Had my '18 Limited 10 days ... not enough power for me...

[rzgkane]

Just not enough power for me. Can't even imagine how the engine would sound pulling two jet skis up a long grade with 4-5 adults and a week's worth of food and drink in the back. Around town it was a pleasure, though. Decided to keep my old V8 4WD beater as the vacation hauler and replaced the 4Runner with a car. I wish I had been able to test drive the 4Runner up some serious hills. It would have helped me avoid some headache. Time for Toyota to up their game and give these beautiful and functional trucks another 50hp or more.

 

[Munson]

Sorry it didn't work out for you but sounds like it wasn't what you needed. Some people are saying that Toyota is thinking about going to the 3.0 in the future which would be a step back and a shame but I guess they view the Tundra and Sequoia as the big end toy hauler. Ford is making an Explorer ST soon that will be putting out 400+ hp but targeted more towards "street" performance. Good luck and have fun with those jet skis!

 

[1996_Valencia_Owen]

I guess it's all relative, lol. Esp when you consider the 3rd gen could pull those same jetskis and family up the same grade... just at 45mph instead of 60 lol.

I sometimes think the biggest fear people have to overcome is engine noise. They assume it's doing horrible things that it really isn't, and with modern oil and tech, cars can really take this kind of punishment all day long.

A good exercize for anyone who thinks taking a car up a grade with some weight is tough on it should watch Fast Lane Truck on youtube. They do the "Ike Gauntlet" series of videos on a lot of new trucks, pulling close to their max towing weight, up the Ike Gauntlet in Colorado (which tops out at 11,200+ ft elevation).

Almost every truck there does it just fine, albeit with some slowing down as they go in the right lane. But only 1 or 2 have ever had some kind of heating or mechanical problem.

 

[DavidR1]

So you never actually tried it but assumed it wouldn't work for you.

Thanks for stopping by, great story.

 

[Senorlechero]

I really, seriously do not get this...

My wife and I have 4 kids, 14, 13, 11 and 6. So we ALWAYS have 5-6 people in our 4runner, we live in an area that has some decent hills, nothing like Colorado, but decently steep and long uphill drives, and we regularly go over Cajon Pass, and never once have I needed it to have more power.

Would I like 50HP more? Sure! as long as they can keep the reliability there.

We've done camping trips in Angeles NF with 7 people, a hitch rack and the roof rack FULL of stuff and still had no issues going up into those mountains.

So I don't get it.

 

[rzgkane]

So you never actually tried it but assumed it wouldn't work for you.

Thanks for stopping by, great story.

Lol. Not quite. I pulled a few grades without the trailer, without 4 people, without a crapload of food and drink and drew a conclusion. It wasn't a wild ass guess or an assumption. It was a prediction based upon facts. It's obviously a great vehicle and does the trick for many, many folks. Otherwise, it wouldn't sell like it does. It just wouldn't work for me.

 

[delgadtn]

Doesn’t sound like you even tried it. You could have simply added a super charger if after you tried it and hypothetically it wasn’t enough power you.


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[rzgkane]

I really, seriously do not get this...

My wife and I have 4 kids, 14, 13, 11 and 6. So we ALWAYS have 5-6 people in our 4runner, we live in an area that has some decent hills, nothing like Colorado, but decently steep and long uphill drives, and we regularly go over Cajon Pass, and never once have I needed it to have more power.

Would I like 50HP more? Sure! as long as they can keep the reliability there.

We've done camping trips in Angeles NF with 7 people, a hitch rack and the roof rack FULL of stuff and still had no issues going up into those mountains.

So I don't get it.

You know, I think 1996 Valencia Owen was on the right track above. Some folks can tolerate (and even enjoy) the sound of an engine working its ass off and it doesn't bother them in the least. It's what the engine was designed to do, right? Others, not so much. I think I'm in the latter category. It's not that the truck couldn't do the job. As many would and have opined, it can. It's more a matter of would your enjoyment of the vehicle suffer if you are the type of person with low tolerance for engine noise and vibration. I like my vehicles to work a little less to get the job done, that's all. Personal preference. To each his own. I'm sure I am not alone in my opinion.

 

[rzgkane]

Doesn’t sound like you even tried it. You could have simply added a super charger if after you tried it and hypothetically it wasn’t enough power you.


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Negative. I keep my powertrains bone stock. No need or desire to give finicky dealers any reason to blame problems on my alterations.

