Newer Models Make Me Laugh

[Shibby!]

To me, the 5th gen is more of a hate that I can't see myself ever spending that much money on a vehicle. Yes, they are nice, but it's a two sided sword.

1) I like buttons, fancy things, nice finishes, and plushness. Toyota typically hasn't excelled at this WITH exception to assembly quality, and solid feel (tundra's do not apply). Sure, fancy lockers, ability to control speed with a knob, etc are all nice, at the same time I think the design looks appealing now, but won't be so great in 10 years. It's trendy. Ugly lights that stick out, etc. Ei: Dodge.

2) The other side of the sword appreciates simplicity. I liked my 09 Tacoma TRD (Company truck) for that reason. It was fully loaded except blue tooth. It had nothing fancy but was simple, worked well, and still felt like I could service it if I owned it. The 4runner excels further on that. No fancy fuel injection, engine, suspension, transfer cases, fly by wire, etc. The design is TIMELESS. My truck is 14 years old and I still think it looks great. 14 YRS old?! Scares me everytime I think of that because I'm nearly 100% happy, with exception to gas mileage and power. The new Tacomas 12+, 4runners, and FJ's won't have that appeal. Once again, IE: Dodge 300, Neon, pretty much any chev up until bankruptcy, etc. Toyota excels at simplicity and timeless design but they are starting to push that envelope.

I don't know where I'm going with this, other then the fact old Toyotas are great vehicles. They won't be as reliable in the future, they won't have the timeless design, and I think they'll hurt in resale. IMO, one of the nicest looking Toyotas ever built were 96-97 Tacomas with the chrome grill/sealed headlights.

http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&c...ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:38,i:200&tx=78&ty=44

OH!!

The other things is my love to tinker. I don't like "fixing", but I love tinkering. 5th gen owners don't have that luxury. They buy stuff for their vehicles. We modify and enjoy them.

I came from early water cooled VW's. You tinker on those things all the time. Should have never sold that car...

 

[Antman]

I see no need to hate 5th gens. Im not crazy about how low the front and rear bumpers sit. But I still think its a nice looking SUV. And its still a solid rear axel. And you can get them with front and rear locking diffs right from the factory. So despite all the added tech and luxury features, its still an off road truck at the roots

You can't get a factory locking front diff on a 5th Gen. Many have aftermarket LFD's.

 

[Brian757]

I enjoy all of the 4runners. I just enjoy mine the most. I love 1st gens after mine but 2nd, 4th and 5th gens are good in my book. If its a Toyota its good in my book. But all the fancy equipment just slaps me in the face with price tags. Its just another thing Im going to have to fix at 100K miles.

And I loveee my 5VZFE but I wouldnt mine an iForce engine
SHUT UP Singtoe! I dont want to hear it!

 

[Shibby!]

I enjoy all of the 4runners. I just enjoy mine the most. I love 1st gens after mine but 2nd, 4th and 5th gens are good in my book. If its a Toyota its good in my book. But all the fancy equipment just slaps me in the face with price tags. Its just another thing Im going to have to fix at 100K miles.

And I loveee my 5VZFE but I wouldnt mine an iForce engine
SHUT UP Singtoe! I dont want to hear it!

Curious why you like the 5VZFE engine so much?

 

[1985taylor1925]

You can't get a factory locking front diff on a 5th Gen. Many have aftermarket LFD's.

For real? Cause the last time I brought my 3rd gen in to a Toyota dealer to get it aligned a salesman told me you could

 

[1985taylor1925]

To me, the 5th gen is more of a hate that I can't see myself ever spending that much money on a vehicle. Yes, they are nice, but it's a two sided sword.

1) I like buttons, fancy things, nice finishes, and plushness. Toyota typically hasn't excelled at this WITH exception to assembly quality, and solid feel (tundra's do not apply). Sure, fancy lockers, ability to control speed with a knob, etc are all nice, at the same time I think the design looks appealing now, but won't be so great in 10 years. It's trendy. Ugly lights that stick out, etc. Ei: Dodge.

2) The other side of the sword appreciates simplicity. I liked my 09 Tacoma TRD (Company truck) for that reason. It was fully loaded except blue tooth. It had nothing fancy but was simple, worked well, and still felt like I could service it if I owned it. The 4runner excels further on that. No fancy fuel injection, engine, suspension, transfer cases, fly by wire, etc. The design is TIMELESS. My truck is 14 years old and I still think it looks great. 14 YRS old?! Scares me everytime I think of that because I'm nearly 100% happy, with exception to gas mileage and power. The new Tacomas 12+, 4runners, and FJ's won't have that appeal. Once again, IE: Dodge 300, Neon, pretty much any chev up until bankruptcy, etc. Toyota excels at simplicity and timeless design but they are starting to push that envelope.

