so I am a former 06 SR5 owner who just bought a gently used 9k miles 2012 Limited... have always been a huge Toyo fan, first car was a new Tacoma way back in the day... so my almost 3 week observation so far is that I am less impressed with this newer rig than my 06, and particulalry so when considering the price tag... first observation was I dont like the AWD only and fuel mileage, motor seems a bit weak or lagging, doors sound paper thin when you open and close, and in general things just dont seem to be up to the typical Toyo solid as a rock fit/finish... oh, and the heat on super cold days is mediocre at best, today it was 10deg outside, and you had to have it on high fan and high heat to stay comfortable, my old 06 with 105k miles would have burnt your legs on those same heat settings after 20-30min of drive time... in short, I love the looks, just a bit disappointed considering the price point and over all quality... I might be moving on to a new F150 V6 ecoboost quad cab, that Ford V6 ecoboost is like a rocket ship compared to this 4runner.
2012 Limited Review
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FrontRange4Runner
New member
You will be Happy with the resale value of the 4runner. You won't be happy be happy with the resale value of the Ford if you decide you don't like that after a month. Good luck with the new vehicle. It seems the 5th gen is not for everyone, especially the 4th gen guys :roadkill:
Socalrugger
New member
I think you're right.....I went 3rd Gen, Audi, Audi, 5th Gen......love this thing
Most of your first observations should have been found during a brief test drive of the vehicle. The rest I can understand, as you need time with it to experience it. My '13 LTD is fantastic in the cold (0F for a few days here now and -5F tonight...). I have to turn it down to <30% or so or I'll melt when set at 73F.
I wonder if your slightly used one had some tough love or something that is causing a few of the things you described. Whatever you choose, good luck and enjoy it!its possible also that you might have a different view if you just went with the 2014 4runners, but then it also depends on your expectations of the 4runner.
looks like you have price remorse, perhaps ?. thats why i went for the SR5 - but then my point of comparison was my relatively primitive 1998 tacoma that was all manually operated including the transmission, car seats, windows, door locks
My sense, although I have not driven the 2012 and 2013 models, is that the 2014 models represent the crowning glory of 5th generation technology, looks ,aesthetics,features and comforts. in other words whatever complaints there were in the earlier 5th generation models have now been fixed in the 2014(thats just my take).
My guess is that the 2015 and maybe 2016 will be essentially 2014s then maybe in 2016 and up there will be a 6th generation which will generate new complaints since it will have new technology/features being introduced -maybe it will become unibody ,hahaha, or it will have hybrid or hydrogen and so on. Then a few years after the 6th generation's introduction, most of the complaints will have been ironed our or fixed. The 5th generation might become the last of the Mohicans if the 6th generation switches to unibody - just being pessimistic as the nissan pathfinder is now unibody with hybrid engine.
looks like you have price remorse, perhaps ?. thats why i went for the SR5 - but then my point of comparison was my relatively primitive 1998 tacoma that was all manually operated including the transmission, car seats, windows, door locks
My sense, although I have not driven the 2012 and 2013 models, is that the 2014 models represent the crowning glory of 5th generation technology, looks
,aesthetics,features and comforts. in other words whatever complaints there were in the earlier 5th generation models have now been fixed in the 2014(thats just my take). My guess is that the 2015 and maybe 2016 will be essentially 2014s then maybe in 2016 and up there will be a 6th generation which will generate new complaints since it will have new technology/features being introduced -maybe it will become unibody ,hahaha, or it will have hybrid or hydrogen
and so on. Then a few years after the 6th generation's introduction, most of the complaints will have been ironed our or fixed. The 5th generation might become the last of the Mohicans if the 6th generation switches to unibody - just being pessimistic as the nissan pathfinder is now unibody with hybrid engine.
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this is a rough crowd... yeah I get the comments about taking a bit more time getting to know a vehicle... my real message here was simply that as a looooong time Toyo fan of multiple trucks, that I was disappointed in this one... because of my rock solid past history as a Toyo owner, I might have made some assumptions that should have been researched a bit more... that said, I am keeping an open mind for a few more miles
Canazes9
New member
If that's you keeping an open mind, I can't wait to read the posts once you are soured!
David
Dynamat and putting the foot down on the accelerator will change a lot of those perceptions. I had some similar when I first bought mine and having never test driven one (or any other vehicle I've ever bought). My second 4runner, 4th Toyota overall, car is bmw. Now that I'm 5k miles in I know I'll have it for a very long time.
..oh, and may want to change title from 'review'...as it's not a review, it's complaints.
Just one comment about the heater.
My 4runner takes the longest to put out heat of any vehicle I've owned, but once up to temp it will burn me out. Seriously, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to get warm where my 5.4L V8 F150 will put out heat in 5 minutes - so will my 3.0L '03 Avalon.
If yours never gets hot, I suggest a trip to the service bay.
My 4runner takes the longest to put out heat of any vehicle I've owned, but once up to temp it will burn me out. Seriously, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to get warm where my 5.4L V8 F150 will put out heat in 5 minutes - so will my 3.0L '03 Avalon.
If yours never gets hot, I suggest a trip to the service bay.
JayceeP
New member
Mine blows reasonably warm air within minutes. Not hot, but less than 5 minutes down the road and the air is noticeably warmer.
1engineer
Moderator
You guys just have really efficient engines lol.
2013Trail
New member
Ignore the dolts that are giving you a hard time. There's no way in hell that you would discover everything about the vehicle--good or bad--until you owned it for a while. Undoubtedly the longer you own it the more things you'll find that you do and don't like about it. Typical ownership process.
I particularly hate the sun visors. But I only keep saying that to annoy the dolts.
you would think I pissed in someones cherios by most of these replies... I have never seen a bigger group of tampon toting girls in my life... gee, a guy makes a couple observations that have been backed up by others and you get flogged like a rabid cat... as for the guy who said it really isnt a review but complaints... go look up the definition of "review", and you will see its comprised of general comments, positives and negatives... pretty sure I had both good and bad things to say, and even if it was all bad its still my objective review... oh and I am still a huge Toyo fan, just not a big fan of this 5th gen 4R:laugh:...
Antman
Elite Member
No offense, but tough shit. Get used to it, we call 'em like we see 'em.
welcome to the internet, especially fanboy forums with know-it-all cheerleaders who try to exert control online because they have none in the real world and at home.
Nothing says "I'm so much more mature that you people!" than calling people names.
Brilliant.
