Finaly got my 4Runner: new 2015 Trail Premium (silver)

[grammatik2015]

Long an painful search finally ended with a long-shot trip to visit one last dealer in Milwaukee (70miles away). I gave up on finding a deal in Chicago area. Deal was made ($3k below MSRP) in under 1 hour from the time I walked in!!! Hour included trade in appraisal and test drive!

Now to 'accessorize' my ride, not a very ambitious project compared to others I have seen here:
1. Tires, 'narrowed' choices to: Cooper Discoverer ATW / Nokian Rotiiva AT / Firestone Destination AT, Michelin LTX A/T 2.
Paved road and winter performance (snow/ice/rain/slush) is key. AT performance is secondary as my adventures will be limited to easier CO mountain passes and getting to 14er trailhead or ski area in winter.

2. Will probably get OEM running board for now, love SW but need them quick Concerned about gravel road driving/paint as I am heading to CO shortly.

3. Center console/armrest cover. Need some protection as my dog loves to see where he is heading.

4. Cargo liner for when seats are folded. Used canvas drop cloth in my old car. Very flexible and cost effective but wife does not like the look in 4R.


Loving it!

If someone is interested in almost new set of tires Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 let me know.

 

[WTERUNNER]

Long an painful search finally ended with a long-shot trip to visit one last dealer in Milwaukee (70miles away). I gave up on finding a deal in Chicago area. Deal was made ($3k below MSRP) in under 1 hour from the time I walked in!!! Hour included trade in appraisal and test drive!

Now to 'accessorize' my ride, not a very ambitious project compared to others I have seen here:
1. Tires, 'narrowed' choices to: Cooper Discoverer ATW / Nokian Rotiiva AT / Firestone Destination AT, Michelin LTX A/T 2.
Paved road and winter performance (snow/ice/rain/slush) is key. AT performance is secondary as my adventures will be limited to easier CO mountain passes and getting to 14er trailhead or ski area in winter.

2. Will probably get OEM running board for now, love SW but need them quick Concerned about gravel road driving/paint as I am heading to CO shortly.

3. Center console/armrest cover. Need some protection as my dog loves to see where he is heading.

4. Cargo liner for when seats are folded. Used canvas drop cloth in my old car. Very flexible and cost effective but wife does not like the look in 4R.


Loving it!

If someone is interested in almost new set of tires Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 let me know.

Welcome to the club and beautiful rig! My tire vote goes to the Firestones, had them on my FJ and they did great in the ice and snow.

 

[Friggin Idiot]

Long an painful search finally ended with a long-shot trip to visit one last dealer in Milwaukee (70miles away).

Welcome to T4R! Count yourself lucky. It took me 3 weeks to find one (2014 TEP Silver w/KDSS). I bought from the closest of 3 dealers that had one, Bozeman MT at 1400 miles from home. I had mine shipped down as I didn't want to risk wrecking my new unfamiliar ride on icy roads (March). It cost the same to ship as it would to fly up and buy it.

1. Tires, 'narrowed' choices to: Cooper Discoverer ATW / Nokian Rotiiva AT / Firestone Destination AT, Michelin LTX A/T 2.
Paved road and winter performance (snow/ice/rain/slush) is key. AT performance is secondary as my adventures will be limited to easier CO mountain passes and getting to 14er trailhead or ski area in winter.

The BFG AT KO2 is very highly rated in snow/ice performance as well, Canadian Tire raves about them. You also may wish to consider the overlooked Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6. There's not much information in English about this tire, but apparently it sees heavy use in Eastern Europe for winter AT tires. I've asked several Dunlop dealers about the tire, and they have no trouble getting them even though it's not a common tire or size. A couple have even asked themselves why they don't carry it in stock.
The Cooper AT/W performed decently as well, although I've heard some grumblings about poor tread life. Since this is really a winter tire, I wouldn't expect it to hold up well at all during summer months. I wasn't ever able to find enough information on the Nokians to convince me to buy a set, although any winter tire from Scandinavia should be more than sufficient for US winters. Although I picture that if they're not air conditioned in the summer time they'd melt just like ice cream!

