Highway Manners & Custom Order

[bt72]

Test drove a 4runner yesterday. Didn't get the chance to push it. Looking at an SR5. Would appreciate any comments on how it handles at speed on highway and on fast New England roads with a lot of turns.

Also wondering if anyone has ordered one to make sure they get the options they wan't without paying for things they don't want (like the sliding cargo deck). You have to pay up to order or get a good deal. I ordered a 96 Tahoe and remember the salesmen saying he could get the same deal - may even be able to do better with the order becasue he didn't have to worry about carrying the invenotry on his lot.

 

[Jtraskell]

Test drove a 4runner yesterday. Didn't get the chance to push it. Looking at an SR5. Would appreciate any comments on how it handles at speed on highway and on fast New England roads with a lot of turns.

Also wondering if anyone has ordered one to make sure they get the options they want without paying for things they don't want (like the sliding cargo deck). You have to pay up to order or get a good deal. I ordered a 96 Tahoe and remember the salesmen saying he could get the same deal - may even be able to do better with the order because he didn't have to worry about carrying the inventory on his lot.

I was fairly impressed with the cornering abilities of my T4R Sr5, with what seemed to me pretty minimal sway around some sharp corners at about 50 60 mph here in Florida . This, for the size and height of the vehicle and being a 4wd, hardly noticeable. As compared to my Exploder, which was much taller and would sway a lot. I have not really tested under or oversteer due to the break in period, but I suspect with the factory tires, it will also be limited. (more grip on pavement compared to some of the more aggressive off road tires) So, I would not be afraid of driving hilly, curvey roads of New England or anywhere else. If you change tires, buy according to your main driving habits.

As to options, as far as I know, a package is a package when it comes to ordering, if you can even place an order....I am really wondering if one can place a specific order to be built, or if a dealer is taking an "order" and just locating a specific one through allocation. I just read in another thread that a person was told that his "order" placed weeks ago, could not be done, and he HAD to take a vehicle from allocation. Whats up with that? I know when I bought mine, my dealer was VERY hesitant about trying to place an "order" and kept encouraging me to wait for the next allocation to see if the one I wanted, or would settle for, was on the boat so to speak. In true form, I did settle for one that had about 80 percent of the options I wanted, just so I could get the purchase over with. I just have a feeling about placing an order on these vehicles......

 

[adoihcj]

Test drove a 4runner yesterday. Didn't get the chance to push it. Looking at an SR5. Would appreciate any comments on how it handles at speed on highway and on fast New England roads with a lot of turns.

Also wondering if anyone has ordered one to make sure they get the options they wan't without paying for things they don't want (like the sliding cargo deck). You have to pay up to order or get a good deal. I ordered a 96 Tahoe and remember the salesmen saying he could get the same deal - may even be able to do better with the order becasue he didn't have to worry about carrying the invenotry on his lot.

My 2010 SR5 feels like it was built for the highway. I had an '03 Explorer (bought new) as well and it never this solid on the highway. Also, I've taken it through "S" curves known for causing rollovers on Interstate 79 at 70-75 MPH and it handled amazingly well. If you see my earlier posts, you can go 90 MPH and not even know it (I know I'm going to get a ticket soon).

 

[bt72]

Thanks for weighing in. I had a standard 99 SR5 and was amazed how well that truck handled on raod. If I was happy with that one I guess a decade and two generations later I should be all set.

Thanks for the custom order comments to. I have some time left on lease so I'll let you know how it goes at the dealer - if I am able to put in an order or not.

 

[SeattleMike]

Thanks for the custom order comments to. I have some time left on lease so I'll let you know how it goes at the dealer - if I am able to put in an order or not.

Toyota doesn't take specific custom orders, the dealers submit what they call a "preference request" when they send in their allocation order. If the factory has one ready, then it can be slotted in to fill the request, or it can be diverted at port to your dealership. The difference is that you cannot specify individual choices, only the pre-selected option sets. I know all this because I just went through it with 5 dealers in 3 states.

