Advice on the 2019 TRD Pro

[Bruin1md]

So many updates since I last posted:
-I sold the GX460 in March of this year and did a dealer trade for a new 2017 Ram 1500 Rebel that was sitting on the lot and got a great price, plus some add ons.

I really thought I was going to love a full sized truck (and it looks amazing). The ride quality-- even with the Open country tires-- is actually very good-- probably better than my GX460 with the KO2's. But I'm realizing now that I won't use the bed nearly as much as I thought I would initially.
In addition, while I've gotten used to driving something substantially bigger than a 4runner or GX 460, it's still a pain much of the time in tight spaces, not to mention the site lines aren't great looking out over the hood if you're not 6'2
In addition, it's not nearly as stable in rain coming out of corners as I would have expected...............combo of that HemiV8 with disproportionate weight, the tires, and 2WD I'm guessing.

I've always loved the trd pro, but have talked myself out of getting it for a few years, and wondered how I would adjust after coming from the wonderful V8 of the GX.

I'll be moving in a year and plan on using the TRD pro for some light off roading, and basically as a DD. And yes, I know I don't 'need' the TRD pro relative to the other 4runner models, but there curbside appeal is important.

With that said, I've made note of some of the changes from '18 to '19:
1. Billstein to Fox shocks
2. Standard sun/moonroof
3. Roof rack
4. JBL speakers
5. Voodoo blue instead of Cavalry blue


One of my questions is:
I've always been told the Billstein shocks make for a very compliant and comfy ride with Pro. One friend told me I would find it as --if not more--comfortable than the GX, which surprised me a bit.
Any thoughts on the new Fox shocks? Are they worth the extra $3k+ the 2019 model is commanding? What little I can tell, they're supposed to make the ride even better off road than the Billsteins. I'm assuming that's the case on the pavement, too?

Another question:
Any possible way to get a different color? I'm peeved that Toyota did away with Cement. I LOVE all things blue (including most blue cars), but even I'm not sure I want this voodoo blue. It looks a bit .............tacky. If I'm not mistaken, it's the same color as they used for the FJ cruiser, and I didn't care too much for that shade of blue.
I really liked the cavalry blue for 2018, and I can't understand why Toyota did away with that.

I'm going to have a chance to drive a 2019 in black this Saturday (hopefully) so I'll post my driving impressions after.

FYI: Before posting this, I typed in "2019 trd pro" to search for similar threads and none came up.


Thanks in advance.

 

[HurricanePDX]

In regards to colors, each year Toyota offers the Pro in 3 colors, 2 standard and one exclusive color:

'15 - Inferno
'16 - Quicksand
'17 - Cement
'18 - Cavalry Blue
'19 - Voodoo Blue

So if you're looking for a 2019 Voodoo Blue is your only option along with Super White and Midnight Black Metallic

 

[Mr.Franko]

In regards to colors, each year Toyota offers the Pro in 3 colors, 2 standard and one exclusive color:

'15 - Inferno
'16 - Quicksand
'17 - Cement
'18 - Cavalry Blue
'19 - Voodoo Blue
'20 - Army Green

So if you're looking for a 2019 Voodoo Blue is your only option along with Super White and Midnight Black Metallic

ray2:

 

[heisenbise]

The Pro 4runner typically comes in black, white, and one "special" color. The special color changes every year.

My experience on the 2018 was that in my area the Pros were going for basically full MSRP while the OffRoad Premium could be picked up at a discount. It was actually cheaper for me to get a ORP and swap out all the parts that make it a Pro (grill, valances, wheels, blackout emblems, suspension). I also ended up using the Bilstein 6112/5160 instead of the "official" TRD versions, which allowed me to add more lift up front for a bit less rake. And I built it on a Barcelona Red w/ a sunroof which wasn't available.

I've been very happy with the Bilstein 6112/5160 so far. Notable improvement over the ORP factory suspension. Though its mostly a daily driver that does some weekend duty on forest roads, not a hardcore off roader.

