New T4R owner - impressions after 2 weeks

[awerking]

So I've have the 4 Runner for just over 2 weeks now - IMO enough time to get a good initial feel for it. This is my 4th Toyota 4x4, and my first 4 Runner. Prior to the 4 Runner, I've owned, in this order:

1) 1985 Toyota Regular Cap 4x4 pickup (22R 5-speed); 1990-2001
2) 2003 Tacoma Xtra Cab TRD (6cyl. 5-speed); 2003 - 2005
3) 1978 FJ40 Landcruiser (6cyl. 4-speed); 2004 - 2011

Given my history with Toyota 4x4s, I purchased my 4 Runner with much anticipation and high expectations. For the most part I'm very pleased with it, and am looking forward to many years of fun to come. Here are my impressions thus far.

1) It looks awesome. I mean, seriously awesome. Best looking Toyota 4x4 I've every owned by far. The black metallic with the pro grill, blacked out badging and wheels sitting on top of those Nitto meats its killer. I blacked out the front windows to match the back and it looks even better. People check it out all the time.
2) It rides great. Way better than either of my trucks and way better than my FJ40. I think Toyota struck a great balance here - I can comfortably take my family on a road trip without anyone complaining, and still have a capable offroad rig when I want it.
3) The stereo pumps.
4) Fit and finish is pretty good - best in any Toyota I've every had - and way better than any Big 3 auto I've been in recently sans the upper trim levels of the Grand Cherokee.
5) Ergonomics of the driver's seat and cockpit are good. I like the window controls on the window sill - this is where I keep my arm most of the time so this works great for me. Also reminds me of a Land Rover which is cool IMO. The seat is comfortable and the seat adjustments are well thought out.
6) Lack of full adjustability of the front passenger seat is disappointing.
7) XM radio interface is dumb. Best I can tell there's no way to get the preset channel list to display the station name rather than the number. So unless you memorize all of the numbers, you're left flipping around until you find the station you're looking for.
8) Navigation interface is even dumber. It won't let you type in or modify a destination address while moving. If my passenger wants to type something in there while I'm driving the system should let them. This sucks big time. It also is the lease intuitive navigation systems I've ever used. It's almost like Toyota engineers went out of their way to make it as big a pain in the ass to use as possible. Pure UI buffoonery! On the upside, the chick that says the directions sounds kindof sexy.
9) The bright white OEM "fog lights" are dumb. Couldn't be any more ineffective. I covered them with yellow Lamin-x - we'll see how they work next time it's foggy. Already thinking I should have gotten amber films instead of yellow. More to come on that.
10) The hood glare when the sun is positioned high in the sky and behind your direction of travel is brutal. I like the way the hood scoop looks, but what the hell Toyota? This is blinding! Thinking about wrapping the hood (or at least the scoop) in satin or flat black to combat this. I've see some threads on here showing hood wraps - wondering if anyone has just done the rear of the scoop.
11) At first I felt like the 4 Runner lacked adequate power, but I've adjusted my driving style and it seems ok now. Considering a pedal commander or similar but still undecided on this for now.
12) Gas mileage is better than expected. 22.5mpg on the first tank in mixed driving. Taking a road trip this coming weekend so will get a good feel for highway mileage then. So far this has exceeded my expectations.
13) Will be trying the offload features this weekend in the Virginia mountains. More to come on this.
14) The slide out rear cargo tray thing is dumb. I didn't want it but had to get it if I wanted a sunroof. Dumb dumb dumb. I want to put a good cargo liner in the back (i.e. WeatherTech or Husky) but can't find a way to get full protection with that dumb thing in there. Oh yea, did I say it was dumb? It's dumb.
15) Lack of real skid plates on an "Off Road" model is dumb. Will be my first upgrade.
16) Optional OEM crossbars are flimsy pieces of crap so I opted not to get them. Toyota should offer cross bars that are sturdy enough not to flex offload with a reasonable load like a Thule box on top. And the rack on the Pro is not for me - there needs to be a middle of the road here.
17) Best I can tell, the interior footwell LED lights can't be turned off while the headlights are on. This is annoying. I should be able to turn them off.

