I test drove multiple 200's and GX460's over the last 9 or so months and both of them felt SO much better to drive than my 5th gen. Everything from power delivery to handling and road noise. Based on my use case and the value proposition I thought I had my mind made up to go with a '23 GX Blackline in Nori Green until they went and slapped those boulder gray seats inside. Ultimately I could not get a GX in the exact spec I wanted so this swung me back around to the 200. I did not need or want a third row which narrowed things down to specifically a Heritage Edition. From there it has just been a matter of trying to find what I felt like was a fair deal on one. (market is nuts on them as I'm sure you're aware)I went the other way, from an '03 V8 4Runner to a '13 200. Things I like about the 200: more power, quieter, and more comfortable. Things I don't like about the 200: wider so harder to get in and out in the tight parking garage at work. Bigger than I need and the third row seats that I don't use take up cargo space (yes, I could remove them but then have to deal with the holes in the sidewalls). The 200's fuel economy is horrifically bad (yes, I knew that going in). And I wish the head unit supported CarPlay.
The 5th gen 4Runner was a better size for me, but the powertrain was a deal killer. I test drove the 2016 GX, but the third row killed the cargo capacity (60 cu ft with the 2nd and 3rd fow folded compared to 80 cu ft for the 4Runner), I hated the barn door, visibility out the back was bad, and I found the seat bottom cushions to be uncomfortable. YMMV.
No carplay sucks but I will try one of the aftermarket kits and see how I get on with that. (probably Grom since they are based near me in Plano) Fuel mileage is bad yes but I previously owned a Tundra with the 5.7 which averaged 13-14 mpg and honestly my 4R does not do much better at 14-15 average on a good day. (My range on a tank in the 4R is around 270-300 miles) I figure if I end up not liking the 200 I will be able to get out of it fairly easily and not take too bad a haircut. There is reason to be excited about what is coming out in the next couple of years from Toyo/Lex but as for now I am looking forward to spending some time with a proven, legendary platform so I can find out for myself if it's "the one".