Considering 5th gen..... Again!

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polishpiper

New member
Hey guys,
Had an Sr5 in 2011 then #3 came along and things got tight with 3 kids in the 4runner. Now have have had an armada for 3 yrs and we're at 125k Miles on it. Possibly looking to trade soon and considering a limited 4r. Wife did not like the unsettled ride of the sr5, but loved the rig otherwise. Does the different suspension in the limited make a huge difference in ride? Now that we only have 1 booster for carseats, 3 kids in 2nd row is fine. Wife misses the 4runner and I do too.
 
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If you're worried about the ride that much, you could get a Trail Premium with KDSS. It rides better than a Limited IMO and costs less as well.
 
Wife says she got carsick in backseat... Moving back and forth and side to side. I wouldn't mind a stiffer ride if it came with a more level ride. I realize trail and sr5 would have more plush suspension, but do they also float more side to side and front to back because of this?
 
The Limited has a firm ride and no body sway or brake dive with the xreas suspension. There is no floating side to side like an SR5 in my opinion. It handles curvy mountain roads great. If you live in an area with bad roads it may be a little harsh. It does not soak up potholes as well as an SR5.
 
03_4x4Runner said:
The Limited has a firm ride and no body sway or brake dive with the xreas suspension. There is no floating side to side like an SR5 in my opinion. It handles curvy mountain roads great. If you live in an area with bad roads it may be a little harsh. It does not soak up potholes as well as an SR5.
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Agreed, 100%
 
We traded our Infiniti QX56 for sr5 4Runner. Love it. Yeah, we do miss the space but the body on frame feels so much better. Also we opted for as little technology as possible. The qx after 7 years had 170k and was starting to kill us with electrical repairs.
 
Storm Runner said:
If you're worried about the ride that much, you could get a Trail Premium with KDSS. It rides better than a Limited IMO and costs less as well.
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I have read a lot about the KDSS, but never rode in one. I can say this though, my 2015 TP rides as tight and as solid as any vehicle I have ever owned. I have not taken it down mountain roads yet, but the terrain and roads I have gone on, I have not seen any roll or pitch.

This is one solid truck...I have been in a Limited and I really feel my TP rides better, not by a lot, but mine feels tighter.

77
 
Test drove a 16 trail, and it seems better than I remember my sr5. This one did not have KDSS... Did they change suspension since 11? The steering seemed to track better too. My 11 sr5 seemed to wander and not hold a line very well which was really annoying on the road. Thing I wish the tp came with would be auto lights. It's 2016, is that too much to ask for?
I changed my suspension in the sr5 to bilstein 5100's. It did get better, but did not seem Much better.
 
polishpiper said:
Test drove a 16 trail, and it seems better than I remember my sr5. This one did not have KDSS... Did they change suspension since 11? The steering seemed to track better too. My 11 sr5 seemed to wander and not hold a line very well which was really annoying on the road. Thing I wish the tp came with would be auto lights. It's 2016, is that too much to ask for?
I changed my suspension in the sr5 to bilstein 5100's. It did get better, but did not seem Much better.
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don't get a Trail, don't get a TRD Pro, don't get an SR5 - only get a limited. trust me.
 
My 2011 SR5 wandered, but my 2012 Trail with KDSS was a world of difference. The steering felt precise and tight without the wandering on the roads.

Get the trim your wife likes the best -
 
When I test drove Trails (non KDSS and with KDSS) vs Limited. The limited handled best. KDSS didn't seem to have much roll side to side, but I noticed it had brake dive. Where as the Limited had very little roll side to side and very little brake dive (due to Xreas).

The Limited I thought also handled better when I took it up and down a mountain road. Probably because of the lower profile 20" tires as well.

I never got a chance to test drive the TRD Pro. From what I read, the Bilstein shock valving is suppose to lessen the brake dive when compared with SR5 and Trail models and have a softer ride as well.

I bought a Limited in the end. My wife liked the seat warmer/butt fan, keyless entry, leather interior, and how the interior looked with the fake wood time and all. The price wasn't that much more versus a fully loaded Trail premium.

If you want to be baller you should look at a Land Cruiser.
 
I have owned both (and still own the TEP with KDSS). The Limited will give you the ride you are looking for... I had tons of family and friends who rode in the Limited and constantly would say it rode wonderfully in the back seats... "Not like the old school 4Runners I remember" is what I would always hear... "Swaying all over the place, etc."

I swapped and own a TEP with KDSS for my own stupid reasoning... But I do love its ride and bigger tires for soaking up TONS of potholes here in DFW with our construction everywhere. This one just suits my current needs better. But the Limited was a very nice ride, I must admit.
 
The '14 and up SR5 has different shocks and springs than the '10-'12 SR5. The newer SR5 rides and handles much different than the previous iteration. The TE with no KDSS has the same suspension. I had a '10 SR5, '12 TE with KDSS and now a '15 SR5P. After testing all models last year I prefer the SR5 on the highway. I drive 30 K a year and only drive about 500 or so of those miles off road and the SR5 does jyst fine. Just my .02
 
1engineer said:
The '14 and up SR5 has different shocks and springs than the '10-'12 SR5. The newer SR5 rides and handles much different than the previous iteration. The TE with no KDSS has the same suspension. I had a '10 SR5, '12 TE with KDSS and now a '15 SR5P. After testing all models last year I prefer the SR5 on the highway. I drive 30 K a year and only drive about 500 or so of those miles off road and the SR5 does jyst fine. Just my .02
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this.

I was blown away by the difference.
Moved from a '11 SR5 to a '15Trail just a few months back.
I did, however, try a '15 SR5 first, and the difference was very noticeable.

That said, '15 Trail rides stiffer than '15 SR5, corners better, and sways less.
I got one as a loaner while my trail was getting new suspension put in, and the usual turn I take to work was not taken as comfortably in SR5 as it was in Trail the day before. :)
 
FordyceCreek said:
The Pro Suspension is very firm over everything, amazing ride.
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I agree its an amazing ride but I wouldn't say its firm. Exact opposite in my opinion. Feels like a limo on pavement. Feels like a jet boat at speed in the desert. Lots of body roll side to side cornering on pavement. Lots of front to back and back to front in acceleration and breaking on pavement. my 2 cents although I havent driven other 4runner models enough to compare.
 
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We have a 13 SR5 and have noticed none of these problems. The ride is a bit stiff but not an issue. When we were on our road trip this fall and rather heavily loaded - the ride was fine.
 
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