Consider upsizing your tires. Just a little, no mods required. The KO2 comes in 275/70R17 giving you a bigger contact patch and more available grip if needed, no modifications required. The SJ6 comes in the odd size of 275/65R17, but again requires no mods. The ATW has no such option and you're stuck with stock 265/70R17

3. Center console/armrest cover. Need some protection as my dog loves to see where he is heading.

4. Cargo liner for when seats are folded. Used canvas drop cloth in my old car. Very flexible and cost effective but wife does not like the look in 4R.

Mine is the same way. If you fold the rear seats flat when putting the dog in, the upturned bottom portion of the seat creates a great place for them to rest their head. I use an old fitted queen sheet to stretch from over the shoulders of the front seats, around the sides of the folded rears and across the top of them. It gives good protection for dog hair, stays in place, and isn't so bulky that it's difficult to wash. It always sags in the center for her to see out.



Lately I've modified this a little using the fitted queen from the corners of the upturned section of the rear seat, around the sides, and further back to under the lip of my cargo tray. I then drape a thin fleece blanket from under the headrests of the front seats down on top of the front. Doing this means less dog hair accumulated near the hinge point of the back of the rear seats.

 

[Shawk00]

Long an painful search finally ended with a long-shot trip to visit one last dealer in Milwaukee (70miles away). I gave up on finding a deal in Chicago area. Deal was made ($3k below MSRP) in under 1 hour from the time I walked in!!! Hour included trade in appraisal and test drive!

Now to 'accessorize' my ride, not a very ambitious project compared to others I have seen here:
1. Tires, 'narrowed' choices to: Cooper Discoverer ATW / Nokian Rotiiva AT / Firestone Destination AT, Michelin LTX A/T 2.
Paved road and winter performance (snow/ice/rain/slush) is key. AT performance is secondary as my adventures will be limited to easier CO mountain passes and getting to 14er trailhead or ski area in winter.

2. Will probably get OEM running board for now, love SW but need them quick Concerned about gravel road driving/paint as I am heading to CO shortly.

3. Center console/armrest cover. Need some protection as my dog loves to see where he is heading.

4. Cargo liner for when seats are folded. Used canvas drop cloth in my old car. Very flexible and cost effective but wife does not like the look in 4R.


Loving it!

If someone is interested in almost new set of tires Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 let me know.

Best color... :thumb: Congrats... here's mine with AT3's if you choose to put those on your list. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/179704-trail-premium-home-minor-mods-come-;.html
Best wishes!

 

[wanderMT]

Get the Cooper ATW and let us know if worth a damn. I've been looking at them but have seen no consumer reviews. Tread is very similar to Toyo AT and they claim longer life than a dedicated winter tire. Believe of the ones you mentioned, Cooper is only one receiving Winter designation. I have set of Firestone Winterforce LT on a different 4x4 I have - they are great on wet, icy, slushy and snowpack roads - OK in deeper snow but not great - drive fine and not very noisy on dry - no mileage loss over Toyo AT that I run in warm weather - guessing they would wear out fast if used in hot weather but I will probably never know.

 

[wanderMT]

Welcome to T4R! Count yourself lucky. It took me 3 weeks to find one (2014 TEP Silver w/KDSS). I bought from the closest of 3 dealers that had one, Bozeman MT at 1400 miles from home. I had mine shipped down as I didn't want to risk wrecking my new unfamiliar ride on icy roads (March). It cost the same to ship as it would to fly up and buy it.

I bought local for me, in Billings, MT. Dealer had to locate and then requested $750. transport charge. I told them I could be in Bozeman in 1-1/2 hours and buy off the lot - they dropped the transport charge. I had to wait a week but got exactly what I wanted. Ressler, Bozeman, keeps other dealers in state (and maybe whole region) in line!

 

[R Burgundy]

Nice. Im really only seeing 1700-1900 less than MSRP now, then again picky about color and want KDSS (the real PITA). Any chance they took the extra grand out of your trade?

 

[ECBMCC]

Congratulations. That is a great color. Enjoy it. If you're looking for great seat covers that will last you years, try marathon. Cheers!

