ToyoBeastly

Hey all. Resurrecting an old account of mine to do research on a possible vehicle change. A buddy recently got a "weekender" 1st gen GX. For shiggles, I looked at what my Runner goes for and what a 2016-2021ish GX goes for and I was shocked how close the prices were. I am basically looking at about $5k to upgrade if I take on ~20k-ish more miles, maybe less. This will be my daily and my offroader. I hunt, camp, roadtrip etc, so this needs to do it all for me.

So my questions are, if any of you have made that same change, what are the things I should be on the look out for?
- Would you buy stock vs one that is already lifted?
- Should I be concerned about 100k miles? I read through some of the FAQs and it seems like there are a few failures to expect around that mileage marker.
- For my purposes, are there any packages to avoid? If I am going to lift and use it off road, what options are a PITA to work around and should just be avoided?
- Did any of you make that change and miss 4Runner features?
- What would you say is "out of date" in the year range that I am looking in? The head unit looks dated, but I am used to that in my Runner too.

I am sure I will think of more, but thank you in advance for taking the time to read.

ASE

^^ get the V8 while you can + Torsen limited-slip center differential ... there's no going back.

The 5th Gen 4-Runners are all over the place, so will be available used for many years to come.

Nickk6

Have you driven the GX? I'd make sure you like it more than the 4runner first. If you are the original owner on your 4runner, you can't really get that peace of mind buying a used car with 100k miles, even if it is a damn good car like the GX.
Buying stock vs modded is a hard one answer, will totally depend on vehicle condition and maintenance records. Modded could potentially be a lot of headaches down the road depending on previous owners use.
I'd avoid air suspension, but you can always get the delete kit when you lift depending on how wild of a lift you want. The rear air suspension (believe it has variable dampers on all 4 corners as well as) model did ride a lot nicer than the coil spring model from my test drive, but that was back in 2015, not sure if it newer models were more comparable.
2010 to 2021 will all have the dreaded head unit where air con controls are integrated with the radio. 2022 gets the newer head unit that is much better, but still not perfect.

Acrad

OP: 460 is a trim level you can’t mechanically match on the 5th Gen 4R assuming these are important to you. ——> V8 / Torsen full time AWD/ KDSS

Just trivia… except for the rare 10-13 models without nav

tntcandy

Wow, have newer seen a non nav GX before

John00

gx has a little more vertical space at the cost of a lower body.

IanB2

We traded a '15 4Runner Limited for our '15 GX, similar mileage, similar prices at the time.

Pros: smoother, more powerful engine, w/ only 1-2mpg penalty, much better seats, hood doesn't flap in the wind like the 4R, heated steering wheel, quieter, smoother, more cargo space due to higher roofline (both had fold flat 3rd row)

Cons: rear door design, lack of roll down rear window, that's literally it.

JBR14

Hi -It is kind of ironic that this is the first post I looked at, given that I am doing something similar. I currently have a 4th gen 4R that I am going to be getting rid of and getting a 2nd gen GX. I just started looking yesterday. Plan to buy something in the next 30-45 days. I will be perusing the forums to learn about this platform, the various model differences, etc. I suppose I should do an intro thread and all that too. Quick question, are there any 2nd gen years to stay away from? I assume the 2010's given that a lot of first year redesigns have some problems? But, is that the case with these?

ASE

... buy the latest, best condition, lowest mileage you can afford. Worth a financial stretch if this is a long-term purchase ...

Moondogy

I did 2019 4Runner TRD Pro to 23 GX.

I'm not an off-road driver by any stretch of the imagination, but work once every couple of weeks has me driving down BLM paths and construction roads that haven't been maintained to contractor spec. So, I can kind of answer.

I was shocked, too l, a the value to 4Runners hold and I took advantage of the goofy market in late 22 to get the GX at minimal hit to bank. Not to mention the 4R Pro was not a great match for me. Short wife and a car seat above her head.

I'm overall pleased with my change. It's nicer to daily drive. It's turning radius isn't likely to get you pulling an unplanned 3 pointer. It takes premium fuel (see threads for ongoing debates of that issue) which is a bummer. The real bummer is the rear window. I miss it more than I thought I would.

My only direct comment is think about the trims and I which ones have the airbag. Besides them being a "weak point" in the reliability, do you want to pay extra for them if your going to lift of and remove them?

Feel free to ask a more direct question. Im around.