Jalopnik throwing shade on the Pro over a 3 rd Gen

[e60ral]

Here are my takeaway's from this article:

3) I guess not having an Audi-level of interior quality and comfort means your interior sucks nowadays? Seriously, where the freak is all this criticism of the 4unner's interior coming from? This is not the first time I've heard this from a car reviewer. It's nothing special but it's certainly not bad; and this is a freaking 4runner, not a BMW or Mercedes luxury crossover we are talking about here, so maybe some expectation management is in order.

and to add to that, show me an older german car without a dashboard that has cracked/split

 

[Bevo]

I don't know what throwing shade and YMMD mean

That's ok. That just means you aren't as hip as the OP.

 

[Bevo]

FWIW

And a few others from the segment for 2016 to compare. I kinda dig the Hilux dash myself.

The hilux isn't bad(very carlike), but that Ranger interior is terrible. Talk about cheap.

 

[mtvp]

I know everyone get a burr under their saddle whenever something is said about their beloved 4Runner. No one wants to hear that they have an ugly baby. I do think that there a flaws with it and there could be some cost effective improvements with the next Gen. There just isn't to much to choose from in $ 35-45 K price range in a BOF SUV . So in that regard Toyota has a niche with little competition .
When I was looking to replace my 98 4runner . The price jump on all BOF SUV's made the 4Runner look affordable . Hopefully the next gen does not get into the $ 60 +K range.
I thought my 3 rd gen aged pretty well both inside and out. The dependability and reliability speaks for itself.
I will say that the bare bones SUV is becoming a thing of the past. Almost every vehicle now is loaded with Lux. Your given very few choices .
(YMMD ) Your Mileage May Differ. When in fact I should have used the YMMV. For your mileage may vary. At 66 I am no long "hip" on any ones radar.

 

[e60ral]

i don't think the 4runner is perfect, and i wouldn't get upset if someone made fun of it

but that piece was just pretty bad. I read it before I saw this thread expecting that it would be good for a chuckle or something, but I came away not knowing what the objective of the piece was. Is he trying to be actually critical or the new 4runner? Is he just joking around and missing the mark on his humor. All i could tell was that he was trying to make is writing really clever, which is a good goal i guess, but i felt like it missed it's mark a bit

 

[1engineer]

I know everyone get a burr under their saddle whenever something is said about their beloved 4Runner. No one wants to hear that they have an ugly baby. I do think that there a flaws with it and there could be some cost effective improvements with the next Gen. There just isn't to much to choose from in $ 35-45 K price range in a BOF SUV . So in that regard Toyota has a niche with little competition .
When I was looking to replace my 98 4runner . The price jump on all BOF SUV's made the 4Runner look affordable . Hopefully the next gen does not get into the $ 60 +K range.
I thought my 3 rd gen aged pretty well both inside and out. The dependability and reliability speaks for itself.
(YMMD ) Your Mileage May Differ. At 66 I am no long hip on any ones radar.

What do you own now?

 

[jpachard]

and to add to that, show me an older german car without a dashboard that has cracked/split

Yup, chronic problem with Porsche 911's until recently. To be honest that article on jokelopnik should be pulled. Irrespective of what vehicle it was supposed to be " reviewing", the article wasn't on point relative to the subject matter at hand.

 

[Danimal]

I know everyone get a burr under their saddle whenever something is said about their beloved 4Runner. No one wants to hear that they have an ugly baby. I do think that there a flaws with it and there could be some cost effective improvements with the next Gen. There just isn't to much to choose from in $ 35-45 K price range in a BOF SUV . So in that regard Toyota has a niche with little competition .
When I was looking to replace my 98 4runner . The price jump on all BOF SUV's made the 4Runner look affordable . Hopefully the next gen does not get into the $ 60 +K range.
I thought my 3 rd gen aged pretty well both inside and out. The dependability and reliability speaks for itself.
I will say that the bare bones SUV is becoming a thing of the past. Almost every vehicle now is loaded with Lux. Your given very few choices .
(YMMD ) Your Mileage May Differ. When in fact I should have used the YMMV. For your mileage may vary. At 66 I am no long "hip" on any ones radar.

Nah, I've never said the 4Runner was perfect. I'm in the auto industry and also have a brain, so I don't appreciate the babbling of idiots. I feel that way about everything on Jalopnik, not just the articles about vehicles I like.

Dan

 

[T4R2014]

It was likely an attempt at hyperbole more than anything else, but I doubt many readers, even those who dislike or are neutral on the 4runner, found it funny.

