All 4runners are made in Japan. They are currently much in demand. People pick one out and put a deposit on it before it arrives at the dealer.
The engine is the legendary 4.0 L 1GR-FE V6. Maybe the most reliable Toyota V6 engine ever. Maybe a water pump in 300,000 miles.
The transmission is equally reliable. "Bulletproof". (The A750 5 speed automatic). No dipstick.
I had read that only 75,000 were made each year, but this is not true. Sales figures show about 120,000 are sold in the US each year. By comparison about 250,000 Tacomas are sold each year.
There are at least 8 "trim levels". The SR5 is the basic machine. The Sport I hate because of the faux intake scoop on the hood I have to look at. The Pro has more fancy 4x4 features for quite a lot of money. I have settled on the plain Offroad. There is an Offroad Premium, but that kicks the price up almost $5000 and mostly offers cosmetic changes. There is the "limited" which offers luxury features like heated leather seats. Probably there are other variants I am not aware of, and plenty of options.
The existence of "options" is pretty pointless given the situation these days. They are not taking orders where you can select what you do or don't want. The factory just cranks out a selection of different vehicles with whatever set of options they decide on. If you don't see what you like, then you wait for the next batch. Or you wait for next year when you hope the situation might change.
There is one thing in the Offroad premium I did like and that was the TRD skid plate. But this is something I can buy for $250 from Toyota and install myself. Better yet, some say, is to go to RCI and get their full pro skid plate set. Note the last link above. The same skid plate fits the old 4runner as fits my Tacoma. For $345. Made from 3/16 steel.Towing capacity is 5000 pounds on any trim level.
If you compare it to the plain offroad model, you pay about $10,000 more. (The factory MSRP difference was $7500 in 2021) What does that money buy you?
Both the Pro and ORP give you heated seats and a power passenber seat.
They both have the stupid useless hood vent.
I will want a more serious roof rack, so the rack is nothing to me.
Both have rear locker, crawl control, multi-terrain selector.
A common statement is that you can buy the plain offroad and put that extra $10,000 into exactly what you want to make it a more capable offroad vehicle. A typical suggestion is to add 3 inches of lift to the offroad and get serious tires.
I'm watching a review where they guy says he is going to show you why he should have bought and "Offroad premium" instead of the "Pro" that he purchased.
If you want some of the Pro features (mostly looks) you can look for the off-road upgrade package and it comes with pro wheels, tires, rock rails and black overlays.
The TRD pro exhaust is badly located near the splash guard and is easier to hit than the exhaust on the offroad, but people say it "sounds cooler", which is of course extremely important.
The pro has Fox suspension. You can get KDSS suspension as an option for an Offroad, but you have to ask if you want it (I hear rumors of maintenance issues).
Doing some online searches comparing Tacomas and 4runners, the basic opinion from people who have owned both is that you can't go wrong either way. If you need or want a pickup bed, get the Tacoma is the main idea. Offroad performance with the 4runner is perhaps a little better. I measure a 110 inch wheelbase on a 4runner and I measure 130 inches on my Tacoma. They say the 4.0 liter engine in the 4runner is more designed for trucks and SUV and deliver more torque at low rpm. They also say the 3.5 liter engine in Tacomas was no really designed for trucks and delivers more power at higher RPM (for highway speeds).
The 4runner is made in Japan and is well built. The Tacoma is made (these days) in Mexico, yet nobody is actually pointing out anything amiss with the vehicle, so this point is a "feel good" thing rather than anything substantial.
Tom's Auto repair pages / tom@mmto.org