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2016 Tundra to 4Runner?

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by TomyTun, Dec 4, 2021.

  1. Dec 4, 2021 at 9:52 AM
    #1
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    Anyone made this swap before? I use my truck less and less for what I originally bought it for which was hunting and fishing(amazing how life changes with two young kids, ha). I use a Camry as a commuter car now to and from the office which is only about a 35 minute drive, so looking to take advantage of high resell on 2 vehicles and consolidating to a 4Runner. Obviously the 4Runner would still allow me to use it for outdoor activities just not sure how much I’ll miss having the bed of a truck. Thoughts or comments?
     
  2. Dec 4, 2021 at 10:15 AM
    #2
    T-Rex266

    T-Rex266 Elon approved Staff Member

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    You’ll miss the power
     
  3. Dec 4, 2021 at 10:16 AM
    #3
    Tundra234

    Tundra234 New Member

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    Alot of them
    We have a 2020 4Runner. I'm 5' 11" so I feel at times that it's too small for me since I am so used to the truck. If you downgrade you will miss the power and the mileage isn't much better. The 4R weighs as much as the Tundra does. They are excellent vehicles, it just depends on your use.
     
    GODZILLA likes this.
  4. Dec 4, 2021 at 10:18 AM
    #4
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    well if it’s small for you at 5’11 and I’m 6’3, I think they call that SOL.
     
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  5. Dec 4, 2021 at 10:18 AM
    #5
    frichco228

    frichco228 Valued Member

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    I went from 4th gen 4runner to Tundra. 4Runner is one of my favorite vehicles, I would be driving one now if I didn't need a truck for hauling/towing heavier than the 4Runner can. I do still have my 4runner however, son is driving it.

    So I say, if you don't actually need a truck, go for the 4runner, they rock! You can always get a utility trailer for hauling if you need it.
     
  6. Dec 4, 2021 at 11:36 AM
    #6
    Bear

    Bear Fargin' Iceholes

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    Go both!!!

    The 2022 4R should be here this coming week!
     
  7. Dec 4, 2021 at 12:30 PM
    #7
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    I think some dealers already have them.
     
    Bear[QUOTED] likes this.
  8. Dec 5, 2021 at 9:46 AM
    #8
    Jernik

    Jernik New Member

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    I highly recommend driving one before making your decision.

    My understanding, you gain an inch or two of headroom if you do not have a sunroof in the 4Runner. Something to keep in mind since you're tall.

    The 4.0 and 5spd is night and day different from the 5.7 6spd. To me, the 4Runner feels lazy. It's always trying to be in economy mode unless you shift to "Sport" mode. I find that helps immensely in hills too, btw, with little to no penalty in mpg.

    I would say if you're a heavier guy, the 4R will feel tight. This comes to mind because I drove a group to lunch the other day, and one of the guys was a larger man. He didn't complain, but there's no way he was comfortable.

    We have both a 4R and Tundra. Love both of them. If you're looking for one or the other, I'd let your personal comfort make the decision. The 4R does get slightly better fuel economy, and is a lot easier to maneuver when taken into an urban setting - other considerations if those attributes are important to you. In the end, either one will be great and dependable.
     
    TomyTun[OP] and Bear like this.
  9. Dec 5, 2021 at 10:02 AM
    #9
    e30cabrio

    e30cabrio I'm e30cabrio, I'm a modaholic

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    Sequoia.
     
  10. Dec 5, 2021 at 10:08 AM
    #10
    omgboost

    omgboost The Accountant

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    4runner is selling at a really high price so I'm not sure you'll be saving much, if any at all. I would keep the Tundra and Camry.
     
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  11. Dec 5, 2021 at 11:56 AM
    #11
    ninjajay

    ninjajay Posting from the toilet

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    I like the 4r but it’s really slow and a new model is right around the corner. If anything maybe sell the tundra at a high price and sit on the cash for a while until things calm down. I thought about doing this too but don’t have a commuter car to use
     
  12. Dec 5, 2021 at 12:15 PM
    #12
    2mchfun

    2mchfun Yeah it'll pull it, just don't expect to stop!

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    Have both and my 18 4Runner is not slow, maybe not a race car, but it isn't slow either. I think a few of these may need heavier shoes or lower elevation for living. The quality of the 4Runner is better.
     
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  13. Dec 5, 2021 at 5:37 PM
    #13
    Mad Max

    Mad Max New Member

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    I have both. 4runner rides harder but is nimbler. 4runner built like a tank. 4 runner brakes a little strange, In my opinion you have to keep more pressure on the brake at lights then I think you should. Both dinosaurs. 4 runner steering has high frequency vibration. 4 runner limited blows tundra limited interior away as far as quality.
     