I'd be interested in hearing other's perspectives on any of the above. All in all I'm really happy with the 4 Runner so far.

 

[Knoxes]

HA! I just posted this almost simultaneously.

What I miss...

I agree with your criticisms. It's a very solid vehicle and I'm pretty happy with it. But it ain't perfect.

Also - where are you getting serviced? I'm in Chapel Hill and don't feel too good about Mark Jacobson.

 

[awerking]

HA! I just posted this almost simultaneously.

What I miss...

I agree with your criticisms. It's a very solid vehicle and I'm pretty happy with it. But it ain't perfect.

Also - where are you getting serviced? I'm in Chapel Hill and don't feel too good about Mark Jacobson.

Ha - yea just read yours. Funny that we both have similar impressions. As others stated on your post, I think you're going to be very very happy from a reliability standpoint. All of my Toyota's have been awesome in that sense.

I haven't had mine in for service yet, but will be taking it to the dealer where I purchased it at least initially - the first few services are free. I bought it at Leith Toyota in Raleigh. Haven't heard anything (good or bad) about Mark Jacobsen Toyota, so can't comment on that.

 

[Steel28]

Thanks for your post.

I’m trying to decide which Lamin-x inserts I should order for AG. Leaning towards amber although had yellow on my super white and really liked it.

 

[awerking]

Thanks for your post.

I’m trying to decide which Lamin-x inserts I should order for AG. Leaning towards amber although had yellow on my super white and really liked it.

Yea - I really like the way the yellow films look. They're awesome in contrast with the black. My impression after trying them (on a non-foggy night) is that the amber films may result in better visibility. Either way, I'm sure the yellow lights will work better then the OEM bright white.

 

[Knoxes]

Ha - yea just read yours. Funny that we both have similar impressions. As others stated on your post, I think you're going to be very very happy from a reliability standpoint. All of my Toyota's have been awesome in that sense.

I haven't had mine in for service yet, but will be taking it to the dealer where I purchased it at least initially - the first few services are free. I bought it at Leith Toyota in Raleigh. Haven't heard anything (good or bad) about Mark Jacobsen Toyota, so can't comment on that.

MJ's commercials are creepy.

And it's kinda funny in a Jeep sort of way that I started thinking about shopping service departments right after I bought the Toyota. There's probably a bunch of forum members wondering why I care where the dealer is...I mean, that's just what you do with a Jeep.

 

[Atomiklan]

My only complaint/concern thus far is the clunky feeling and hesitation it seems to have sometimes in the transmission. It feels like it really jerks you around sometimes. Maybe its just mine and I need to mention this next time I take it in for service. 2018 TRD Offroad new

 

[JAXJeremy]

My only complaint/concern thus far is the clunky feeling and hesitation it seems to have sometimes in the transmission. It feels like it really jerks you around sometimes. Maybe its just mine and I need to mention this next time I take it in for service. 2018 TRD Offroad new

check out my thread here...'18 SR5 4wd with intermittent driveline shudder

see if that's similar to what you're experiencing..I've been back to the dealer 2 times and they can't identify the problem.

 

[jhguth]

15) Lack of real skid plates on an "Off Road" model is dumb. Will be my first upgrade.

they're pretty solid for anything short of rock crawling

watch some of Lifestyle Overland's videos on youtube, Kevin has been offroading all over north america and is still on the factory skids

 

[LandCruiser]

I've destroyed the factory skids once. They're really tough. They're not tougher because of weight considerations.

 

[awerking]

they're pretty solid for anything short of rock crawling

watch some of Lifestyle Overland's videos on youtube, Kevin has been offroading all over north america and is still on the factory skids

Good to know - I'll check it out for sure. Thanks for posting!