Not sure how expensive the new roof rack and Fox suspension will be, or when the parts will even be available to purchase. So the math may be different in 2019.

 

[Bruin1md]

ray2:

Wait, what? For real-- army green in 2020 ??

Damn.......this may be worth waiting for. My truck is losing value at a rapid rate, however, and I can minimize that loss by dealing now.

I can likely get the TRD pro for $2500 under sticker...........fingers crossed

 

[Tejas]

I think the Fox suspension will be subjective and it is far too soon to get any real world long term feedback from owners and those that have had both. I would imagine that it would perform better off-road by a small amount, but I doubt there would be any improvement on road. This is just based off my previous experiences owning kits from both companies, but again, each model and kit is different so this is just conjecture at the moment.

The sunroof is for the birds IMHO. If I wanted one I would have bought a TRD ORP. I rarely open them and the shade is usually closed unless it's an overcast or rainy day, I know that's the opposite of most and laughs in the face of their intended purpose. I see it as something else to break or leak and if you run a full length rack, as a lot of us do, then what's the point? In short, I see no value added with the sunroof, but there are some who are thrilled about it, to each his own.

The "new" roof rack change is a joke. Toyota pulled a cheap bastard move and reused the rack design from the 2007-2014 FJ Cruiser. Odds are these are new-old stock racks they still had in inventory and saw a way to liquidate/repurpose them. They were fugly on the FJC and they are even more out of place on the 4Runner. I would find a 2014-2018 factory rack for cheap and change it out (or make the dealer do this) or swap to an aftermarket rack ASAP.

The stereo upgrade is a nice addition, but don't expect much from the JBL setup. It's better than the standard stereo, but it's still subpar IMHO.

In regards to the new special color this year I'll agree that it sucks. I don't know what Toyota was thinking when they did two blues in a row, but that's what we are working with Voodoo is terrible. I wasn't a fan of Cavalry Blue either but I'd take it over Voodoo any day. You can always get it in black or white too. They did offer them in Magnetic Gray back in 2016 as well, but now it seems the trend is black and white for the alternate colors these past few years.

Go test drive the black one this weekend and see what you think, who knows, if you put some pressure on them maybe you can get it below sticker. That's how I came into my black one and we were shopping for white.

 

[Mr.Franko]

Wait, what? For real-- army green in 2020 ??

Damn.......this may be worth waiting for. My truck is losing value at a rapid rate, however, and I can minimize that loss by dealing now.

I can likely get the TRD pro for $2500 under sticker...........fingers crossed

Get the Voodoo Blue now and trade it for the Green if its released next year. You won't have to worry about depreciation on a 4runner, especially the "exclusive" colors.

 

[Bruin1md]

I think the Fox suspension will be subjective and it is far too soon to get any real world long term feedback from owners and those that have had both. I would imagine that it would perform better off-road by a small amount, but I doubt there would be any improvement on road. This is just based off my previous experiences owning kits from both companies, but again, each model and kit is different so this is just conjecture at the moment.

The sunroof is for the birds IMHO. If I wanted one I would have bought a TRD ORP. I rarely open them and the shade is usually closed unless it's an overcast or rainy day, I know that's the opposite of most and laughs in the face of their intended purpose. I see it as something else to break or leak and if you run a full length rack, as a lot of us do, then what's the point? In short, I see no value added with the sunroof, but there are some who are thrilled about it, to each his own.

The "new" roof rack change is a joke. Toyota pulled a cheap bastard move and reused the rack design from the 2007-2014 FJ Cruiser. Odds are these are new-old stock racks they still had in inventory and saw a way to liquidate/repurpose them. They were fugly on the FJC and they are even more out of place on the 4Runner. I would find a 2014-2018 factory rack for cheap and change it out (or make the dealer do this) or swap to an aftermarket rack ASAP.

The stereo upgrade is a nice addition, but don't expect much from the JBL setup. It's better than the standard stereo, but it's still subpar IMHO.

