Alright, enough. [MENTION=118444]flyinhawaiian01[/MENTION] this is not directed at you even though I quoted your post. You bring up some key points in it though.
Logic 101
Why in the world would engineers make the throttle perform like it does? It's response is non linear during application (meaning 10% displacement does not give you 10% of throttle) and that is unlike a lot of vehicles! It lags at the beginning! When you cut the wheels you have to give it more gas and then it lurches! Who are these dumba$$es designing our $hit?
1. I have an 800 hp electric motor that can give me 2000 hp instantly on start up. Do I really want to design my system with components that will be able to handle 8000 hp (4:1 safety factor) or do I want to start it GRADUALLY over time (say one second instead of 40 milliseconds) by using a variable fill fluid coupling or a variable frequency drive? If I do it this way I can use less robust components and still get the job done and not break anything.
If I design it for 8000 hp instant it's going to take a lot of money and I still am going to break $hit. For RELIABILITY and DURABILITY, I am going to put in a "soft start" so I can get the reliability and durability the customers expect. Get the reference? Basically the difference between a dragster and a passenger sedan.
2. If the 4Runner is designed to go off road (it is), why wouldn't the engineers take that into consideration when designing the throttle as well? Anyone here understand what "metering" or "fine control" is? Go find a log about 8" in diameter, pull your 4Runner up to it and climb over it using the first 10% of your pedal.
Now pull up to the log and immediately push the accelerator down 30%. Which way is better? Having fine control in the low throttle positioning is key to off road performance and in some instances it could be the difference between rolling your truck or safely getting through a situation. Again the reliability and durability come into play here too. Being able to gently bring the vehicle down versus dropping the axle from three feet will definitely extend the life of the components. I'm not even going to talk about the efficiency improvement of a soft start, or in this case a accelerator pedal that gives a better range of control in the first 10% because it's huge.
This thread is just another case of people wanting everything with no compromise. I did a thread here
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/182051-expectations.html that talks about unreasonable expectations. Guys, everything is a compromise, especially when it comes to designing a vehicle. Do you want reliability and durability or do you want high performance? Do you want the ability to go off road and perform well or do you want a street truck only? The 4Runner is a vehicle that does both reasonably well but, butbutbut, there are compromises inherent to making it perform in the dirt and on the street. Trade it if you don't like it but before you b!tch try figuring out the "WHY" before you judge.