I went through a very similar thought process when looking to replace my 80 series. I ended up with a 4th gen 4Runner V8. For the type of driving/offroading I do (from Dallas means long highway trips, then offroading, then getting home), the 4th gen was the perfect combination of comfort, power, fuel economy, and capability. I looked at 100's, GX470's, and 4Runners. I didn't look at Tacomas cause I didn't want a truck, though my sister has one and I like it a lot. The 100's were too big and too low mpg (and expensive), the GX470, while cool and very nice, aren't set up to make them as easily configured for offroading as the 4Runner (rear hatch/air springs, etc.)