Recent content by ZenDriver

Here in the Portland area, there was a glut of rental sales last month. Picked one up from the dealer - '08, SR5, V6, 38k on the clock, Toyota certified, $21,700. Apparently, the way to tell if it is a rental - SR5, 3rd row seats (so they can market it as a "7 passenger" vehicle), no roof rack...

I bought that same rack off of eBay. Numerous dealers selling on eBay offer them for a heck of a lot less than my local dealers wanted. The pricing you linked to is pretty decent. Install took all of 45 minutes. The instructions were very clear and the whole thing was strait forward. Quality is...

Nope. I am comparing the Husky liners to the WeatherTech DigiFit liners... I've seen the WeatherTech liners on a 4R and I have the Husky liners. They are both good. Covered in mud, the enhanced look of the WTs seems sort of meaningless. Don't get me wrong; I am not saying there is anything...

I snagged Husky mats for about $60 shipped on eBay. Saved about $40 over the competing Weathertech floor mats. Got sort of worried given everyone on here tends to rave about Weathertechs... Turns out, no need to worry. The Husky liners fit perfectly, those sharp little nubs on the bottom keep...

I snagged a 5th GEN Vin number from the dealer and threw it onto Toyota's Owners website (sort of a useless appendage if you ask me). I did this so I could read the manual... In my reading of the manual, it states NO cautions as to driving in 4WD, with the 5th GEN, on dry pavement. It only...

Are you in Canada? If shipping wouldn't double the price, I would be more than happy to take it off your hands! Drop me a PM (i am out the door now) and we can figure out how painful the shipping/customs will be. Thanks!

Humm, are you sure about this? I know the V8s have larger brakes as well as a different (7000lbs, weight distributing) hitch. My impression was that the V6 hitch was really just a port installed option that consists of a bumper cover and the small hitch assembly bolted to the frame cross...

I've been researching trailer hitch options. Really, all I want/need is the 5000lbs rated factory hitch. I would prefer to keep the departure angles on my rig as clean as possible and I like the integrated bumper look. Since I already have a line on an inexpensive painted bumper, all I really...

In my experience shopping around a month ago, V8 4 Runners from the 04-06 vintage with 40k-80k on the odometer actually sell for LESS than V6s. Personally, I think it comes down to three issues: - Fuel economy. The V8 doesn't offer significantly less MPG than the V6, but most people look at...

I've been searching for something like this, and couldn't find it, so I'll just ask: Is there a product out there that uses the factory TPMS sensors, but provides a readout of actual tire pressures/temps? There are aftermarket kits (from Hella and Orange Electric) that use identical/similar...

The current automotive market is all about finding a niche and owning it. Right now, the mid-size SUV market has no diesel options. The 4 Runner is the defacto leader in this segment amongst the enthusiast end of the market. That enthusiast segment is also pretty interested in diesels. Ergo, I...

Amazon. Amazon.com: Daystar KT09115BK Comfort Ride 2.5" Strut and Coil Spring Spacer Kit: Automotive If you've got Amazon Prime, you can have it tomorrow for $4 more. I threw mine in last week:

Personally, I think losing the center diff (and full time 4x4 option) in all but the Mall Cruiser Limited is a far larger loss to the platform than the V8. For those of you who want to tow, I think the better thing for Toyota to do would be to bring in a small, high torque, rugged, diesel...

Dont like the exaggerated kick up on the window at the D pillar, kind of pointless, why not just keep it flat and follow the tailight curve up? BMW originally put the "Hofmeister Kink" on the 1500 back in the early 1960s (so named for the head of BMW design at the time). The kink, along with 4...

Got to take a new SR5 around the block here in Portland. Helped that I just bought a CPO 2008 from them a couple of weeks ago. Impressions: Interior: Much more "modern" interior than the 4th Gen. Some nice enhancements and updates all around. A little heavy on the plastics and overly detailed...