Trade in '07 4Runner or '05 Tundra?

[bostnwhalr]

Been eyeing an FR-S since they came out. Love the idea of them. Drove one for 2 days a year back and the car fit like a glove. Made so much sense to me. Here's my dilemma.

Family of 4, two kids 10 and 13 growing fast (3 years to license for the oldest). I'm ready for practical mid-life crisis car.

Current vehicles:

• 14 X3 35i (love the straight 6 turbo by the way, wow it's fast) - wife's car.
• 07 4Runner 4WD SR5 145k miles - bought new
• 05 Tundra 4WD Access Cab SR5 - 165k miles - (bought January 2014 for doing construction jobs and towing stuff)

Looking to get an '15 FR-S. Could certainly use a reliable new vehicle and the FR-S would be a fun, practical choice (more practical than the Cayman/Boxster GTS I'd love to get my hands on - a better "I'm divorced" car). Here's the dilemma:

Do I?
A. Trade-in 4Runner and buy FR-S
B. Trade-in Tundra and get FR-S
C. Add a 4th vehicle to the family fleet for two drivers
D. Don't buy the FR-S and enjoy two great Toyotas
E. Do something else that I'm not thinking of
F. None of the above.

I just have to say that I love both the Tundra and the 4Runner. but honestly, I feel it's already somewhat crazy we own 3 cars for two people. The idea of owning 4 cars just seems wasteful and a pain in the ass with car registrations, insurance, inspections, maintenance, etc.)

The 4Runner has been by far, the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Minimal repairs needed, mostly fog light bulbs a few times from me wading through deep puddles.

4Runner pros are:

• Reliable.
• I've put every mile on this vehicle myself.
• Has a decent back seat for the family.
• Ok gas mileage (20-21 highway, 17 around town)
• It's a 4Runner
• Good commuter vehicle

Cons:

• Up there in miles
• Tough to use for hauling debris from fixer upper real estate investments I'm making.
• ok for towing the 24' boat, but it's not great.

Bought the Tundra back in January. Trade-in with high miles from local dealer I know well. Gave me a great deal as these trucks are hard to find used at an ok price.

Tundra Pros:

• Tons of power from the sweet sounding, 282hp 4.7L V-8, fun to drive.
• Brand new frame (replaced by Toyota in December for previous owner)
• "Right-size" truck with low cowl and hood makes it easy to drive.
• Bench seats with column shifter means 6 seats (though you can't have much legs in the back seat).
• Pickup truck bed for hauling tons of nasty stuff
• It's a Tundra
• They don't build 'em this size anymore (Tacomas don't have the same feel and no V-8).

Cons:

• Major one: Back seat is small (though better than the FR-S for sure), my kids are already bitching and still growing
• Reliability is good, but probably not at the level of the 4Runner. I didn't put the miles on myself.
• Gas mileage is 15/18.
• Can't stuff a surfboard inside the vehicle.

The dealer doesn't care as they would love both these vehicles as trades, though my guess is they'd prefer the Tundra. They are both fun to drive, practical and don't owe me anything at this point. I know I can get 300k out of both of them.

My other thought is to trade-in the 4Runner, keep the Tundra for a couple years then replace with a new Tundra Double Cab with the 4.6L engine when the 13 year old gets taller. I just think the newer Tundras are a little too big. I also love the 4Runner Trail edition too by the way. That is THE 4Runner to get in my mind.

The other thing is both these vehicles would be a great first vehicle for my oldest when he gets his license in three years......

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Jegan_V]

Do you have room for another vehicle? You seem attached to the two Toyotas and if you got the room its entirely possible to hold onto all of them and let the 4Runner go as a hand me down vehicle. Assuming your finances are fine and you have a way of keeping so many vehicles, this could be a good option.

How you got the X3 is also a potential factor. If its a lease vehicle, you could technically replace it with an upgrade to an X5(with the same engine) and this vehicle would take over all the 4Runner's duties leaving you with the ability to sell it should you not have the room. If you bought it, then ignore this.

