Anyone else disappointed with the 2019 unveiling of the T4R

[Grape Ape]

I see where you're coming from. I guess I'm from the "I know what I'm getting when I buy it and I don't expect anything more" school of thought - I bought one of the first Trails in late 2009 and just bought an '18 TRDP a few months ago. I knew I was getting the same vehicle with a few extras thrown in. I should also acknowledge that I've also had a Denali and an LR4 in the past 2 years and I purposely went back to the 4R because of what it is.

I think you are misunderstanding some of it. I think 5th gens are great for what they are and a 2010 used model for 19k or whatever is a decent buy and will last a long time. But a 2019 for almost 50k is kind of silly considering how outdated they are. It''s a 20+ year old platform.

Just hard being a Toyota fan these days when the competition just makes them look so silly on the playing field. Chevy, Ford, Jeep are all doing very exciting things and Toyota has been trying to put lipstick on the old pig for a while now.

It's still a great truck. Just not very exciting in 2019.

 

[delgadtn]

Seeing as how I just purchased a 2018 TRD premium this does not upset me too much. I am not a fan of the roof rack at all. It may be ok for most people looking for just a little bit of extra storage but it is not functional for major storage and RTT additions and it seams to make modification to aftermarket expedition racks more of a challenge. Hopefully there will be an opt out option.

 

[wfo9]

I'm sorry but no other company is doing anything moderately exciting in the space the 4Runner occupies. No company is making a mid-size, body on frame sport utility vehicle, with true high/low four wheel drive other than the Jeep Wrangler which is I would argue is similar but not the same market.

This is why the 5th Gen 4Runner continues to build on sales year over year. I'm sure when the 6th Gen 4Runner is released it still won't be on the cutting edge of technology, but it will be bulletproof and in keeping with tradition.

Depends on how you define the "space". Yes the fact the the 4runner is the only body on frame mid sized SUV gives it a special 1 of 1 position in the segment..

But the point of the announcement today was the TRD Pro line and it's continuing "offroad dominance". I don't think they are dominating anything except being the only mid sized BOF SUV in the market and that won't last long.

I'm obviously not against Toyota..and like my 5th gen for what it is... but you have your head in the sand if you can't see how far they are falling behind now that other brands have stepped up their game in the new vehicle off-road segments.

 

[scanny]

I'm obviously not against Toyota..and like my 5th gen for what it is... but you have your head in the sand if you can't see how far they are falling behind now that other brands have stepped up their game in the new vehicle off-road segments.

Maybe I missed something but I don't see any off-road capable SUV on the market except 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes one which is too expensive anyway. Personally I don't mind technology and all new stuff in new 4Runners, but not at the cost of reliability, off-road capabilty or price

 

[racepauly]

IMO she looks good and I would if I was in the market.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Senorlechero]

Holy enormous picture batman! ^^

I guess there is a big enough market for “old school.” Disappointing to see Toyota milking these old designs for so long. They’re great vehicles but generations behind other manufacturers. The new JL wrangler looks awesome. My only worry, however, is that when they finally update the 4runner, it’ll price a lot of people out of the market. A fully loaded JL Rubicon unlimited is now around $55,000. The new 2.0 turbo option will be an additional $1000. Pushing $60K for Wrangler?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok so hold on, wait a minute... let me see if I have this right. You want Toyota to stop "milking these old designs for so long" AND you want them to not raise prices?
Well Francis,( I just watched Deadpool, sue me) make up your mind, cause you can't have both.

Damn an OEM snorkel would be nice. That roof rack is a rip off from FJs

It's not a rip off if it's the same manufacturer:noidea:

Still no diesel. :ybrick:

What planet are you living on? There will NEVER be diesel Toyotas in the US as long as our emissions laws stay as they are.

Is that a new touchscreen? if so, that's the only substantive change here, being something that nearly every driver uses every day, unlike the rest.

I thought I noticed that in the video on IG as well. A sleeker design to the stereo system would be a welcome upgrade IMO. But I like the chunky adjustment knobs too so.....

Only things I miss from my 17 TRD Pro Taco that I wish the 4 runner had, and should are:

1. Large touchscreen, liked that alot in the Taco
2. Keyless entry door handle finger swipe thingy and push button start. I am more old school but I go used to this way and actually ended up liking it. Don't have to dig your keys out of your pocket every time you want to hop in the truck.
3. Live TPMS readings...come on why is this not standard in the T4R?
4. LED headlight accents / DRL's in Tacoma are nice looking. T4R should come with LED everything this day in age, not halogen everything.
5. Liked the turn signal auto 3-4 blink on the tacoma, I have to remember I need to actually fully engage the signal lever fully when I need it in the T4R.
6. Tacoma TRD skid plate has an access panel for service, why has this not been updated to the T4R? I'm sure those with Pro's would appreciate not having to take the skid plate off to change oil.

Totally agreed on points 1-4

That's why safety sense and better audio system makes sense to me. Adaptative cruise control is nice.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I want to keep my archaic SUV! No smart car crap!