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  14. Dec 5, 2021 at 5:51 PM
    #14
    Terndrerrr

    Terndrerrr guzzling dealer repellent

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    I traded a 4Runner in on my Tundra. 4R is slow and heavy, and you will not make up for the lack of power with fuel efficiency. It barely gets better MPGs than the Tundra.

    4R can go almost anywhere stock and is better in many off-roading situations than a full size truck. Also, it has more climate controlled storage being an SUV.

    4R does have more payload on the door jamb than a 4wd Tundra. Sooo…do with that what you will.

    I still miss my 4Runner. I got used to the 4.0/5speed. If you are gentle on the accelerator, it will try to get to 5th gear as quickly as possible. This lends to the sluggish feeling. You can get around this if you keep it in S4 until you hit 45mph. They are amazing vehicles. Mine was very sensitive to alignment and wheel balancing. If anything was off, the steering wheel would shake around 55-60mph.

    I read that there are more 300k-mile 4Runners on the road in America than any other vehicle. Wish I could talk my wife into one. She thinks they’re too small.
     
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  15. Dec 5, 2021 at 6:01 PM
    #15
    RusPro21

    RusPro21 Pro is gone! But I’m still here.

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    I went from 2020 4runner Pro to my 21 tundra Pro. It would be hard for me to go back to the V6. I still love my 4runner for the size but the tundra Pro just sounds so good. I was only getting 17 on the highway with 285’s on the runner.
     
  16. Dec 5, 2021 at 7:37 PM
    #16
    Nobody Important

    Nobody Important New Member

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    Went from 2019 TRD pro 4 runner to a 2021 TRD pro tundra. Last year for the v8 had to get it.
     
    TomyTun[OP] likes this.
  17. Dec 5, 2021 at 9:52 PM
    #17
    Downytide

    Downytide New Member

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    Wife has a army green 4r pro.

    - the quality of assembly is much higher compare to tundra.
    - jbl stereo is much nicer
    - fits 4 6ft adults comfortably
    - much better on trails
    - it's a little big car, ext dimension is same as a camry.
    - she avg 20mpg
    - front seats are lousy for lower back support

    Power is ok, but overall it's a much nicer built car compare to tundra, I like it a lot.
     
  18. Dec 6, 2021 at 3:43 AM
    #18
    shawn474

    shawn474 Lego connoisseur

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    I have had both -
    2014 4runner: not one issue in my 5 years of owning and saved my life the day after it was paid off. Hit by a texting driver who ran a red light at 55 mph. The ONLY a complaint I had was the lack of power, especially while towing. A sprint booster helped with that.

    2019 tundra: really like and enjoy driving this truck. It is my daily driver. Fuel economy very close to the 4runner believe it or not. Not one issue so far with this truck that hasn’t been taken care of (needed a new axle at 1500 miles as the factory one was “out of spec”).

    Most of this decision depends on your usage. If you don’t want / needs a truck, I can’t imagine that you would be disappointed with the 4runner. Mine lost a lot of cargo room because it had third row seat FYI.
     
  19. Dec 6, 2021 at 4:13 AM
    #19
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    im 50/50 on the 3rd row. Most of the time if I had them, they’d be down. With the third row down or a version without them completely, how much space is actually in the “trunk”? Do all models have the option to lay the middle seat of the second row down or do some models have second row captains chairs with a walkthrough?
     
  20. Dec 6, 2021 at 4:16 AM
    #20
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    im not overly concerned with power as I daily drive my Camry which has less power than the 4runner and not looking to use it for hot roding or towing.
     
    2mchfun[QUOTED] likes this.
  21. Dec 6, 2021 at 4:17 AM
    #21
    batman900

    batman900 Yep

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    Same and same. Although at 155lbs I feel like our 4Runner still has plenty of room. My Tundra by comparison has wayyyyy more than my body needs lol. With the Crewmax the OP has, he'd being giving up backseat room for covered rear storage. I'd probably just grab a tonneau and call it a day. Like everyone said, MPG is almost the same. I get 14 my wife gets 17.

    ^We also have the 3rd row, with the 3rd row you loose a couple inches of height with them down but they allow the middle seats to fold flat, without the 3rd row the middle seats fold up instead of lay flat. So its a take it or leave it, we've only used them a few times and they are only good for kids.
     
