1st long distance trip in my 2018, impressions
- Thread starter JAXJeremy
- Start date
chepushila
New member
I congratulate you on your purchase. I have a funny story about this. My wife and I bought a new car at that time and decided to check it out by going to Germany. We had to go about 6 hours probably. A hundred miles from Germany, the car refused to go any further. We found the nearest repair service and as it turned out, the car will have to wait about two days. What to do, we decided to go to Germany. We knew that we would have to wait for the train for about three hours, because we looked at the schedule on the db auskunft website, so we decided to buy food and book a hotel room. In three of the four that we watched, there was no place for us. Mf at that moment felt like losers. Everything else went smoothly and without incident. But I will never forget how we decided to test our new car. Now we don't take unverified cars
BearBio
New member
My initial thought was that they were uncomfortable until I adjusted the lumbar support in my SR5 (I have several compressed/fractured vertebrae=one in my neck and the rest in the lower thoracic and lumbar areas). No long drives yet but looking forward to this fall traveling throughout the SW (SoCal, Flagstaff, Tucson, Boulder & Denver) visiting relatives and friends.
I have no problems with my knee (Twice broken kneecap) and my wife is "borrowing" it due to a recent kneecap break (Getting old and brittle bones are a b---h!). I get the RAV for a couple of weeks.:clap2::clap2::clap2:
I have no problems with my knee (Twice broken kneecap) and my wife is "borrowing" it due to a recent kneecap break (Getting old and brittle bones are a b---h!). I get the RAV for a couple of weeks.:clap2::clap2::clap2:
CutthroatSlam
Senior Member
We drive our 2014 SR5 back and forth between our Fullerton, CA home and our ranch in Stevensville, Montana. it’s about 1,200 miles and we typically overnight in Salt Lake City. The truck has 265K trouble free miles on it. Typically averages 19.8 mpg at 80 mph. Very solid mechanically. Haven’t noticed the seats to be uncomfortable, but they aren’t luxurious. Had had the display unit drop off and it apparently needs a reset by a dealer.
TrailRunnin14
New member
It took me awhile to get used to the brakes. After having the 4Runner for almost 3 years now, I would say that these have great brakes on them. They have lots of pedal travel but they will stop quick, if needed. They just take time to get used to them.
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2021nightshade4x4
New member
Here’s the story that led me to buy a 4Runner.
At least it’s not like my 2020 Range Rover Evoque which made you seasick and almost put people through the windshield glass despite light steady pedal pressure. When you were almost stopped, the brakes would bite even harder. If you tried to feather out of it, they would release almost completely, then grab, release, etc. and just buck the vehicle.
I traded in that lease early because of the above issue as well as the revvy nature of the turbo 4 cylinder engine, FWD-biased AWD system, and 9 speed transaxle. Despite buying from new, by-the-book maintenance, and giving almost 20k miles before giving up on it, I felt it never went through the “learning” process and adapted to the driver. No error codes ever but the drivetrain felt like it was binding while accelerating from a stop.
Good riddance. Enter: The 4Runner.
The Toyota reminds me so much of my 2004 Durango. Big displacement, smooth, 5 speed transmission, also AWD. Sometimes you need a big, “dumb”, tired drivetrain to be happy. Less gears, more displacement, smoother revving. My Durango had 4 wheel disc so I’m surprised to see the 4Runner with rear drum brakes 17 years later. Nonetheless it drives like a dream at just 7k miles and I wouldn’t mind keeping this for 20 years.
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At least it’s not like my 2020 Range Rover Evoque which made you seasick and almost put people through the windshield glass despite light steady pedal pressure. When you were almost stopped, the brakes would bite even harder. If you tried to feather out of it, they would release almost completely, then grab, release, etc. and just buck the vehicle.
I traded in that lease early because of the above issue as well as the revvy nature of the turbo 4 cylinder engine, FWD-biased AWD system, and 9 speed transaxle. Despite buying from new, by-the-book maintenance, and giving almost 20k miles before giving up on it, I felt it never went through the “learning” process and adapted to the driver. No error codes ever but the drivetrain felt like it was binding while accelerating from a stop.
Good riddance. Enter: The 4Runner.
The Toyota reminds me so much of my 2004 Durango. Big displacement, smooth, 5 speed transmission, also AWD. Sometimes you need a big, “dumb”, tired drivetrain to be happy. Less gears, more displacement, smoother revving. My Durango had 4 wheel disc so I’m surprised to see the 4Runner with rear drum brakes 17 years later. Nonetheless it drives like a dream at just 7k miles and I wouldn’t mind keeping this for 20 years.
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DAW89446
Member
I’ve been completely satisfied with all aspects of my ‘18 SR5 since I bought it used in 2019. I’ve put a bit over 16,000 miles on it (now a little over 40k). I live in an isolated place, so any trip to “town” requires at least two hours and 150 or more miles each way. The truck gets a lot of dirt road driving as well. And some real off road driving, especially during hunting season. This year I’ve been developing some acreage I bought, so it has been put to use as a tractor and pickup truck without any issue (other than being supremely filthy inside and out). Again, I’m totally happy.
I bought a 2021 TRD Pro last February and was pleasantly surprised by the highway manners. The drone from the Pro exhaust is a little annoying but overall comfort is nice. I have done two nonstop 900 mile drives on I5 from Washington to California with zero issues. I actually used the adaptive cruise control a lot on those drives. Overall the Pro has been very versatile. I bought it to replace an almost new Subaru Crosstrek. I should have bought the 4Runner in the first place!
Your 4R has rear disc brakes too....
2021nightshade4x4
New member
I just checked my subscriptions and somehow I got added to the 3rd Gen forums as well. Must have been where I read it. Aside from that, my story stands.
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jrandom
New member
3rd Gens FTW! I had a ‘99 for for eight years, bought mine second-life too, I loved that truck (apart from the idiocy of an engine with a timing belt) Great all-around truck, mine was super comfortable and surprisingly solid for having 100k on it when I bought it.
Ugh yeah, no bias “hear” mine is definitely noisier than my previous 3rd Gen BUT and order of magnitude quieter than my old HiLux
IMHO overall Toyota has seemed to have really “cheapened” the interior. The plastics scratch super easy and seem thinner (I haven’t take a micrometer to them
) the door trim is well mostly plastic now, too (my ‘99 had cloth and padded vinyl IIRC) oh and the carpet is way less “shaggy” with less “pile” (sorry my carpet speak suffers from any formidable knowledge on the subject) All things that add to the lack of dampening of road noise.Overall, it doesn’t so much bother when driving on surface streets but when blowing through rural country is when I notice the noise the most.
Extreme but a few audiophile types here have stripped their interiors and added a few hundred pounds of butyl sound dampening and have reported excellent quiet cabin results :biggrin1:
My seats have softened a little over time and I feel they are much more comfortable now than when I first bought the truck. I can easily tolerate longer hours in the drivers seat. Prior, when it was new, I struggled with longer than an hour (I too have a three herniated lower lumber). Thankfully they seem better now, or my it is my physique has acclimated to them!
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