I think you are misunderstanding some of it. I think 5th gens are great for what they are and a 2010 used model for 19k or whatever is a decent buy and will last a long time. But a 2019 for almost 50k is kind of silly considering how outdated they are. It''s a 20+ year old platform.

Just hard being a Toyota fan these days when the competition just makes them look so silly on the playing field. Chevy, Ford, Jeep are all doing very exciting things and Toyota has been trying to put lipstick on the old pig for a while now.

It's still a great truck. Just not very exciting in 2019.

Man, I almost feel sorry for you. How did you get so spoiled that you don't get excited about your 4runner?
My DD is a friggin Corolla(ban me, I know) my wife drives the 4runner most of the time, the times I take it from her, I friggen love it! I'm ever so patiently waiting out the lease on my Corolla and then, then I will have my own 4runner! I'm hoping by that time they decide to put the Army green on the TRD Pro! And it will be MINE!!!!

Am I the ONLY one who likes the rack?


I'll admit, stuff would sure be cool. Smart key, lockers, a crappy ride, a more expensive and still crappy radio, I guess if I want all of that I could just go buy a Yeep! :rofl:

 

[dafuture]

This actually makes me happy to see, given that I just bought a '17 SR5P.

That being said, could the T4R have more tech? Sure. New powertrain? Yes. Colors? Ok. But none of this stopped us from buying our trucks anyhow.
Truth be told, I bought mine partially because it wasn't so "technically advanced". I never feel like I'm missing out on adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, etc. If anything, it's just fewer things on the truck that could go wrong.

I'd love to see better mileage, but as many have said the new Taco powertrain is pretty disappointing (plus it only gets 1-2 MPG better). That being said, would I rather them give us a 2 liter turbo 4 that blows at 100k? Absolutely not. I'm in my mid 20s, but even I can see the value of something that just works.

 

[wfo9]

Maybe I missed something but I don't see any off-road capable SUV on the market except 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes one which is too expensive anyway. Personally I don't mind technology and all new stuff in new 4Runners, but not at the cost of reliability, off-road capabilty or price

Yep, you missed something and only quoted the last sentence of my post.

 

[NuclearN8]

I was about to rant on Toyota for continue to suck on the nipple that is the TRD Pro lineup, specifically the 4Runner model, but let's be honest...
If I was in their shoes and I could reuse an already released paint color in voodoo blue and call it "exclusive", slap on a roof rack from the discontinued FJ cruiser, and piggyback on the Fox suspension R&D investment for the Tacoma and make it rain in terms of profit, I would do the exact same thing.

Good on them. People eat this crap up.

Here's hoping they bring back a green color to the 4Runner lineup in 2019.

 

[jrandom]

Only thing that makes me happy is another year of guaranteed cheaper parts availability 10-15 years from now : (since well have 10 years of direct bolt-on loveness)

Funny that many complain about lack of updates... if they didn't keep selling at a record pace, they might consider it right? Isn't that business economics 101? In fact I think it is funny that anyone even bought one after 2013 :biggrin1:

 

[Jayhawk5G]

Depends on how you define the "space". Yes the fact the the 4runner is the only body on frame mid sized SUV gives it a special 1 of 1 position in the segment..

But the point of the announcement today was the TRD Pro line and it's continuing "offroad dominance". I don't think they are dominating anything except being the only mid sized BOF SUV in the market and that won't last long.

I'm obviously not against Toyota..and like my 5th gen for what it is... but you have your head in the sand if you can't see how far they are falling behind now that other brands have stepped up their game in the new vehicle off-road segments.

I'm not saying you are against Toyota... I just don't agree that Toyota is falling behind anyone in the 4Runner market space. Please provide details about what other brands are stepping up their game, example specific features... and also provide which vehicles they are doing this with?

 

[sn_85]

Good lord y'all are difficult to please. No matter what came out, most of y'all would hate all over it, claim your aftermarket setup on the lowest end model is far superior and then would still find something wrong.

We get it, you own a Toyota 4R, but you hate everything about them. Why, why did you ever buy one if all you do is complain that the TRDP is too expensive, the engine sucks, the audio sucks, the wheel offset is lame and so on and so on?

Here'e the thing, you all really want a built out overlanding Land Cruiser - so, get off your ass, make more money and go buy one and leave us lowly 4Runner owners to slug around in our inferior vehicles.

This forum used to be great 8 years ago when I got my first 5th Gen, everyone was so helpful and loved their rigs, now it's just another online troll forum full of haters who are never satisfied with anything they ever have.

:flamethrwoer2:

I don't think people are complaining about 4Runners in general. This thread is about the TRD PRO and the disappointment is more directed towards the PRO lineup specifically. IMO, if they are going to make the Pro lineup their trophy truck, off-road heritage badge, and charge 45k+ for it then they need to make it more than just a bunch of bolt-ons. I mean can you honestly say that the TRD Pro lineup makes you excited? The answer for most is no. Most people on here can do these upgrades themselves besides the paint job.

