My original thought was that I would buy a Trail Premium/ Off Road Premium for the leather, nav, rear locker, and such. I also have my heart set on getting the KDSS. I have heard good things about the KDSS. When I first started researching the 4Runners I wanted everything - full underbody armor, front bumper with winch, roof racks with LEDS everywhere, mud tires, ect. At this point I am thinking I will buy this thing, drive it for a year or few months and start slowly adding things that I feel I will use and benefit from. This will be my primary commuter so I need to be careful with anything offroad related. If I use this thing on weeks for offroading and benefit from a 2-3 inch lift that I will look at that. If I don't really require more clearance then why spend the money to alter handling. Everyone wants to make the craziest offroad mudslinger they can think of...but I have to drive this thing to work everyday and out to dinner and to weddings in a suit. Things to consider.
If you could start all over...
- Thread starter Skahn21
- Start date
noahthomas03
New member
I would buy a TRD Off Road Premium with a sunroof. I miss having a sunroof, and for some reason they didnt offer it with the TRD Pro
Because OFFROAD THINGS!!!!
KonaRunner
New member
great replies so far! Keep them coming please 
mnofpeace
Member
I would have looked harder for a 2005-2012 LandCruiser 200...done the belt replacement, and like a fat man in an illegal massage-house... truly enjoyed a happy ending.
As far as my 2014 SR5...i would have swapped the tires quicker, other than that...i am quite happy with my purchase and my experience thus far.
but hey, if's and but's...
IF my aunt had wheels, she'd be a bicycle...:juggle:
As far as my 2014 SR5...i would have swapped the tires quicker, other than that...i am quite happy with my purchase and my experience thus far.
but hey, if's and but's...
IF my aunt had wheels, she'd be a bicycle...:juggle:
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Friggin Idiot
Senior Member
Go with that.
I also was insistent on KDSS, leather (heated seats), sunroof & nav. That means only a TRD-OR Prem will do, except in 2014 it was called a Trail Prem.
Things not to buy at the dealer:
Floormats - HuskyLiner or WeatherTech are better
Roof Rack Crossbars - OEM will do in a pinch, but your money is better spent on RagoFab's "RagoRails" or LFD's Crossbars instead. (LFD's can be re-purposed to their rack if you need to upgrade to a full size rack)
Remote Start - OEM one is crap, no feedback and short range, ignore dealer options (even Viper system) and go with a reputable aftermarket installer. You can actually get an app on your phone to do the remote start if you want.
Tires - Dump the OEM tires, or make it part of the deal when you purchase the truck it needs a good AT tire. Cooper Discoverer AT3 seems the most versatile all around choice that still rides smooth on the road, but there's a wide variety. I'd personally stay away from the Nitto's and KO2's but some people love them.
Steps/Sliders/Nerf bars - OEM are for weddings and the like, but get torn up easily off-road, go aftermarket there are tons of options
Paint Protection/Clear Bra - OEM is a bit of a waste, it only covers the leading edge of the hood, fenders, and side mirrors with some trim around the doors. Either go with a ceramic type micro coating, or have a professional tint/wrap shop custom cut a clear bra that will cover the entire front bumper can usually get a deal on window tint while they have the truck too (fronts need it)
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hamburglar210
New member
Same here. Kings, JBA or Total Chaos UCAs, maybe Toyos(?), and different wheels. + Raingler net for keeping the dog in the back.
Maybe I'll re-do everything when I hit 100k
MrGainzz
New member
You care too much about how others think of you. There’s absolutely nothing with driving a badass lifted suv in a suit to a wedding though. To me ,that makes you more unique.
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Richmond Dan
New member
I too plan on buying a 2019 TRD off-road. Not the premium, because I don’t like the leather seats. I drove two off Roads last week, One with KDSS and one without. I much preferred the KDSS version. I suggest you also do a test drive. I tried to re-create the nose dive with the brakes, but I couldn’t see any grabbing at all. Perhaps it has been fixed in later models.
