New 2015 4runner tonight by by 06' v8

[Matt fe2o3]

Ahhh, well I caved and traded my 06' v8 4x4 sport 4runner in for a 2015 SR5 tonight.

Toyota One in Oakland was the dealer, and I like them well enough.

In 06' paid 33k for the Sport and paid 34k tonight for the 2015 SR5.

In general terms the new v6 ain't the old v8, but it's fine. But it ain't the v8... Much better than the old v6 4runners of the same 06' era, but it ain't a v8 (did I say that already?).

115k miles on the Sport. No real issues, but with XREAS, wheel bearing time soon, yada, yada.... plus I depreciate using Section 179 (this replaces a tundra) it simply seemed logical.

Got 11k for the old sport on trade. Probably could have done better private party after a cleaning, however due previously doing sec. 179 on the 4ruuner way back means private sale = declarable income as asset disposal, so 11k to dealer trade means avoiding that = push or better. And this means nothing to people that don't play in this area.

Meantime, Wow, backup camera, navigation, controls, very nice. Funky by the window - window controls, but that's ok. Part time 4WD, ok. 5 free services, that's pretty cool, means it will get washed 5 times too :rofl:

All the same sorry to see the old girl go.

 

[probos]

Congrats on the new T4R. Went through a similar situation when I traded my 03' Sport for a 2011 LE. I really loved my Sport, was a great vehicle. Mine had the first gen/newer 4.0 V6 that I loved and even now think it had better mid to low end power than the one in my 11' TE. Probably has more to do with the gear box in my LE but not sure. Took me a while to settle in with my TE even though it was "fancier" for lack of a better way of putting it. When you have a vehicle you enjoyed for a long stretch of time it's hard let it go even if the new one is supposedly "better".

 

[philsey]

"Rust" ?

 

[Erkelbot]

Let me first say that car shopping is like inception... Once it gets into your head it's tough to shake without actually going through with it...

On that note, today's the day for me. I'm trading in a car that never really settled right with me... This will be my third 4Runner -- every single one I've gotten rid of, I've regretted. That stops today.

I had an '02 that I LOVED. It hadn't even broken the 100K mark and I got an itch to relive my youth. Stupid. (SO STUPID) I bought a WRX thinking it would be the same as when I was a kid when I had one... Nope. That lasted 6 months and I traded it for an '07 T4R SE that only had 25K on the clock. Great truck (I still liked the '02 better), and I had it for about a year. Never had any issues with it, but living in MN I did fear that the truck may start developing rust and depreciating faster than I wanted. That and the fact that I got a new job where I was going to need to entertain clients with my car got me thinking it was time to look around.

That prompted me to buy a virtually new Audi S4 and sell the 4Runner SE private party. Again, being a bit of a flipper flopper I went the route of a sports car -- but one for grown-ups. Let me say, I NEVER FELT COMFORTABLE IN IT. Don't get me wrong, it's a great car and pushes/pulls like crazy. But, I just didn't dig falling in and climbing out of it (I'm 6'3, so it really wasn't a great experience). I also had weird electronic issues that only an Audi can give you. In a 6K mile stretch I had the following things replaced:

• Electronic trnasmission control unit: $5K
• Rear backup camera module: $700
• Various rattles: $$$ in labor (40+ hours at least between rattles and what I listed)

Add in all of the labor and time visiting the dealer and I was DONE with it. Yeah, it was under warranty, but the car only had a handful of miles -- it shouldn't have been doing that. Ergo, 4Runner time.

So, today's the day...The Audi goes back into the stable and I get my new 2015 Silver TEP with KDSS. I am excited to stop the madness and settle into a truck I know will last forever. Plus my wife will crucify me if I buy another car...

4Runners...there's just nothing like them. Glad to be back.

 

[Mooney]

Ahhh, well I caved and traded my 06' v8 4x4 sport 4runner in for a 2015 SR5 tonight.

Toyota One in Oakland was the dealer, and I like them well enough.

In 06' paid 33k for the Sport and paid 34k tonight for the 2015 SR5.

In general terms the new v6 ain't the old v8, but it's fine. But it ain't the v8... Much better than the old v6 4runners of the same 06' era, but it ain't a v8 (did I say that already?).

115k miles on the Sport. No real issues, but with XREAS, wheel bearing time soon, yada, yada.... plus I depreciate using Section 159 (this replaces a tundra) it simply seemed logical.

Got 11k for the old sport on trade. Probably could have done better private party after a cleaning, however due previously doing sec. 179 on the 4ruuner way back means private sale = declarable income as asset disposal, so 11k to dealer trade means avoiding that = push or better. And this means nothing to people that don't play in this area.

Meantime, Wow, backup camera, navigation, controls, very nice. Funky by the window - window controls, but that's ok. Part time 4WD, ok. 5 free services, that's pretty cool, means it will get washed 5 times too :rofl:

All the same sorry to see the old girl go.

You'll know it's not the old v8, when driving by the gas station.

 

[chmura]

You'll know it's not the old v8, when driving by the gas station.