In regards to the new special color this year I'll agree that it sucks. I don't know what Toyota was thinking when they did two blues in a row, but that's what we are working with Voodoo is terrible. I wasn't a fan of Cavalry Blue either but I'd take it over Voodoo any day. You can always get it in black or white too. They did offer them in Magnetic Gray back in 2016 as well, but now it seems the trend is black and white for the alternate colors these past few years.

Go test drive the black one this weekend and see what you think, who knows, if you put some pressure on them maybe you can get it below sticker. That's how I came into my black one and we were shopping for white.

You make some good points. I don't care that much about the sunroof, and I was wondering how they would swing that with a full rack, but as you point out, it's not in fact a full rack.

Any other safety feature upgrades from 2018-2019? 2018 versions get emergency braking, which is great. I don't think the 2019's get anything else except may blind spot monitoring?

I would take the cavalry blue over voodoo blue all day/every day. But Mr Franko's idea may not be a bad one either. Get the voodoo and then trade it out next year for green.

I love black, but my concern is the inability to see the badging well (black on black). I love how black badging contrasts with the cement and the beige colors. I'm trying to bring myself to be good white, which would make life much easier.
My GX was black, and it was a pain to keep clean down here.

Regarding the shocks, as long as the Fox shocks are at least equal to the Bilstein's in term of on road driving, I would be happy

 

[eyerolleddapiece]

Get the Voodoo Blue now and trade it for the Green if its released next year. You won't have to worry about depreciation on a 4runner, especially the "exclusive" colors.

This is probably really good advice.

 

[Tejas]

You make some good points. I don't care that much about the sunroof, and I was wondering how they would swing that with a full rack, but as you point out, it's not in fact a full rack.

Any other safety feature upgrades from 2018-2019? 2018 versions get emergency braking, which is great. I don't think the 2019's get anything else except may blind spot monitoring?

I would take the cavalry blue over voodoo blue all day/every day. But Mr Franko's idea may not be a bad one either. Get the voodoo and then trade it out next year for green.

I love black, but my concern is the inability to see the badging well (black on black). I love how black badging contrasts with the cement and the beige colors. I'm trying to bring myself to be good white, which would make life much easier.
My GX was black, and it was a pain to keep clean down here.

I always end up in black vehicles even though I always swear that I'll never buy another lol. I live in south Texas and it's a constant battle to keep them looking good, some would say a labor of love.

I have no idea if there are going to be any other additions in regards to tech or safety features to the next MY, but the big ones have already been listed.

I don't find buying a vehicle and dumping it in under 12 months as good advice, but these Pro's do hold their value exceptionally well and you might come out ok. Then again, there's no guarantee that this phenomenon will continue to hold but as of right now they continue to get more popular so hedge your bets!?

A betting man would be willing to wager that if in fact the green comes out next year, that it will likely be one of the best/hottest selling Pro colors ever released. If that's the case you can bet your left nut that it will be the hardest to get ahold of and you can forget about any dealer selling them under sticker. You can play that game if you like, but I would recommend waiting and ordering a Green one when the 2020 order banks open to guarantee your vehicle instead of playing the buy/sell/trade game with arguably the least popular color now and hoping you don't lose on either end next year.

 

[Xtremluck]

So many updates since I last posted:
-I sold the GX460 in March of this year and did a dealer trade for a new 2017 Ram 1500 Rebel that was sitting on the lot and got a great price, plus some add ons.

I really thought I was going to love a full sized truck (and it looks amazing). The ride quality-- even with the Open country tires-- is actually very good-- probably better than my GX460 with the KO2's. But I'm realizing now that I won't use the bed nearly as much as I thought I would initially.
In addition, while I've gotten used to driving something substantially bigger than a 4runner or GX 460, it's still a pain much of the time in tight spaces, not to mention the site lines aren't great looking out over the hood if you're not 6'2
In addition, it's not nearly as stable in rain coming out of corners as I would have expected...............combo of that HemiV8 with disproportionate weight, the tires, and 2WD I'm guessing.

