4Runner Drivers: They hate us ‘cause they ain’t us

2

2021nightshade4x4

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Generally we only see manufacturers with 10+ model year runs of the same generation “get away with it” if the vehicles have so captivating that they have won a cult-like following.

4Runners included, I could say the same about Range Rover L322’s and G-Wagons.

Critics will attack the interior, transmission, engine, but we have a proven drivetrain that’s so simple it’s stupid. If you try to “improve” upon it, you do so at the cost of reliability.

Still loving it. What about everyone else?


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Yeah ....its like classic vanilla ice cream. Always delicious and you can modify it with anything to suit your tastes.
 
I've never cared what 'critics' have to say about anything.

I have a 4Runner precisely because of what it is.
 
Like the 68 F100 I've been driving for 37 years. (still do)
Basic vehicle, no frills, just keeps going.
Still has original 240 straight 6. Manual transmission, brakes, steering, window handles. Rubber floor mat, metal interior. Twin I-beam front suspension. A hybrid of straight axle and IFS.
But the 4runner has air conditioning, and it's hot here in AZ.

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I don't want a bunch of extra stuff anyway. My friend bought herself her first Benz and it had a bunch of useless feature most people would never use. Oh you want the lighting in the zone you're in to change blue when you lower the temp or red when you raise it? Most of the junk in techy cars is a gimmick to say they have X amount of options over brand X so more better and people fall for it.

Radar cruise is nice when it works well but Toyota doesn't do that well.
 
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While driving from Montana to SoCal over the weekend, had the opportunity to chat with an FJ Cruiser owner while filling up in Scipio, Utah. I asked him how many miles he had on his FJ. He said take a guess. I said 200K+. He replied 570K, but he had rebuilt the engine, though was on the original transmission. Our 2014 4Runner had just passed 298K miles and shows no sign of giving it up. This is the most reliable car we have ever owned and by a large margin.
 
Reliability is where it’s at in my book. Some of those new car dash screens stick up like an open laptop. Looks ridiculous IMO. Keep it simple and make it reliable are my 2 requirements. An actual button for everything and everything in its place. Done and done Toyota. My 2012 SR5 with only 52k mi is my sweet spot. Might be my last vehicle.
 
Whippersnapper02 said:
I don't want a bunch of extra stuff anyway. My friend bought herself her first Benz and it had a bunch of useless feature most people would never use. Oh you want the lighting in the zone you're in to change blue when you lower the temp or red when you raise it? Most of the junk in techy cars is a gimmick to say they have X amount of options over brand X so more better and people fall for it.

Radar cruise is nice when it works well and Toyota doesn't do that well.
Click to expand...

I hate the radar cruise on the 4R. Its awful.
 
I feel like automotive critics don't give reliability as much weight as they should. most people lease or finance their vehicles with the intention of getting rid of them after 2-5 years. so reliability is not a huge concern. even the worst brands can generally make it 2-5 years with proper upkeep.

when your audience is mostly short term buyers with warranties, reliability is an after thought. tech, convenience, 0-60 and driving experience becomes important because that's really what you are paying for in the near term

when you remove reliability from the 4runner you have outdated tech, outdated interior and a worse driving experience than other brands. but for me , it's a great tradeoff for a vehicle that is mostly going to be trouble free for hundreds of thousands of miles. 4runners are already expensive, more tech equals more cost. there's going to be an inflection point where the prices of 4runners just become too high and people will cross shop lexus more than they already are doing
 
2021nightshade4x4 said:
Generally we only see manufacturers with 10+ model year runs of the same generation “get away with it” if the vehicles have so captivating that they have won a cult-like following.

4Runners included, I could say the same about Range Rover L322’s and G-Wagons.

Critics will attack the interior, transmission, engine, but we have a proven drivetrain that’s so simple it’s stupid. If you try to “improve” upon it, you do so at the cost of reliability.

Still loving it. What about everyone else?


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Click to expand...

Honestly? For how most people use 5th gens the current product offering is an embarrassment. Anemic and inefficient powerplant, 5AT, archaic technical features that arent competitive. The list goes on and on....

Why do I love my 5th gen? Because it is extremely durable off-road and gets me to remote places reliably. I couldn't imagine tolerating it as a daily driver though. There are so many better options out there for that.
 
Love my ‘18 SR5.

The generation of GM trucks that started in ‘73 lasted in the same basic form until ‘87 and sold like hotcakes, so a long lasting generation doesn’t turn people off in itself.

Car magazine testers are a whiny bunch anyway. They bash vehicles because it lacks some electronic doo-dad that Brand Y has, never mind that the doo-dad is a $10k option on Brand Y. Or totally irrelevant in the real world.

I remember a three way comparison some years back that one of the car magazines did that I thought was eye opening. The Ford F-150 Raptor was the new kid on the block and highly praised and sought after. So how did the Raptor fare in the real world? A multi-day three truck comparison over public roads in winter in eastern Canada to the Hudson Bay was done. Guess what? The Raptor came in last. It was handily beaten by the Ram Power Wagon, followed by a Chevrolet Silverado. Yeah, the Raptor can jump higher and farther than the ‘68 Charger of the Dukes of Hazard in the Mojave Desert, but it did poorly over snow and ice covered roads of rural Canada. The Raptor has its place, but not in my garage.

Take a look at old Motor Trend and other car enthusiast magazines from the 1950s and 1960s. Many vehicles were tested in part on dirt roads. Even mild dirt hill climbs. They don’t even test new 4x4s that way. At best they might go through an off road park. Otherwise they run it on the shoulder of the road a quarter mile and declare Brand Z superior because it has Apple Car Play, which Brand X don’t have.