 

[184RTRD]

I dunno I'm coming from an 13 Quest with a 3.6 that couldn't tow shit... We've gone camping and taken some pretty steep grades with no issues. Hell the quest felt like it was dying heading through the grapevine while the 4.slow in 3rd handled it like a champ full to the brim. Obviously I wasn't pulling a trailer but I've already pulled a couple of adventure trailers with no problems.

 

[1jzgte]

alright guys.. lets stop defending the 4runner in this department... its a terrible towing vehicle compared to many other vehicles in its price range.

 

[TacoRunn0517]

Toyota doesn't need to do anything. I think what one has to realize that there will be compromises when buying a vehicle. I don't think anyone who has serious hauling obligations should have the 4Runner at the top of their list. Toyota has bigger vehicles for that. I feel confident that majority of mid-size SUVs aren't hauling anything worthwhile. The 4Runner isn't the best choice. Surprised that people are surprised by this should-be-known fact.

 

[Toffees]

alright guys.. lets stop defending the 4runner in this department... its a terrible towing vehicle compared to many other vehicles in its price range.

What other vehicles in the price range are great at towing? You mean trucks? OP wants to haul 5 adults, plus a weeks' food, plus tow something behind him. You're not getting an SUV to do that for the same price.

 

[rzgkane]

One other point of note... I didn't buy the 4Runner to be a "tow vehicle" or "hauler." I planned on using it for those purposes probably only 7-8 times a year.

My beef was with how hard the engine seemed to have to work just to keep up to 75-80mph on a fairly innocuous grade with just me inside. I was entering into kickdown far too frequently for my tastes. Over and over actually. Now, granted, I could kick it down manually and keep it in 4th gear so it didn't shift back and forth all the time. But then the engine noise was just too much for me. It bothered me to hear it working so hard. And this is a situation I would find myself in many, many times a month given where I drive. I can only imagine what it would be like during the 7-8 times a year I did tow/haul.

I prefer to pay for effortless, available power that I only sparingly need/use over a single instance of wanting power and it not being available. Again, it's just personal preference. I'm not shitting on the truck. But I am posting here so that other prospective buyers with the same priorities as me could have as much information as possible when making their vehicle purchasing decisions. Had I read a thread like this prior to buying, I probably would have gone in a different direction and not had to go through what I did. This is the internet, folks. It's where information gets exchanged. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[Toffees]

Just not enough power for me. Can't even imagine how the engine would sound pulling two jet skis up a long grade with 4-5 adults and a week's worth of food and drink in the back. Around town it was a pleasure, though. Decided to keep my old V8 4WD beater as the vacation hauler and replaced the 4Runner with a car. I wish I had been able to test drive the 4Runner up some serious hills. It would have helped me avoid some headache. Time for Toyota to up their game and give these beautiful and functional trucks another 50hp or more.

It's nothing like the V8, and many complain about the downshifting. Hauling people can be done, or light towing, but both is probably asking too much. Hope you like your sedan (and it has a nice key fob

Here is what I've done, with 6 people and a week's gear. Best of luck to you.

.

 

[JpAdct]

I’m just curious as I have not had to do much towing yet. Are those who are complaining about lack of power and excessive downshifting running the tranny in 5th or locking it in 4th gear max setting?


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[delgadtn]

Negative. I keep my powertrains bone stock. No need or desire to give finicky dealers any reason to blame problems on my alterations.

Fair enough. It doesn't sound like this was the right vehicle for you and that's fine. I intend to tow a 2,400 lb off road teardrop trailer overlanding and recognize potential limitations of the 4Runner. However, it was the most refined yet capable DD with a ton of modification options available and that's what ultimately attracted me to the truck. It gave me a pause to drill in to the center console of a brand new 42k vehicle to affix SPOD & Ram Mount accessories but ultimately it's my truck and I'm making it how I want it. I have no real qualms about adding a supercharger if desired or deemed necessary but that's me and differences are why there are so many different vehicle options. Enjoy your Jet skis.

 

[philsey]

On one hand I agree with OP, inasmuch as it does sound strained when you need to push it. I also admit that as much as I like this thing, driving it in mountains becomes a little annoying.

OTOH, I also know this motor is designed to make its power up high, so when it needs RPM to get the job done that's just what it gets. It does have power, no doubt, but you do have to tolerate the busyness to get there.

Cruise control? Hah!

 

[MrJux]

I'm not shitting on the truck.

I mean you kinda are given that you never gave it a chance to do what you wanted it to do because it sounded too loud.

 

[chillfancy]

Just not enough power for me. .....Time for Toyota to up their game and give these beautiful and functional trucks another 50hp or more.

They do. It's called a Sequoya. 381hp vs the 270hp in the 4Runner. Why didn't you go that route?