5th Gen Features/Models/Differences

[1engineer]

Actually what is interesting, is that you feel obliged to say something about a feature on a 4Runner that appears to not even be your concern. Perhaps he requires the frequent use of a kayak for work or maybe it's his weekend hobby. Again, should not matter to you...You can be certain that if I was looking for a vehicle, it would at the minimum be able to facilitate my weekend hobbies and the accessories that come with it.

Logic: There are several racks and loading systems out there for Kayaks and Canoes. There are very few BOF SUV's. One costs a few grand, the other costs $35-$45 grand. IMO his logic is similar to the guy that buys a house to fit a refrigerator.

With that said it has been explained to him that the rear "spoiler" (it's not that but it's a name) is an integral part of the vehicle and houses the rear wiper assembly. The guy then responded that he does not even use his rear wiper ever. ???

Now, forget for a second that a few quick and easy and cheap modifications to the rack would let him use his existing loading apparatus even with the rear wiper housing. It has been done before, several times in fact.

IMO the guy was just looking for any reason he could find NOT to get a 4Runner. His logic was suspect to say the least. My .02.

 

[philsey]

Logic: There are several racks and loading systems out there for Kayaks and Canoes. There are very few BOF SUV's. One costs a few grand, the other costs $35-$45 grand. IMO his logic is similar to the guy that buys a house to fit a refrigerator.

With that said it has been explained to him that the rear "spoiler" (it's not that but it's a name) is an integral part of the vehicle and houses the rear wiper assembly. The guy then responded that he does not even use his rear wiper ever. ???

Now, forget for a second that a few quick and easy and cheap modifications to the rack would let him use his existing loading apparatus even with the rear wiper housing. It has been done before, several times in fact.

IMO the guy was just looking for any reason he could find NOT to get a 4Runner. His logic was suspect to say the least. My .02.

Just an observation, likely with no relevance whatsoever, but with a screen name of "Giesela", and being short enough to prompt the post, [MENTION=132640]Giesela[/MENTION] is probably an estrogen-based life form.

Consequently, male logic expressed in reply, is useless.

:hippie:

 

[Giesela]

Logic: There are several racks and loading systems out there for Kayaks and Canoes. There are very few BOF SUV's. One costs a few grand, the other costs $35-$45 grand. IMO his logic is similar to the guy that buys a house to fit a refrigerator.

With that said it has been explained to him that the rear "spoiler" (it's not that but it's a name) is an integral part of the vehicle and houses the rear wiper assembly. The guy then responded that he does not even use his rear wiper ever. ???

Now, forget for a second that a few quick and easy and cheap modifications to the rack would let him use his existing loading apparatus even with the rear wiper housing. It has been done before, several times in fact.

IMO the guy was just looking for any reason he could find NOT to get a 4Runner. His logic was suspect to say the least. My .02.

Making a lot of assumptions aren't you there buddy? Yes I am female, older and short - so it does make a difference. Its hard to get a kayak up there. I lean one end of the kayak against the back roof, lift up the the other end and then slide it through the hully rollers to the front saddle. I guess you think I should just not be concerned if the windshield wiper housing will hold up under repeated weight of the kayak over some years? The 4Runner is supposed to be one of the the last true sports UTILITY vehicles. Using the roof rack for all sorts of gear comes with that. Putting that wiper housing there is, IMO, dumb. It gets in the way.

And no, I don't use a rear wiper - I don't see other people using them very often either. IDK, maybe you live in Seattle. Most of us don't.

 

[05Rrunner]

Never "assume" it makes an "ass" of "u" and "me"

 

[1engineer]

Making a lot of assumptions aren't you there buddy? Yes I am female, older and short - so it does make a difference. Its hard to get a kayak up there. I lean one end of the kayak against the back roof, lift up the the other end and then slide it through the hully rollers to the front saddle. I guess you think I should just not be concerned if the windshield wiper housing will hold up under repeated weight of the kayak over some years? The 4Runner is supposed to be one of the the last true sports UTILITY vehicles. Using the roof rack for all sorts of gear comes with that. Putting that wiper housing there is, IMO, dumb. It gets in the way.

And no, I don't use a rear wiper - I don't see other people using them very often either. IDK, maybe you live in Seattle. Most of us don't.

Sorry for thinking you were a guy. Other than that there were no assumptions in my logic. I drive 30k a year and every SUV I see on the highway in the winter uses rear wipers. I was through Dayton a few weeks ago in driving rain and saw many SUV's using their rear wipers. If you want to be the one person to buy a house to fit a refrigerator the have at it.

