2019 to 2021 Trade In SR5- Observations, Factory Order Process Experience
 

I recently traded my 2019 4Runner SR5 in for a 2021 SR5 4x4 and managed to get a great deal and also came out of the purchase with some surprise observations. I thought I'd share the process in case anyone else is thinking of doing the same while trade values are up. This is a bit of a long form story here so settle in :cheers:

Buying Experience/ Cost

If you have not checked your KBB trade value in a while you might want to take a look. In the past year my 2019 gained $7,000 in trade value. Yup, that is not a typo. At 2.5 years and 54,000 miles I ultimately managed to get a trade value of only $3K less than I paid new out the door originally.

Thats great I figured but that doesn't matter if you can't get a good deal on the replacement. I am located in Wisconsin and worked through a dealer in Milwaukee. I reached out and said that I would trade if they got me a 2021 SR5 (based model with floor liners, same as 2019) for $6K out the door and they agreed without any haggling and they would order direct from the factory in Japan. That meant the price before fees on the new one was $2,400 UNDER MSRP.

On May 13th I signed a purchase contract and the order was confirmed by Toyota about two weeks later. On July 19th the vehicle arrived at the dealership. The dealer did a great job giving me weekly updates on progress. Interestingly the trade value went up during the dwell time and I got them to install a set of BFG K02's for no added charge as a result. I'm thrilled with the deal but probably could have done even better had I pushed.

Differences

The big draw for a 2021 for me was that I could reset the wear and tear clock and depreciation for a small amount of money relatively speaking. However, I liked some of the new additions like Apple CarPlay. These were my main takeaways a couple hundred miles in.

1. On all new current production 4Runners SmartKey is standard. I have a base SR5, not a premium, without the audio upgrade package. I have a SmartKey instead of a standard key. That was a running change in 2021. This includes the buttons on the hatch for the rear window too as a result!

2. The range calculator actually is accurate now. Full tank It shows about 430 miles compared to my 2019 with always showed 380 on full despite same tank size and same mileage.

3. The alignment seemed slightly different to where it handles a bit sharper (good way) but is a little more sensitive to road crown. Could just be variance within a factory spec but it was noticeable. The 2019 had the same tires so that shouldn't be a factor.

4. Base infotainment system does not have GPS built in but with CarPlay it was still a win overall.

5. Base infotainment system is significantly louder than the one in the 2019.

6. Infotainment does not have the maintenance pages anymore (slight bummer)

7. LED headlights are outstanding but I wish it had a LED DRL

8. Floor liners now have black "4Runner" logos instead of silver accented

9. The 2021 had an auto dimming rearview mirror standard

10. Gauge cluster is a bit harder to read but the new digital center screen speedometer print is easily 5 times larger than the 2019 readout making that much nicer to use.

11. The throttle pedal mapping, in my opinion, seems different. It's almost as if Toyota saw the people using the pedal commander and the tip in seems more aggressive.

12. No compass that I can find


All in all it is still possible to get a very good deal today on a trade in to the point it is almost more expensive not to get a new one when considering what depreciation and maintenance expense normally would be. To top it off, trade in on my 2021 after driving off the lot is $4,000 higher than than what I paid for it.

Crazy times

<a href="https://ibb.co/mG2JYZk"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/rmzkL8Y/Screen-Shot-2021-07-22-at-7-01-28-PM.png" alt="Screen-Shot-2021-07-22-at-7-01-28-PM" border="0"></a>

<a href="https://ibb.co/pvXZKX9"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/Fb7JY7j/4-Runner-1.jpg" alt="4-Runner-1" border="0"></a>

The real question is..... do you really get 430 on a tank of gas?

I have before on my 2019. I don't have that many miles yet on the 21. Where I drive I usually get about 19.5 to 20.

Auto dim mirror is only standard on premium/pro

I think that has changed along with the SmarKey. Mine is not a Premium but still has it and there is no line item option for it.

If you don't have auto dim mirror, it is easily changed out using readily available wiring harnesses: Interior Rear View Mirrors with Homelink(R)

I didn't think I'd need or want it but... I wish my '21 had the smart key. I had keyless entry/start on the Mustang the 4runner replaced and I do miss it.

I'd say for the updates you did well.

My trail (sr5) has auto dim mirror. Not a premium. Also don't have the smart key. They probably started adding some of these things to simplify the build lines.

I think that you're right on the money with the simplification of production. If one supplier can run one component full out vs switching between two that is definitely preferred these days even if piece price is slightly higher.