Which gen 4runner is best?

Which gen 4runner is best?

First gen

overall, third.

Hands down the 5th.

120 prado

easily 3rd for 4th, probably 4th

thats a fucking minivan bruv, dont get confused

3rd=2nd>1st>4th>5th

Depends on what exactly you're planning on using it for, and how much you want to modify it, and what your budget is.

I think the sweet spot is the third gen (I'm biased, I drive one). Stock ground clearance, good angles and bumpers that can take a scrape, narrow width, and availability of a stock locker all make it very appealing. Add to that adequate power from the 3.4L for daily highway commuting, and decent enough road manners when stock. Better articulation than gen 2 or IFS gen 1, and a better ride. Second row can accomodate two adults. Reliability is nothing short of fantastic mechanically, and body steel is galvanized much better than gen 1 or gen 2. Frames will need inspection on any northern truck since the newest one is now 14 years old.

Gen 4 needs a lift right from the factory IMO to even compete with gen 3. ATRAC is nice as is multimode 4wd with Torsen center diff. Loss of locking rear diff except for the very rare Trail Edition is a bummer. Much better vehicle for long highway drives.

5th gen is the heaviest and largest 4Runner to date, but still manageably sized (compare to LC80, pretty close). Regained stock ground clearance, but retained fragile plastic bumpers. Angles improved for 14+. Lost V8 option and worst of all Multimode 4wd with open diff setting for slick highway driving.

As a third gen owner, if money were no thing I'd buy a brand new 5th gen Trail Edition right this second. As a more reasonable near term target, I want to get an older 4th gen (with the unpainted plastic bumpers!) and do a mild lift on it. I do a lot of road trips and I'll be honest, the 3rd gen gets old. Kind of a handful in the winter, even with dedicated snow tires. Very bouncy ride that can unsettle the suspension on slick overpasses. 4th gen is awesome in these conditions.

>more torque
>more horsepower
>more luxurious
I honestly don't see where the previous generations have it beat.
The only thing left is the test of time.