Never "assume" it makes an "ass" of "u" and "me"

You are so right...

 

[NoDak]

Never "assume" it makes an "ass" of "u" and "me"

ok felix, calm down, go tiddy up a room or something

 

[Giesela]

I would be interested in hearing opinions of whether that windshield wiper housing would hold up to repeated kayak loadings and unloadings. Because don't forget, when I unload I pull on the back end and it hits and slides down the back of the roof.

 

[cjacob316]

I would worry more about the paint than the weight. The rear wiper is a moot point because the center brake light is in the spoiler. If it were me, I would invest in a side loading rack system or finding the the DIY rear loading assist mod posted in this forum because I would give up a kayak before I'd give up my 4runner.

Edit: here is a YouTube of it.https://youtu.be/ykODnXHfuM4

I didn't see the Yakima side load assist bars anymore, but they have a rear extending roller to accomdate the increasing amount of vehicles using rear spoilers.https://www.yakima.com/showboat-66

 

[NateXTR]

I would be interested in hearing opinions of whether that windshield wiper housing would hold up to repeated kayak loadings and unloadings. Because don't forget, when I unload I pull on the back end and it hits and slides down the back of the roof.

Not sure if you've considered the Thule 847 "outrigger" system. Basically the rear cross-bar extends two feet beyond the side of the vehicle allowing you to place the front of your kayak on it before you load. When I had my bike shop, I sold a number of these to customers who struggled with lifting their boats up onto their roofs. I think that you'll find that most "modern" suv/sav/crossover vehicles have some manner of "spoiler/wind-deflector" that is no-structural and therefore not suitable to put a boat on. The Thule system is designed to eliminate this potential damage.

 

[Jhalko]

I would be interested in hearing opinions of whether that windshield wiper housing would hold up to repeated kayak loadings and unloadings. Because don't forget, when I unload I pull on the back end and it hits and slides down the back of the roof.

Doubtful, the housing is plastic basically and I wouldn't expect much support in there. In the link below Jrob removed it and you can see there isn't much to it. With enough work I'm sure it could be uninstalled and most of that stuff taken out, but pretty sure the third brake light is required and to say you never use the rear wiper is silly. It'd probably hurt resale and I'd be concerned about leaks as in that pic he didn't get one of what was still attached.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/208335-my-4runner-project.html

 

[CatskillsRunner]

I would be interested in hearing opinions of whether that windshield wiper housing would hold up to repeated kayak loadings and unloadings. Because don't forget, when I unload I pull on the back end and it hits and slides down the back of the roof.

My kayak is 63 lbs. Since I've had this 4Runner I've only had help loading it once. Since it is a 17' sea kayak, the time it spends on the spoiler is minimal. I throw a towel over the spoiler and then lean the boat on it until I've pushed it far along enough to hook the hull up with the rollers. Sometimes the end of the boat, rudder and all, has to sit on the ground so I can get a good angle to push it up. But if you have a shorter boat than I it will spend more time on the spoiler.

I used to have Hully Rollers which I loved, but had to pull them off when I got a new roof rack. They sat higher than my new roof rack so it was better for the spoiler. It definitely leans on the spoiler. I don't really care...it's not going to hurt it. I think it's tougher than you realize.

In good weather, I can put down the back window and climb up behind the boat to push it further onto the rack. (With the new rack I just use the ladder.) Also, and again before I got the new rack and ladder, I used to just throw my duckie in the back and put the back window down. My 12' boat also fits in that way.

My 4Runner is at least 3" higher than a stock one. I am 5'6" and fit. I can carry this boat on one shoulder. If you think you might have a hard time with loading it, Thule and Yakima I think have options to make loading a lot easier. Don't make this be the thing that makes you not get one! Figure out something that works. The 4Runner is worth it.

 

[desertred]

I find it interesting that you are choosing your vehicle around a rack system rather than the other way around. Must be a very special rack.

I actually bought a vehicle based strictly on a rack. I was trying to carry a 22 foot 25 pound racing canoe utilizing a short based roof rack. That set up did not work very well when traveling through high cross winds. To solve the situation, I went to my local Yakima rack supplier and combed the entire catalog to see what vehicle had the longest recommended distance between crossbar A and B. I bought that vehicle.

 

[Giesela]

Thanks for all the comments, lots of good stuff there.
So with a little care it sounds like the housing should hold up to
some careful leaning/loading/unloading. I use one of those little house rugs with a slightly rubberized back on the roof line currently so not worried about the paint. Also looks like maybe there is a new side loader option than the one I was thinking about. Thank you for making me look into that more.