 

[awerking]

I've destroyed the factory skids once. They're really tough. They're not tougher because of weight considerations.

Thanks for the reply. Good to know.

 

[thennen]

I’ve driven very high-mileage Toyotas for so long that my gripe list on my 2019 is short. First new vehicle in 31 years and thrilled with it. I’m happy to have what it came with. That said, I am trying to think of something to block the hood scoop glare. Someone pointed out that the curve on the scoop is the culprit. Seems to me that a flat black vinyl would reduce it but not eliminate it. So I’m trying to think of something maybe on the inside that I could just flip up to block only the scoop.

Whatever you do though, focus on the good things in your truck. Toyota never has made the perfect vehicle, but because of their reliability, I haven’t bought any other brand since 1982.

 

[awerking]

I’ve driven very high-mileage Toyotas for so long that my gripe list on my 2019 is short. First new vehicle in 31 years and thrilled with it. I’m happy to have what it came with. That said, I am trying to think of something to block the hood scoop glare. Someone pointed out that the curve on the scoop is the culprit. Seems to me that a flat black vinyl would reduce it but not eliminate it. So I’m trying to think of something maybe on the inside that I could just flip up to block only the scoop.

Whatever you do though, focus on the good things in your truck. Toyota never has made the perfect vehicle, but because of their reliability, I haven’t bought any other brand since 1982.

Great perspective, thennen, and very true. I'm very happy with the 4 Runner and wouldn't trade it for anything else. I think things can always be better, and others' perspectives on the things I've noticed are valuable. Learning that others have beat the piss out of the factory skid plates, for example, makes me feel much better about taking my new rig off road without aftermarket skids. Also hoping that others chime in with info about how to make the XM radio list the channel names, how to make the navigation system allow addresses to be typed in while moving, and how to turn the footwell lights off... Really hoping those things are just operator error!

 

[SpeedyKevin]

Great perspective, thennen, and very true. I'm very happy with the 4 Runner and wouldn't trade it for anything else. I think things can always be better, and others' perspectives on the things I've noticed are valuable. Learning that others have beat the piss out of the factory skid plates, for example, makes me feel much better about taking my new rig off road without aftermarket skids. Also hoping that others chime in with info about how to make the XM radio list the channel names, how to make the navigation system allow addresses to be typed in while moving, and how to turn the footwell lights off... Really hoping those things are just operator error!

I think youll need a mod to input addresses while in motion. Anytime back-up camera has an override that allows that.

 

[4FL]

A lot of what I think also. This is my first Toyota and even first non-US manufacturer car I have owned (aside from some very used ones when stationed overseas, but do not count those).

It is about perfect, love the 4r, I really have no desire to mod it any because it is just the way I want it from the factory. The only thing I really wish it had was the same adjustments on the passenger seat the driver seat has.

 

[83Mule]

PEDAL COMMANDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Knowing how it CAN be versus how it is stock, I would buy one the first day I bought the Truck!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Fewture4R]

Glad to see your opinion. Thanks for sharing. I'm a prospective 5th Gen 4R buyer, and have been shadowing the forums for peoples reviews and been watching tons of reviews on YT. It seems to be that a lot of the complaints on the infotainment have been fixed for the '20. Now I just need help deciding whether SR5 or TRDOR is the winner for me.

