I'm starting to really not like my '14...

[Bimmer-Bob]

You haven't completely experienced frustration until you own a German car. I had a BMW before this and that definitely felt like having a hot girlfriend. It's a fun ride until shit goes south. I've been happy with my 4Runner even though it doesn't have the luxury amenities like my previous ride.

Curious what kind of BMW you had? I'm going on 5 years with a 128i and it's been dead reliable. Of course, the engine is an N52 (straight six, no turbo, no direct injection) so it's not as fast as some of their other models, but with a few key mods it does very well.

I'm actually scared off by overcomplicated engine tech, as it seems to result in more gremlins a few years down the line. Turbos & DI account for a lot of issues not just in BMW's but also Audis and VW's. Supposedly the tech is getting more reliable, but I'd just as soon have tried and true engines in my vehicles.

 

[JayceeP]

The stock radio is shit. You should get much better for 40 grand. That and the nose dive were the 2 keys factors I didn't get the SR5 Upgrade Package. Also, the pre '14's didn't have body coloured fender/wheel-well moulding, lol.

I can understand the frustration on the other items.

 

[Matt007b]

Test drive, eyes wide open, ignore the sales people. Read, read, read, think about it longer, search a while longer, read some more. No vehilce is ever perfect or does it all but it only has to satisfy "you". There's always compromises. It's been this way for every vehicle I've ever purchased.

Remember where you are when reading/researching and what they're about. This forum has a majority of people that have modified their rigs for a specific purpose. Reading some of the things they say may/will not apply to your use for your vehicle. Take the comments within the context when they're made. If I'm running MUD terrain tires, I might get 20,000 miles out of them on pavement. That has nothing to do with the tires you might have. Context, remember context.

PS, no factory Nav is ever going to measure up to a 3rd party, frequently up-datable Nav. Reading and searching would reveal this. I have the factory Nav but I rely on my 7" Garmin Nuvi 2757. I knew this before I purchased. I can save trip logs to use years later. I just reviewed a 2002 Yellowstone trip last week. In dash navs just get it done, no frills.

Thanks for the reply - yeah I've got some major researching to do on this.. I love the look/functionality of the vehicle and I don't care about MPG as long as it's not absurd low but I am sort of a tech geek so hearing about a weak head unit is not good news. Like you I guess I could get a nice Garmin... not really looking to offroad but our winters in Utah in the mountains/commute can get scary.. thought about the subaru outback but I like the built in Japan reliable 4 runner more plus it looks easier to do maintenance on with a higher ground clearance..... no matter what like you said it's down to what I like/want and the test drive. Thanks will keep doing mass research

 

[Matt007b]

to the original poster, just and idea with the tire sensors -

I work at a infiniti dealership - and we fill all our customer cars with nitrogen (I guess the benefit is - when it gets cold/hot the tire pressure doesn't go up and down as much as just normal air pump air going in...) maybe you could try that or ask the dealership to have nitrogen installed after getting your tire sensors recalibrated?

 

[8086bruce]

Edit: deleted what I first wrote.

OP hope all your issues get sorted.

 

[NoDak]

1. oem nav quality of life features just suck. the # 1 reason is liability and lawyers

2. get a garmin 5/6" screen size unit. I have a 7" and its awesome, but its too big/heavy for the bean bag mount.

3. using my garmin along side the oem, the garmin just blows it out the water.

garmin features :

a. zooms in/out depending on speed
b. can change anything while driving route, features, sound, brightness, etc
c. calculates from your position from the get go
d. can update the maps free via the computer
e. can be used for more than just driving
f. I can load pre made trips/routes from the computer

oem nav :
a. cant change a lot of the features while moving
b. doesn't start routing unless you get on the route/start point its calculated
c. no free updates
d. can only use it while in the vehicle
e. cant make pre made trips/maps and transfer to the nav unit (lexus/enform you can somewhat)

in the end, I use my garmin for those trips outside of town/state or locations I have no clue. in a bind I use the oem, but man I hate the usability of it.

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when I first picked up my 4runner, the ride was super harsh, then I realized (since I have bought many new Toyotas) the tires always come over inflated to 45+ psi due to transporting.

aired them down to 32 psi and the ride was much nicer.