MidnightOffRoad
New member
I have a 2018 TRD OffRoad Premium (w KDSS).
I've added TRD wheels and stock sized KO2's. I've swapped out the front and rear fascia. The dealer swapped out the grille for the "heritage" (aka TRD grille). The dealer also added predator steps. Other than that I peel coated the stock roof rack bars black. I also had the front side windows tinted to match the factory tint, blacked out the logos/badges with overlays and did other crap like 3D Max floormats and updated my goodie box with new tow gear.
What I'd do differently:
1) I wouldn't buy a black vehicle. I knew better. I really did. But it looked so good. Now it's another pain in the ass in a long list of recurring work I have to do to keep it clean. It rains virtually every day in South Florida and everytime it rains, it needs to be washed or it looks like crap afterward.
2) Things I still plan on doing....I'm considering a King OEM lift (nothing crazy) and I may upgrade the speakers, possibly add an amplifier. That's about it.
I've added TRD wheels and stock sized KO2's. I've swapped out the front and rear fascia. The dealer swapped out the grille for the "heritage" (aka TRD grille). The dealer also added predator steps. Other than that I peel coated the stock roof rack bars black. I also had the front side windows tinted to match the factory tint, blacked out the logos/badges with overlays and did other crap like 3D Max floormats and updated my goodie box with new tow gear.
What I'd do differently:
1) I wouldn't buy a black vehicle. I knew better. I really did. But it looked so good. Now it's another pain in the ass in a long list of recurring work I have to do to keep it clean. It rains virtually every day in South Florida and everytime it rains, it needs to be washed or it looks like crap afterward.
2) Things I still plan on doing....I'm considering a King OEM lift (nothing crazy) and I may upgrade the speakers, possibly add an amplifier. That's about it.
I have to agree with the post above.
But if your driving it to work and to Weddings your going to be washing it a lot. I learned years ago if you off road on the weekends with your daily driver you may not make it to work on Monday, and Tuesday your in a Rental car.
I'm curious How many 4Runner owners have commuter cars for that reason.
May be a new Post ?
But if your driving it to work and to Weddings your going to be washing it a lot. I learned years ago if you off road on the weekends with your daily driver you may not make it to work on Monday, and Tuesday your in a Rental car.
I'm curious How many 4Runner owners have commuter cars for that reason.
May be a new Post ?
We just picked up our third.
Our first was a grey 2015 SR5 Premium 4x4 with a crappy dealer installed spacer lift and 285R20's. I hated the Nitto G2 tires, the wheels were tacky looking Fuel's and the quality of the ride and tire/wheel combo were all wrong. The misses hated the way it drove at highway speeds and it quickly became an annoyance. I had planned to rectify the issues with a better 17" wheel/tire combo and a proper lift, but she got her way and we moved onto the next one.
Our second was a blue 2016 Limited Full-time 4wd. She got her favorite color and interior choice (Redwood) and it was loaded out. She was finally happy with the look of the vehicle but the reduced turning radius due to the AWD drive train and the lower fuel efficiency began to eat at her. She wanted a set of AT tires on the factory wheel but at the time no such tire existed that would fit a 20x7" wheel that Discount would be willing to mount. Needless to say, it received no mods and stayed completely stock. That was the final straw, she loved the platform but she just couldn't seem to find the perfect combo to keep her happy. On down the road it went.
For the next 1.5 years she drove my F-250 with little fuss but without passion or much enjoyment. Ultimately she'd love to have a Land Cruiser, I too share her love for them but I struggle to justify the cost for what you get. I kept telling her that the 4Runner we should have bought all along was the Trail/TRDOR or my personal favorite, the TRD Pro. Well we are finally happy (I hope lol), we just added a 2018 Black TRD Pro. I swore I wouldn't get another black vehicle, but the deal was available and as hard as they are to come by without markup or a long wait for an order, I just wasn't willing to pass it up.