How often you use the Tundra's bed and hauling capacity is another factor. If you rarely use it, then its suddenly an expensive toy in which you're better off letting it go. If you use it a lot, there's no way you can lose that utility then.

[FirestormFRS]

Wait for the Lexus coupe. Coming from the vehicles you're currently driving you will be sorely disappointed with the ride, nvh, and pedestrian options on the FR-S. The FR-S is very unToyota like its buzzy, rattles around, tire hum/thrum, and kinda unpleasant sounding compared to other Toyota's. I hate driving my wife's Highlander because it's a Highlander but it's so damn pleasant for long rides compared to the FR-S.

[strat61caster]

Personally the truck wins in my book because towing, camping, open bed, just think in five years your first will likely be moving somewhere, you can pack up all his shit without hassle, you already mentioned a boat and using the truck for weekend projects.

The 4runner seems entirely redundant based on your current list of vehicles. The BMW handles the people, the Truck handles the loads, financially just sell the 4runner. After that you start cross shopping a third car for you, how important is fuel economy? straight line speed? track duty? project car?

If the FRS is just going to be a sporty commuter weekend runabout there are a lot of options that will save you thousands up front and could suit your needs better, many hot hatches get better fuel economy with better performance numbers on paper with better practicality (both storage space and passenger space). Conversely there are better performance based options also for less money, whether it be straight line speed, autox or track days. The FRS lands in a unique spot, more practical than a lot of 'sports cars', more harsh and aggressive than a lot of 'sporty cars', sounds good on paper but like any compromise can leave a lot to be desired depending on your expectations.

[bostnwhalr]

Originally Posted by Jegan_V

Do you have room for another vehicle? You seem attached to the two Toyotas and if you got the room its entirely possible to hold onto all of them and let the 4Runner go as a hand me down vehicle. Assuming your finances are fine and you have a way of keeping so many vehicles, this could be a good option.

How you got the X3 is also a potential factor. If its a lease vehicle, you could technically replace it with an upgrade to an X5(with the same engine) and this vehicle would take over all the 4Runner's duties leaving you with the ability to sell it should you not have the room. If you bought it, then ignore this.

How often you use the Tundra's bed and hauling capacity is another factor. If you rarely use it, then its suddenly an expensive toy in which you're better off letting it go. If you use it a lot, there's no way you can lose that utility then.

I do have the room, it's more the complexity of taking care of more "stuff in my life". Plus, while finances are ok, I do want to be somewhat responsible (in my mind, an FR-S is prudent relative to other more expensive cars people buy).

The X3 was a service loaner, 10k off sticker so we bought vs. leased. This is my wife's dream car so it's not going anywhere. The two Toyotas are mine. Believe it or not, the X3 has pretty good utility in respect to the X5.

Good point on the Tundra bed. I throw damp wetsuits in the back, haul crap around, tow very occasionally but here's the deal: I may be buying a fixer upper home as an investment in a couple months. Would come in handy for Home Depot runs and hauling debris though not absolutely necessary.

[bostnwhalr]

Originally Posted by FirestormFRS

Wait for the Lexus coupe. Coming from the vehicles you're currently driving you will be sorely disappointed with the ride, nvh, and pedestrian options on the FR-S. The FR-S is very unToyota like its buzzy, rattles around, tire hum/thrum, and kinda unpleasant sounding compared to other Toyota's. I hate driving my wife's Highlander because it's a Highlander but it's so damn pleasant for long rides compared to the FR-S.

Appreciate your thought here, but I'm it's time for a change of pace. I drove an FR-S for two days and loved it the more I drove it. It's precisely the raw, go-kart attributes I was looking for combined with the design focused on the driver, handling and engine. I also like the fact that it costs $26k.

I'd keep one of the other vehicles for longer road trips. As it is, my commute is 35 miles each way, minimal traffic on the highway, 3x per week.

Let me add something about the X3. This vehicle has fantastic dynamics, ride/handling compromise and the toys, combined with an incredible engine with seamless power. Having said that, I fear for this vehicle 4 years out when the warranty is over. Unlike the 4Runner and my Tundra, those options/toys add complexity which means more opportunity for things to break. Again, wife's car.

