Low roofline/poor visibility

[Raider 47]

Does anyone else, (especially those of you who are tall) think the forward visibility is obstructed by the low roofline? For some reason I didn’t notice or care on my test drive but now I am constantly thinking about it when I drive. Occasionally I need to duck down to see a stoplight. I have considered cutting some foam off the bottom of the drivers seat to get a little lower, but my wife also drives it and I don’t want to mess with resale value. Everything else about this truck is great so I would be stoked if I could get used to it. Any thoughts?

On a side note, I have upper back pain and I’m worried this is exasperating it.

 

[ElectroBoy]

Have you exhausted all the drivers seat adjustability by tweaking it and lowering it as much as possible?
Also, you can raise the mirror, it adjusts vertically as well as having angle adjustment. I raised mine to the max setting to get better visibility. Although this may vary depending on the model trim.

 

[str8flexed]

Have you exhausted all the drivers seat adjustability by tweaking it and lowering it as much as possible?
Also, you can raise the mirror, it adjusts vertically as well as having angle adjustment. I raised mine to the max setting to get better visibility. Although this may vary depending on the model trim.

Interesting, I gotta try raising my mirror. I feel like it gets in the way sometimes.

And I second adjusting your seat - by adjusting the tilt/height, I feel like I gained a few inches. I’m a short guy but I can make it sk my head almost touched the ceiling haha. (I feel like this makes my lower back hurt less...)

 

[MyanRagahis]

You're probably taller than me but I'm 5'8" and while the most comfortable setting for me would be the seat and bolster at full height, back reclined a bit, my hair will touch the roof (have a sunroof), and top visibility does stink even with mirror all the way up.

Finally found a decent position with bolster up midway, back a little more upright, and seat level up until my eye level of the steering wheel is just underneath the top of the dash. This with the mirror all the way up, gives me awesome visibility. I don't mess with the lumbar support. It's actually just very piercing to my back.

I feel low in the seat, and my elbow would be at the level of my shoulder if I were to rest it on the door if the window were down, but my back is mostly happy! My back is very picky about seat comfort these days. I'm on my feet all day at work and any position can feel comfortable the next morning, and uncomfortable by the time my shift ends by night.

 

[Raider 47]

Every vehicle I ever drive I adjust the seat as low as possible. Sometimes I even push the button and attempt to lower it more just to make sure.

 

[jhguth]

6'3" I have this problem with most newer vehicles, although it does feel particularly bad in the 4Runner. For $5 or $10 you can get a little prism that goes on the windshield and let's you see stoplights

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[mtnbiker49]

Some will say the visibility is perfectly good for a $40k suv.

I don’t know why it’s so much different than the gx. Should have the same roofline and this wouldnt be a problem.

 

[17KT4R]

Does anyone else, (especially those of you who are tall) think the forward visibility is obstructed by the low roofline? For some reason I didn’t notice or care on my test drive but now I am constantly thinking about it when I drive. Occasionally I need to duck down to see a stoplight. I have considered cutting some foam off the bottom of the drivers seat to get a little lower, but my wife also drives it and I don’t want to mess with resale value. Everything else about this truck is great so I would be stoked if I could get used to it. Any thoughts?

On a side note, I have upper back pain and I’m worried this is exasperating it.

Obviously depends on intersection size and if you're first in line but we generally have big ones in these parts and lights are a fair distance away so not an issue for me, I get what you're saying. I'm 5'11 but I like the seat all the way up and reclined slightly with the wheel telescoped out, no back issues for me but I can't sit comfortably for too long with seats right on the floor I need some bend in my legs. That was the prime reason I didn't get into a Tacoma...

I actually had a dark tint strip put across mine to just below the mirror level as I found the sun was bothering me, my other vehicles have a nice OEM shade there where I found the 4Runner lacking. I do wish for a bit more headroom however, that I didn't really take into consideration with the sunroof option.

 

[3wbdriver]

I'm only 5' 11" but long in the torso. I have the back of my seat all the way down with the front all the way up. I also have some mid back problems so I usually have the seat back in a more upright position than most people seem to be comfortable with. I have the mirror raised to the ceiling (ball joints at both ends of the arm). If I know I'll be the first car at a light I tend to hang back from the line a little so I can still see the light in the upper windshield. If I'm behind somebody else I just watch their brake lights and if I can see it I'll watch the crossing traffic light for the change so I can anticipate when to go. Yes, sometimes you just can't do anything about it because of the position of the light in the intersection, but you can be aware of the issue and do things to mitigate it (like not rolling into the intersection past the white stop line).

I don't think the roof line is so much shorter. It more the fact we are set back further from it because of the high angle of the windshield. In the 05 Camry I daily drive I feel like my head is up close to the upper windshield and I'm constantly piddling with the visor to keep the sun out of my eyes on my morning and evening commutes. And I rarely need the visor in the 4Runner unless the sun is low on the horizon.