We plan to only lightly modify this one since we have another nicely modified vehicle in the Power Wagon, but it'll certainly receive an aftermarket roof rack, sliders, and likely a hidden winch setup. I'll maybe consider a quality 2-2.5" lift at some point, but I doubt it'll ever have anything much larger than stock size rubber.
As of right now I can't wait to pull off the factory steps in favor of a true slider/step and install the Baja Designs Squadron Fog Kit.
Our first was a grey 2015 SR5 Premium 4x4 with a crappy dealer installed spacer lift and 285R20's. I hated the Nitto G2 tires, the wheels were tacky looking Fuel's and the quality of the ride and tire/wheel combo were all wrong. The misses hated the way it drove at highway speeds and it quickly became an annoyance. I had planned to rectify the issues with a better 17" wheel/tire combo and a proper lift, but she got her way and we moved onto the next one.
Our second was a blue 2016 Limited Full-time 4wd. She got her favorite color and interior choice (Redwood) and it was loaded out. She was finally happy with the look of the vehicle but the reduced turning radius due to the AWD drive train and the lower fuel efficiency began to eat at her. She wanted a set of AT tires on the factory wheel but at the time no such tire existed that would fit a 20x7" wheel that Discount would be willing to mount. Needless to say, it received no mods and stayed completely stock. That was the final straw, she loved the platform but she just couldn't seem to find the perfect combo to keep her happy. On down the road it went.
For the next 1.5 years she drove my F-250 with little fuss but without passion or much enjoyment. Ultimately she'd love to have a Land Cruiser, I too share her love for them but I struggle to justify the cost for what you get. I kept telling her that the 4Runner we should have bought all along was the Trail/TRDOR or my personal favorite, the TRD Pro. Well we are finally happy (I hope lol), we just added a 2018 Black TRD Pro. I swore I wouldn't get another black vehicle, but the deal was available and as hard as they are to come by without markup or a long wait for an order, I just wasn't willing to pass it up.
We plan to only lightly modify this one since we have another nicely modified vehicle in the Power Wagon, but it'll certainly receive an aftermarket roof rack, sliders, and likely a hidden winch setup. I'll maybe consider a quality 2-2.5" lift at some point, but I doubt it'll ever have anything much larger than stock size rubber.
As of right now I can't wait to pull off the factory steps in favor of a true slider/step and install the Baja Designs Squadron Fog Kit.
Limited
I have been doing a lot of research and I am thinking that getting a Limited might be a viable option. It has the off-road prowess that I will (might) need - center diff, a-trac, ground clearance, ect. but the fun stuff inside that i will (definitely) use- heated and cooled seats (nice for my booty), leather (not that I'll know the difference), push button start (good for auto-starter install), ect. If I really got to the point where I was off-roading every weekend and wanted to add some serious gear I could always buy a used front bumper and put in a C4 Fab bar with winch, stock 17's and mud slingers that someone has overstock of, and rip the rocker panels off. It seems to me that in my search it is actually easier to find Limited's than Trail Premium's with KDSS. Who knows, I might end up throwing Bilstien's on after a year anyway.
Thoughts?
- Spencer
I have been doing a lot of research and I am thinking that getting a Limited might be a viable option. It has the off-road prowess that I will (might) need - center diff, a-trac, ground clearance, ect. but the fun stuff inside that i will (definitely) use- heated and cooled seats (nice for my booty), leather (not that I'll know the difference), push button start (good for auto-starter install), ect. If I really got to the point where I was off-roading every weekend and wanted to add some serious gear I could always buy a used front bumper and put in a C4 Fab bar with winch, stock 17's and mud slingers that someone has overstock of, and rip the rocker panels off. It seems to me that in my search it is actually easier to find Limited's than Trail Premium's with KDSS. Who knows, I might end up throwing Bilstien's on after a year anyway.
Thoughts?
- Spencer
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