Shortly after purchasing my silver 5th gen last July, I stuffed it through some super stiff and spiky mountain mahogany on a narrow and rocky trail I’ve taken numerous times in the past. I forgot that my 4Runner is nearly a foot wider than my ‘02 Tacoma TRD. So, I had substantial and deep pinstriping.

So, I bought a Meguiar’s Scratch-X scratch remover kit and worked out the scratches. Then topped it with Meguiar’s Ultimate Quick Wax.

That was last August and I haven’t waxed it since. The truck still looks good. Some scratches are starting to show, but the sun needs to be just right and your eyes just happen to fall on them. I’ve had feedback that using Scratch-X and the drill mounted buffer often will compromise the clear coat, so I’ll just keep the scratches as my badge of honor as long as they stay subtle.

Because of frequent snow, ice and mud in winter, and dirt roads in summer, I seldom take pains to keep the exterior clean. If the weather forecast calls for a week of sunny weather and the roads are dry, I’ll run the truck through the auto car wash (brushless) for $8.

On the interior, I vacuum with my shop vac using the onboard inverter (the closest outlet is 75 feet away from the driveway); then use a spray bottle of diluted Purple Power or similar and microfiber towels. I even spray the seats and headrests and wipe.

As for glass, I don’t do the outside much. In winter, frosts leave behind a film of embedded dust particles. In summer, dust settles on the glass. The first time I use the washers, the windshield looks like I never touched it. Inside, I use whatever cheap glass cleaner I have on hand.

My old Tacoma was white. White was a great color for planned neglect. But silver ain’t too bad either. I’m not a fan of silver vehicles, but the 4Runner’s color has grown on me and it doesn’t show dust that bad.