Toyota 4Runner 5th Gen

The 5th gen 4Runner ran from 2010 to 2024, a 15-year production run that put it in the rare category of vehicles still being sold new long after its platform peers had moved to two or three replacement generations. Toyota left it alone because off-road enthusiasts kept buying it. The 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 paired with a 5-speed automatic became the unchanging core: not fast, not efficient, but bulletproof in the way Toyota truck engines have been bulletproof for decades.

The trim hierarchy that matters for overlanders: SR5 (open diff, part-time 4WD), TRD Off-Road (the value pick — locking rear differential, CRAWL Control, Multi-Terrain Select, KDSS optional), TRD Pro (KDSS standard, Fox Internal Bypass shocks, TRD-tuned coils up front, skid plates, BBS wheels with Nitto Terra Grappler tires), and TRD Off-Road Premium with leather and KDSS as the sweet spot for buyers who want the capability without paying TRD Pro money.

KDSS — Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System — is Toyota's mechanical sway-bar disconnect, hydraulic instead of electronic. It opens the sway bars under low-speed articulation and locks them at speed. Trucks with KDSS are noticeably worth more than those without on the used market.

The 4Runner is one of the most-modified SUVs in the overland community. ARB, Slee Off Road, FrontRunner, Goose Gear, Sherpa, CBI, Coastal Off-Road, and a dozen others build dedicated lift kits, bumpers, rock sliders, drawer systems, and roof racks for the 5th gen. Common upgrade ladder: TRD Pro-style lift with Old Man Emu or Icon, 33" all-terrains on 17s, sliders, front bumper. Replaced by the 6th gen (TNGA-F platform, hybrid powertrain, coil rear suspension) for the 2025 model year.