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radio :

the radio is good enough, better than any I've had before. but I usually drive w/o a radio on as I prefer to hear the road noise, especially in winter time. tires make certain noise on regular blacktop, when the pitch changes is when I get scared since that usually indicates black ice.

as you drive the vehicle over several months, you tend to get use to the truck making certain sounds, then you start hearing a different sound(s) and that makes me curious as to what is making that sound(s). some are normal seasonal (windshield tick due to ice buildup at the base), body mounts squeaking between 40-50 F, etc. others are completely new which means I need to find out whats causing it. if its bad catching it early saves the hassle of a full blown repair compared to a quick fix.

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

Thanks for the reply - yeah I've got some major researching to do on this.. I love the look/functionality of the vehicle and I don't care about MPG as long as it's not absurd low but I am sort of a tech geek so hearing about a weak head unit is not good news. Like you I guess I could get a nice Garmin... not really looking to offroad but our winters in Utah in the mountains/commute can get scary.. thought about the subaru outback but I like the built in Japan reliable 4 runner more plus it looks easier to do maintenance on with a higher ground clearance..... no matter what like you said it's down to what I like/want and the test drive. Thanks will keep doing mass research

It depends on who you talk to. Some can pick apart anything and expect everything, others are better at looking past some things and enjoying life. It also depends on how far back a person had a "new" vehicle as to the incremental technology jump to the new vehicle. IE, 2003 to a 2014 = WOW impression. 2012 to a 2014 = not so much in vehicles. You get the idea.

Personally, I like the head unit on my 2014 trim level (trail premium). I use the free HD radio traffic overlay on my in-dash Nav. It works OK. Did I say free? I love the free HD radio weather radar among other things. (read Oklahoma tornados, hail, ice, etc.) I love the iPod integration and my VBR mp3's created from lossless FLAC files sound AMAZING in this stock vehicle's stock sound system. (I check them with Audacity for clipping before creating.) Read garbage in, garbage out.

This is my 3rd 4Runner and they run, and run and run. Just do the standard maintenance and it'll take you a couple of hundred thousand miles and still have a good resale at the end. It IS much more of a truck platform than an outback so that's a definite decision point. That's a "feature" for many of us. No Jeep Liberty here.

As to Nav, I started out many years back with Delorme Street Atlas v2 on a laptop and yellow GPS puck in vehicles. That gave me a nice 14" screen to navigate by and worked well until Delorme stopped updating their maps worth a darn around Street Atlas 2009. I jumped to a 4.3" Garmin Nuvi and loved the maps and accuracy, but hated the screen size. I jumped all over the 7" Garmin Nuvi when it came out. It easily moved between vehicles, or the boat, etc. I'd always heard how bad in dash Nav's were in any vehicle for years. They're only as good as the map database. Toyota's is the same Navteq DB as Garmin, BUT, it is watered down as to the POI's and is an older map version. I knew this when I bought the 4Runner so it was no big deal. If it was my only Nav, I'd be disappointed having experienced the better Garmin.

Keep reading and good luck. There's a right combination for you out there.

 

[4Rager]

I know people love to hate on CAI's, but I drive a significant up grade to work each day, and I can definitely say it smoothed out the powerband, and gave a noticeable increase to available power at lower rpms.

 

[Orlyg1521]

My 2011 Trail does have a TPMS in the spare. I know this since the spare was removed I get a warning light on the dash

 

[High_Country]

I read through four pages more for entertainment and therapy for myself but here's my take.

1 - TPMS can be fixed. Find a better dealer.
2 - Same thing everyone else said about the NAV. Calibrate your expectations accordingly.
3 - Voice recognition: You've done the voice training per the owner's manual right? I did. While it's not 100% accurate all the time, it does just fine for me.
4 - I have a 2015 trail and the hood scoop has never ONCE shot a glare into my eyes. Not once. Never. I'm tall (6'4") and maybe that has something to do with it but I don't get the complaints.
5 - Power- I find that the truck has learned me and I have learned the truck. It is definitely more 'peppy' now that I've driven it awhile and I have calibrated my own foot to it's mapping.

You say not to suggest $1000 fixes but you're gonna lose a lot more than that when you trade it.

I love my 4runner. I haven't had one issue that you're complaining about. That sucks for you. Sorry.

 

[Orlyg1521]

Hood Scoop solution

I contemplated vinyl and decided to try Plastidip and it worked great. Shoot me a line for details on application, it took me 3 tries to get this right. Plenty of youtube vids about PD

 

[4FL]

I have had no issues with the nav, maybe it is just I am not using it the way other people are. But on my trip in and around DC, the nav worked just fine to get me to/from places in that crazy mess.