 

[Repsol13]

Congrats on the runner. Looks great

 

[grammatik2015]

Welcome to T4R! Count yourself lucky. It took me 3 weeks to find one (2014 TEP Silver w/KDSS). I bought from the closest of 3 dealers that had one, Bozeman MT at 1400 miles from home. I had mine shipped down as I didn't want to risk wrecking my new unfamiliar ride on icy roads (March). It cost the same to ship as it would to fly up and buy it.



The BFG AT KO2 is very highly rated in snow/ice performance as well, Canadian Tire raves about them. You also may wish to consider the overlooked Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6. There's not much information in English about this tire, but apparently it sees heavy use in Eastern Europe for winter AT tires. I've asked several Dunlop dealers about the tire, and they have no trouble getting them even though it's not a common tire or size. A couple have even asked themselves why they don't carry it in stock.
The Cooper AT/W performed decently as well, although I've heard some grumblings about poor tread life. Since this is really a winter tire, I wouldn't expect it to hold up well at all during summer months. I wasn't ever able to find enough information on the Nokians to convince me to buy a set, although any winter tire from Scandinavia should be more than sufficient for US winters. Although I picture that if they're not air conditioned in the summer time they'd melt just like ice cream!

Consider upsizing your tires. Just a little, no mods required. The KO2 comes in 275/70R17 giving you a bigger contact patch and more available grip if needed, no modifications required. The SJ6 comes in the odd size of 275/65R17, but again requires no mods. The ATW has no such option and you're stuck with stock 265/70R17



Mine is the same way. If you fold the rear seats flat when putting the dog in, the upturned bottom portion of the seat creates a great place for them to rest their head. I use an old fitted queen sheet to stretch from over the shoulders of the front seats, around the sides of the folded rears and across the top of them. It gives good protection for dog hair, stays in place, and isn't so bulky that it's difficult to wash. It always sags in the center for her to see out.

View attachment 165476

Lately I've modified this a little using the fitted queen from the corners of the upturned section of the rear seat, around the sides, and further back to under the lip of my cargo tray. I then drape a thin fleece blanket from under the headrests of the front seats down on top of the front. Doing this means less dog hair accumulated near the hinge point of the back of the rear seats.

View attachment 165477

thank you for great ideas! Did not even considered up-sizing thinking it required a mod to do. Was looking at KO2, but would that be 'too much of a AT' tire for my needs? May have to re-evaluate. Saw review you mentioned, great performer in all conditions. I installed Nokians 'snow all year tire' WR or WG (do not remember exact model) on my rwd Q45 V8 car. Performed like a champ in Chicago winters and year round. Tread life was probably average, ~42k got to wear bars (snow) but still plenty of tread left for summer driving. Hence a little partial to this brand.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

If you got $3K off sticker on a Trail you got a smoking deal. You will NOT accomplish that in Denver I can assure you.

 

[grammatik2015]

Nice. Im really only seeing 1700-1900 less than MSRP now, then again picky about color and want KDSS (the real PITA). Any chance they took the extra grand out of your trade?

Not sure, but I am sure dealer will not loose money on this deal .
Had two trade-ins, 9 and 10 years old. Got both appraised at multiple dealers while negotiating a purchase of new or used 4Runners. Best I got was about $1k more for both while trying to make a deal on a used 2014 trail. But $35.3k for a 2014 TP with 15k was a bit high in my opinion.
Dealers have more wiggle room on used to 'move $$ around'.
One of my trades had mechanical issues, other serious rusting+ high mileage, both needed tires replaced.
Only option on TP was all weather mats and cargo liner, so I had them toss in a couple accessories after negotiating sale /trade-in price: cargo cover and carpeted mats/liner.

 

[Friggin Idiot]

thank you for great ideas! Did not even considered up-sizing thinking it required a mod to do. Was looking at KO2, but would that be 'too much of a AT' tire for my needs? May have to re-evaluate.