Once you mod these trucks be it a V6 or V8 you will get bad mileage regardless.

Both engines with 33's tires on with some armor and roof rack will give you anywhere between 14-17mpg. IMO I rather have the V8 and get 1-2 mpg less.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

I traded in my 03 V8 on a 14 Limited in May. You will kind of get used to the V6 but I can tell you it is not near as smooth and nice sounding as the V8. I miss the fantastic V8 instant low end torque more than anything. When my 03 was stock I actually got a little bit better gas mileage than my new 14 is getting under the same conditions.

 

[Matt fe2o3]

You'll know it's not the old v8, when driving by the gas station.

The v8 pretty much got 17.5 day in and out. I expect the v6 will end up averaging the same. Mpg I think is identical.

As another poster mentioned the low end umph all the way up made th v8 a real treat, however the v6 will do just fine.

 

[Erkelbot]

The v8 pretty much got 17.5 day in and out. I expect the v6 will end up averaging the same. Mpg I think is identical.

As another poster mentioned the low end umph all the way up made th v8 a real treat, however the v6 will do just fine.

The V8 was great, but I chose the V6 for a few reasons in the 4th gen. 1) I wasn't towing much if any. 2) Cracking manifolds issues reported (and a TSB as I recall). 3) Timing belts vs chain. Still, you can't beat those 4th gens for drivetrain reliability. The only drawback to G4 was I really didn't like the headroom. They made it a little cramped feeling in there.

But still, the 3rd gen (ideally a 99 highlander with low miles) really blew my hair back. Great trucks.

 

[DannyLlama]

In a 6K mile stretch I had the following things replaced:

• Electronic trnasmission control unit: $5K
• Rear backup camera module: $700
• Various rattles: $$$ in labor (40+ hours at least between rattles and what I listed)

Add in all of the labor and time visiting the dealer and I was DONE with it. Yeah, it was under warranty, but the car only had a handful of miles -- it shouldn't have been doing that. Ergo, 4Runner time.

So, today's the day...The Audi goes back into the stable and I get my new 2015 Silver TEP with KDSS. I am excited to stop the madness and settle into a truck I know will last forever. Plus my wife will crucify me if I buy another car...

4Runners...there's just nothing like them. Glad to be back.

This was one of my biggest motivators to get a Toyota and especially the 4R.
Why do german cars have so much electrical issues, i don't get it..

Maybe [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] has the answer lol

 

[Erkelbot]

This was one of my biggest motivators to get a Toyota and especially the 4R.
Why do german cars have so much electrical issues, i don't get it..

Maybe [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] has the answer lol

Agreed -- It's just brutal. I was really concerned as the weather turns. All of those electrical issues just seem to continue to get worse with MN winter weather. Once it hits -20 air temp, all bets are off. All the whirrs, chirping, and 88888888s on the LCDs start creeping in and making me really paranoid.

The one I'm trading in today is my last. If I ever get the bug again, I'll just pick up a German fanboy car magazine and ogle the cars with my eyes. That's way cheaper and less irritating.

 

[drewm]

This was one of my biggest motivators to get a Toyota and especially the 4R.
Why do german cars have so much electrical issues, i don't get it..

Maybe [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] has the answer lol

I'll pipe in because I'm an engineer.

German cars have a ton of electrical issues because around the early 2000s many of them switched away from wiring harnesses and real wire to fiber optic communication to "save weight" yet German cars are heavier than ever. So because of that, all of them require complex firmware to do the most basic tasks, like turning on the wipers or signaling. And we all know from computers how reliable software is. Not to mention fiber optic transceivers aren't very reliable themselves, so you'll always have systems failing to talk to each other as the fiber optic transmitters and receivers start to fail.

German engines have also switched to mostly nikasil Nikasil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and alusil Alusil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia block designs which are prone to oil consumption, cylinder scarring and corrosion due to bad gas. No Japanese company has ever use these block designs and have stuck with the very reliable iron block, or aluminum block with iron sleeves, which is why they last significantly longer and have less failures and oil consumption.

German designs today are truly engineered to fail right after warranty, and with their overly complex design and tight engine packaging, cost significant amounts to repair. Their parts cost are insane too, an O2 sensor for a Mercedes cost $1200, but if you dig into it, you'll find that it's just a standard $100 Bosch O2 sensor with a special wiring harness. Cut the old harness off and wire it up to a new sensor and it works just fine.

Although the Germans weren't always that bad. The 80s and 90s German cars were much more reliable, as you'll still see older German diesel cars on the road, those monsters will last forever. They were built in the time before Germans figured out they could build overly complex cars and charge insane amounts of money for parts to fix them when they broke.

You can also see many of the Japanese manufacturers going this way too, building less reliable cars and making way more money selling parts later for broken ones. Japanese reliability peaked in the 90s to 2000s, and has started to go downhill, although they are still nowhere near as bad as "German Engineering"

My 2c

 

[Erkelbot]

Nice post. I'm a HUGE fan of the old 'big grill' Mercs -- especially the diesels. Those things were built to endure anything.

