4Runner or Half Ton Pickup?

[CadeM22]

I am looking to get a new vehicle within the next couple years. I am currently driving a 2 door Jeep JK that isn't very reliable and I am headed off to college in the fall so will need to drive back and forth between home and school. My dad is willing to get me either a half ton pickup or a 4runner. I am having the toughest time trying to decide between the two. Being the last car that will be bought for me, the 4runners reliability is a huge plus for me. But, possibly needing to tow my dad's hunting boat to and from school for waterfowl hunting would be much more difficult with the 4runner. Also, heading to Texas A&M, something about having a truck just seems right. Any advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[SouthernCharm]

Unless your dad has a big boat, either one should be able to tow. The 4 runner will get around campus and “park” in a lot better spots than a full size truck. The 4 runner normally hold their value espically in the PNW. I prefer trucks though but slowing migrating to SUVs.

 

[CadeM22]

True, either way I would definitely get a used car and because of that resale value, I may need to get a 4runner with more miles on it than a truck with fewer miles on it. What SUV are you switching to?

 

[TaperPin]

Truck. Every time I camp, travel, or move something the four runner doesn’t seem as large as it should be.

I was a jeep guy so I totally get how tempting it is to get the Four Runner. If you do, invest a grand into a decent full length roof rack.

 

[SouthernCharm]

True, either way I would definitely get a used car and because of that resale value, I may need to get a 4runner with more miles on it than a truck with fewer miles on it. What SUV are you switching to?

Couldn’t find a 4Runner, ended up with a GX470. Awesome in the woods, doesn’t pass a gas station though. Wife has an explorer now. Still got a F250 to pull the boat I have for offshore fishing.

 

[CadeM22]

Truck. Every time I camp, travel, or move something the four runner doesn’t seem as large as it should be.

I was a jeep guy so I totally get how tempting it is to get the Four Runner. If you do, invest a grand into a decent full length roof rack.

View attachment 844726

Thanks for the info! So if you could go back again you would get a truck instead? Also I have been wondering, what is the interior space like on the 4Runner?

 

[JFK]

Do you need a 1/2 ton? A Tacoma is probably around the same price and shares the reliability of the 4 runner.

 

[CadeM22]

Do you need a 1/2 ton? A Tacoma is probably around the same price and shares the reliability of the 4 runner.

I thought about the Tacoma but going from a 2 door Jeep I really want to scale up on my vehicle size. The tacomas are amazing but I'm getting somewhat tired of having to crunch on space in the car.

 

[Eagle]

Thanks for the info! So if you could go back again you would get a truck instead? Also I have been wondering, what is the interior space like on the 4Runner?

I've got a gen5 4runner and I'm currently trying to figure out what tundra I want to buy due to space constraints. I can barely sleep in mine with gear for a week long backpacking/hunting trip and I'm 6' 180lbs if that helps.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

3/4 ton 4X4.

 

[TxxAgg]

You can fit more girls in a truck. Gig 'em.


Seriously, though, you'll do a lot of moving over the next decade. A truck is way better for that. And all the girls will need help moving, too.

 

[swampmountaineer]

If you can find a double cab Tundra, you'll have the advantages of a truck and as many seats as you would in a 4Runner AFAIK. If you don't beat it to death, you'll benefit from the resale value of a Toyota that didn't see a lot of rust just as you would with the 4Runner, but you'll still have a full sized bed and a little towing capacity. You shouldn't have too much trouble with the parking, it won't be the only truck in College Station. I agree with others that moving and hauling will be a big bonus for you as well.

 

[LCV]

Landscaping/pressure washing/hauling off junk. Lotta easy ways for a college kid to make money on the side with a truck, little less so with a 4runner

 

[roosiebull]

Unless your dad has a big boat, either one should be able to tow. The 4 runner will get around campus and “park” in a lot better spots than a full size truck. The 4 runner normally hold their value espically in the PNW. I prefer trucks though but slowing migrating to SUVs.

I agree, I think 4Runners have a 5k tow capacity, and it takes a good size boat to weigh that much. I have a 23’ chambered aluminum boat (heavy gauge) with a 250hp outboard and it’s 5400#, it’s an overbuilt ocean boat, and still barely over 5k

I might be in the minority, but I have always wanted the smallest practical option for rigs. I would way rather have a 4Runner vs a half ton pickup. We have a tundra and I don’t like when I have to drive it unless I’m towing my boat, and from now on, I’ll probably just use my Tacoma to pull it.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My wife has a '20 Gx460 that we put on a full Dobinson's IMS kit with about 2.5" in the front and 1.5" in the back. Paired with some 33" Falken Wildpeak AT3s, this thing goes anywhere around here effortlessly. With the center seats laid down it has a ton of space. If it was mine, adding a roof rack and hitch carrier would provide more than enough room for a couple guys on a week long western hunt. The v8 has plenty of torque and hp for reasonably sized boats, and there are outfits that offer aftermarket tuning. We owned 2 4Runners prior to this truck and loved them as well.

I have a '09 Duramax crew cab and I love it. It is 100% deleted, and actually gets better mileage than the Lexus (15 vs 20 on the highway. It has all the power and then some that I will ever need and with a 4" lift it can go some places.

The key advantages to the 460 include nimble handling, excellent power and reliability, and more than anything else, absolutely reliable traction. The full time 4wd system in the Gx460 and 4Runner Limiteds is a game changer for me. We live on gravel in Iowa and in the mud and snow the 4Runners and 460s run circles around every half ton pickup around.

The advantages to my Duramax are the size, absolute power, ruggedness, and cargo/towing capacity. Howevever, even with factory rear "locking differential", it still requires 4wd just to get out of the driveway when its a little snowy or muddy.

If I was going to buy another half ton pickup, it would either come with or I'd have a e-locker installed at least in the rear. I think you can get the Tacoma with factory lockers front and rear, but you'd need to do some research.

 

[Coveyleader]

I’m not sure if times have changed, but man a 4 runner rear seats down, in college? Say no more! Not even close second which way I’d go!

If you need a clarification

 

[Thinkingman]

Half-ton truck.
Get something with real utility and capability.
4Rnrs may look cool, but if you really need to haul something, the Tacoma/4Rnr capabilities are quickly exceeded.
Half-ton with a canopy for the win.

 

[Oregonboy]

I was between these exact two options a few years ago and I went with the half ton pick up, an F150 to be exact. I've got 2 little ones, a wife and a dog and everyone fits comfortably. I couldn't be happier.

 

[Cheesy]

I've never not had a truck in 31 years of driving. Went from a tiny Toyota to a 1/2 ton extended cab to a crew cab diesel 3/4 ton (still have) and now also a Crew cab Tundra, plus handfuls of cars and 1/2 ton SUV's to go along with it.

I'll never not have a truck. 1/2 ton at the smallest. My 20 year old diesel with 210k miles gets better mileage than my 5 year old Tundra. The only thing the Tundra is better at is 'nimbleness' and 'ride comfort'.
I've had 4-Runners for rental cars fairly often. They're ok. They'll work fine for a college kid. However I feel like they have a lot of blind-spots, they're cramped on interior, and underpowered, but I'm a fan of buying the biggest motor offered in a vehicle.

 

[SuperDUECE22]