I don't know where I'm going with this, other then the fact old Toyotas are great vehicles. They won't be as reliable in the future, they won't have the timeless design, and I think they'll hurt in resale. IMO, one of the nicest looking Toyotas ever built were 96-97 Tacomas with the chrome grill/sealed headlights.

http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&c...ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:38,i:200&tx=78&ty=44

OH!!

The other things is my love to tinker. I don't like "fixing", but I love tinkering. 5th gen owners don't have that luxury. They buy stuff for their vehicles. We modify and enjoy them.

I came from early water cooled VW's. You tinker on those things all the time. Should have never sold that car...

Say what??!! I havent driven a 1st gen Tundra, but my dads 09 SR5 is probably the most solid vehicle I have ever driven. I love everything about that truck. Its nice, but still pretty basic. If by solid you mean stiff suspension, then sure, my brothers 2011 GMC Sierra 2500 Duramax is probably more "solid". But thats not how I would define solid

 

[1985taylor1925]

I agree. The 1st gen is cool, IMO the perfect trail rig. 85 SFA EFI <3

But, for those who don't want to drive a rickety dinosaur every day, who actually need to drive other people around and look presentable along with their utility, skip the 2nd gen (torsion rods, 3.slow, butt sag, etc), the 3rd gen does that well without turning into mommy's plastic/electronically controlled 4th gen automatic. It's widely known that 3rd gens feel like trucks (read the million reviews online, the women all complain about it), my mom's 4th gen feels like a plastic station wagon that's been jacked into the air.

Toyota 4Runner:
1st gen SFA: Awesome. Slow, way too simple. Trail rig by all means! Try overtaking ANYONE on the freeway, LOL good luck.
1st gen IFS/2nd gen: All of the good aspects of the 1st gen have been neutered. Mechanically stupid (bad 3.0 engine, torsion rod/leaf suspension)
3rd gen: Coil/4 link suspension, much better engines, better interior, presentable and certainly still feels like a truck. Locker and scoop make the deal sweet. Interior is nice, but not "OMFG YOU GOT THE FLOOR MAT DIRTY" nice.
4th gen: Way too refined. Too much plastic, too many electronics, too much fluff and nothing but stupid auto trans. Hence why I bought one for my mom. She loves driving to Target in it, she can see over people in traffic. She can fit all of the groceries in the back at once, and she's got a backup camera since she can't park.
5th gen: Soccer mom mall crawler... if you want to piss away $40g on a trail edition, be my guest. Enjoy your automatic and silly electronic assists. Make sure not to track any dirt inside or scratch it. Nice engine, too many electronics. Gas pedal feels way too weird, drive by wire sucks. Sure does great on the road, Karen is really jealous because the 17" wheels on her SR5 aren't as shiny as the 20"s on Patty's Limited.

Of course, modify any one of these and end up with a sweet ride. Just consult the rest of the forum's builds.

:snacker:

Ill play.

I call application. Its all about application, application, application. Youre idea of the right rig is based on how youre going to use it. So for you (COB you SOB), youre looking for something designed with heavy off road use in mind. Sure you may drive around town, on the highway, tow stuff, etc. But in the end it has to crawl up rocks and trails like a boss.

But thats not everyones application for their runner. I might want something that doesnt necessarily excel at one point, but that does great at several different applications. I might want something that can tow, that can carry 5 people and a bunch of junk, that I can strap my kayak to, and then get on the highway and still enjoy a decently smooth and quiet ride for traveling accross country. A 4th or 5th gen is perfect overall for that variety of uses. A great overall package as an adventurous vehicle that can do everything. A 3rd gen, whether its stock or built, is going to struggle with that load. Put 5k lbs behind a 3rd gen rolling on 33" (or stock) tires, load it with 5 passengers and fill the back with crap, throw a kayak on top to grab a bit more wind than the already square body, and then take a drive through the mountains at 9000+ feet. The 3rd gen is gonna struggle far more that the redesigned, more powerful runner. I know Im stating the obvious. But hey, its true.

 

[Shibby!]

Say what??!! I havent driven a 1st gen Tundra, but my dads 09 SR5 is probably the most solid vehicle I have ever driven. I love everything about that truck. Its nice, but still pretty basic. If by solid you mean stiff suspension, then sure, my brothers 2011 GMC Sierra 2500 Duramax is probably more "solid". But thats not how I would define solid

Every time I go in a Tundra (2nd gen), I'm constantly reminded by how dumbed down and plastic they are. That's of course because dirty oilfield workers have to operate the controls with gigantic mits on.

I've drove a limited model quite a bit, fully loaded, and the interior and leather seats, although maybe robust, IMO, look and feel like crap. Maybe it's just me, but I think the Tundra's interior is terrible.

As for the Dirtymax, give it some mileage and rough roads. It won't feel so solid for long.