You're welcome!
I'm not sure how much off-road you do and whether it's anything that really needs an AT tire or not. The KO2 in stock 265/70R17 comes in a much lighter 2-ply C load range that would probably be much more suited to city driving and light trails than the heavier 3-ply E rated tires (only option for 275/70 size). I've bounced back and forth between these options multiple times, however, my driving is nearly never the city type and hence my mpg wouldn't take as much of a hit with the heavier tire. Living in Chi-town, you undoubtedly have more stop/go driving which would suffer from the heavier tire starting and stopping. When it comes to road manners the KO2 is supposed to be grippy and responsive without much in the way of the usual AT tire noise. There are of course an entire world of other options, but like you I had dismissed the KO2 and then had to add it back to the list. Many here rave about the all around good performer of the Cooper AT/3 which for some time was at the top of my list as well until I had to consider snow/ice performance. I'm in hot sunny Tulsa now, but come September will be up in the rust belt again for several years (Dayton/Columbus).

A general rule is that from stock size on any vehicle you can increase/decrease to the next size in either width or aspect ratio without any modifications required. I've always been more a fan of going with the slightly wider tire, but I've never bought anything with an aspect ratio less than 55 either.

 

[stamonkey]

If you got $3K off sticker on a Trail you got a smoking deal. You will NOT accomplish that in Denver I can assure you.

The best I got them down to was ~$700 off MSRP for a TEP with KDSS in the Denver area 6 weeks ago. They did offer quite a bit on my trade in though ('10 FJ). I'm still glad I opted for the non-premium '14 Trail from them though.

 

[grammatik2015]

You're welcome!
I'm not sure how much off-road you do and whether it's anything that really needs an AT tire or not. The KO2 in stock 265/70R17 comes in a much lighter 2-ply C load range that would probably be much more suited to city driving and light trails than the heavier 3-ply E rated tires (only option for 275/70 size). I've bounced back and forth between these options multiple times, however, my driving is nearly never the city type and hence my mpg wouldn't take as much of a hit with the heavier tire. Living in Chi-town, you undoubtedly have more stop/go driving which would suffer from the heavier tire starting and stopping. When it comes to road manners the KO2 is supposed to be grippy and responsive without much in the way of the usual AT tire noise. There are of course an entire world of other options, but like you I had dismissed the KO2 and then had to add it back to the list. Many here rave about the all around good performer of the Cooper AT/3 which for some time was at the top of my list as well until I had to consider snow/ice performance. I'm in hot sunny Tulsa now, but come September will be up in the rust belt again for several years (Dayton/Columbus).

A general rule is that from stock size on any vehicle you can increase/decrease to the next size in either width or aspect ratio without any modifications required. I've always been more a fan of going with the slightly wider tire, but I've never bought anything with an aspect ratio less than 55 either.

The most extreme off-roading I may consider attempting (depending on conditions) would probably be limited to places like this:
14ers.com • Trailhead Info and Status (West Winfield Trailhead)
14ers.com • Trailhead Info and Status (Rockdale Trailhead)

but most likely to this:
14ers.com • Trailhead Info and Status (South Mt. Elbert Trailhead)
14ers.com • Trailhead Info and Status (Clear Crk./S.Winfield Trailhead)

I do not mind paying few $$ extra or taking a 2mpg hit for a good tire like KO2s if it performs and keeps on the road and out of the ditch:lol:. I know that KOs were not that great in winter performance, KO2s are a huge improvement. Some reviewers mentions winter performance on par with some dedicated winter tires. KO2 is moving to top of my list quickly.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

The best I got them down to was ~$700 off MSRP for a TEP with KDSS in the Denver area 6 weeks ago. They did offer quite a bit on my trade in though ('10 FJ). I'm still glad I opted for the non-premium '14 Trail from them though.

Yeah, Autonation was quite frank with me. They said (and I quote) we sell the Trails before they hit the lot. Most are sold before they get off the truck. $500 30th Anniversary discount and another $1000 Autonation discount and thats it. Take it or leave it. You want no haggle buying, there ya go LOL.

Sticker was $39K, $37.5K was my price. It was in my garage by noon the morning after they unloaded it (the prior night).

 

[NoDak]

2. Will probably get OEM running board for now, love SW but need them quick Concerned about gravel road driving/paint as I am heading to CO shortly.

since you have the SR5, don't get the R6 running boards, get the KH ones instead.

edit : cant remember if you can have front mud flaps on the KH. on the R6 you can but the R6 are just that, lower rocker panel protection and hardly any usable footing to actually use to step in, my opinion.