Just look at Rocky IV when the Russians were chasing Rocky while he was training in Siberia. It hit that snow bank and came out unscathed.

 

[DannyLlama]

wow [MENTION=96713]drewm[/MENTION] super!

I think Greg has some serious competition

 

[NoDak]

to jump on this thread with a tangent, and people wonder why remote starts for merc's, bmw, etc cost $1000 to install.

 

[Matt fe2o3]

to jump on this thread with a tangent, and people wonder why remote starts for merc's, bmw, etc cost $1000 to install.

Remote starts out here in wild west of SF area are seldom heard of really. I actually think they are dangerous for the average "box-of'rock-for-a-brain" soccer moms and dads. Too many garages, too many opportunities for a vehicle to be left on with a kid in a car in a confined space, that said I don't know stats of incidents in colder climates.

Meantime on thread topic, the audio/navigation package is distracting. No doubt that will temper as we get used to the new 4R. I'm still in mourning for the V8 power, but I see some posts about throttle control and response.

I could not see (excepting the TRD) the value in the LTD or Premium SR5 over the basic 4R SR5 cost. My options were ungraded nav, floor mats and running boards. Everything else is pretty much on par.

I lost the sun-roof, but I never used it on the 06' sport and the headroom is much better on the 15' without it. Seats are nice and better than the 06' except for no power pax seat. I actually like the climate control on the new SR5 better than the 06' Sport, however my son liked the sport controls better.

Only using fog lights with low beams I think is new as well. I like independent lighting. The dash light dimming rheostat clicks up with a full on instrument light display and I like that.

Losing the closed storage pockets in the rear cargo area is kind of a bummer.

Big plus is we can go 8 years without a repair cost (when buying the add-on extended service plan), have a backup camera which really adds to safety, plus the nav and the bluetooth functions are brilliant.

Overall I'm quite happy.

 

[77Bronc]

Did I read this correctly, $34K for a new SR5 4x4? Is this a typical price, if you don't mind, what was the sticker?

77

 

[Matt fe2o3]

Did I read this correctly, $34K for a new SR5 4x4? Is this a typical price, if you don't mind, what was the sticker?

77

Edit: Sticker 36,499. Sale price 34,537 so 1,938 off MSRP, or roughly 5.4% off MSRP

Aside from basic SR5 the upgrades on the sticker were the audio, running boards and floor mats. This is a magnetic grey 2015.

It seems about as typical as I can find here in Northern California. Better deals I'm sure can be had elsewhere but I'm ok with the pricing.

As I posted elsewhere, the price was only 1,000 more than my 06' v8 Sport and while there are a few things the Sport had the SR5 does not, the SR5 is plenty robust.

 

[JayceeP]

One of my colleagues bought a new BMW X1 (LAME) some time late last year. A couple of months ago she had a transmission failure that was fixed under warranty and she was told afterward that it would have cost $15,000 to fix otherwise. She traded it in the next day. That story QUICKLY wiped the "hey, maybe I should trade the 4R for a lightly used 5-series" bug from my mind. I am so sorry for my for my impure thoughts, please forgive me!

 

[T.Rock]

I'll pipe in because I'm an engineer.

German cars have a ton of electrical issues because around the early 2000s many of them switched away from wiring harnesses and real wire to fiber optic communication to "save weight" yet German cars are heavier than ever. So because of that, all of them require complex firmware to do the most basic tasks, like turning on the wipers or signaling. And we all know from computers how reliable software is. Not to mention fiber optic transceivers aren't very reliable themselves, so you'll always have systems failing to talk to each other as the fiber optic transmitters and receivers start to fail.

German engines have also switched to mostly nikasil Nikasil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and alusil Alusil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia block designs which are prone to oil consumption, cylinder scarring and corrosion due to bad gas. No Japanese company has ever use these block designs and have stuck with the very reliable iron block, or aluminum block with iron sleeves, which is why they last significantly longer and have less failures and oil consumption.

German designs today are truly engineered to fail right after warranty, and with their overly complex design and tight engine packaging, cost significant amounts to repair. Their parts cost are insane too, an O2 sensor for a Mercedes cost $1200, but if you dig into it, you'll find that it's just a standard $100 Bosch O2 sensor with a special wiring harness. Cut the old harness off and wire it up to a new sensor and it works just fine.

Although the Germans weren't always that bad. The 80s and 90s German cars were much more reliable, as you'll still see older German diesel cars on the road, those monsters will last forever. They were built in the time before Germans figured out they could build overly complex cars and charge insane amounts of money for parts to fix them when they broke.

You can also see many of the Japanese manufacturers going this way too, building less reliable cars and making way more money selling parts later for broken ones. Japanese reliability peaked in the 90s to 2000s, and has started to go downhill, although they are still nowhere near as bad as "German Engineering"

My 2c

There's so much false information in this post that I don't even know where to start. It would be nice if you were dealing in facts instead of baseless opinions when you post something like this.