2 Months of Owning the 6th Gen Toyota 4Runner

We have had our 6th Gen 4Runner for just over two months and during that time we have had the chance to drive our rig to California, Montana, and off-road it on trails around Utah. Now that we have had the chance to experience this new 4Runner we want to tell you guys some of our favorite things about this new generation as well as some of the things we haven't liked.

Styling

The new 4Runner has been completely redesigned and now shares many similarities with the new 4th Gen Tacoma. I will be honest, when the 6th Gen 4Runner first debuted I wasn't the biggest fan of the styling. I felt like the proportions looked off and the double chin grille design just looked funny but after picking ours up from the dealership and seeing it in person the looks really started to grow on me and now I think this new 4Runner is one of the best looking generations.

Powertrain

One of the most controversial things about the new 6th Gen 4Runner is the powertrain. Toyota has moved away from the 4.0L V6 and introduced an all new 2.4 turbo I4 that is also found in the new Tacoma and Land Cruiser. The reliability concerns are fair and we won't really know how reliable these new engines are until these start getting into higher mileage but from a power and torque standpoint these new engines are just better. The new turbocharged 4 cylinder makes more power and torque than the old V6 did and delivers it in a better way than the 5th Gen 4Runner did.

The new 4Runner is able to deliver that power better than its predecessor because that power now goes through an all new 8 speed automatic transmission which is the main reason this new powertrain is so good. Overall we have no complaints about this new turbo 4 cylinder and the 8 speed transmission and if you had to ask me it is the best part about the new 4Runner.

Rear Seating and Storage

This has become a trend for a lot of the new Toyota SUVs but the worst thing about our new 4Runner has to be the rear seating and the storage area. The 4Runner just like other Toyota models has seen rear seat room shrink as well as cargo area. Now it isn't as bad as it is in the new Tacoma but you can notice the lack of leg room especially if you are sitting behind the driver seat.

The new cargo area has seen the most change though. Where you used to be able to fold the seats into a flat platform you now get an uneven cargo area that makes it very hard to sleep in the back of. We are sure that some companies will come out with sleeping platforms to solve this but one of the main reasons many overlanders chose the 4Runner over a Tacoma was because of the ability to sleep in the back. Now it seems that won't be as easy to do as before and because of this the new layout in the rear of the 4Runner is the thing we dislike about it the most. 

Final Thoughts

The new 6th Gen 4Runner has been controversial since it came out late last year and since we have had this new 4Runner we have loved every second of it. Even with the reliability questions this new 4Runner is just better than the previous model in every way. The new engine and transmission drive the car better than the old V6 and 5 speed and the styling has grown on us a lot. We are looking forward to continuing to off-road this platform and take it to new places around Utah! 

If you have a 6th Gen 4Runner that you are wanting to modify, make sure to stop by our website and shop everything you'll need for your 6th Gen 4Runner!