premium doesn't have LED headlights. The

Interior:
To much black plastic (way to much)
Soft touch elbow rest on the doors and center control aren't soft enough.
No dual zone climate on Premium trims.
button control text/icons are hard to see in low light conditions. they need to have leds.
the silver plastic trim on the steering wheel is tacky. Toyota's leather steering wheels are some of the worst comfort/feel wise for any manufacture they decide to add plastic to it. I don't want to touch cheap plastic on a leather wrapped steering wheel. Get rid of it and keep it all leather.
Seat comfort is so so.
Button icons are twice as big as neccessary on the info system. For a 14" display I can only see 4 of my preset radio stations. Make the icons smaller and you can fit more.
Give us a front locker for offroad trims.

Engine:
4 cyl non hybrid engine sounds whinny.
Needs a v6 options with a little more power.

I miss my Bronco. Suspension felt more solid, but after 4 years it was time to let it go.

 

[OnePunchPan]

My list of dislikes is a lot longer than my likes. Main reason why I went to a 4Runner wasn't because it's the best or second best. It was for the resale value.

Exterior:
Exterior isn't bad with the exception of the double mustache front bumper.
Dissapointed the Premium doesn't have LED headlights. The

Interior:
To much black plastic (way to much)
Soft touch elbow rest on the doors and center control aren't soft enough.
No dual zone climate on Premium trims.
button control text/icons are hard to see in low light conditions. they need to have leds.
the silver plastic trim on the steering wheel is tacky. Toyota's leather steering wheels are some of the worst comfort/feel wise for any manufacture they decide to add plastic to it. I don't want to touch cheap plastic on a leather wrapped steering wheel. Get rid of it and keep it all leather.
Seat comfort is so so.
Button icons are twice as big as neccessary on the info system. For a 14" display I can only see 4 of my preset radio stations. Make the icons smaller and you can fit more.
Give us a front locker for offroad trims.

Engine:
4 cyl non hybrid engine sounds whinny.
Needs a v6 options with a little more power.

I miss my Bronco. Suspension felt more solid, but after 4 years it was time to let it go.

Can I ask if you found the Bronco more spacious than the 4runner? I'm finding cargo/storage to be limited compared to competitors these days

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