I've always loved the trd pro, but have talked myself out of getting it for a few years, and wondered how I would adjust after coming from the wonderful V8 of the GX.

I'll be moving in a year and plan on using the TRD pro for some light off roading, and basically as a DD. And yes, I know I don't 'need' the TRD pro relative to the other 4runner models, but there curbside appeal is important.

With that said, I've made note of some of the changes from '18 to '19:
1. Billstein to Fox shocks
2. Standard sun/moonroof
3. Roof rack
4. JBL speakers
5. Voodoo blue instead of Cavalry blue


One of my questions is:
I've always been told the Billstein shocks make for a very compliant and comfy ride with Pro. One friend told me I would find it as --if not more--comfortable than the GX, which surprised me a bit.
Any thoughts on the new Fox shocks? Are they worth the extra $3k+ the 2019 model is commanding? What little I can tell, they're supposed to make the ride even better off road than the Billsteins. I'm assuming that's the case on the pavement, too?

Another question:
Any possible way to get a different color? I'm peeved that Toyota did away with Cement. I LOVE all things blue (including most blue cars), but even I'm not sure I want this voodoo blue. It looks a bit .............tacky. If I'm not mistaken, it's the same color as they used for the FJ cruiser, and I didn't care too much for that shade of blue.
I really liked the cavalry blue for 2018, and I can't understand why Toyota did away with that.

I'm going to have a chance to drive a 2019 in black this Saturday (hopefully) so I'll post my driving impressions after.

FYI: Before posting this, I typed in "2019 trd pro" to search for similar threads and none came up.


Thanks in advance.

Honest question: Why would you go back to an older off road oriented vehicle if your use case is "DD and light off roading"? There are a TON of crossovers out there that would be more efficient, handle better and have more power.

 

[Az4runnin]

In regards to colors, each year Toyota offers the Pro in 3 colors, 2 standard and one exclusive color:

'15 - Inferno
'16 - Quicksand
'17 - Cement
'18 - Cavalry Blue
'19 - Voodoo Blue

So if you're looking for a 2019 Voodoo Blue is your only option along with Super White and Midnight Black Metallic

Where is Barcelona Red?

 

[Bruin1md]

Honest question: Why would you go back to an older off road oriented vehicle if your use case is "DD and light off roading"? There are a TON of crossovers out there that would be more efficient, handle better and have more power.

You're 100% right. It makes no sense logically. A grand Cherokee, for example, would be a much better fit.
Two reasons:

1. I love Toyota reliability and want a model built in Japan.
2. Curbside appeal and the desire to have one of the last truck based SUV's on the market.

If I was being smart about it, I would get a cross over with more comfort, amenities, and gas mileage-- A Subaru forrester or outback for example.

 

[nimby]

If I was being smart about it, I would get a cross over with more comfort, amenities, and gas mileage-- A Subaru forrester or outback for example.

That's what wives are for.

They get the practical cars and you get the fun ones.

That and regular sex.

But we all had that before we were married.

Am I right?

 

[final]

Where is Barcelona Red?

Standard color. 2017.

 

[Bruin1md]

That's what wives are for.

They get the practical cars and you get the fun ones.

That and regular sex.

But we all had that before we were married.

Am I right?

I woudn't know since I'm not married.........hence, more $$ for toys

 

[litezzz]

I know it's been said before, but the 2019 Pro rack is hideous.

 

[HAMMER77]

I know it's been said before, but the 2019 Pro rack is hideous.

I actually liked the rack on the FJ and from the pictures I like it on the PRO. I may change my mind once mine comes in in a couple of weeks and I see it in person.

 

[Ch0nz]

That's what wives are for.



They get the practical cars and you get the fun ones.



That and regular sex.



But we all had that before we were married.



Am I right?

[emoji1362]haha, got my wife a 2016 Outback, great car but not for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MrGainzz]

Pretty sure the difference between the fox on 2019 trd pro and bilsteis on previous pros is negligible especially when it is on road. They are both entry level off road suspension setups.