1engineer
Moderator
Here you go.
Limited climate control on a Trail Premium?
- Thread starter enkrypt3d
- Start date
Here you go.
CactusHugr
New member
I bought a Tacoma TRD Off Road 4x4 with the premium technology package for about $40K. I was blown away that I had to get another freaking garage door opener. I mean, a freaking garage door opener...
Anyway, I had to sell it because the test drives don't take long enough for me to realize my right leg feel asleep in that stupid freaking seat in no time. Those seats are made for tiny people, not average sized Americans.
So, I went out and looked at the TEP and ended up with a TRD Off Road Premium 4runner. It was immediately obvious the climate control want auto - it was on that Tacoma (dual zone), but I thought I could deal with that given the seats weren't going to require a procedure to fuse vertebrae together. However, I didn't test drive this 4rnr at night. First night of ownership, found no auto headlights and asked why the F#@& they would omit that feature on anything that says "premium".
Toyota is a bunch of jerks doing things like this. Every other manufacturer looks for the wow factor, but Toyota gives you the WTF factor instead. Seriously.
Then, I'm trying to adjust the settings for beeps, and auto off light timer, things like that. It's all adjustable in every other vehicle I've had past 2003, INCLUDING THE TACOMA. But, frustrated, I turn to this forum to find out I have to go to the freaking dealership to change every little feature? Is this a joke?
The radio is the same except smaller than the Tacoma, I never thought they'd stoop so low to require a freaking day and money at the dealership for this type of thing.
Honestly, I guess I should've spent 6 or 7 hours going through every tiny detail at the dealership, but being so familiar with the Tacoma made me think these would mostly be the same.
Wrong.
Toyota is simply jerking is around because they want to. They can wrap the $10 cost in the price of these things without any loss of sale and make customers supremely happy but they would rather be deceptive about it.
I don't enjoy spending $40 some THOUSAND to feel like I was lied to about things.
I didn't buy this thing just to tear apart the dash and install a bunch of junk, I bought it so that I DIDN'T have to spend my weekends wrenching anymore.
I am positively never buying another Toyota again. I'll have fun for a year or so then I'm done. It's the mind set of the execs that's turned me off for life.
Oh, and as far as the reliability issues or whatever, I've been in automotive repair for decades. They're all good and all junk in their own ways. I've replaced plenty of parts in Toyotas, including engines and electronics. They by no means have a lock on longetivity either as I've had 2 jeeps hit 300k and my third is 185k. Same stuff breaks, just way cheaper to fix and to buy in the first place.
All this ranting made me almost forget - is there a thread for adding the auto headlights to a gen5? I've searched without any luck. Thanks.
Anyway, I had to sell it because the test drives don't take long enough for me to realize my right leg feel asleep in that stupid freaking seat in no time. Those seats are made for tiny people, not average sized Americans.
So, I went out and looked at the TEP and ended up with a TRD Off Road Premium 4runner. It was immediately obvious the climate control want auto - it was on that Tacoma (dual zone), but I thought I could deal with that given the seats weren't going to require a procedure to fuse vertebrae together. However, I didn't test drive this 4rnr at night. First night of ownership, found no auto headlights and asked why the F#@& they would omit that feature on anything that says "premium".
Toyota is a bunch of jerks doing things like this. Every other manufacturer looks for the wow factor, but Toyota gives you the WTF factor instead. Seriously.
Then, I'm trying to adjust the settings for beeps, and auto off light timer, things like that. It's all adjustable in every other vehicle I've had past 2003, INCLUDING THE TACOMA. But, frustrated, I turn to this forum to find out I have to go to the freaking dealership to change every little feature? Is this a joke?
The radio is the same except smaller than the Tacoma, I never thought they'd stoop so low to require a freaking day and money at the dealership for this type of thing.
Honestly, I guess I should've spent 6 or 7 hours going through every tiny detail at the dealership, but being so familiar with the Tacoma made me think these would mostly be the same.
Wrong.
Toyota is simply jerking is around because they want to. They can wrap the $10 cost in the price of these things without any loss of sale and make customers supremely happy but they would rather be deceptive about it.
I don't enjoy spending $40 some THOUSAND to feel like I was lied to about things.
I didn't buy this thing just to tear apart the dash and install a bunch of junk, I bought it so that I DIDN'T have to spend my weekends wrenching anymore.
I am positively never buying another Toyota again. I'll have fun for a year or so then I'm done. It's the mind set of the execs that's turned me off for life.
Oh, and as far as the reliability issues or whatever, I've been in automotive repair for decades. They're all good and all junk in their own ways. I've replaced plenty of parts in Toyotas, including engines and electronics. They by no means have a lock on longetivity either as I've had 2 jeeps hit 300k and my third is 185k. Same stuff breaks, just way cheaper to fix and to buy in the first place.
All this ranting made me almost forget - is there a thread for adding the auto headlights to a gen5? I've searched without any luck. Thanks.
Bumbo
New member
Agree
I hate going back to knobs or manual control. I am constantly fingering the setting in my Chevy Silverado.
Anyone who is defending the knobs just doesn't know.