If I end up kayaking a lot more in retirement, (one of the things I'm hoping) I will def look into that. Def don't want to haul around a ladder, I haul around a bunch of stuff as it is. Know a guy with a Cruiser that has to use a ladder. It also adds an element of accident waiting to happen. I'll be 60 this summer and don't expect to get stronger as a I age. I also know I'm asking a lot of questions but seeing how I'm still driving a 97 Blazer (which I absolutely love, its like my Goldilocks car, longer cargo space, great ground clearance but overall smaller, lower) I expect I'll want to drive whatever I buy a really long time unless I make a big mistake and hate it. This is also a really expensive car relative to my budget.
My kayak is only 12'. I suppose I could get a little trailer though maybe that's a bit ridiculous? Certainly would help with the height issue.

 

[Giesela]

I would worry more about the paint than the weight. The rear wiper is a moot point because the center brake light is in the spoiler. If it were me, I would invest in a side loading rack system or finding the the DIY rear loading assist mod posted in this forum because I would give up a kayak before I'd give up my 4runner.

Edit: here is a YouTube of it.https://youtu.be/ykODnXHfuM4

I didn't see the Yakima side load assist bars anymore, but they have a rear extending roller to accomdate the increasing amount of vehicles using rear spoilers.https://www.yakima.com/showboat-66

That guys video illustrates my point - I am not alone. Should people really have to go through all this to use the roof rack on a utility vehicle? And I wasn't aware that the antenna stuck up higher than the roof rack. Why put on a roof rack if you are going to put in so many obstacles to use it? I know the 4Runner is great but if people don't complain nothing ever changes. I love this guys ingenuity but he's working pretty hard and I'm not tall enough for all that. The Yakima one looks good.

 

[1engineer]

That guys video illustrates my point - I am not alone. Should people really have to go through all this to use the roof rack on a utility vehicle? And I wasn't aware that the antenna stuck up higher than the roof rack. Why put on a roof rack if you are going to put in so many obstacles to use it? I know the 4Runner is great but if people don't complain nothing ever changes. I love this guys ingenuity but he's working pretty hard and I'm not tall enough for all that. The Yakima one looks good.

M'am,
The "Utility" in Sport Utility Vehicle is purposely vague. This means it can do many different things but to do any one thing well would mean no more "Utility." On my rack I have hauled lumber, bikes, bags, mattress, coolers, a door and a raft. For each and every one of these items I could design a better rack that would be specific to that task. For utility and simplicity though, nothing beats two rails.

The entire 4Runner is designed that way. It does not ride especially well off road nor does it ride especially well on road. It does not get really good gas mileage but not really bad either. The interior is average at best. All the cool little gizmos and tech that is offered in other vehicles is almost non existent in a 4Runner. The drivetrain and suspension design has been around for a LONG time with a few little electronic tweaks that help out. The powertrain is not the best nor does it offer a lot of HP like others do. Understand?

Now what the 4Runner excels at are two things: Reliability and durability. Also it holds it's residual value really really well. Sure, it is a "jack of all trades master of none" kind of vehicle but it is a member of a very exclusive club, meaning it can go a long way off road and then turn around and go a long way on road with no ill effects. Very few vehicles anymore can claim that. Sure a Jeep unlimited Rubicon can go off road better but on road it suffers mightily. Any CUV's or soft roaders will have better tech features and handle the road better but it won't go very far up the trail before you get it stuck or damage it.

The vehicle that truly beats the 4Runner in every way is the Land Cruiser. Unfortunately if you are pushing your budget with a $35K 4Runner then the $85K Land Cruiser is not an option.

Good luck and again, there are many more racks out there that would work for you. Very few vehicles in the 4Runner class though.

 

[Scooter Dude]

Thanks for all the comments, lots of good stuff there.
So with a little care it sounds like the housing should hold up to
some careful leaning/loading/unloading. I use one of those little house rugs with a slightly rubberized back on the roof line currently so not worried about the paint. Also looks like maybe there is a new side loader option than the one I was thinking about. Thank you for making me look into that more.

