lawwailok
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in that case, i think you may want to consider a custom Recaro for your ride :lmao:
is 4Runner fun to drive?
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in that case, i think you may want to consider a custom Recaro for your ride :lmao:
Handling and cornering with the T4R is very good considering what it is (a high CG mid-sized SUV). I think you will find the power of even the 6 cylinder version a noticable improvement over the RAV4. I personally own a V8 4WD, which in actuality is a 40%/60% (Front/Rear) all wheel drive, there is no 2WD mode in the US-spec V8 4WD T4R models. This AWD (full time 4WD is more accurate) combined with the V8 makes it a hoot to drive, and again, for its height and weight, it corners quite well. I got to drive a V8 2WD model while waiting for mine to come in to the dealership and found it to be every bit as nice a driver, it rode a tad better (most 2WDs do), but in the seat of the pants, the 'less weight' didn't not appear to make it feel any more "powerful".
When you take a T4R offroad, it is very solid. I've had mine off-road several times since my Dec 08 purchase and it has not let me down. Took it out in a foot of snow back in December and never even had to alter the default F/T 4WD settings...never got stuck, never even kicked in the VSC.
Having owned a similar Hummer (H3 Alpha AWD w/5.3L V8) and several other 4WDs and AWDs, I can honestly say that about the only *other* off-road vehicles/SUV I'd compare to it are my friend's LandCruiser, and an old CJ Jeep I had back in the day with a nasty 360cid V8 in it.
If on-road sportiness is your primary goal, there are better options out there...but will cost you more. Like the BMW X5. That's a great onroad SUV, and one that I'd never take off-road - or certainly never with its stock tires and ground clearance.
I read a recommendation for the Acura MDX - I cannot recomment that one. Very good friend of mine had one for about 6 months and hated it, as did I. Decent build quality, ride and handling but they are grossly underpowered. Don't go by the horsepower ratings, look at the torque. MDXs have highish stated horsepower numbers but are wimps in the Tq department IMO - especially low end (low RPM) torque, which is most useful in the case of heavier vehicles like SUVs...not to say that my friend didn't ditch his MDX for another Acura, he did, he just got out of SUVs entirely and went to the TSX...my V8 T4R has him wanting back into the club though. I told him to hurry, the current US administration is trying to kill any vehicle that doesn't get 100mpg.
Go test drive a T4R, drive your RAV4 to the dealership so you can get right out of it and into a Runner - then any drive/ride/power differences will jump right out at you.
When you take a T4R offroad, it is very solid. I've had mine off-road several times since my Dec 08 purchase and it has not let me down. Took it out in a foot of snow back in December and never even had to alter the default F/T 4WD settings...never got stuck, never even kicked in the VSC.
Having owned a similar Hummer (H3 Alpha AWD w/5.3L V8) and several other 4WDs and AWDs, I can honestly say that about the only *other* off-road vehicles/SUV I'd compare to it are my friend's LandCruiser, and an old CJ Jeep I had back in the day with a nasty 360cid V8 in it.
If on-road sportiness is your primary goal, there are better options out there...but will cost you more. Like the BMW X5. That's a great onroad SUV, and one that I'd never take off-road - or certainly never with its stock tires and ground clearance.
I read a recommendation for the Acura MDX - I cannot recomment that one. Very good friend of mine had one for about 6 months and hated it, as did I. Decent build quality, ride and handling but they are grossly underpowered. Don't go by the horsepower ratings, look at the torque. MDXs have highish stated horsepower numbers but are wimps in the Tq department IMO - especially low end (low RPM) torque, which is most useful in the case of heavier vehicles like SUVs...not to say that my friend didn't ditch his MDX for another Acura, he did, he just got out of SUVs entirely and went to the TSX...my V8 T4R has him wanting back into the club though. I told him to hurry, the current US administration is trying to kill any vehicle that doesn't get 100mpg.
Go test drive a T4R, drive your RAV4 to the dealership so you can get right out of it and into a Runner - then any drive/ride/power differences will jump right out at you.
G.I.G.
New member
Compared to other SUV's I would have to disagree. My 4Runner has a stiffer suspension than both of my previous Grand Cherokees (one had gas shocks) and pretty much any other SUV I've driven, including 3rd gen 4Runners.
I've been an SUV-only driver for about 10 years now (before that I had a Mazda RX-7 that handled like it was on rails) and I have to say the 4Runner has been the most fun to drive. Does it handle like a sports car? No. Does it handle better than almost any other SUV I have driven? Absolutely. I'm sure XREAS has a lot to do with it but I'll be looking at suspension lifts to replace XREAS, hopefully next summer. For a stock SUV though, I would have to say my 4R SE handles pretty darn well. The 4.7L V8 certainly doesn't hurt the fun factor either.
My definition of "fun" is being able to hop on the gas and be going 80mph by the time I merge from a short highway on-ramp, being able to whip my 4R around corners like it was a coupe, and then being able to throw it in 4-Low and take a trail to the top of the Continental Divide. That's my definition of "fun". :rocker:
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Dude this is a legit SUV, not a girly crossover. cornering? I think you should look into getting a sedan or sports car, not an SUV. My v8 4th gen is pretty fun to smash on the gas when going straight, but that's about it.