 

[awerking]

OK quick follow up on this. We took our first road trip last weekend - visited some family in the VA mountains and did some light off roading. Here's my perspective after taking the T4R on its first extended drive and off road for the first time:

1) Mileage was good. We got 18.5 combined MPG on the drive, loaded full of bags, full fuel, and 4 people, mixed city/highway/and country road driving, including two trips over the eastern continental divide (east to west, and then back west to east) and a a few hours of off roading. This exceeded my expectations.
2) The ride is very comfortable for longer trips.
3) The navigation systems sucks. Interface is awful (see first post in this thread), and the system selects bizarre routes. The "three route" option selection is a nice feature, but the system kept trying to reroute us off of the selected route onto routes that would have taken much longer. We ended up using the wife's iPhone instead. I straight up don't trust the onboard nav to get me where I need to go in a fast or efficient manner. Also, the ETA function calculates poorly, continually displaying arrival times much later than actual.
4) Plenty of room for a family of 4 and all of your stuff.
5) Yellow Lamin-X made the fog lights much more effective. Was thinking that I should have gone with the amber film, but the yellow lights provided great visibility during a foggy night passage over the divide.
6) The 4Runner looks a lot better dirty than it does clean. It looks great all the time, but after off roading it looks perfect. A little bit of mud and dust go a long way...
7) For a showroom stock truck, it did great off road. We did some trail riding, a couple hill climbs, and some articulation tests and it did great for a bone-stock rig. Super impressed.
8) I like crawl control. Used it on a steep hill climb - early morning when the ground was still frozen. Traction control off, 4WD Low, crawl control on medium - the T4R clawed its way up the steep and slick dirt track full of tree roots with little issue.
9) An attempt at the same hill climb later in the morning when the ground was thawed was unsuccessful. The track got very muddy and the Nitto's simply weren't up for the task. Got about half way up with the settings listed above. Tried with crawl control on high and got a bit farther but couldn't get all the way to the top. I could have probably put it in 4WD High and blasted my way up the hill, but the tree roots and mud were causing a good bit of side to side walking and there were trees lining the track, so I opted to save my 3-week old rig from potential calamity and move onto other things.
10) My concerns about the stock skid plates were unfounded as others have stated earlier in this thread. I pinged off a couple rocks during our first foray off road in the new 4 Runner. Nothing hard, and we certainly weren't rock crawling. A couple thunks underneath on the rutted parts of the trail, and one very loud thunk while bombing through a meadow. No damage to speak of.
11) Approach angle needs to be improved. Again, wasn't expecting much here with a bone-stock rig. Had to baby it through relatively minor troughs to avoid driving the front fascia into the mud - took a lot of angled passes to navigate these parts of the trail. Completely functional off road as-is, but this is one of the biggest areas of needed improvement IMO. Adding a front bumper to the wish list.
12) Departure angle needs to be improved. Again, wasn't expecting much here with a bone-stock rig. The spare tire is the biggest offender here. Need to move this - adding a rear bumper with tire carrier to the wish list.
13) Clearance is great for a bone-stock rig, but could be improved. (See 10, 11, and 12 above).
14) Articulation is pretty good for a bone-stock rig. This exceeded my expectations. A few passes through some well-spaced moguls exercised the suspension quite well. I want through several passes with full articulation and didn't get any wheel rub. Tires came way off the ground on alternating corners, so there's a lot to improve here, but super impressed for a showroom stock rig. Stock Jeeps, Rams, Chevys, or Fords would have been creaking and moaning through that - the Toyota took it in stride...
15) The XP Predator running boards are cool looking, but the steps that protrude from the bottom will be problematic during heavy off roading. They dug into the dirt and mud all over the place during my light off roading. Some rock sliders may be in order.
16) I didn't try terrain select or A-Trac. I'm thinking this may have helped with the failed hill climbs, but that seemed like a super sketchy place to try it out. Will have to try this out next time I'm out. Would be great to get others' perspective on this.

So I'm super happy with my purchase, and I've now got a short-list of wish list items for future mods, starting with bumpers and suspension, some sliders, some decent roof crossbars, and maybe a wrap to fend off the inevitable pinstripes.

I have photos and videos of the hill climb and articulation but (embarrassingly) I can't figure out how to post them. I searched the FAQs and found a post on how to create an album but I can't get the photos to show up on there, and that doesn't allow videos. Any guidance to other posts on the forum with instructions on how to do this would be appreciated.