OK.....

1) It was 34 below zero in my area and my 4Runner started....every morning.

2) When every vehicle is sliding off the road, I am able to keep going.

3) The wipers worked after 4 feet of snow froze on them when the snow was off.

4) The sunroof still works after I "opened" it when it was frozen shut.

5) My new girlfriend says it's "sick".

6) It outran serious tornado weather in Illinois in June.

7) I can dump it in a ditch and pull it out using 4low and the diff locked. (you have to try that)

8) The OEM sound system is ok.

9) I like the cupholders and the heated mirrors.

I liked my wife's 4Runner so much that I bought me one! I drove the Alcan in hers and was sold. It plows right on through the snow and ice much better than my old outback!
but.....you all know how good they are or you would not be on this board.

It's a 4Runner, cant love a car for any better reason!!!!

3 major things I love about it though....

V6's pep and features (oil filter up top, oil drain easily accessible, chain drive timing)

The overall ride/feel, it just feels solid, light, and well balanced. It almost feels lightweight. I drove my dad's Hyundai Sana Fe yesterday and it had no power, and felt "heavy" over the bumps.

The safety advantages, it's taller than alot of the other vehicles on the road, meaning in a side impact most of the energy will go into the lower part of the door/floor pan, instead of being in a short car where the energy from a side impact will be put right at your shoulder and head area. It may roll over easier after a hit but as long as your seatbelt is on, that's the least of your worries, it's all about absorbing the impact somewhere other than around your shoulder/head height that are not protected and restrained and have more room to allow impacts to the interior pieces.

These posts are fun!

I love the winter traction, as if it wasn't winter at all.

The power and smoothness of the V8, while still as good on gas as my '96.

I like the JBL system (I know alot of people don't like the factory setup but I'm plenty good with it.)

I like when they designed the 4th gen they still kept it a Runner. They didn't overly bloat it or overly cush it up, still a pretty capable wheeler compared to the others out there out of the box.

I love knowing that I can drive my Runner till at least 200K and I know it will still serve me well with not much more than regular maintenance.

I think that pretty much sums it up!

-V8 power combined with ultra smoothness uncommon in a mid-size SUV (love that front badge), smoothness absolutely uncommon in many non-Toyota V8s
-Styling
-Build quality
-Rear hatch window

1. The great ride on the HWY and off road. This is the best for me, can drive for 200 miles a day and I do not get tired. Also can turn car into some serious off-road situations and climb the nearest mountain.
2. Its low roof, I saw plenty of Land Cruiser Prado

That smooth ness at highway speeds going up curvy hills is a thing of beauty.

+1

My favs...
aggressive look
comfort
smooth ride on the hwy and fun in the snow
and the fact that everyone I know wants to take for spin

- good for towing
- great in snow (even better with proper tires)
- roll down rear window
- not too big, not too small
- technology that only now is available from the competition

Just got back from some skiing, so...

Awesome on/off road prowess, between my friends and I there was no discussion as to who was driving there!
Heated mirrors/rear windows
Projectors (I got HIDs too++)
Oil Filter (V6)
Back up mirrors
Storage everywhere
Reliability
I do love that open center diff and the ability to have a de facto full time 4WD too
Looks great too

1. V8 is unbelievably smooth, very Lexus-like in it's acceleration and gear changes.

2. All my Pathfinder and Xterra-driving friends all comment how Toyota makes the quietest cars. I love the way you feel isolated from everything outside the car because it's as quiet as a vault.

3. Full-time 4WD doesn't kill my mileage like I thought it would and it makes driving in the rain a complete no-brainer. I have never even felt it come close to losing traction.

4. Comfortable on road trips. The farthest I have driven this one is about 13 hours to Grand Rapids, MI, and the 4R handled it like it was no problem at all.

5. Cheap to upgrade. A comparable lift on my old Z71 Silverado would have cost twice as much as mine on my 4R.

6. I don't care what everyone says about the 03 and 04 models, I think my 04 looks incredible. It really is a nice thing to walk out in the morning and see that thing in my driveway.

7. It's a Toyota, after all! No reliability issues EVER.

It's sort of funny. Like most here I've been reading the thread about all the things that people hate in their 4Runner. One of the advantages of being older is that I've had a lot of vehicles over the years and finally learned that I would always regret not getting at least most of the "bells and whistles" when buying a new car.

Bought the LTD in May of last year and, in spite of a few warts that I was well aware of (thanks Members!), absolutely love this vehicle.

1. Opening rear window - use just about every time I use the truck.

2. Automatic lights - put it in the "auto" position the day I picked it up and never touch it.

3. Sunroof - did not really want this, but it was virtually impossible to find a LTD without it. 1st time I ever had one and love it - being only 5'10", have no problem with headroom.

4. Leather, heated seats.

5. Automatic climate control - agree that the controls themselves are poor design, but generally just leave at 72F and it works just fine.

6. Compass in mirror is MUCH easier to use with a quick glance than the NAV system.

7. NAV system with large back-up view works great.

8. JBL stereo may not be audiophile quality, but sure sounds good to us.

9. IPod jack in center console - agree that location is less than optimum, but sure beats the hell out of using a cassette.

10. 18" wheels with michelin tires - great traction even when not using the 4WD and look good too.

11. Powerful V6 that accellerates without any significant lag. Believe me, I drove a bunch of vehicles before buying - nothing came close.

12. X-REAS - 4Runner rock steady thru curves with little or no body lean.

13. I really like the color keyed bumpers, grill, and mirrors - gives gives a complete look.

14. Last, am really glad I was able to get exactly what I wanted in Salsa Red. It is still a fairly unusual color for the 4Runner, at least around here. Harder to keep clean, but well worth it.

I love the leather seats. Mine has the nice leather with gel under it and everybody who sits in my car say it is the most comfortable seat/car that they have ever sat/rode in.