  22. Dec 6, 2021 at 4:37 AM
    #22
    2mchfun

    2mchfun Yeah it'll pull it, just don't expect to stop!

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    Third row is great for six passengers, sometimes that does get the job done.
    4Runner and maybe a 5x10 trailer for when a truck is needed. If you want to tow a bit heavy, it is possible to add a frame mounted receiver hitch to the 4Runner to avoid twisting the rear crossmember. I used the drawtite for the Lexus 470 and made 2 very minor mods. One being relocating the plug and the other is a little formed sheet metal part on the right rear needs to get trimmed. The benefit is you can use a weight dist. hitch and not twist the rear crossmember doing it. Also added airbags inside the coils which was pretty simple. Just sayin' the 4Runner has some capability too.
     
  23. Dec 6, 2021 at 4:38 AM
    #23
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    where I do appreciate the leg room I have in my Tundra in the driver seat, both legroom and hip room are overall for me even at 6’3 215 lbs.
     
  24. Dec 6, 2021 at 4:38 AM
    #24
    toyofan87

    toyofan87 Beer thirty

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    Big fan of the 4R, the 87 I owned I drove for 20 yrs, bought brand new and ran for over 285k , did all the maintenance, all mods, lift kit, centerforce clutch, reupholstered the whole interior, stereo, etc.. That thing traveled throughout my different duty stations all along the east coast and a few trips back to my home of records, Oceanside, Ca....So yes, the 4R is a Badass dependable all terrain beast!!
     
  25. Dec 6, 2021 at 4:39 AM
    #25
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    I envision the 3rd row for kids friends etc, not necessarily for adults unless for super short trips like taking customers or co workers to lunch.
     
  26. Dec 6, 2021 at 5:05 AM
    #26
    Terndrerrr

    Terndrerrr guzzling dealer repellent

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    Mine had the 3rd row. It is useless if you're over 12 years old. And Toyota does not put rear air vents in the 3rd row equipped models!! It's either too hot or too cold back there with no air flow. I spent a lot of time looking for one with the 3rd row seats, and we ended up almost never using it.
     
  27. Dec 6, 2021 at 5:09 AM
    #27
    TomyTun

    TomyTun [OP] New Member

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    Good point. Thanks.
     
  28. Dec 6, 2021 at 5:20 AM
    #28
    RusPro21

    RusPro21 Pro is gone! But I’m still here.

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    2021 Pro!! Nitto’s Tyger blades, Arc audio!
    One of my nervous points was when I switched from my 2020 4runner Pro to my tundra pro where it is built. But I must say so far my tundra Pro has 4600 miles on it. Everything inside and out put together as good as my 4runner Pro. Just had it all tore apart from my audio installer and they put it all back together and no rattles and everything very tight after all sounddeadening. One thing I will mention is I think my LunaRock Paint the finish is nicer that my AG was. After I got done buffing my AG it was way better than it came from factory.
     
  29. Dec 6, 2021 at 5:25 AM
    #29
    Oey12

    Oey12 New Member

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    The 4Runner in a excellent truck but I would always choose the Tundra. I am a pickup “guy” because I love the versatility.

    These all always comments on these type threads that the 4Runner is a better built. I will say the 4Runner is slightly tighter however I don’t necessarily believe this above statement to be true.

    I realize this isn’t the norm but my 2.5 year old 2017 4Runner had a lot of little issues that really annoyed me. I ultimately had so much rust that I was forced to sell it al 55k. All the door jabs, above the windshield, and where rubber surround on the back gate was had flaking rust and/or bubbling paint. The rear brakes squealed like hell and were shot at 35k. The drivers seat had holes in it from me wearing jeans and cargo shorts. I only weigh 180 pounds…. My wife and I were frustrated we had to sell but the final straw was needing to remove the body from the frame to correct the rust. Some poor sap in NC owns that tainted truck.

    They are both equally excellent trucks. What truly sets them apart is what you need them for. Towing and comfort hands down Tundra. Off-roading and nimbleness 4Runner.

    I felt the 4Runner would hunt gears too much at 60 mph with a 1.5k trailer (load included) with trailering. My 2012 Tacoma V6 torque converter rarely unlocked at the same speeds in the same route while towing the same trailer and loaded. But with that said a small utility trailer with the 4Runner is perfect around town.
     
  30. Dec 6, 2021 at 5:37 AM
    #30
    DerfM

    DerfM Knows nothing about trucks

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    My wife's 4Runner always feel small to me now. It drives great, I wouldn't mind owning one. But I feel squished into that thing, and that's coming from someone that drove a Yaris for 16 years.
     

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