[bostnwhalr]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Personally the truck wins in my book because towing, camping, open bed, just think in five years your first will likely be moving somewhere, you can pack up all his shit without hassle, you already mentioned a boat and using the truck for weekend projects.

The 4runner seems entirely redundant based on your current list of vehicles. The BMW handles the people, the Truck handles the loads, financially just sell the 4runner. After that you start cross shopping a third car for you, how important is fuel economy? straight line speed? track duty? project car?

If the FRS is just going to be a sporty commuter weekend runabout there are a lot of options that will save you thousands up front and could suit your needs better, many hot hatches get better fuel economy with better performance numbers on paper with better practicality (both storage space and passenger space). Conversely there are better performance based options also for less money, whether it be straight line speed, autox or track days. The FRS lands in a unique spot, more practical than a lot of 'sports cars', more harsh and aggressive than a lot of 'sporty cars', sounds good on paper but like any compromise can leave a lot to be desired depending on your expectations.

I'm looking for something tossable, communicative, fun-to-drive, an overall compromise between practicality and being fun to drive, plus simplicity. Straight-line speed is not important. If it was, I'd be looking at a Mustang GT.

I thought about buying an earlier Boxster (say 2002-2006), or even an old Porsche 944. I do like the idea of having a back seat so I can sticking my 10 year old in the back for the occasional dropping or picking up from school.

Because of my long-time working relationship with my local dealer, I'm sticking with Toyota if I'm going to buy new or late model.

[fitcious]

Keep the 4runner. not too many body on frame suv out there. and 4runner has more history to it and you bought new...so that makes a big difference.

The tundra is a great truck...but my heart favors the 4runner.

[Jyn]

Sell the Tundra.

A lot of FR-S/T4R owners on here (myself included ). It's a great combo.

[Muaddib]

Or you can get a FJ cruiser. :p

[xRavenFRSx]

If you don't NEED the tundra I would trade that. I traded a '12 Tacoma TRD Sport for my FRS. My dad had an 05 and currently has a 14 4runner limited, I love them both. He recently leased his 4runner with intentions of soon buying an FRS and I bought my FRS only a few months before he got his 4runner with plans to soon buy an 07ish 4runner or Tacoma to DD. Its a good combo.

[bostnwhalr]

Thanks for everyone's input. I go back and forth and will continue to until I order and take delivery of the FR-S. Today, I was at the Toyota dealer talking to the owner. He said keep the Tundra, ditch the 4Runner. This is someone I've known as a friend and colleague for a long-time. No hidden agenda.

Today I loaded the Tundra with 2 loads of mulch (1,000 -1,500 lbs) each load. Made short work of being able to haul mulch around the yard to where it was needed. Couldn't have done that in the 4Runner....2 hours of my time and a savings of a few hundred bucks not hiring someone else to do it, never mind the satisfaction of doing it myself.

Hmmmm....

[xRavenFRSx]

If you're doing that kind of work with the Tundra then trading it shouldn't even be a question. Trade the 4Runner or keep them all.

[bostnwhalr]

Another benefit of the Tundra is the cassette tape player (I saw a cassette player in a 2008 Lexus GX470 I drove last year too). When I got the truck, I busted out an old case of cassettes sitting in the attic from my college days. Now, they reside in the back of the truck full of "Awesome Mix Tapes" aka Guardians of the Galaxy. The kids aren't shocked and dumbfounded now that they've seen the movie (which if you haven't seen, you should).

I could justify keeping both vehicles if I got an older, fun car that was relatively cheap.

I thought of a good alternative this morning: Lexus SC300/400 (and even the SC430 hardtop convertible though that's strictly a cruiser). I never realized the 4th generation Supra shared the same platform, yet tons of well-cared SCs still exist out there and are relatively cheap (used Supras are big $$$ and usually modified). The 1st generation SC300/400 is absolutely stunning in my mind. Totally different car than an FR-S, but could be a fun car nonetheless.