WCVanHorne
New member
I just bought a new 2012 SR5 but now realize I made a huge and very embarrassing mistake in terms of misunderstanding the 4WD tech. After many hours of research here and of 2010-12 brochures I now know where I went wrong.
We were really paying more attention to the seating, rear legroom, ground clearance, overall height, and cargo room which all seem like a good package for our needs on the 4runner. The SR5 was also good in that we didn't want the 3rd row seats at all and we had a tight budget. With all these factors coming together on the 4runner I somehow didn't bone up on what was going on with the 4WD tech. While test driving I of course realized it had the old school lever and all (2HI-4HI-4LO) but glossed it over as a retro "interface" rather than a glaring sign that there was no longer a center differential. I must have thought that locking only occurred in 4LO for simplicity or I just didn't see the lock button. I don't know.... These features don''t usually take a step back. Of course I noted the limited had full time AWD but I liked the idea of more control over 2WD vs. 4WD (I just didn't realize that differential was gone).
This completely idiotic oversight was partly caused because in 2010 the new 5th Gen SR5, up here in Canada, had the Torsen center differential and true multi-mode as noted in some reviews. I now see that in 2011 it was only in the higher trims and finally in 2012 the line-up is exactly like in the US. Of course, in hindsight, this alignment was probably the point. Too bad it didn't go the other way.
I know I should know better and taken a closer look at this aspect; but as a first purchase of a 4WD I didn't focus enough on the tech and this annoying shift from model year to year of the offering confused matters. I basically conflated multi-mode with part-time. Anyhow you can't possibly think worse of me than I myself do. I haven't even taken delivery yet and I feel like selling it and trying to find a 2010.
I had rather assumed I'd leave it in 4WD for days/weeks at a time up here in Edmonton during the winter and on winter skiing/snowshoeing trips in the mountains. These activities involve sometimes frequent traction variations on unplowed residential roads, parking lots, icy arterials, dry highways, gravel roads etc. often within one 1/2 hour drive at speeds from 15-120 km/h.
The point of this post other than venting? Well the one thing I don't think I have run across yet is a good justification for this removal of the Torsen (in 2010 for the US and over the last two years up here)? The obvious is probably cost but were there possibly some durability or longevity issues with the Torsen? Also am I perhaps worrying to much about the odd skipping and handling when 4HI is left on during while driving in highly variable traction conditions? I guess I'm grasping at straws to see if I haven't made as bad a mistake as I fear.
I feel like telling the dealer to run me over at delivery to put me out of my misery :redbrick: and, although cash is tight, I am seriously thinking of asking what the penalty would be if I cancel...
We were really paying more attention to the seating, rear legroom, ground clearance, overall height, and cargo room which all seem like a good package for our needs on the 4runner. The SR5 was also good in that we didn't want the 3rd row seats at all and we had a tight budget. With all these factors coming together on the 4runner I somehow didn't bone up on what was going on with the 4WD tech. While test driving I of course realized it had the old school lever and all (2HI-4HI-4LO) but glossed it over as a retro "interface" rather than a glaring sign that there was no longer a center differential. I must have thought that locking only occurred in 4LO for simplicity or I just didn't see the lock button. I don't know.... These features don''t usually take a step back. Of course I noted the limited had full time AWD but I liked the idea of more control over 2WD vs. 4WD (I just didn't realize that differential was gone).
This completely idiotic oversight was partly caused because in 2010 the new 5th Gen SR5, up here in Canada, had the Torsen center differential and true multi-mode as noted in some reviews. I now see that in 2011 it was only in the higher trims and finally in 2012 the line-up is exactly like in the US. Of course, in hindsight, this alignment was probably the point. Too bad it didn't go the other way.
I know I should know better and taken a closer look at this aspect; but as a first purchase of a 4WD I didn't focus enough on the tech and this annoying shift from model year to year of the offering confused matters. I basically conflated multi-mode with part-time. Anyhow you can't possibly think worse of me than I myself do. I haven't even taken delivery yet and I feel like selling it and trying to find a 2010.
I had rather assumed I'd leave it in 4WD for days/weeks at a time up here in Edmonton during the winter and on winter skiing/snowshoeing trips in the mountains. These activities involve sometimes frequent traction variations on unplowed residential roads, parking lots, icy arterials, dry highways, gravel roads etc. often within one 1/2 hour drive at speeds from 15-120 km/h.The point of this post other than venting? Well the one thing I don't think I have run across yet is a good justification for this removal of the Torsen (in 2010 for the US and over the last two years up here)? The obvious is probably cost but were there possibly some durability or longevity issues with the Torsen? Also am I perhaps worrying to much about the odd skipping and handling when 4HI is left on during while driving in highly variable traction conditions? I guess I'm grasping at straws to see if I haven't made as bad a mistake as I fear.
I feel like telling the dealer to run me over at delivery to put me out of my misery :redbrick: and, although cash is tight, I am seriously thinking of asking what the penalty would be if I cancel...
