Bored to death & beating a dead horse

[Falls]

Just wondering if anyone had any poop on when the next gen 4R will be out ? I know we've all beaten this to death at one point or another but have not seen one of these in a while so I thought I would throw it out there. Will it be 09 10 , 11 ???? Maybe it will be turning from a nice off road SUV to the family van grocery getter ????? Maybe bigger , better stance off road capable like the Tacoma ????

What the hell are you thoughts ???? Thai has all the insights on this stuff and usually knows what they are doing , before they even know what they are doing.

I talked to stealer last week Saturday and they know nothing.........wow how surprising....lol.

They said they did hear rumors of a 4dr FJ though, yeh ...ok .


Sorry , just a boring , ice fricken cold Saturday afternoon with nothing to do because I'm layed up from surgery.

 

[054Runner1]

I was told by toyota that the 2008 model will be exatly like the 2007! But the complete re-design will be the 2009 model!! It will either come out in Fall of 2008 or early 2009!!

 

[JungleJim]

The next generation 4Runner will be 2010. It will come out sometime in 2009 as a 2010 model. Dealers are hearing that it will be out sometime in 2009.

The 3rd generation 4Runner went 7 years. The 1st generation Highlander went 7 years. Toyota takes there "non-car" vehicles a little farther.

There are also rumors that the 5th gen 4Runner will be made in the U.S., which might delay the introduction a little.

 

[Mark86]

I think we have awhile before the next generation 4Runner comes out. The Highlander, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser are more overdue for an overhaul than the 4Runner.

 

[Falls]

I figured it would be 2010 and intro'd in 09. My lease is up in Feb of 09 , guess I'll have to buy mine out , dont know if buying the last year is a good idea as far as holding value , sure as hell dont want the first year out of a new model.

I also read they are going to be made in the US , that kinda bothers me too.

 

[sharp4runr]

If they start to be built in the US, my 2004 better last a long freaking time or I'm going to be buying a LandCruiser...

 

[Falls]

If they start to be built in the US, my 2004 better last a long freaking time or I'm going to be buying a LandCruiser...

I agree , if I could afford a LC. One thing I liked about the 4R was it was made in Japan. I think quality will suffer if made in the US , but hope I'm wrong.

 

[toto]

I don't believe that North American prodcution of Japanese vehicles automatically equates to a potential drop in quality. A lot of the perceived quality of a car comes from its design and engineering, not from the people who make it; today's auto manufacturing plants are too automated for people to have that much impact. Even when manual labor is involved, in many cases robots and computers help line up parts to get them positioned properly. Toyota also knows how to make a car, and they foster a culture that promotes quality and empowers the employees to contribute to the process.

I think a big difference between the Japanese auto makers and their U.S. counterparts is the design and fit of parts. Look at the tolerances and gaps where parts meet, and also the size of plastic trim pieces that cover where two other things meet. That's a big sign of the engineering right there. I know that for years U.S. automakers made things that looked easy to assemble. Big gaps or big "cover-up" trim pieces allowed for rapid assembly, and not quality fit for a quiet and long-lasting product.

For those that don't know, 2004 was the first year that any Lexus product was made outside of Japan; there's a Lexus plant in Canada turning out RX's along with Japan to meet global demand. Toyota/Lexus spent a long time getting that plant designed, built, and people trained to work there. People on Club Lexus who went there said it's an unbelieveable facility. But 2004 was a bad year for the RX330, as it had lots of squeaks, rattles, and other minor issues. The units made in Japan had almost all the same issues as those made in Canada. The Canadian units got a worse rep because of a bad batch of radiators made by a North American supplier. So two different plants turned out the same car with the same issues. That's engineering, not the location of the plant or the people involved.

The only actual difference we'll see on North American production as opposed to Japan is that they don't have to paint or coat bare metal parts to keep them from rusting on the boat trip over from Japan. No trip through the salty air over the ocean, so no need to add so much protection from the elements. Otherwise, it'll be up to the engineers to maintain the good designs, the plant quality control inspectors to ensure their suppliers are making good parts, and the managers to keep their employees involved. Most people take pride in their work in any country, so given the right tools, environment, and parts, good things will happen anywhere.

 

[03v8sport]

I was thinking about the 5th gen today when I went to the Denver auto show and saw the tundra.

Almost all car companies trickle down technology from vehicle to vehicle and I'm going to guess that the 5th gen 4runner will use a modified "tripple tech" frame from the tundra (smaller of course but the same engineering principles apply). Hopefully that would allow the ride to continue to be class leading yet still be very capable in the rough stuff.

