- Location
- Never Far From Nowhere
It's such a huge seller for Toyota in the states that all signs point to the 4Runner continuing.
2024 LandCruiser
- Thread starter Spork
- Start date
-
- Tags
- landcruiser toyota
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
This is the only reason I'm not already convinced that the 4Runner is gone (well, that and the guy that hobknobs with Toyota engineers every weekend says he "doesn't think so"
... ). I agree that it makes no sense for Toyota to drop the 4Runner now, but it also makes no sense for Toyota to have two vehicles so very similar in their lineup.But consider -
Mileage and efficiency standards are pressuring automakers to make their entire fleets smaller and lighter.
The new LandCruiser is smaller and lighter, dropping it exactly in the 4Runner's seat at the table.
The 4Runner is due for a big refresh, the 5th gen is long in the tooth.
I'm relatively optimistic that there might be another 4Runner, and it might be a little more 4Runner sized.
Houndoc
Registered User
- Location
- Grantsville
Certainly like the price coming back to reality!
- Location
- East Stabbington
I think for me the difference is just said in AWD vs 4WD. If something is AWD, there is no locking center diff. If it's 4WD it's a locking center diff. Is there an instance of something being advertised/marketed as 4wd, but doesn't have a locking center diff?
glockman
I hate Jeep trucks
- Location
- Pleasant Grove
Toyota marketed the 4th gen 4runner with the V8 as AWD. It only had a 4H and 4L knob but also had a locking center diff.
- Location
- Never Far From Nowhere
When I found out that the Land Cruiser was coming back to the US a few months ago in the form of a Prado-esq vehicle instead of the 300-Series, I was surprised. The Land Cruiser nameplate doesn't carry much cache in the US except withThis is the only reason I'm not already convinced that the 4Runner is gone (well, that and the guy that hobknobs with Toyota engineers every weekend says he "doesn't think so"
But consider -
Mileage and efficiency standards are pressuring automakers to make their entire fleets smaller and lighter.
The new LandCruiser is smaller and lighter, dropping it exactly in the 4Runner's seat at the table.
The 4Runner is due for a big refresh, the 5th gen is long in the tooth.
I'm relatively optimistic that there might be another 4Runner, and it might be a little more 4Runner sized.
The 4Runner, on the other hand, prints money for Toyota in the US. I had a recently retired Toyota Drivetrains R&D guy on a trip this past weekend, and the last project he worked on was the 4th Gen Tacoma. Around the campfire, among other things, we chatted about the next 4Runner. He didn't have specifics, but he said it'll share the same platform (TGNA-F, which is a modular system used for all of Toyota's newer 4x4's) and drivetrain options as the Tacoma and that even with the return of the LC, the 4Runner is getting a refresh in the next year or two.
So how will they differentiate the LC and the 4Runner? Maybe it'll be less spec'd out to make it cheaper? Maybe it'll have more options to choose from to make it a more EXTREME off-roader? Maybe it'll compete squarely with the LC in the same showroom, but your choice is retro looks vs. factory angry eyes and bold colors? Time will tell, I guess. But I'm willing to bet that because of name recognition, the 4Runner will continue to outsell the LC in the US for the foreseeable future unless the 4Runner is the one that moves up market.
As people have said though, I'm glad that Toyota brought the LC back, along with the new GX and a refreshed 4Runner. The more of these kinds of vehicles out there, the better for us. Now if Nissan would just get off their asses and bring back the Xterra and finally unveil the NISMO Armada with all the global Y62 Patrol goodies they've teased about...
lhracing
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Layton, UT
If you have ever read some of the comments on the UTOR Facebook page Toyota needs to be as descriptive as possible and also add some pictures with arrows.
johngottfredson
Threat Level Midnight
- Location
- Alpine
It is interesting, since Toyota said they dropped the 300LC from the US because the sequoia was basically fulfilling the same function - large, 3 row family oriented SUV. But now they LC and the 4Runner are the same(ish). Maybe Toyota learned something from Ford and is going to make the 4Runner a convertible like the good old days and make it the bronco/wrangler competitor.
And when I say maybe I mean that will never happen, so I’m genuinely curious how they differentiate the two platforms.
- Location
- The Village of Kay
Generally speaking, anything with a part time 4wd system won't have a center diff unless it has 4HAuto.
Your CJ is an example that doesn't have a center differential: you have 2WD and 4WD.
The center diff only comes into play with full time 4WD vehicles and some AWD.
I'm not 100% up to speed on all AWD systems, but I'm sure most have a center diff to avoid binding front to back. They my accomplish that with some other device besides a differential though.
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
All this hoopla over a new rig that isn’t as cool the @spaggyroe new build, which is ultimately what Toyoda would have to do to get me to go gaga over one.
- Location
- East Stabbington
When I shift from 2 to 4, doesn't something lock into place to split the power 50/50 front and rear?
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
Yes. That's the transfer case. If that's all the truck has, is a transfer case with hi/lo range, it's a part-time 4WD. That's most of the 4WD vehicles out there. But when the transfer case is engaged, that power split is exactly 50/50 front and rear, and that can be problematic when turning on pavement. If the rig has a transfer case with a differential that allows a variable power split that lets it turn without driveline binding, it's a full time 4WD (generally speaking, if it doesn't have low range then they call this setup AWD). The problem with having a differential on the transfer case to allow that variable power is that it's a differential, and it will behave like a differential and leave you stuck spinning just one tire. Sometimes you want/need that power to be split exactly 50/50. That's where the locking center differential comes into play - Toyota calls it Multimode, Jeep calls it... Quadtratrac? It's a way for a 4WD to be able to use 4WD on pavement without binding and still use 4WD off pavement without losing all your torque when just one tire loses traction.
I don't understand the benefit of having a fulltime 4WD system, I feel like any time the roads are bad enough that 4WD is necessary, then they're bad enough that I can just use normal 4WD and not worry about driveline binding or tire scrub or whatever. But I've never had a rig with full-time 4WD so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
Unimog
Eric
- Location
- Stansbury Park, UT
I think for average car owner, the advantage is you never have to shift it out of 4wd. For a gear-head like most of us, that is a disadvantage, but for average Joe or Jill, it is easier to use and requires less understanding of what is going on under the covers.