I've driven the 3rd and 4th gen 4runners. The 5th gen's interior, while spartan and basic, is a step up from previous 4runners. But if you're focused on what type of material the dashboard is made of, 4runners and SUV's/trucks in general aren't the market you should be looking at.

I just finished driving my 4runner on a 600 mile round trip. Seats and positioning, ergonomics of the steering wheel and controls, A/C, cabin noise, everything was just fine and I didn't feel worn out or sick of driving. Was it as comfortable or refined as my family's Lexus RX350? No, but so what. That's a luxury crossover designed for commuting. The 4runner is a BOF SUV designed for utility.

Naturally the interior is a step up since it has to keep up with modern technology. With that said, if it could have nicer dash materials 20 years ago then why can't it now? Still, it shouldn't be a reason to hate on the 5th gen since reduction in interior material quality has been done with various makes and models. I'd reckon the majority of 5th gens are used for commuting anyway.

 

[MinecraftGriefer]

I kinda agree with the author:

I mean the exterior of 3rd gen 4runner was timeless and you still see so many 3rd gen 4runners on the streets, that proves that its super reliable.

Then we had the 4th gen and the Limited trim has Lexus quality interior and it even had the rear sear DVD entertainment system! Also the 4th gen had the awesome v8 as an option!

The 5th gen feels like an old Toyota truck that you see in third world countries... Also the new tan TRD Pro reminds me of Boko Haram and ISIS hahaha

 

[mtvp]

What do you own now?

I sold the 98 LE with 180 K on the clock for $4250. I am now driving a Porsche Cayenne. I don't think it will be with me very long. It drives way too nice at high speeds. That's trouble for me. I sold my C6 Corvette convertible because of the same reason. I should only drive slugs! The Runner was never driven hard or fast. It just didn't have it in it's DNA. I'm looking for the next gen 4Runner though. I just don't care for the current models front fascia.
I will always miss my 3rd gen Limited . Best vehicle I've ever owned.

 

[mtvp]

What do you own now?

A much different vehicle. It too will get me back down the sand rutted, tree rooted two tracker. The cabin is in the upper lower of MI. That is about all the off roading I do.
I do go biking and the 2 in. trailer mount comes in handy for the mountain bike.

 

[Vettethret]

Tries to be funny.

Fails miserably.

Poor guys a little downey!

 

[SirBarton]

The best part about the 4runners is that they don't really change.

The only feature Toyota has really screwed up is keyless start/entry not being standard on all 4Runners. That's the only thing on the car that makes me feel like it's "behind the times" and I know i could get that on a limited, but i don't want a limited. My 2009 Prius has keyless entry and yet i have this giant key on my 2015 Trail. Makes little sense.

 

[1engineer]

I sold the 98 LE with 180 K on the clock for $4250. I am now driving a Porsche Cayenne. I don't think it will be with me very long. It drives way too nice at high speeds. That's trouble for me. I sold my C6 Corvette convertible because of the same reason. I should only drive slugs! The Runner was never driven hard or fast. It just didn't have it in it's DNA. I'm looking for the next gen 4Runner though. I just don't care for the current models front fascia.
I will always miss my 3rd gen Limited . Best vehicle I've ever owned.

No problem. Just wanted to see why you would post a negative article link on an enthusiast's forum. Now I know... you don't own one.

 

[GSPRunner]

As an owner of both a 3rd gen and a 5th gen, I can say this. That article was dumb. He's talking about 4runners and focuses on interior materials? **** off. It's easy to have different opinions about 3rd gen's and 5th gen's but he starts talking about the interiors? What a geek.

 

[Knight-Errant]

The only feature Toyota has really screwed up is keyless start/entry not being standard on all 4Runners. That's the only thing on the car that makes me feel like it's "behind the times" and I know i could get that on a limited, but i don't want a limited. My 2009 Prius has keyless entry and yet i have this giant key on my 2015 Trail. Makes little sense.

I guess I'm the opposite...I really like the fact that it doesn't have key-less start/entry.

 

[Knight-Errant]

I think the interior is pretty sweet in a utilitarian sort of way. I dig the fact that we have giant knobs for the climate controls, and a nice knob for the radio.


...knob...for the win. Touch screens are lame.

 

[Phoenix4R]

He reminds me of the same wannabe journalist yahoos that criticize cheap, fast cars for their interiors.

Well, no shit that $25k WRX doesn't have the interior of a $50k BMW, it's not meant to be a luxury car. It's supposed to be affordable speed.

 

[Jhalko]

I guess I'm the opposite...I really like the fact that it doesn't have key-less start/entry.

You just don't know what you are missing!