Anyone with knowledge or experience, please share. Wanting to know about the current new production versions of both of these vehicles. Issues, problems, and the good stuff too. There's a bit of a story that I don't have time to type out right now, but short version is I'm about ready to do some shopping.
A buddy of mine owns a new 4 Runner and I love it. We took a 5 1/2 hour road trip to a match a couple weeks ago. It rides firm buy comfortable on the highway. Lots of interior room too. Plenty of room in the back for all our gear and bags.
It took it to Colorado a couple weeks before that with his boys. Hit as many back trails as possible. No issues at all.
I have no idea about long term issues.
The Rav4's I've looked at look awfully small.
Edit to add. I now wish I had bought a 4 Runner.
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Last edited by MGW; 09-13-2017 at 05:12 PM.
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Last edited by voodoo_man; 09-13-2017 at 05:13 PM.
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I have a 2016 4Runner limited. It is a great vehicle! It is my 4th 4Runner since 1987. Along the way I also had a crew cab Tacoma and an FJ cruiser. The FJ went for a mechanical defect and Toyota replaced it for me with a Tundra Limited. It was awesome but too big for my needs. That took me the the 4tunner that I have now. If you are looking for a body on frame SUV that is capable off road, in the snow or in town the 4Runner is the one to beat. It's a get what you pay for price though but not too bad. Look hard at the SR5 package. Make sure it has the manual differential lock out. I have a limited with all the gingerbread because it was a screaming in stock deal. Otherwise I would have an SR5.
2016 4Runner Trail Edition Premium with KDSS. Love the vehicle. Always wanted one and as my neighbor has two, a 1997 and a 2015, I couldn't let him have all the fun to himself.
Just back from a trip up to NY and back and my wife said it was more comfortable than our former Ford Explorer (Eddie Bauer Edition, 4WD) which had pretty much all the amenities but didn't compare in capability.
Depending on your needs, I don't think you'll be disappointed in the 4R.
There's nothing civil about this war.
I have a 2002 Rav4. I know you're interested in the newer vehicles, but I thought you might like to know that mine is still running strong. I don't put a lot of miles on it, so it only has 143k total miles. But it's been super reliable. The only thing I've had to do was to replace the exhaust last year when it rusted out. It still has the original clutch.
For me, it's been a perfect vehicle. I can fit my bike inside, or I can put it on the roof and put all my gear in the back with one seat tumbled forward. I've carried two kayaks on it, and I've gone camping with it. With the seats tumbled forward, it can hold a fair bit of stuff, but I won't claim that it's got the capacity of a cargo van. My wife has a Highlander and will replace it with a Rav4 (but it's a 2004, and like the Rav4, it keeps running and won't die).
I love a 4Runner, Tacoma, iPhone and the PF mods.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
The 4Runner and Rav4 are two completely different vehicles. My wife was going to replace her 2002 Highlander with 250K miles. We drove a Rav4 and thought it rode rough with little room inside. I had a 1997 4Runner that was a better vehicle. She ended up getting an AWD Subaru Legacy sedan.
4Runner is 4WD and probably considered a heavy duty vehicle. Rav4 is AWD and light duty. Only money should keep you from getting the 4Runner. That's what I would be driving if I wasn't driving an AWD 7 passenger Sienna because of all the kids I haul.
Let's see.
If most of my driving was city/suburban/highway, with the very occasional light offroad excursion, the RAV 4 is the way to go.
If most of my driving was rural, or if I need something for offroad driving or SHTF, the 4 Runner is a better pick.
"You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
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4runner would be for me, RAV4 would be for wife. That's why I asked about the two widely different vehicles. Specifically with the 4 runner, are the transmission issues affecting the new Tacoma's coming to the 4runner also?
For the wife, it'd be a size upgrade from a Malibu. For me, a step down from a four door V8 pickup that I'm honestly questioning why I have. I never put anything in the bed that wouldn't easily go in the back of a 4runner type vehicle. I think I bought it because I've always, since I was 16, had full sized trucks. It's just what I've always done. So now I'm wondering a bit if that's the wisest and most cost effective thing for me since I just really don't need the damn thing. If I do need a truck for real truck stuff, there's a 2500HD Silverado that I can borrow anytime I want less than a mile from the house (father's).
There's a 4runner in the parking lot at work that just looks awesome to boot, but it's a TRD and I really don't need all that. What I need it to do is handle some snow, a little mud, get decent gas mileage, be cheaper to own overall than my truck, have room for range bags and such, and haul the little one. That's what I really need a vehicle for.
For my wife, just about any smaller SUV will be an upgrade over the car she has now, but I'm hoping the RAV4 has Toyota dependability like the Taco, 4runner, Camry, etc. So that's why I posted this up.
Thanks for everything so far, keep em coming please.
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