Also, I'm hoping the 5th gen will get another significant power boost from the labor of all that tundra engineering. The 5.7L is huge but if the 5th gen is an all new vehicle, the bay might be made with an engine like that in mind! With the 6-speed, the tundra actually gets better mileage with the 5.7 than with the 5-speed 4.7

 

[Mark86]

Now if the only change for 2008 was an option for the 5.7L V8, I would be sold!

 

[bsl888]

If next gen 4Runner is manufactured in N. America, then I would seriously wait at least 2-3 yrs before buying. My previous Toyota's included a 92 Paseo, 94 V6 Camry, 00 V6 Solara, 97 4Runner, and my current rides. All of them made in Japan except the Solara (which was built in the Canadian plant that currently builds Lexus RX's). The Solara by far had the most problems, including many electronic glitches, air bag warning lights that comes on intermittently, panels and rubber seals poorly lined up, rattles, and many other malfunctions. The worst Toyota I have ever owned. Part of the issue was that the Solara was introduced in 99, and was only out less than a year.

I think the bottom line is in the subcontracted parts and partners Toyota uses in N. America. I do think there is a quality difference. Since the Solara, I am more wary of buying a non Japanese made Toyota or Lexus. BTW, there are Camry's and RX's that are made in Japan, so hopefully, in the future there will still be some 4Runners imported from Japan along with some manufactured in N. America.

 

[Falls]

I personally was disappointed that the next Gen. 4R's will be made in America.

I really hate to say this but I don't have a lot of faith in American auto workers , but I can see why they are doing it .

I hope Toyota really keeps things in check.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

IMO it's more the companies standards than the workers themselves. Camrys quality has been going strong for years and they've been being made in america for quite a while now.

 

[Falls]

IMO it's more the companies standards than the workers themselves. Camrys quality has been going strong for years and they've been being made in america for quite a while now.

Very true.....

 

[bsl888]

Back in 94 when we were looking at the Camry V6, we compared the Japanese made Camry with the US made ones. There are actually differences in terms of interior materials between the two. The visors, for example, was thicker and more cushion on the Japanese made ones. The interior felt that lines the roof and pillars were also softer and richer looking. Basically it has to do with regional suppliers. Of course I don't know if there is any reliability difference.

 

[hulk311]

If you're worried about buying a toyta made in america just check the vin number, J stands for made in japan and A stands for made in america. I'm willing to bet that the 5th generation 4runner will continue to look even more round and like a minivan just like the 4th generation. When my '97 4runner dies I will be upgrading to the 2002 model.

 

[charlier180]

I think it might be premature to get all worked up about the 4Runner being built in the USA.

According to Toyota press releases the next Toyota plant to be built in the USA will be in Mississippi,
will start production in 2010 and will build 150,000 HIGHLANDERS per year.

As of now, Toyota has not announced they are building any other vehicle assembly plants in the USA.
That does not mean they couldn't announce another plant but if even if they did it would not likely open until 2011 or later.
By then, the 4Runner would 8 or more years old.

 

[Falls]

If you're worried about buying a toyta made in america just check the vin number, J stands for made in japan and A stands for made in america. I'm willing to bet that the 5th generation 4runner will continue to look even more round and like a minivan just like the 4th generation. When my '97 4runner dies I will be upgrading to the 2002 model.

I dont know why they would go the more rounded look , but who knows. I think all the past & current generations look pretty truck like compared to other SUVs. I love the 3rd gens and it took a little getting used to 4th gens , but I've been fond of all the gen's so far. If they do round it up and make like a crossover , mini van/suv ( which I think the Highlander is more of a candidate for that to happen ) I will go to a Tacoma or FJ . I would like to see a 4dr FJ in the future .

 

[toto]

If you're worried about buying a toyta made in america just check the vin number, J stands for made in japan and A stands for made in america.

Well, not quite... "J" is Japan, but "A" stands for South Africa or the Ivory Coast.

Vehicles made in North America start with numbers. 1, 4, and 5 are U.S.; 2 is Canada; 3 is Mexico (3A-3W) or possibly Costa Rica (3X-37).

 

[dwm2112]

I agree , if I could afford a LC. One thing I liked about the 4R was it was made in Japan. I think quality will suffer if made in the US , but hope I'm wrong.

I also hate to say it but if the 4Runner manufacturing moves to the US I will have to think long and hard about purchasing another. Both my 2002 and current 2004 have performed flawlessly but I don't think that would be true. Previously my wife drove a Toyota Sienna that was built in the US and I traded it before it went out of warranty on the 2002 4Runner which I knew was still built in Japan only. The Sienna couldn't go 2 months without some type of significant issue. Since I have had the 2002 and 2004 4Runners I have had no problems at all. Best of all the glass stays in the vehichle as opposed to popping out as the Sienna did. The doors have also always faithfully closed and not become stuck in the open position as the Sienna did.