 

[Jtraskell]

Toyota doesn't take specific custom orders, the dealers submit what they call a "preference request" when they send in their allocation order. If the factory has one ready, then it can be slotted in to fill the request, or it can be diverted at port to your dealership. The difference is that you cannot specify individual choices, only the pre-selected option sets. I know all this because I just went through it with 5 dealers in 3 states.

Thank you for confirming my opinoin. Now I KNOW my dealer is not going to be my dealer in the future!

 

[Ryan_S]

I just placed my order for a TE this week and it seemed like they were actually sending the order to the factory for the specific vehicle I wanted. Not sure if it was "preference" or an actual order, but he said about 2 months.

I did have two different dealers try to persuade me from ordering, one even told me that he has never had anyone actually pick up their order, they always end up buying something off the lot. Needless to say I didn't order from him.

 

[Uneek]

It's a dealer and/or sales person thing, either they don't want to, know how or know that they can.

You can get a 4Runner according to Toyota.com, with or without any of the options listed, as long as they listed individually and not as an option package or have a prerequesite (i.e., cannot get KDSS without nav on the Trail Edition, but you should be able to get nav without third row or vice versa on the Limited). I got my 4Runner with exactly what I wanted and nothing I didn't want. Several other members have gotten their 4th gens in the same manner and I doubt the 5th is any different.

 

[Jtraskell]

It's a dealer and/or sales person thing, either they don't want to, know how or know that they can.

You can get a 4Runner according to Toyota.com, with or without any of the options listed, as long as they listed individually and not as an option package or have a prerequisite (i.e., cannot get KDSS without nav on the Trail Edition, but you should be able to get nav without third row or vice versa on the Limited). I got my 4Runner with exactly what I wanted and nothing I didn't want. Several other members have gotten their 4th gens in the same manner and I doubt the 5th is any different.

I agree and this makes business sense. (Although as a consumer, I'm not impressed). I read somewhere that the first year 5th gen will only have a production run of 35K vehicles, world wide. It makes sense then to limit not only options, but which options can go where. Case in point, why could I not get a Limited in Red? That made no sense since the body style with minor cosmetic differences were the same. There was just NO WAY to do it at this time, special order or not. Thinking about a production line, special orders will, I'm sure, slow down the line.

I suspect a certain amount of vehicles come without or few specific options (that can be installed regionally) to the point of destination and then "built" to a certain level locally. For example, the leather seats in my SR5. It would make no sense for the factory to put in cloth seats, then have them removed by SE Toyota, replace with leather. It would be better to have some vehicles with no seats, then have them built to order here. Which also explains why I can't get a factory rear view camera installed by Toyota at this point. Apparently, SE Toyota can't retro them in because it has to be prewired by the factory. If Toyota finds that the vast majority of folks want the rear view camera, then next year they may pre wire all vehicles with this option, having the camera installed locally.

Conversely, Pre installed "packages" are a real time and cost saver for the factory. If most people want X, it makes sense to put it together up front. 35k vehicles is a spit in the bucket, so to speak. This is probably a test run for Toyota and we are the lab rats! Remember, you can have any color you want, as long as it's black......

 

[imwjl]

Test drove a 4runner yesterday. Didn't get the chance to push it. Looking at an SR5. Would appreciate any comments on how it handles at speed on highway and on fast New England roads with a lot of turns.

Also wondering if anyone has ordered one to make sure they get the options they wan't without paying for things they don't want (like the sliding cargo deck). You have to pay up to order or get a good deal. I ordered a 96 Tahoe and remember the salesmen saying he could get the same deal - may even be able to do better with the order becasue he didn't have to worry about carrying the invenotry on his lot.

