2012 Limited One Month In

[lezavw90]

We bought our Shoreline Blue Limited December 10th 2011. It's been one month and 3000kms and I thought I'd give my take to any prospective owners out there that are lurking around looking for info.

We originally had a 2009 Tacoma doublecab TRD that our growing family outgrew. The three vehicles in the running were the Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the 4runner. The explorer back seats were the same size as the Tacoma so it was eliminated.

At first I was wowed by the Jeep but after lots of looking the reliability thing I just couldn't handle.

Anyway. I couldn't be more happy with the 4runner and haven't regretted the purchase for a second. When you research online, the domestic manufacturers list absolutely every detail about their vehicles, Toyota does not. This makes the domestics look like they come with 100% more goodies. While the Jeep Cherokee does in the end have more gadgets the 4runner is definetly not lacking. I'm still today finding little things I didn't know about.

I could go on for a while writing everything I like about the 4runner but that would take to long. From someone who over researches every purchase I ended up with a 4runner and that says alot about Toyota.

 

[DKuhen]

Excellent news, I've got a shoreline blue limited on order that I should be getting before the end of the month. Thanks for your post.

 

[Pensacola33]

I was shocked when I was at a red light on a hill, then I took my foot off the brake and did not go backwards. I said, "Hmmmm." Another nice feature while on a hill instead of doing the quick cha-cha dance from brake to gas(know what I mean?) Congrats on the add!

 

[lezavw90]

When I was writing my original post I was going to go into more detail on some of the things I've noticed and comparison to the Tacoma but the babies started acting up and I had to attend to them.

Lot's of little things that add up in total. This vehicle was designed with ease of use in mind. Things like small interior lights everywhere that light up in all the right places (door handles, foot wells, etc). The fact that the exterior lights and interior lights turn on as you walk towards the vehicle with the smart key.

The brakes are outstanding. People complain of not enough power down low. I don't believe it's the engines fault, I would call it a soft throttle programmed by Toyota for fuel efficiency. This engine makes power you just need to overcome Toyota's drive by wire programming and step on it.

The only downside is storage. We were spoiled by our Tacoma with a canopy and we never thought about bulky purchases. Today we were are Costco and bought two mini recliners for the kids for like $50. We didn't even think till we got to the 4runner about where we were going to put them. The 4runner does have tons of storage but with two car seats strapped in and strollers it fills up pretty quick cause we can't fold the seats forward.

Also the 3rd row seats are fine in a pinch. I'm 5ft 10in tall and a fat 240lbs and I sat in them for 30 mins on a ride one day. You lose 95% of your storage with the seats but like the sales guy said " if you actually need to use the 3rd row seats all the time then the 4runner is not the right vehicle." Heck the 3rd row seats even get their own storage cubbies and cup holders.

Well back to the kids, lol.

 

[nashman69g]

glad to see you're happy so far...

 

[philsey]

glad to see you're happy so far...

+1.

Welcome. It's nice to see a new owner come aboard not pi$$ing and moaning about little things that should have been discovered on test drives.

 

[LiquidGx]

Awesome! I'm really none jonesing to take possession of mine. What's the coolest thing you've found that weren't aware of on your Limited?

 

[Ryan F.]

I have only owned Toyotas in my life, and have loved every one of them. However, my ride takes the cake. It has become my dream ride. Everything is perfect and I have had her for a year and a half. Awesomeness from the sound system to the electronics that keep everybody safe. I know that there is pissing and moaning about stuff, and that's fine; but this owner loves his Runner. I test drove the RX, the Venza (ruled out early), and the Runner. When I drove the RX, I felt the sense of quality. I felt the same thing in the 4Runner with a stiffer, sportier, capable, and passionate twist. I have been hugely pleased.

 

[lezavw90]

Awesome! I'm really none jonesing to take possession of mine. What's the coolest thing you've found that weren't aware of on your Limited?

Well I wrote a while bunch of stuff and I accidentally hit the back button on my mouse arggghhhh and lost it all. Is there an auto save feature here?

 

[DKuhen]

Awesome! I'm really jonesing to take possession of mine.

I know the feeling. Last thing I heard was mine would be at the port on the 17th, so I'd guess that's today. He said it would be about a week after getting to the port. So I'm really hoping to have mine next week sometime. The wait is torture.

 

[ApexRR]

I just bought my Magnet Gray 2012 Limited this Saturday, 1-14-12. I love it. It handles well and gets lots of looks from people passing by. My only gripe would be the ride. I knew the 4Runner is a frame on body and would have a rougher ride but coming from an Infiniti G35, 19" rims, its a bit bumpy. I know this is something I'll have to get use to. I also noticed the navigation isn't very specific when you try to enter grid coordinates. In other words, you can only enter siz digits instead of a full ten. If you need gps off road, I'd keep a Garmin handy.

 

[DKuhen]

I'm coming from a 2002 Sequoia with 220 HP that I've been driving for the last 10 years. When I drove the 4Runner it felt great.

 

[Chuck814]

I came from a 2003 Durango that had 200k when I traded up to my 2010 4R. As much as I loved my "D" , my T4R has been awesome. Two years in and 44K on the clock I have not had a single issue(other than the OEM tires,of course).The gas mileage is great and it rides and handles like it is on rails.

Best of luck with your new ride.