 

[rebelbowtie]

Nothing timeless from GM or Dodge? That's a pretty inaccurate statement right there, I won't even mention muscle cars but the 88-98 GM pick up model line is the best selling and one of the most timeless trucks around and reliable to boot (minus interior pieces)

 

[Bigmikelakers]

Haha, this reminds me of a thread I read on the Tacoma forums about someone saying that the 1st gen Tacos were better than the 2nd gens. Then a 2nd gen owner got really pissed and told the 1st gen owners who were hating on the 2nd gens that they were just jealous that they can't afford a 2nd gen. I think thats a stupid response. I think theres probably tons of people who own older vehicles that can afford the newest model but why should they shell out 40 grand for something they don't like just to say they have the newest generation?

I still think our 3rd gens look pretty new even in 2012. In fact one could argue they look better than a lot of newer SUV's on the road like the Trailblazer, Explorer, Durango and Pathfinder.

 

[SIKHILUXSURF]

i love my 3rd gen but i really like the new 5th gens too. hey at least they look better than the 4th gens. Those i think look like crap. front end looks like a ****ing car rear looks like a suv. its a cluster Fu(k of a vehicle.

 

[Antman]

For real? Cause the last time I brought my 3rd gen in to a Toyota dealer to get it aligned a salesman told me you could

Yes for real! Most of "us" on the forum know more about what they are selling than they do. :ybrick:

 

[Singtoe]

I 'll play.

I love my 4runner. I love evrything about it.

Great power
leather
digital climate control
one touch power windows
power seats
Navigation
cruise
auto dimming mirror
power locks
key-less entry
moon roof
Electronically locking diff
AWD
ABS

I can't imagine any more that I would want.

Dimensional, it is a great size, I can park in any parking situation. Travel down narrow trails and i am at the the perfect height for banks and drive threws.


Best of all - It is paid for and if anything goes wrong with it, I can fix it on the cheap.

 

[Brian757]

Curious why you like the 5VZFE engine so much?

And I've always heard there wasn't such thing as a stupid question. :hello:

 

[JohnsD90]

The 3rd gen and 2nd Gen are the only true SUV's the 4runner has ever been! The 1st gen is cool, but it basically just a pickup truck with a fully removable roof.

An SUV is suposed to be ulitily, but not too much that it is has no comforts, and not too much that it is just a bloated station wagon.

The 3rd gen 4runner, is if you look at all the compromises made to make it, it is the best ALL AROUND SUV ever made, bar none. It has just enough comfort AC, heat and comfy seats, it is fairly easy to work on, Reliable motor, Decent Gas milage, Manual transmission with option for automatic, Handsomely and Timelessly styled, Body on Frame, IFS great for on-road and doesn't really hold many people back off road, Skinny in width, and it is not bulky at all no wasted space. Sure you will find a better offloading SUV, or a more comfortable one, or one that can haul more, or one that gets better fuel milage, or one that has more seats, but you will not be able to find another SUV that does all those things as well as it does ever again.

That being said i do like some other SUV's better than the 3rd gen, but it is the best all rounder.

 

[Shibby!]

Nothing timeless from GM or Dodge? That's a pretty inaccurate statement right there, I won't even mention muscle cars but the 88-98 GM pick up model line is the best selling and one of the most timeless trucks around and reliable to boot (minus interior pieces)

The truck statement could be argued...

I was generally referring to anything post muscle car. Same with Dodge.

Who here likes the mid 90s GM vehicles appearances? All of them. Trucks included.

*cricket*

:hungry:

 

[Shibby!]

And I've always heard there wasn't such thing as a stupid question. :hello:

Underpowered and poor gas mileage come to mind. Also, although reliable, it's not the most reliable thing on the road either.

There are much better engines out there, but I will agree its a decent engine.

 

[madbomber08]

Underpowered and poor gas mileage come to mind. Also, although reliable, it's not the most reliable thing on the road either.

There are much better engines out there, but I will agree its a decent engine.

Dude, you're in the wrong forum section to be bashing the 5vzfe...

 

[Shibby!]

Dude, you're in the wrong forum section to be bashing the 5vzfe...

I own one.

That gives me some credibility to bash it.

Give me 80 more HP, and torque and then I'll deal with the bad gas mileage.

Oh wait, that's pretty much the 4.0l in the 2nd gen Tacos... (which I also bash and have put over 60,000 miles on)

As mentioned they are decent engines, but not exceptional or "the best"..

 

[madbomber08]

It's old enough now to have proven itself. I see 3rd gen 4runners and 1st gen Tacomas with 200k and 300k+ miles on them all the time, with original drivetrain. I have had mine for almost two years (I know not that long) but I have failed to see even the start of a significant problem with 186000 on the odo. On a power note, the 5vz is pretty much a dog, but it's old and comparing similar engines of the time, the specs aren't half bad. I get nearly 20 mpg out of it in the summer, so I won't complain there either.

Give it time and maybe the 4.0 will be a beast of an engine too.

I guess I don't really understand what you're saying. You can have reliability and give up some ponies, or you can have power and problems. Not both.