leather steering wheel and shifter

[supercooper]

Anyone else dissapointed by the dissappearance of the leather steering wheel / shifter combo and cloth seats? It would be so easy to offer, as the leather steering wheel already exists, but can only be paired with the leather interior.

To me, this is a dissapointing trend with many of the latest Toyota vehicles. Tundra, Camry, Venza......all of these vehicles only offer plastic steering wheel / shifters with their cloth interiors. Interesting that the Corolla, FJ, and tC...to name some that immediately come to mind, pair leather steering wheel with cloth seats, but not a much higher content vehicle like the 4Runner. I believe this is a small detail....one that I'm willing to pay for...that really adds class to an otherwise very intelligently designed interior.

BTW....my 5th gen 4Runner plans are on hold as long as no V8 option is offered. I have a 27 foot power boat to tow a half-dozen times per year that is comfortably out of reach of the 5000lb limit (although slightly under the 6500lb limit of the GX...assuming the V8 4Runner specs would be similar, if not slightly better due to the lower vehicle mass). If it were not for my boat, I would be satisfied with the V6...it really is a great engine. However, I cannot buy another vehicle that doesn't tow my boat, period.

Considering the 4th gen offered V8 (capable of towing my 271 Formula Fastech) & leather steering wheel and shifter with cloth seats, this really is a step backward.

This is ashame, since the 5th gen is really quite nice. The "plasticky" interior as shown in pics really seems much more substantial in person. In terms of material fit and finish, quality, etc., it far exceeds Tundra, FJ, Highlander...among other. I was VERY pleasantly surprised after being a bit alarmed by the pics.

I really want this vehicle, but.....

 

[jessandjamie]

I have an 08 Tundra with a leather steering wheel and cloth seats.

 

[bigbwb]

Super,

I hear ya. I pull a 22.5ft Crownline boat around a few times in the summer with my current 2006 SE V8. I take delivery on a Trail edition 2010 Monday so in my case our boat is more like 4000lbs otherwise I would be stuck in the same boat as you....pun intended

I also agree the interior fit/finish and overall solid construction of the dash & etc is much better for 2010. Some materials are hard like the lower dash, but most vehicles have this except my wifes Lexus for example. Bang on the upper portion of the dash(near the windshield) of your 4th gen then do the same on the 2010 and you will see what I mean!

With the added weight of the 2010, I imagine other than acceleration, the V6 Trail will do just fine lugging the boat around(maybe even better in terms of swaying back and forth....the V8 wont help this).

 

[supercooper]

I have an 08 Tundra with a leather steering wheel and cloth seats.

In '08 and '09, this was offered. For 2010, Factory Leather steering wheel is only available with Leather trimmed "Limited" or "Platinum" models.

Again, as mentioned, a disturbing trend...

 

[fredk]

Cost cutting in my opinion. My FJ has a leather sterring and shifter and cloth seats. I would rather see rubber flooring on the Trail Edition and leather steering than carpet and vinyl.

 

[supercooper]

Cost cutting in my opinion. My FJ has a leather sterring and shifter and cloth seats. I would rather see rubber flooring on the Trail Edition and leather steering than carpet and vinyl.

Undoubtedly, a cost cutting measure. However, as mentioned, I'd be willing to pay for a leather steering wheel as an option, or perhaps as part of an accessory package (as you had to with your FJ). Unlike, the V8 (quite a bit more than just "plug and play" from a vehicle manufacturing stand point), the leather steering wheel exists.

 

[qs933]

It's purely packaging and differentiation between models, I think. You couldn't get a factory leather interior on an SR5, for example, with the 4th Gen, even though -- technically -- all the parts existed (from the Limited).

 

[Uneek]

My '05 Tacoma has a leather steering wheel and shift knob. Leather seats is not available on the Tacoma. There are a few different grades of fabric on the Tacoma.

 

[Quentin]

The leather steering wheel, heated seats, and leather shift knob made upgrading to the leather package a no-brainer for me. The cloth sport seats are quite nice though and I'd easily have been happy w/ them if the leather wheel was part of that upgrade.

Oh well, leather is apparently better for cleaning up baby spit-up, so I'll deal w/ it.

 

[Mdrei]

what defines the "platinum" model?

 

[supercooper]

what defines the "platinum" model?

It's the highest spec package available on the Tundra (and Sequoia).

On the Tundra:

PLATINUM PACKAGE -- Includes chrome lower front bumper, Memory Package, unique 20-in. alloy wheels with P275/55R20 tires, Daytime Running Lights (DRL), DVD navigation system [1] with backup monitor [2], JBL® audio system with Bluetooth®[3] and integrated satellite radio [4] with 3-month free trial, power tilt/slide moonroof with sliding sunshade, perforated leather-trimmed seats, heated and ventilated power front bucket seats with embroidered headrests, wood-grain-style trim, auto up/down driver's and front passenger power windows, Glass Breakage Sensor (GBS) [5], doorsill protectors with Platinum logo and Platinum badging. (Available in Black, Salsa Red Pearl, Silver Sky Metallic and Slate Metallic only.)

 

[Uneek]

what defines the "platinum" model?

Extra bling, some are useful while others are useless (like the center console on the second row in the Sequoia).