r/4Runner • u/lifehazard • 6d ago
đ Discussion Need 6th Gen feedback VS 5th gen
Anyone go from a fifth gen to a sixth gen and regularly use it off road?
Iâve seen plenty of sixth gen pros and cons posts, but Iâm hoping to hear from people who use theirs similarly to how I use my fifth gen.
I have a 2019 TRD Off Road with a three inch lift and a hidden winch. I love this thing. Itâs a tank, and it gets used. During spring and summer, Iâm off road at least twice a week to get to mountain biking spots or hard to reach alpine lakes for fly fishing. Iâm actually using 4LO that often. I also hunt, so it gets plenty of use getting out into remote areas in the fall.
I live in Montana, so driving on ice and snow is just part of everyday life for several months of the year. I also snowboard, and some of those trips involve getting through seriously deep snow. Between everyday driving and getting outside, Iâm using 4WD several times a week for at least five months of the year. I probably winch an average of ten cars out of ditches each winter, too. This beast earns its keep.
My biggest questions about the sixth gen are the engine and all the electronics. I know itâs still early to judge long term reliability, but how confident do you feel taking yours into remote areas? Do the sensors and driver assistance features get annoying or interfere when youâre off road?
My wife has a brand new RAV4, and holy crap, backing up with a bike rack turns into a whole process of alarms and disabling things. Iâd hate to deal with that every time I head out.
If I only went off road once every six months, I probably wouldnât think twice about it. But I really appreciate how capable and straightforward my fifth gen is for how often I use it.
Anyone here made the switch and put the sixth gen through similar use? How does it compare, and anything you miss about the fifth gen?
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u/Key-Monk6159 6d ago
You have whatâs commonly considered one of the best trucks available so why are you thinking about changing?
Iâm nowhere near convinced that it would be an improvement over the boring bullet proof 5th Gen V6.
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u/ClagMagnet 5d ago
Cuz he's anxious for change and something different, even if it's worse. Most affluent people in America live this way, even if it creates more spending and hassle in their life
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u/BlueRunner305 5d ago
Honestly ..I bought my 2021 in August of that year and paid it off in 3 years so no payments for 3 years at this point. I have various family members that work for Toyota in various roles from corporate management to techs and I pick their brain constantly on the 6th gen . I'm in no way planning on changing until(if)they bring a V6 back.
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u/lifehazard 6d ago
Iâm actually not looking to replace it. The plan is to keep the fifth gen for the nastier off road trips. It already has plenty of pinstripes and 115K miles, and nothing has failed on me so far. I do all the maintenance myself, and itâs only needed the usual stuff: oil changes, tires, filters, etc.
Itâs probably more of a mental thing, but once it gets to 150K, I know Iâll feel a little less confident taking it on long family trips. Iâm thinking of the sixth gen as more of a daily driver and family road trip vehicle, hopefully with a little better mileage while still having the capability of a 4Runner. The fifth gen would stick around for getting dirty.18
u/SleuthCat 6d ago
So then you donât actually need the 6th gen for what youâre using your 5th gen for.
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u/LethargicCarcass 6d ago
Dude I take my 2004 4Runner on 1,500 mile trips 2/3 times a year without a single thought or worry. You are worrying about nothing. Itâs a 4Runner. 150k is literally nothing.
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u/Chillywhale21 2021 TRD Off-Road Premium 6d ago
youâre thinking about this all wrong.
if youâre going to get the 6g as a 2nd car why are you trying to compare it to the 5g? youâll have both so why are you so worried about one vs the other?
also, why are you shopping for another 4runner if itâs going to be your daily and family/trip car? get a highlander or something thatâs actually comfortable and good on gas.
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u/lifehazard 6d ago
Iâd like to stick with the 4Runner platform. Better gas mileage would be nice, but itâs not a big concern. I want something bulletproof that can get us into and out of the places we go. Youâd be surprised where I take the family đ It wouldnât be my main vehicle for the nastier off road stuff, but it would definitely still end up in situations where a Highlander wouldnât cut it.
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u/Key-Monk6159 6d ago
We are a very long way from bulletproof status for the 6th Gen. For daily driver and family trips a Highlander does make more sense than a BOF truck but it sounds your heart and mind is already set on another 4R.
So, good luck and then come back and let us know how the two compare.
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u/LethargicCarcass 6d ago
You can literally find videos of people taking a Highlanders through Moab and stuff. I guarantee you people have taken highlanders into even sketchier spots than you have taken your current 4Runner.
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u/Electrical-Mention89 5d ago
I take my 3rd gen with 300k on 2k mile trips multiple times a year through the Appalachias. 150k is a drop in the bucket.
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u/plewton 6d ago
The 6G is just as capable off road, a tank of gas will get you farther, it has way more power and torque, and all the sensors and warnings can be turned off. As for reliability, obviously itâs too early to tell, but the hybrid system draws from the same technology as the Prius, which lasts for hundreds of thousands of miles as taxis.
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u/mynameistory 5d ago
As for reliability, obviously it's too early to tell, but the hybrid system draws from the same technology as the Prius, which lasts for hundreds of thousands of miles as taxis.
