robotkiller
New member
To cut to the chase - I am a first time father and my wife and I decided to ditch the G coupe for something more practical. Normally, this would be a minivan or some Highlander/crossover MDX type thing, but I could make myself do it. I am completely juvenile when it comes to cars, and crossovers strike me as girly (though probably best suited for our needs).
Anyway - I brought home a TE with KDSS and BFG AT KO 265/70/17 with ATX Mojave rims. I previously test drove an SR5 and bought this one sight unseen. It took me calling 5 different dealers in three states and pure luck, but it finally came together. My thoughts for anyone interested:
Interior: Nicer than I remembered the SR5 being. Must be the Optitron and NAV. All the buttons and switches have a really nice, dampened feel. Though the look is not luxury, the materials don't feel cheap and all the operations are smooth and well built feeling. A deceptively nice cabin.
Power:Somewhat lacking - but this was expected. I'm sure the tires sapped a bit of acceleration and the engine is new and tight. I expect it to open up a little once I get a few thousand miles on the ODO. I've driven nothing but sports cars for the past 5 years, including the s2000, WRX STI and g37 6MT. The 4runner gets where it needs to go, but the throttle response is not as quick and the torque not as pronounced. Again - I never expected it to compare to a sports car and so far I'm perfectly happy with it.
Handling: This is the big surprise - this thing handles surprisingly well. I don't know if it's KDSS and the stiffer sidewalls on the BFGs, but it corners reasonably flat and turn in is nice and responsive. Most SUVs I've driven are wallowy and unstable at speed - this one is planted and feels just right, similar to a large size sporty sedan.
Haven't had a chance to take her off road - I expect to in the next few weeks. These are just first impressions, but so far I love the thing. I usually love or hate a car at first sight, so this is a good sign.
The ATX Mojave and BFGs totally transform the look of this car. My TE was parked next to a stock Trail and it looked much more substantial - love the look. Probably will plan on blacking out the emblems this weekend.
This is a great forum - learned a ton just this past week.
EDIT: Picture host got trashed - pics of truck posted below
Anyway - I brought home a TE with KDSS and BFG AT KO 265/70/17 with ATX Mojave rims. I previously test drove an SR5 and bought this one sight unseen. It took me calling 5 different dealers in three states and pure luck, but it finally came together. My thoughts for anyone interested:
Interior: Nicer than I remembered the SR5 being. Must be the Optitron and NAV. All the buttons and switches have a really nice, dampened feel. Though the look is not luxury, the materials don't feel cheap and all the operations are smooth and well built feeling. A deceptively nice cabin.
Power:Somewhat lacking - but this was expected. I'm sure the tires sapped a bit of acceleration and the engine is new and tight. I expect it to open up a little once I get a few thousand miles on the ODO. I've driven nothing but sports cars for the past 5 years, including the s2000, WRX STI and g37 6MT. The 4runner gets where it needs to go, but the throttle response is not as quick and the torque not as pronounced. Again - I never expected it to compare to a sports car and so far I'm perfectly happy with it.
Handling: This is the big surprise - this thing handles surprisingly well. I don't know if it's KDSS and the stiffer sidewalls on the BFGs, but it corners reasonably flat and turn in is nice and responsive. Most SUVs I've driven are wallowy and unstable at speed - this one is planted and feels just right, similar to a large size sporty sedan.
Haven't had a chance to take her off road - I expect to in the next few weeks. These are just first impressions, but so far I love the thing. I usually love or hate a car at first sight, so this is a good sign.
The ATX Mojave and BFGs totally transform the look of this car. My TE was parked next to a stock Trail and it looked much more substantial - love the look. Probably will plan on blacking out the emblems this weekend.
This is a great forum - learned a ton just this past week.
EDIT: Picture host got trashed - pics of truck posted below
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