My impressions of the above Limited I took some camera pics of:
History - I have owned a 2000, 2003, and now my 2006 SE 4x4 V8.
first off it was a MG limited 4x4. Exterior wise, I am torn. I like the larger rims, but the tires are too skinny. I like the front and side profiles while the rear feels out of place. Being a limited I thought based on some previous pics that it looked like it was sitting too low, but not the case. The extra lower moldings & flares were decent looking without being over the top.
On to the interior. First off it had the black dash with black leather. The leather was soft(not as soft as the wifes IS350). The seat heaters worked fast and well. The upper dash material looks rugged and not real cheap even though its hard(not a deal breaker). The lower sections of the dash are a hard plastic common on most vehicles, nothing out of the ordinary(Good or bad). The armest does lack a bit in terms of design/finish. I did appreciate the nice soft vinyl/leather like material on the doors around the handles. Its too bad they did not use more of it elsewhere. The HVAC dials worked excellent with a very tactile feel to them. The HVAC buttons below the NAV also felt solid and more lexus like in operation(a solid improvement over my current 2006). The nav screen and interface was basic and intuitive, no different than any other Toyota/lexus systems. I liked the red lit readout screen above the NAV which gives outside temp, direction, and etc. The shifter felt solid and I did not get a chance to try the 4Lo dial(or the other offroad ATRA & center diff features). The best improvement interior wise to me was the optitron guages especially the center readout area in the middle of the dash. It appears almost 3-D like indicating gear position and the ODO. The tach and etc also is very legible and clean looking.
Steering wheel felt solid and thicker, I like the larger grip areas similar to sports cars. Seat comfort was fine to me up front(I did not sit in back). I am 6ft 165lbs for reference. The overall seating position was more commanding than my 2006 making the interior seem larger especially with the more upright windshield. I looked in the rear cargo area to find the optional slide out tray. The tray works fine and seems well built but all the crevies & etc will just trap my dogs fur everywhere when he rides back there. I also noticed Toyota dropped the electric locking mechanism from the back hatch....dumb move IMO.
Drive - First off my V8 feels much more zippy. You can feel the extra 400lbs on the 2010 and the lack of torque. Once its moving, I got on it a bit and it moves along much better once up to speed. The engine feels smooth and quiet while the ride felt a bit more firm maybe due to the 20" wheels versus my 17"s. Fortunately the GM lets me take vehicles for test drives with no salesman ever....we have known him for years
Handling was balanced with minimal body roll for a boxier SUV probably in part because of X-REAS that my SE has too. Steering almost felt too soft at slow speeds but built up "weight" at higher speeds thankfully.
Overall, I like the dash design, some exterior bits, the added technology, more interior room, larger wheels, but miss the V8 low end power/acceleration, the rear hatch closing mechanism, and the slide it tray may be a pain more so than its worth.
Hope this helps guys!
Brandon
