I'm honestly on the verge of doing this or buying a motorcycle. after putting 50k miles on the truck, I actually really hate driving it except around town and actually doing offroad. It needs a shit ton of work anyway so I may just get a car that I enjoy driving and make the T4R an adventure only vehicle. FWIW, I just started this job a couple weeks ago. I was previously commuting about 15 minutes.

As an avid motorcyclist who did 8 years on 2-wheels only.... it's cheaper to buy a POS car, nevermind a Whole lot more utilitarian. Most bikes aren't getting anywhere near the fuel economy people think (mid 30's for most, the best will be about 50mpg), but unless you're a rider already, you'll be buying the bike, gear, some way to haul your work clothes/lunch/stuff, and dealing with everything the weather can throw at you. Fine if you're young and stubborn about doing it that way, but hardly the most economical or practical.

IMHO, a motorcycle is good for occasional use/play "when you feel like it", which is more the place that your 4R is set to occupy. Buy a good/cheap/economical commuter car.

I've been riding for 15 years and have had about 9 bikes. I've got all the gear etc. but you're probably right.

I just bought a 98 with 170k and a rough interior. First thing I noticed was that the foam protecting the bar going across the low back of the driver seat was useless. So the cheapest mod was to swap the backs of the driver and passenger seat. Made the seat much more comfortable for 15 minutes of work.

Same here, my kids actually say the 4Runner rear seats are more comfortable than my Infiniti too.

I think seat foam in the Limiteds is different from the SR5 sport seats despite looking the same. I can do long trips in the Limited seats just fine (despite leather looking like a stabbing victim) while the SR5 with similar miles starts giving me a backache in 30 minutes. Limited foam seems more dense.

The leather, stabbed-out though it may be, is providing oodles more support than the thin cloth over OEM gooey foam that is found in the SR5 seats.
My solution to the soft SR5 sport seat bottoms was to add a couple of layers of carpet-type floor mat on top of the OEM cloth, but underneath the Seatsavers seat covers.
Not as good as an actual well-designed seat, but got rid of 90% of the butt-ache.

Vehicle seats are like bike seats - some fit you and some don't. Not amount of stretching, yoga, or core strengthening will turn an uncomfortable seat into a comfortable one.

I too have a 1 hr commute both ways in my 98 with cloth seats.
Make sure that lumbar support is cranked all the way forward, maybe get some sort of additional lumbar support to go on top of it and at work.

I'll eventually get more modern seats but I can tolerate it for now.


Now on the topic of back pain, this might seem controversial or counter intuitive. But when I was 17 I was told I had potentially herniated a disc from a gym accident (not really my fault) and told I was in for chronic pain.
That summer I added 100lbs to my squat and deadlift and now years later squat and deadlift in the 500s. No back issues. Studies show a surgical repaired herniated disc and herniated disc left alone look identical after a few years in MRI. Most people if MRI'd right now would have bulging discs yet have no pain.

Back pain is a normal part of life because our vertical spines are a relatively new thing for mammals. So if bulging discs and back pain are a normal part of life, the best thing you can do is strengthen your muscles and by lifting for strength (heavy), your bone density will increase which is absolutely vital as you age (especially for women) to prevent brittle bones (fractures, broken hips etc.) A broken hip past the age of 60 strongly correlates with dying sooner than you would have. Get yourself a heavy squat and deadlift and your femurs and vertebrae will be denser, and your core and back muscles will be strong and this just may relieve your back pain.

My recommendation:
I've been lifting for about 5 years on and off, compete in powerlifiting and religiously consumed lifting content for 4 of those years. If you'd like a pdf I've assembled of the best videos to watch from the best of the best on how to perform lifts correctly, just ask. Your local gym is full of trainers that are only qualified via certifications that take about just 1 weekend worth of studying to pass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnpb3gPjlsQ&feature=youtu.be
About | Starting Strength

It’s all about lumbar for me. Gives my back the proper curve & takes the weight of my upper body off of my lower back.

Sound advice. I would add diet in there. Sugar & alcohol is the devil for me. Find the items in your diet that cause inflammation & eliminate them. Taking off extra weight will help also...