We tested the new model against our 3rd generation and other vehicles yesterday. It handles well for what it is but not what I would buy as ideal for twisty roads. It's much improved for highway over mine for the same reasons it could not be as good off road. We also tested Highlander Hybrid and the new larger Outbacks on same route and they are much better if it's highway manners that you want. The Subarus were an eye opener and changed what I thought was a given - my trading gen 3 for gen 5.

The dealers and Toyota also brought back memories for my current 4Runner where getting what you want and a good price are a pain.

I have no idea how you will use your vehicle but professional guiding and up to 3 months a year doing near constant outdoor sports drove my generation 3 purchase. Now I see a bigger vehicle with much less ground clearance and only .3 more than those Outbacks so I'm rethinking what I might do.

 

[LWN]

We tested the new model against our 3rd generation and other vehicles yesterday. It handles well for what it is but not what I would buy as ideal for twisty roads. It's much improved for highway over mine for the same reasons it could not be as good off road. We also tested Highlander Hybrid and the new larger Outbacks on same route and they are much better if it's highway manners that you want. The Subarus were an eye opener and changed what I thought was a given - my trading gen 3 for gen 5.

The dealers and Toyota also brought back memories for my current 4Runner where getting what you want and a good price are a pain.

I have no idea how you will use your vehicle but professional guiding and up to 3 months a year doing near constant outdoor sports drove my generation 3 purchase. Now I see a bigger vehicle with much less ground clearance and only .3 more than those Outbacks so I'm rethinking what I might do.

Just my two cents, but I'd never consider a Subaru for guide work or serious off-roading. As a former mechanic that worked on a lot of them, they're not particularly well-made, are light duty, and they have unibody construction. It's a grocery-getter with 4wd - there’s just no comparison, imo. I just don’t think they’d hold up to serious off-road use. Subaru may advertise themselves as making off-road vehicles, but I just don't get it. I think there's a reason most serious off-road accessory manufacturers like ARB don't even make accessories for the Subaru.

Avoid the dealerships entirely - just do your shopping on the internet and avoid the hassle.

 

[Ryan_S]

Subarus are not "off road" vehicles.

Rally cars, YES.
Rock crawlers, NO!

Totally different vehicle. That's like trying to compare a Highlander's off road capabilities, just because it's available with 4WD.

 

[bt72]

I drove a highlander and for my purposes and the amount I go off road it probably makes more sense. No way I could buy one tho for the same reason i'd never buy an FJ cruise and bruise. Visibility is a joke. I don't care how structurally sound a truck is if you can't see where your going. I want to buy and keep my next vehicle for a lot of miles, see if I can do more than the 187,000 i put on a 91 blazer. Right now the 4runner looks like the best option out there for it. I have a few months left on my current lease and could wait for the 2011 cherokee. No way i'd trust the first model year of a chrysler - fiat to be reliable for the long haul.

I'd be sold on the 4runner if it had AWD. Like using it at speed in heavy rains and interstate snow. Don't have the dollars for limited. May be a good thing considering there is not stopping difference between driving in 2 and AWD and the AWD would just give me the confidence - stupidity to open it up in conditions I shouldn't.

 

[imwjl]

Just my two cents, but I'd never consider a Subaru for guide work or serious off-roading. As a former mechanic that worked on a lot of them, they're not particularly well-made, are light duty, and they have unibody construction. It's a grocery-getter with 4wd - there’s just no comparison, imo. I just don’t think they’d hold up to serious off-road use. Subaru may advertise themselves as making off-road vehicles, but I just don't get it. I think there's a reason most serious off-road accessory manufacturers like ARB don't even make accessories for the Subaru.

Avoid the dealerships entirely - just do your shopping on the internet and avoid the hassle.

I know that but think the Subaru would be fine for my current scenario. There are times I will rent a truck even though I have a 4Runner. I probably differ from some in wanting a SUV because my driving evolution includes Kenworths, Macks and ancient Jeeps.

I've also thought about keeping my 3rd generation and getting a nice sedan but don't like the idea of 3 cars.