G.I.G.
New member
Another point I would like to call out is what your definition of an SUV is? SUV is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but often times it is a "crossover" that people are referring to. Below is what I consider the differences to be....
SUV - Box on frame design and often times shares a frame with a truck (i.e. Tacoma, FJ, and 4R share the same platform for the most part), solid axle in the rear and sometimes front as well, and has low range.
Crossover - Uni-body construction, built on a car frame (i.e. Highlander shares a frame with a Camry), independent rear suspension, with no low range available.
Some of the SUV's others have mentioned here are not true SUV's, at least not in my definition of the term. Honda Pilots, Nissan Miranos, Audi Q5's, Toyota Highlanders and Rav4's are all what I would consider to be crossovers (even if they are sometimes marketed as SUV's) and as such, they handle much differently than an SUV.
If handling is your cup of tea, than a crossover is probably going to be a better choice. I think my 4R has great steering response, very little body roll for a vehicle it's size, and has a very smooth ride overall. With that said, it still handles like a truck, because in essence, it is one. A BMW X5 might out brake, out handle, out accelerate a 4R, but I would love to see one charging up Radical Hill here in CO. :xnuts:
And for what it's worth, my wife likes driving my 4Runner better than her Highlander. She is already asking me when I am going to get rid of it so she can have it. :violin:
Love'n the new emoticons BTW....:whipping2:twak::bowdown::guitar2::infidel:
SUV - Box on frame design and often times shares a frame with a truck (i.e. Tacoma, FJ, and 4R share the same platform for the most part), solid axle in the rear and sometimes front as well, and has low range.
Crossover - Uni-body construction, built on a car frame (i.e. Highlander shares a frame with a Camry), independent rear suspension, with no low range available.
Some of the SUV's others have mentioned here are not true SUV's, at least not in my definition of the term. Honda Pilots, Nissan Miranos, Audi Q5's, Toyota Highlanders and Rav4's are all what I would consider to be crossovers (even if they are sometimes marketed as SUV's) and as such, they handle much differently than an SUV.
If handling is your cup of tea, than a crossover is probably going to be a better choice. I think my 4R has great steering response, very little body roll for a vehicle it's size, and has a very smooth ride overall. With that said, it still handles like a truck, because in essence, it is one. A BMW X5 might out brake, out handle, out accelerate a 4R, but I would love to see one charging up Radical Hill here in CO. :xnuts:
And for what it's worth, my wife likes driving my 4Runner better than her Highlander. She is already asking me when I am going to get rid of it so she can have it. :violin:
Love'n the new emoticons BTW....:whipping2:twak::bowdown::guitar2::infidel:
In the slew of SUV's, no matter how one would define an SUV, the 4runner offers something nobody else in it's class, or even higher classes.....a rear window that can roll down! If you're looking for something that will excite you in the corners, then you're not ready for an SUV in general. Trust me, if you're in that mindset to push the limits of a vahicle like that, then you need a lower center of gravity so you don't get yourself "or someone else" killed. I was nearly that "or someone else" 18 years ago while riding in the back seat of a 4door Blazer, a car that followed the owner's previous car, an IROC 5.7.
For me, three elements make my 4runner fun that I can't duplicate by others. 1) The V8 is simply fantastic when you've got to get going quickly. I absolutly love to hear that beast growl when I have to get on it to merge into the insane traffic here in Chicago. I also love the looks on people faces when they finally catch up to me and wonder what in the heck I've got under the hood that made an SUV go that fast. 2) the ability to roll down the rear window "not to be down though when I enjoy #1 above -unless I want to burn the hairs out of my nose - search "exhaust smell". The ability to drop that window sure had come in handy at Home Depot. I have the sunroof too, and on those beautiful days, it's great to drop all the windows-open the roof, and enjoy the breeze. 3) The confidence factor. This is probably my favorite felling about the 4runner. I love the felling of knowing that nearly everything in path is a driveable surface, if I so choose it to be.
But if you're looking for more "S" out of the "SUV", then I'd probably say the Outback XT is probably a better bet. It's the turbo model, and I hear it's simply a damn blast to drive!
For me, three elements make my 4runner fun that I can't duplicate by others. 1) The V8 is simply fantastic when you've got to get going quickly. I absolutly love to hear that beast growl when I have to get on it to merge into the insane traffic here in Chicago. I also love the looks on people faces when they finally catch up to me and wonder what in the heck I've got under the hood that made an SUV go that fast. 2) the ability to roll down the rear window "not to be down though when I enjoy #1 above -unless I want to burn the hairs out of my nose - search "exhaust smell". The ability to drop that window sure had come in handy at Home Depot. I have the sunroof too, and on those beautiful days, it's great to drop all the windows-open the roof, and enjoy the breeze. 3) The confidence factor. This is probably my favorite felling about the 4runner. I love the felling of knowing that nearly everything in path is a driveable surface, if I so choose it to be.
But if you're looking for more "S" out of the "SUV", then I'd probably say the Outback XT is probably a better bet. It's the turbo model, and I hear it's simply a damn blast to drive!
