Which will suit me better: 4Runner or Tacoma?

[thescientist]

Hi all,

I have put a lot of thought into my next vehicle purchase and have narrowed my search to two possibilities/configurations :

1) 1st or 2nd gen Toyota Tacoma (Double Cab Short Bed) w/ camper shell
2) 5th Gen 4Runner (stock-ish trail or lifted sr5)

If I were to go the tacoma route, I would pick up a go fast camper, vagabond drifter or used flippac. If I went the 4Runner route, I would ideally sleep in the truck or if necessary, get a RTT.

My hobbies include: Surfing, Snowboarding, Cycling and Hiking. I live in NoVA but make trips to Maine, Colorado and hope to get out to California. A vehicle which can easily be equipped to transport a bike/surfboard (5-8ft) is a necessity. I do not have a ton of room in my apartment to store gear, so I would like the overlanding gear to be secure enough to remain on the vehicle as I use it as a daily driver. My budget is around $22k all in, but if I can save some money here that'd be a bonus.

Here are my thoughts:
Pro Taco: bed storage is great for soggy wetsuits, dirty gear, easy bike loading, other gear in general. Truck cap campers look great. Kinda fun to spec it out bit by bit
Con Taco: GFC campers have a 1.5 year waiting list and GFC/VO campers are $7000+
Pro 4Runner: Almost entirely self contained (good for security). More usable roof rack for surfboards. More discrete -> good for sleeping in ski resort parking lots. Looks great built.
Con 4Runner: carpet, harder to store bikes

Anything I am missing? Would greatly appreciate your input! Thanks!

 

[Nathaniel]

I've owned both. First a 2nd gen Tacoma access cab and now a 5th gen 4Runner. Honestly it sounds like either vehicle would suit you fine, and you understand the pros and cons of both.

My needs necessitated more interior space so I switched to the 4Runner. If I was single and didn't often have others with me I would still have the Tacoma.

I would also consider 4th gen 4Runners and Lexus GX470s in your price range. They are a bit older, but I think you get a lot more for your money when it comes to interior niceities plus a V8 available on the 4runner and standard on the GX.

 

[smritte]

How tall are you? I'm 5-9 and can kind of stretch out diagonally in the back. I own a 2019 Tacoma long bed and my son has a 2018 4Runner. I've owned mostly Toyota pickups my whole life and slept in the back of all of them. When we were shopping last year, I folded down the seats and laid in the back of a 4Runner.
Do what I did, Go lay in one, see how it feels. Then picture where your gear is gonna be if its raining. Personally, I needed a bit more room. My Cruiser is bigger and I don't think I would like less room.
You cant go wrong with either vehicle.

 

[pnwcruiser]

$22k will be consumed entirely with a higher mileage 5th gen 4Runner. I like your ideas, but for the $ a 4th gen 4Runner limited V8 (limited has full time 4wd) or GX470 (full time 4wd) would be another great route. The '05+ V8 is VVT-i and a bit more power than the previous V8. X-REAS on Toyota and adjustable ride height GX suspension is garbage, but can be replaced with a nice aftermarket set up for less than replacing OEM (I've done both routes now, currently OME 2+"). I love our 4th gen 4Runner. I also love(d) my FZJ80's. I loved my '91 Toyota ext cab 4x4. Truthfully, there's some well documented maintenance history GX470 out there and you get additional headroom. The 4th gen 4Runner and GX470 are the 120 Land Cruiser Prado platform. It's a solid rig. Something to think about.

 

[Semonster]

Remember, if you plan to sleep in your rig then most likely you’ll need to put some stuff outside. This will not be the case if you do a taco + wedge top of some kind.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

As much as I like an SUV, I just can't live without a truck. I've tried, many times. I've been a gigging musician my entire life and always had to haul gear, amps, speakers, etc. Even had some real vans in the day, and a minivan. But whenever I DON'T own a truck, I am needing one.

Best of luck in your decision.

 

[Lindenwood]

Based on how much time you spend doing fun stuff, it sounds like you are single :P
But, do you expect that will change any time soon? I think you might be frustrated if you find yourself in 3 or 4 years having to sell your rig for something with room for a carseat.

Having owned a couple of trucks, I am a big fan of SUVs, and genuinely think lots of folks overstate the utility of a truck for everyday users. My 4Runner was a workhorse. I have put gas cans in the back in a pinch. Over 3 trips, I hauled carried over 2000lbs of remodeling debris to the dump, and later hauled 700lbs of mulch in it. I even once had over 500lb of 4x8 plywood sheets sticking out the back window, without even having to fold down the seats. If you are concerned about wetsuits and such, a nice cargo liner can be had for not much money.

Plus, like you said, the vehicle is entirely self-contained. I once slept in it on a summer night in Florida, and the ability to just reach up and start the engine for a few minutes to get the AC going was life-saving! And, of course, the security and access is a little better, IMO.

I am 5'11 and my wife and I have slept in her 5th gen quite comfortably. You can also get creative to make more sleeping area like I did with this fold-out sleeping platform my 3rd gen that gave me over 6 linear feet of sleeping area by allowing me to use the spce on top of the rear seat bottoms.



*edit*

Oh and yeah, 22k is going to get you a pretty high-mileage 5th gen 4Runner, unfortunately. I would recommend you look into something in great condition on the older side, and spend a few thousand on the engine. A 4th gen 4Runner has been mentioned also, but just as an example, you could get a pristine 150k-mile 3rd gen for maybe 8-9k, put about $3000 into having all the engine ancilliaries replaced (pumps, belts, seals, starter / alternator, fuel pump, etc), and have something that will be very functional and probably trouble-free for another 200k. I am not trying to turn this into a "lets all tell you why you should buy the vehicle we bough!" thread. Just a caution that a 22k 5th gen will be starting to cross the border from "it is reliable because it is still pretty new," into the "unknown reliability without the wiggle room to do something about it" realm.