I have never been one of those people that are "into stereo systems", it plays, and that is good enough for me. Honestly, I could never tell the difference between high end stereo systems and factory systems, at least not enough for me to ever have a concern about it. (I know people who are really into modding stereo's and it all sounds the same to me).

As others mentioned, go to a different dealer for the tire sensor.

The hood scoop glare...yea, I have not had the issue, but obviously people do. There are easy solutions for this.

The 4r has plenty of people, it is not like I come from low powered cars either, I fail to see how someone can even worked up over the amount of the gas pedal they have to push.

 

[philsey]

..... I fail to see how someone can even worked up over the amount of the gas pedal they have to push.

:thumb3:

.......or auto headlights. :hiding:

 

[scanny]

Funny how people look at the things completely different sometimes. Long time ago when my Ford Windstar needed another censor I was given rental Corolla. After awhile I decided that I'd rather keep fixing my Ford than drive Corolla, it's small but it felt heavier than my 2 ton Windstar. Harder to steer, accelerate and brake. Long time after that I didn't look at Toyota at all. But I glad that Ford discontinued Explorer in 2010, otherwise I wouldn't get my 4Runner which I love - probably because I don't have factory navigation and my TPMS works so far. : ) Op could probably trade his truck for something he likes, good thing is that 4Runners keep price quite well.

 

[dekeman]

Not everyone is man enough to drive a truck, warts and all.
Give it to your wife (the truck, that is) and go back to a Corolla.
Everyone will be happy.

 

[mdogg]

My 2011 Trail does have a TPMS in the spare. I know this since the spare was removed I get a warning light on the dash

If your spare has a TPMS sensor in it, then 1 of the 4 on the ground does not have TPMS. The ECU only has slots for 4 sensor IDs.

Did you happen to buy used? Or do you do a 5-wheel rotation (and the current spare was on the ground when new)?

 

[Headhunter14]

Curious what kind of BMW you had? I'm going on 5 years with a 128i and it's been dead reliable. Of course, the engine is an N52 (straight six, no turbo, no direct injection) so it's not as fast as some of their other models, but with a few key mods it does very well.

I'm actually scared off by overcomplicated engine tech, as it seems to result in more gremlins a few years down the line. Turbos & DI account for a lot of issues not just in BMW's but also Audis and VW's. Supposedly the tech is getting more reliable, but I'd just as soon have tried and true engines in my vehicles.

I had a 2009 335 XDrive sedan. I loved the ride, but hated spending money after the warranty expired. I learned my lesson and will never buy a BWM unless it has the extended warranty. I still eventually would like to get an M3, but I don't see it happening in the near future. The car you have feels way slower compared to the new turbo 4. I actually enjoyed driving the 328 loaner more because it felt lighter with the new engine.

 

[Headhunter14]

I contemplated vinyl and decided to try Plastidip and it worked great. Shoot me a line for details on application, it took me 3 tries to get this right. Plenty of youtube vids about PD

Do you have a writeup of this? You got my attention. Looks sharp

 

[IdRatherBe]

I'm sorry that you are struggling with your purchase.

I am only 5,000 miles in to my '14 TEP, but good God I love it and it is a dream compared to the nightmare that was my last Subaru. The TPMS would be very annoying, but I am on the side of most others when I say the NAV is industry standard... all but worthless for real time directions. However, I use the heck out of my iPhone through the bluetooth. Compared to my Subaru, the connectivity with my phone is STELLAR. The text playback is excellent and will probably save my life if it hasn't already.

My T4R is grey, so that may be why the scoop glare isn't so bad. Then again, I wear sunglasses every chance I get. It's better for your eyes anyway.

The ride and the engine is great as far as I'm concerned. I will take a little dip with the brakes in exchange for a suspension that soaks up Houston's notoriously nasty streets.

Anyway, like I said, I just came off a POS of a vehicle in my Subaru, so I know the pain of a regrettable purchase. I hope things get better or you find what you really want. If you really want perspective and maybe a little consolation, go take a look at the Jeep Cherokee forum. The Trailhawk edition is easily 35k+ and those things seem to be utter nightmares.

2014 - 2015 Jeep Cherokee General Discussion - 2014 - 2015 Jeep Cherokee Forums

 

[Bimmer-Bob]

:thumb3:

.......or auto headlights. :hiding:

Touche.