Even my 4th Gen has climate control and its an SR5 lol.
fogcitysurfer
New member
I think I have this figured out! All the young guys who have good eyes and hand eye coordination like the automatic controls on the limited. Those little arrows and scrolling through the modes to get what you want while driving on road or bumping around off road is no problem for you. For us old farts, we can't see a damn thing! Its easier to reach over and grab a big knob to turn all the way one way or the other.
I had the limited, didn't like the controls all that much. Now I have the manual controls. Not the greatest either, but whatever.
Seriously this forum name needs to be changed to "tears4R.org" for all the whining that goes on.
I had the limited, didn't like the controls all that much. Now I have the manual controls. Not the greatest either, but whatever.
Seriously this forum name needs to be changed to "tears4R.org" for all the whining that goes on.
bofa
New member
So you bought not one, but two 40k vehicles without knowing what you were getting into and then blame Toyota? You are a special kind of :crazy:. Im looking forward to having you around for a year.
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johnbt
Member
My 2010 Highlander Limited not only had auto climate, it had a backseat system for really hot days.
I set 'em all on 66 degrees and left them that way for 7 years. I really miss the keyless entry and pushbutton start. I can deal with primitive though; I'm old and grew up with it after all.
I have no use for auto headlights.
John
I set 'em all on 66 degrees and left them that way for 7 years. I really miss the keyless entry and pushbutton start. I can deal with primitive though; I'm old and grew up with it after all.
I have no use for auto headlights.
John
Bumbo
New member
I am getting to be an old fart and just like I want my money to work for me, I want my car to work for me too.
Plus you just kind of proved the point... most people with climate control literally never have to touch the controls, so it's a moot.
The young guys don't need the geriatric knob set either but generally they don't get as spendy to shell out for a Limited so they are stuck with these "value engineering" decisions that Toyota makes. Every trim model in the previous generation has CC, why change it?
Generally speaking it's more than just temperature control... CC in most modern cars its basically full automatic. Regulates temperature, monitors heat load via sensors to control fan speed and ramp up loads, dual zone is generally an option to keep everyone happy, and on most cars is set as profiles follow between driver 1 and 2 keyfobs so I never have to deal with my wife's stupid heating preferences. Its not just being lazy about setting temp, its about tracking it.
Once you have it, feels like poverty not getting it the 2nd go around.
Ill be honest the Trail was my favorite trim for a long time but its a lot easier to add a locker than it is to ask for all the goodies the Limited has. Really have to put way more though into it, Toyota isn't making things easy anymore.
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I came from a 4th gen SR5 that I drove for a decade. It didn't have dual zone, though it did have the "auto" mode. I never used auto because it was so loud. Now that I have a limited, there is no way that I could go back to a single zone system. The dual zone auto setup works great and I'm perfectly satisfied with the Limited's climate control regardless of the "girly" status of it 
.
.
Cheng Chow Wan
New member
In all the vehicles I've ever driven, never have I said "I'm sure glad I have dual zone climate control."
In fact, am I the only one who drives around in dual zone and gets annoyed when the temps are set at different temps? I just take that as a sign that I either need to heat up or cool down the rig.
In fact, am I the only one who drives around in dual zone and gets annoyed when the temps are set at different temps? I just take that as a sign that I either need to heat up or cool down the rig.
CactusHugr
New member
These aren't the only $40+k vehicles I've bought, just the first two that suck. Yes, I blame Toyota for being cheap in the American market - obviously, [expensive] lesson learned... Next time, check every single tiny little thing OR buy anything other than Toyota. Sure, they have their place but for that price, I expect to be proud of this vehicle.
Sorry for the rant, but my 03 WJ still has this thing seriously beat and that one only cost me around $7k including all mods.
Bumbo
New member
You don't hang out with enough hot chicks that are cold...
Dual Zone CC - I dont want to sit in a sauna... OR hear complaining.
Heated Seats - ooo, ahhh
Heated Steering Wheel - reduced complaining when I make them drive
Heated & Cooled Cup Holders - because they never drink shit fast enough
What did you honestly think all the nice trim that comes in a Land Cruiser or something like a GM/Denali was for?
1engineer
Moderator
You blame Toyota? They MADE you buy a 4Runner? Just blame yourself, trade it and move on. Expensive lesson.
BTW the AVERAGE price paid in 2016 for a new vehicle in the US was $35K. The 4Runner barely is above average in price so it's not like it's expensive.
Engineer
New member
How dare you suggest someone take responsibility for reading a features list on a 40k purchase. Are you a Savage? Living without auto headlights and auto climate control is unbearable.
In all seriousness, I do wish those features were offered however I knew they were not and am not going to complain or never buy a Toyota again because if it.
1engineer
Moderator
Don't forget a vehicle that requires the accelerator pedal being pushed in proportion to acceleration required...
bofa
New member
Im sure there are plenty of 14 year old vehicles you could have bought with these features if you look for the right make/model/trim. You have to do that with new ones too. There's a 4Runner trim that has them. My Limited was 41k so it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch. Honestly, I've never come across a 4Runner owner so bitter about their purchase, including a few people I know locally. The good news is they hold their value quite well so it wont be hard to get out of it.
1engineer
Moderator
Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks will still let you order special stuff to your heart's content. Toyota, Honda and Subaru never had that option since introduction in the US.
