Is it built in Japan or the good ol' USA?

 

That is really disappointing. Just when I thought that the 4th gen looked ugly and huge... This is a little too close to the backside of the newer xterra.

 

Ugly. It makes me glad I have a 3rd gen. I guess Toyota finally met their goal - the 4runner bears no resemblance to a truck at all anymore. It might as well be an xterra.

 

The 5th Gen is ugly as hell, what was Toyota thinking?

 

I hoped all the rumors about it going to be more like the older 4runners with the e-locker and solid axle options like he truck at sema were gonna be true but as they say "if it sounds to good to be true it probably is" all I can say is TOYOTA screwed the pooch on this one again talk about ugly if I wanted a Nissan why would I buy the TOYOTA copy of one? THAT IS ONE UGLY 4runner.

I wish they would come out with that FJ RUNNER with solid axles and e-locker option maybe they need to realize how much of the HEEP market they could get with some thing like that and how they could dominate the SUV market again like the old days when TOYOTA ruled the off road market.

 

The fact that the Highlander stole the 4runner's sales is completely Toyota's own damn fault because that's how they market the 4runner now - in the same class as the Highlander. I don't think Toyota is trying their best to keep it like it was in the past at all. Before the term "SUV" was coined, the 4runner started out as a converted pick-up with 4x4 capability as it's primary focus. The SUV craze has completely corrupted our beloved 4runner.

For all the soccer moms and daddy's little princesses out there, Toyota makes the Rav4, Highlander, Sequoia, Land Cruiser (which is another topic), and the Sienna. I think they have enough models that are specifically tailored to people that don't give a crap about off road prowess but want to look like they do.

Now that the new Jeeps have ridiculously thin sheet metal/plastic bodies and V6 mini-van engines in them, Toyota could swoop in on some of that market. And even though 90% of Jeep owners don't take their's past their wet lawns either, Jeep still makes ALL their Wranglers w/ a SFA.

Imagine if you will...a new 4runner that looks like a truck again, has a convertible top, a SFA, and lockers. I would buy that. And soccer moms can buy the Highlander.

 

I highly doubt it. Those are the new Goodyear MT/R w/kevlar tires, not a a/t tire...to aggresive for them to run stock from the factory. It would be cool but its not going to happen!

 

That would be cool.

 

good that it is still built in Japan like the LC. Also, that gives hope for the future return of the Hilux Surf. The Hilux Surf production was stopped earlier this month so that means there will be no 5th gen Hilux Surf. 5th gen 4Runner will be a purely export market this time.

 

Gott'a love this satement

"More than 1.8 million 4Runners have been sold since it was introduced in 1984, and more than 70 percent are still on the road."

I do see a lot on the road....1st 2nd Gen...its pretty amazing. If you seen as many Domestic Junkers as I do in my line of work...come through the door's to the write-off section at my work...then you would really appreciate a well built Toyota.

 

I think they have been steadily going downhill since 1985...