When I decided to let my ‘02 Tacoma TRD 4x4 go to my son and get a SUV, I gave it serious thought for about a year. I knew from the beginning that the 4Runner was the replacement for me. But I looked at the American alternatives hard and was convinced that they didn’t have the overall versatility and value that a 4Runner provides for me. American truck based SUVs are too big, not truly off road capable, and aren’t built as solid nor have that quality feel as the 4Runner.

Again, I love my ‘18 SR5.
 
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Xtremluck said:
Honestly? For how most people use 5th gens the current product offering is an embarrassment. Anemic and inefficient powerplant, 5AT, archaic technical features that arent competitive. The list goes on and on....

Why do I love my 5th gen? Because it is extremely durable off-road and gets me to remote places reliably. I couldn't imagine tolerating it as a daily driver though. There are so many better options out there for that.
Click to expand...

My wife and I both have 5th gens and we both daily drive them. I have no complaints and don't have any power issues, etc. It is an SUV not a sports car. I have had plenty of powerful cars, most recently a C7 Corvette. I don't expect the 4runner to take a entrance ramp or exit pulling a full G! Or get up to 60 in less than 4 seconds - LOL. It does what it is supposed to do, and I find it a hell of a lot more comfortable than the corvette on a long trip!
If I had to complain...it has 4 doors! :bolt:

But, hey...everyone expects/wants different things from their vehicles. So, opinions, complaints, likes, dislikes will vary with every post.
 
DallasTRDPro said:
I hate the radar cruise on the 4R. Its awful.
Click to expand...

Did you ever see if you could get the vehicle set to have it off by default before trying that permanent disable TSB I linked a while back?

Xtremluck said:
Honestly? For how most people use 5th gens the current product offering is an embarrassment. Anemic and inefficient powerplant, 5AT, archaic technical features that arent competitive. The list goes on and on....

Why do I love my 5th gen? Because it is extremely durable off-road and gets me to remote places reliably. I couldn't imagine tolerating it as a daily driver though. There are so many better options out there for that.
Click to expand...

I mean you're not wrong; but there isn't much in the way of BoF vehicles left that directly compete with the 4Runner. Not to mention those that are relatively in the same "class" have plenty of issues with their new technology and extra gears. I still don't get people's obsession with having "new" things for the sake of new things; I suppose it's just that Apple mentality bleeding into other categories.

I also don't really understand the need for so many superfluous features? Most of the feature lists in Toyota/Lexus, let alone other brands just make me cringe. People on this forum already throw fits over the cost of "special features" like XREAS, KDSS, and having an infotainment system or replacing a Smart Key. You want to deal with replacing seat climate modules, back door assemblies w/ actuators, useless panoramic sunroofs, ridiculous amounts of expensive computers, sensors, etc. out of pocket? Then again... the reality is the vast majority of people get sucked into buying vehicles they probably can't afford because of all the shiny bells and whistles so it syncs up to their iPhone (that they probably couldn't afford or irresponsibly spend their money on), so that when it all breaks... they can get sucked into buying a new car with more things to break... :shrug: Job security I guess?

I feel like the whole industry and "critics/journalists" are just modeling themselves after Apple and similar companies, hide poor engineering and quality with shiny "features," shiny gimmicks, and hype the hell out of all of it to lock people into their ecosystem and keep you buying the latest and greatest because why do you want to spend $6k to fix the massaging crotch warmers in your seat when you can get the newest version in the latest model! Man... when did I become a boomer? :twitch:
 
BlackWorksInc said:
Did you ever see if you could get the vehicle set to have it off by default before trying that permanent disable TSB I linked a while back?



I mean you're not wrong; but there isn't much in the way of BoF vehicles left that directly compete with the 4Runner. Not to mention those that are relatively in the same "class" have plenty of issues with their new technology and extra gears. I still don't get people's obsession with having "new" things for the sake of new things; I suppose it's just that Apple mentality bleeding into other categories.

I also don't really understand the need for so many superfluous features? Most of the feature lists in Toyota/Lexus, let alone other brands just make me cringe. People on this forum already throw fits over the cost of "special features" like XREAS, KDSS, and having an infotainment system or replacing a Smart Key. You want to deal with replacing seat climate modules, back door assemblies w/ actuators, useless panoramic sunroofs, ridiculous amounts of expensive computers, sensors, etc. out of pocket? Then again... the reality is the vast majority of people get sucked into buying vehicles they probably can't afford because of all the shiny bells and whistles so it syncs up to their iPhone (that they probably couldn't afford or irresponsibly spend their money on), so that when it all breaks... they can get sucked into buying a new car with more things to break... :shrug: Job security I guess?

I feel like the whole industry and "critics/journalists" are just modeling themselves after Apple and similar companies, hide poor engineering and quality with shiny "features," shiny gimmicks, and hype the hell out of all of it to lock people into their ecosystem and keep you buying the latest and greatest because why do you want to spend $6k to fix the massaging crotch warmers in your seat when you can get the newest version in the latest model! Man... when did I become a boomer? :twitch:
Click to expand...


Anyone who’s opened a car magazine knows there’s bias when every sedan’s handling is compared to a BMW 3 series and you can’t review a hybrid, let alone an EV, without Tesla’s name appearing at least 3 times in the article.


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02SE said:
I've never cared what 'critics' have to say about anything.

I have a 4Runner precisely because of what it is.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

I don't care for most modern interiors, especially the giant floating touchscreens that seems to be all the rage.
 
Dynamo said:
Exactly.

I don't care for most modern interiors, especially the giant floating touchscreens that seems to be all the rage.
Click to expand...


Glare city. Keep it under the dash brow.

Automakers know this; too, because it magically gets put in the right place on flagship vehicles.

S series
7 series
S8
RS6
Yukons and Escalades


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