I'm fine with Toyota having the SR5, TRD Off Road, and Limited where they are at. But when they want to hype up the TRD Pro like it's some sort of Raptor fighter then they really need to get serious about it. Stop with the crappy P-rated stock size tires, the mild lifts, grills and accessory packages. Do something special to the Pro lineup that the avg joe can't easily replicate or outdo in their own garage. Take the Colorado ZR2 for example. Added factory front lockers, wider track, custom bumpers. The Rubicon is wildly different than the other Wranglers. The Raptor has long travel, wider track, wider fenders, modifications done to the frame and control arms to support the longer travel suspension. Do you notice that people buy Raptors, don't touch a thing and it can still rip up Baja. People buy TRD Pro's and end up replacing all the "Pro" parts because they're mild upgrades at best. That shouldn't be the case.

I think you can pretty much sum up today's news as meh and that's what the Pro lineup is, meh

 

[LawnDart]

People buy TRD Pro's and end up replacing all the "Pro" parts because they're mild upgrades at best.

WTF are you going on about...I still have like at least 3 TRD pro parts left...my two badges and a shift knob...I mean...COME ON!

 

[mteolus]

Well I had to buy one in 2017 (TRD Off-road Premium) because my Ford crapped out at 173k. I have no idea why I was so stupid. I sold my previous 92 Toyota truck longbed with 410k miles on it still running. Thought paying less for a Ford was wise. Was I wrong.

Love the 4Runner, my biggest complaint is the grabby brakes. I would have liked the JBL but I probably shouldn't be listening to the radio any louder anyway. Still deciding after 6 mos. of pondering what lift I want to put on it. Swinging towards the Toyotec Ultimate. Don't want to waste my tires though so trying to wait as long as possible. Lifting it with those 265 highway tires might look odd until I get bigger A/T tires.

Second biggest complaint is the 8 inches of ground clearance I measured under the front skid plate from the factory. Already have dented it.

FOX shocks might be better on the 2019, or FOX just gave Toyota a better deal than Bilstein. Mine came with the normal cross bars which is what I wanted for my Tule. Don't need the added weight of that new roof rack. Don't need a snorkel.

 

[wfo9]

Only thing that makes me happy is another year of guaranteed cheaper parts availability 10-15 years from now : (since well have 10 years of direct bolt-on loveness)

This is true. Most of the parts are 2003 era 120. And the 150 stuff will be at least a 10 year run. So should be plenty of parts availability.

I'm very happy they are keeping it the same from that perspective. And the long run should make them spark the interest of the hard core aftermarket at some point to do SAS kits and decent transfer case adapters.... I would SAS mine right now if there were off the shelf speed sensor compatible knuckles.

But let's be honest. those reasons have nothing to do with buying a new one.

It's funny that most people want gadgets for updates. I could care a less and love simplicity from that perspective. The part that is missing is efficiency, capability, power... Real offroad stuff that would be so easy to do. A shock that offers 1" more travel than stock and wheels with 1" offset is not cutting it.

 

[sn_85]

WTF are you going on about...I still have like at least 3 TRD pro parts left...my two badges and a shift knob...I mean...COME ON!

Can't wait til you vinyl wrap it or get a new paint job. Then it will be de-PRO'd!!!

 

[LawnDart]

Can't wait til you vinyl wrap it or get a new paint job. Then it will be de-PRO'd!!!

I’d keep em just for the LOLZ

 

[T4 Leaf]

In general (not a TRD specific response)...I love the idea of limited body style changes...I suspect that drives reliability, maintains loyalty, reduces cost of ownership, and increases resale.

I also think its cool they remain behind the gadget curve...probably why you see militants driving 40 year old Toyota trucks in sand storms in the war zones. (by comparison my wife's Acadia seems to be about to die at 100K miles)

 

[JohnTheLuck]

Can't wait til you vinyl wrap it or get a new paint job. Then it will be de-PRO'd!!!

He will put them inside then, just to still have those three TRD parts

 

[lukeskywalker]

Yes, bumming on Voodoo blue being the special color, especially since it's just a shade off from Cavalry. Why not the Army Green like the FJ had? Lame Toyota

I would place a bet that internal Toyota teams are moving on to other bigger problems, and those making decisions aren't looking at what consumers are looking for.

It's probably a strategic move to mitigate costs. McDonald's does the same thing with its burgers in markets -- recreating 'new' burgers by just rearranging ingredients already instore, without having to reconfigure logistics.

The blue color is probably available at the plant in Japan for another vehicle and is the most cost-effective solution.

Any employee corporate side who DOES care about the color would have to climb a mountain to prove that X color is what people want.

The rule is probably:
1.) A color that hasn't been used before for this generation.
2.) A color that is in the current factory / supplier list, that is easiest to acquire.
3.) A unique color that is not in the Off Road / SR5 list.

Not:
1.) A really cool color that inspires people and gets heads turning, to get them to ultimately pull the trigger and buy one, and one that gets people on toyota-4runner.org excited to circle jerk around it.

Teehee.