stamonkey
New member
After lurking for the past several months and searching for the past 3 months for a good deal on a 4Runner, I bought one. I was initially looking for a '10-'13 Trail Premium, but after striking out for a couple months I had resigned to buy a new Trail Premium. On Friday I went with my wife to Mountain States Toyota in Denver who had 5 new TEPs on the lot. To my surprise the salesman said they just gotten in a '14 Trail on a trade in that wasn't on their website yet. So after a bit of negotiation, I'm the proud owner of a black '14 Trail with KDSS. I really wanted the softex seats on the Premium, but I couldn't justify the extra money for a new TEP.
I traded in my '10 FJ Cruiser on it. Since Toyota discontinued the FJ, at least in Colorado, their values have just gone nuts. The spike in resale value was about half the reason for the switch, the other half is that the FJ just isn't that practical for hauling more than 2 people, and my wife hates the blind spots. Comparing the two, they drive very similar, the 4Runner is a bit smoother and quieter on the road. The 4Runner appears to have a wider turning radius, and feels maybe a half step slower than the FJ (neither are barn burners). I really like the extra storage that the 4Runner has over the FJ and the retractable rear glass (more cars need that). The extra bells and whistles are nice too, my favorite being the split screen nav and streaming bluetooth. The worst feature is the Eco bar and light (which I promptly turned off), the 4Runner isn't exactly frugal and doesn't fool anyone.
For the future, I don't plan on getting too carried away with the mod bug. I plan on tinting the front windows, getting some better tires, and possibly a leveling kit. I really don't like the factory running boards, they look and feel really flimsy. I plan on getting some rock sliders sooner rather than later. Also its a shame to have projector housings with no hids in them, that might be on the list as well.
That was much longer than necessary. Below are the obligatory pictures, with a bonus FJ shot.
I traded in my '10 FJ Cruiser on it. Since Toyota discontinued the FJ, at least in Colorado, their values have just gone nuts. The spike in resale value was about half the reason for the switch, the other half is that the FJ just isn't that practical for hauling more than 2 people, and my wife hates the blind spots. Comparing the two, they drive very similar, the 4Runner is a bit smoother and quieter on the road. The 4Runner appears to have a wider turning radius, and feels maybe a half step slower than the FJ (neither are barn burners). I really like the extra storage that the 4Runner has over the FJ and the retractable rear glass (more cars need that). The extra bells and whistles are nice too, my favorite being the split screen nav and streaming bluetooth. The worst feature is the Eco bar and light (which I promptly turned off), the 4Runner isn't exactly frugal and doesn't fool anyone.
For the future, I don't plan on getting too carried away with the mod bug. I plan on tinting the front windows, getting some better tires, and possibly a leveling kit. I really don't like the factory running boards, they look and feel really flimsy. I plan on getting some rock sliders sooner rather than later. Also its a shame to have projector housings with no hids in them, that might be on the list as well.
That was much longer than necessary. Below are the obligatory pictures, with a bonus FJ shot.