If I end up kayaking a lot more in retirement, (one of the things I'm hoping) I will def look into that. Def don't want to haul around a ladder, I haul around a bunch of stuff as it is. Know a guy with a Cruiser that has to use a ladder. It also adds an element of accident waiting to happen. I'll be 60 this summer and don't expect to get stronger as a I age. I also know I'm asking a lot of questions but seeing how I'm still driving a 97 Blazer (which I absolutely love, its like my Goldilocks car, longer cargo space, great ground clearance but overall smaller, lower) I expect I'll want to drive whatever I buy a really long time unless I make a big mistake and hate it. This is also a really expensive car relative to my budget.
My kayak is only 12'. I suppose I could get a little trailer though maybe that's a bit ridiculous? Certainly would help with the height issue.

A trailer isn't crazy, I use a Yakima Rack and Roll trailer and love it, I solo canoe often and ride bikes too and I'm height challenged (5' 6") and my canoe and bike are really lightweight (it's all about the height for me). Yeah they are a few dollars but not much more than a good ass rack system and it stores easy in the garage and there is craigslist - it's worth it, I canoe and bike more since as it's so easy...

 

[cjacob316]

That guys video illustrates my point - I am not alone. Should people really have to go through all this to use the roof rack on a utility vehicle? And I wasn't aware that the antenna stuck up higher than the roof rack. Why put on a roof rack if you are going to put in so many obstacles to use it? I know the 4Runner is great but if people don't complain nothing ever changes. I love this guys ingenuity but he's working pretty hard and I'm not tall enough for all that. The Yakima one looks good.

My Yakima bars sit higher than the antenna, I'm sure other aftermarket bars do as well. I agree, I don't think the trouble for that contraption is worth it, but some prefer the DIY route, also since he runs the oem cross bars, he probably can't use the Yakima load assist. I could probably get a lighter Kayak on without using any devices, his is a big heavy kayak though. I would invest in the Yakima load assist if I couldn't clear the spoiler. Just a much more simple design and better suited for use at the launch as well. I think you would also use what is called a "bed extender". They attach to hitch receiver, and some can be oriented vertically rather than horizontally giving you a higher leverage point to keep your Kayak above the spoiler when loading and adds an extra support/mount point.

Also, pretty much every SUV/CUV built today has a big plastic spoiler on the rear and some even have a bigger antenna, ie JGC. In case you haven't read too many threads here though, people complain until they are blue in the face, it doesn't change anything.

 

[RockyMountainT4R]

...Now what the 4Runner excels at are two things: Reliability and durability. Also it holds it's residual value really really well. Sure, it is a "jack of all trades master of none" kind of vehicle but it is a member of a very exclusive club, meaning it can go a long way off road and then turn around and go a long way on road with no ill effects. Very few vehicles anymore can claim that. Sure a Jeep unlimited Rubicon can go off road better but on road it suffers mightily. Any CUV's or soft roaders will have better tech features and handle the road better but it won't go very far up the trail before you get it stuck or damage it.

The vehicle that truly beats the 4Runner in every way is the Land Cruiser. Unfortunately if you are pushing your budget with a $35K 4Runner then the $85K Land Cruiser is not an option...

:thumb3:

 

[BillyBob69]

OK Now that I have gone through and read most of the posts.... My head is spinning.
I am in the market...Have been looking at 2013 thru 2015 4Runners. Sooo... WTH do I get?
I am looking making it my daily driver...maybe down the road add a couple inches lift..nothing major. Wont see much off road...mostly playing in the snow and muddy roads...drifts on our dirt road..maybe pull the lil ATV trailer. The occasional trail run but nothing hard core. Drive it into the Rockies for hunting season and on fire roads.
I have been noticing though that the 2012 & 2013 models are the same if not more expensive than the 2014 & 2015s with lower miles...Why? What was changed?
Ihere are some things that I definitely want on mine...
Auto tranny, Nav, backup cam, heated seats, Bluetooth... The comfort goodies.
I may not be getting off road hard core but I will play a lot in the snow and mud roads as I live in the sticks....

Thoughts? Recommendations? Experiences?

Thanks all!

 

[mybabydaddy]

Cannot comment on the pricing variations/comparison, as I am not shopping right now and never really did back when I bought mine (since I already had a 4Runner and got another new one)... But, I can give you feedback on the models from my perspective.

I'd give the Trail Premium a long hard look. It will accomplish everything you just listed, and still give you majority of the creature comforts that most of us enjoy these days. I swapped a Limited for a TEP last year and haven't thought twice about it. Of course, mine has KDSS, so that might come into play a little as well. I've now modded mine ever so slightly and killed some of the comfy ride, but that was the plan all along this time. Even tho the Limited fits my lifestyle perfectly, the little voice inside my head always wanted the Runner I have now... Black Beauty!

Edited: truth be told, I do miss the push button start on the Limited...