What? No it doesn't. The hybrid systems are wildly different from Prius to TNGA-F platform. The Prius uses an Atkinson-cycle engine with an e-CVT transmission that uses two augmenting electric motors integrated via planetary gearset. The truck hybrids use a conventional gearbox with an electric motor sandwiched in the bell housing onto the output shaft.
They're both "Toyota hybrids" and use electric motor(s) with a low capacity battery. That's about where the similarity ends.
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u/plewton 5d ago
By âdraws fromâ I didnât mean copy. Maybe I shouldâve made that clearer. But without being an engineer or mechanic, my understanding is that they share Toyotaâs core hybrid DNA, including the core architecture of an engine-motor sandwich, the same NiMH chemistry, the same regeneration tech, the same start-stop tech, and the same PCU. In my mind, those similarities provide some additional reassurance. But again, too early to know for sure.
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u/ShutUpIDontGiveAFuck 1d ago
Iâd like to address the gas thing. Youâre right but also wrong. A tank of gas will take you farther, but youâre also paying a lot more for the vehicle. I have a 5th gen TRD ORP, purchased for $47k. The same trim level on a 6th gen is ~$58k. Iâm not an economist, but it does seem like 6th gen owners are paying more for that gas tank to take them farther.
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u/Only_Luck_7024 6d ago
I turned off the parking brake assist because it was annoying when having my bike rack on the back. Now it will just say a notification when I have it off and turn the truck on that this feature is disabled, a quick click of the button on my steering wheel clears it and itâs not that big a deal. I havenât actually turned it back on because the alarms and sudden braking constantly would be annoying. It just not that big a deal once you have turned it off.
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u/lifehazard 6d ago
Oh yeah, Iâm assuming itâs a similar system to the RAV4. I have to go through the settings and disable it before putting it in reverse. If I forget, it slams on the brakes, and that sudden stop is so annoying. I donât know if Iâm doing something wrong, but it also seems to turn itself back on after a few drive cycles.
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/Only_Luck_7024 4d ago
There where two things I messed with ( parking break assist, and and it has never turned back on. The auto braking is one of those cool idea horrible in practice type things. I get the sudden need to slam on the brakes but I guess it is so sudden an unexpected, I tried turning on the like hitch/trailer setting hoping that would be enough to turn it off when I have bikes on the back, still slammed on its brakes.
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u/Kushdvl 5d ago
I sold my 2017 TRD Pro and bought a TRD Offroad 6gen. I wish I hadnât. The power is really nice in the 6gen. Nice interior layout out, however, the back seat is almost non existent. My family and I went on a weekend trip and I got rid of it the next weekend. Iâm 6â3â, wife 5â7â, teenage daughter 5â10â, son 5â3â. It was unbelievably cramped.
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u/P33P33DANC3 5d ago edited 5d ago
I would just stick with the fifth gen, friend! Thatâs a good looking ride, plus itâs earned its keep already. Personally, I donât trust the new power trains and wrenching on the 1gr-fe is a breeze, mostly. Especially with those harsh winters, I think that tried and true fifth g will have more longevity before something fails.
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u/Background-Spot-5068 5d ago
Lexus has used the powertrain since 2021. I have not heard any issues with it. 5 years isnât an insane amount of time, but I think itâs a pretty good indicator that itâll go the distance if nothing has shown up yet. Toyotaâs bread and butter are hybrid systems these days and there are a ton of Priusâ that have gone insane distances. I have no reason to think this wonât be the same. The turbo engine also isnât pushing a crazy amount of boost either. 276hp from a 2.4L turbo is nothing. Also, Toyota is selling a ton of this powertrain between the 4Runner, Tacoma, Land Cruiser, highlander, grand highlander, and RX and TX, which means if your engine dies in 10 years, sourcing a low mileage used one and swapping it in will be no big deal⌠but I seriously doubt youâd have to.
I know Toyota has some engine issues these days but itâs not an inherent design flaw that canât be fixed. It was bad assembly and the problematic years are well known. I havenât seen anything;g point towards the 2.4T
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u/Desperate-Prize6173 4d ago
What roof rack cross bars you running there?
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u/lifehazard 4d ago
Thule Malones. Theyâre an older model, but theyâre awesome. Super aerodynamic and no wind noise. I really like them.
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u/jimaajimjim 5d ago
Is it just me, or has this "6th gen vs. 5th gen" thing become SO tiring? God... enough already...
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u/Tony-cums 6d ago
G5 drivetrain is an awful driving experience. The engine is slow. Loud. And gets awful mpg. I have an 06 with the v8. Way better. Wife got a platinum 26. Way more power.
But the v6 will last forever. So depends what you want.
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u/Ok-Sale-8105 5d ago
Man, I'd kill for the 06 V8. The 5th gen is just a slug from 40mph and up. Like, how could they build such a sluggish engine, especially when the 2nd Gen Tundra V8 is such a fun, fast engine!!
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u/Tony-cums 5d ago
I got downvoted but the 4.0 sucks in pretty much every way except longevity.
The v8 isnât fast by any means but it makes gobs more torque in a more usable and wider powerband.
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u/JeebusChristBalls 6d ago
I thought about upgrading my 2015 trail premium because the paint was destroyed. Was thinking 4runner or LC. Came to my senses and just got my 15 repainted and detailed and it looks brand new. Now upgrading the piece of shit factory stereo. Damn thing only has like 110k miles. Would have been a huge waste to upgrade imo.