 

[4FL]

I have not noticed anything like that, and I am 6'4". There are a few intersections with the light placed at the front part instead of the rear part, so I do have to make an effort to see it, but it is like that in every car I have driven.

 

[flyrv9]

I'm 6'3" and I tilt the seat back to see better and to keep my head from brushing the roof. That's why I didn't want the sun roof; because it lowers the roof by a couple of inches. You'd think in hail country they would have models without the sunroof (we hardly ever use) but no!

 

[Busabos77]

This is what I exactly noticed after a week of driving the 4runner. I sometimes find myself trying to look for the stoplight above my windshield to see if it’s already green or not.

 

[4FL]

I'm 6'3" and I tilt the seat back to see better and to keep my head from brushing the roof. That's why I didn't want the sun roof; because it lowers the roof by a couple of inches. You'd think in hail country they would have models without the sunroof (we hardly ever use) but no!

Lol, Clearwater, I went through there many years ago. Was out in the area cleaning up Andover after that tornado went through. Went with a friend to visit some of his relatives out there, cut through Clearwater to get back to 35, if I recall correctly.

 

[mtnbiker49]

Obviously depends on intersection size and if you're first in line but we generally have big ones in these parts and lights are a fair distance away so not an issue for me, I get what you're saying. I'm 5'11 but I like the seat all the way up and reclined slightly with the wheel telescoped out, no back issues for me but I can't sit comfortably for too long with seats right on the floor I need some bend in my legs. That was the prime reason I didn't get into a Tacoma...

I actually had a dark tint strip put across mine to just below the mirror level as I found the sun was bothering me, my other vehicles have a nice OEM shade there where I found the 4Runner lacking. I do wish for a bit more headroom however, that I didn't really take into consideration with the sunroof option.

Someone else that only finds the seats tolerable with the height all the way up. Hi.

 

[Raider 47]

I don't think the roof line is so much shorter. It more the fact we are set back further from it because of the high angle of the windshield.

I agree. I have even considered leveling the fron suspension might give me a slightly better visibility angle? I sit pretty far back and also more upright than most people.

Also, I didn’t know about the mirror adjustability, thanks!

 

[ahtoxa11]

Does anyone else, (especially those of you who are tall) think the forward visibility is obstructed by the low roofline? For some reason I didn’t notice or care on my test drive but now I am constantly thinking about it when I drive. Occasionally I need to duck down to see a stoplight. I have considered cutting some foam off the bottom of the drivers seat to get a little lower, but my wife also drives it and I don’t want to mess with resale value. Everything else about this truck is great so I would be stoked if I could get used to it. Any thoughts?



On a side note, I have upper back pain and I’m worried this is exasperating it.

Bumping old thread because I have the same exact issue and wanted to see if OP got used to it.

I have found that my neck feels stiff after 300 miles in a day. I didn't notice the issue as much on a test drive.

Will I get used to this due to the roofline being so far forward or are there other solutions that are common?

Tried all seat settings and can't quite get all that comfy.

Love everything else about this truck but 700 miles later I'm questioning of this fit is something I can live with. I got really spoiled by the f150 I traded for this. Every other half ton I tried felt like a much lower roofline. Sadly, the Ford had some issues and I didn't foresee keeping it long term.

 

[MossJenks]

You're probably taller than me but I'm 5'8" and while the most comfortable setting for me would be the seat and bolster at full height, back reclined a bit, my hair will touch the roof (have a sunroof), and top visibility does stink even with mirror all the way up.

Finally found a decent position with bolster up midway, back a little more upright, and seat level up until my eye level of the steering wheel is just underneath the top of the dash. This with the mirror all the way up, gives me awesome visibility. I don't mess with the lumbar support. It's actually just very piercing to my back.

I feel low in the seat, and my elbow would be at the level of my shoulder if I were to rest it on the door if the window were down, but my back is mostly happy! My back is very picky about seat comfort these days. I'm on my feet all day at work and any position can feel comfortable the next morning, and uncomfortable by the time my shift ends by night.

Good on ya! If you're gonna have little-man syndrome ya might as well take it to the exteme! I bet a lifted Peterbilt would feel low to you! I'd recomend a 12" suspension lift and a 6" body lift but no way that'll be tall enough. Maybe get an extra body shell and weld it on top of the stocker. That oughta get you close!

 

[jbinmd]

Probably depends on what vehicle you're coming from.

My t4r is the first vehicle I've owned in a while where I didn't immediately go to the tint shop to have a visor strip installed. I'm 5" 11" and find it about perfect. I do occasionally have to duck a little to see a stop light, but I got used to it quickly and now it doesn't bother me at all.