Official picture of 2010 4runner!
- Thread starter blkexp98
- Start date
I am, esp when the economy gets even worse.
Ive been thinking about picking one of these up, but its really only good for a few minutes of delay anyway. More of a feel good thing rather than adding any concrete deterrence.
When gas was $4+, stealing gas wasn't unheard of. Wasn't so much personal vehicles, though -- people would hit the industrial areas at night and siphon fuel from the full-size cargo vans and pickups.
It's not something in and of itself that would make or break a purchasing decision, but it is one of the "little things" that can push you one way or another.
In any case, according to Toyota's list of features and <a href="http://www.cars.com/go/compare/trimCompare.jsp?acodes=USC00TOS131A0">cars.com</a>, the 2010 Sequoia still has a mechanical fuel door release even though it has a finger hole. I'm guessing the 4Runner will be the same -- it probably has a latch that's tied to the door locks.
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ToyTech99
Guest
Really? That's strange. You'd think that having a finger hole in the door AND an interior release latch would definitely invite warranty repairs because of gas jockeys who inadvertently think the gas door opens without being released from inside. I've always thought that's why vehicles with an inside release don't have a finger hole on the gas filler door. Having both is inviting problems! LOL
I understand that. Mine has been incredible and it was an effort to get the 5 speed and GU package in 1999.
It will be sad but my low mileage 3rd generation might be for sale and I have hope that the new model will work for me.
This is just guessing, but I don't think there's a separate inside release. Instead the fuel door is unlocked (and can be opened using the finger hole) when the doors are unlocked and latched/locked when the doors are locked. So it's still mechanical, just not spring loaded with an inside release.
If one of us see a 2nd gen Sequoia on the street tomorrow, do us a favor and see if you can open the fuel door using the finger hole, especially if the doors are locked. Be careful of the potential conflict with the owner of said Sequoia, though, who may think you're trying to steal his gas.
**Edited to Add**
Did some Google searches -- looks like my hypothesis above is wrong (and I guess so are Toyota and cars.com).
From the <a href="http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0eb93b/1843!keywords=allin%3Amsgtext%20limit%3A.f0eb93b%20fuel#MSG1843">Edmunds forums</a> about the 2008 Sequoia:
<blockquote>Why do the other Toyotas have a remote fuel filler flap, and the Sequoia doesn't? It seems strange that other cars are protected, yet the car with the 26 gallon tank isn't.</blockquote >
And another <a href="http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0eb93b/1751">post</a>:
<blockquote>Also, regarding the fuel door, I noticed when we test drove it that the door does not lock...this makes me nervous with the high gas prices! I did some research and found that there's such a thing as a locking gas cap that requires a key to unlock, I definetly will be getting one of them, they cost about $20. </blockquote>
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tx 4runner
New member
Ok, the pic w/the bashed underbelly and M/T's vs the other photos...
Is that pic taken with a non-production, lifted front end? It looks that way to me.:wtf:
I think the original pic is of the trail edition. If you look compare that pic to the new pics, you can see the bumpers are different... I'm hoping that the Trail Edition will live up to Toyota's hype...
You bet I am... I live in hurricane country and in 2004 people were siphoning people's fuel, same happened in the areas hit by Katrina.
Would the 4th gen internal unlock prevent someone (with a bar) from stealing your fuel, not likely... But it does show the cheapening by Toyota of this model. Toyota cutting corners is what bothers me (mast antenna, manual fuel door, crummy 2003 headlights, cheap plastic interior, etc).
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sandcrawler
Senior Member
funny, i've never considered my '06 interior to be "top-quality". in fact, every time i fumble with the HVAC controls i'm reminded that it's decidedly not. (cheap plastic, indeed.) and at only 5'8", even i can feel the headliner a hair's breadth from my noggin. if toyota simply puts the 5G's window controls in a reasonable place i'll consider that an improvement! :biggrin2:
there are certainly things i like about my 4G... but the interior? not so much. just my $.02
I don't disagree with you. Toyota seems to like to throw in even more of that cheap silver plastic which scratches and discolors even more than the other stuff.
Whoever decided to put the AC outlet inside the center console and the cig lighter in it's location should have been fired.
cdoyle
Member
I'm really surprised by how much Toyota is cutting corners on this.
It doesn't have a locking gas door? wow.
and those locking gas caps don't do squat, I had one on my old car and I lost the key for it. So just took a flat screwdriver shoved it in the keyhole and turned it until it broke the lock and opened. Took all of 5 seconds to do.
Mask Antenna?
I can't tell is it even a power antenna?
Back when I owned a 3rd gen, it had the power ant. one day right after buying it we took it on some trails. We had just went onto the trail and had the radio on, we forgot to turn it off right away. Went under a low branch and it bent the antenna and I had to replace the whole thing.
The more I learn about the 5th gen, the more I dislike it. I was hoping that once my house is paid off next year, maybe buying a new 4Runner. I won't be now, with no V8 and all the other things missing it just doesn't make any sense to trade mine in.
It doesn't have a locking gas door? wow.
and those locking gas caps don't do squat, I had one on my old car and I lost the key for it. So just took a flat screwdriver shoved it in the keyhole and turned it until it broke the lock and opened. Took all of 5 seconds to do.
Mask Antenna?
I can't tell is it even a power antenna?
Back when I owned a 3rd gen, it had the power ant. one day right after buying it we took it on some trails. We had just went onto the trail and had the radio on, we forgot to turn it off right away. Went under a low branch and it bent the antenna and I had to replace the whole thing.
The more I learn about the 5th gen, the more I dislike it. I was hoping that once my house is paid off next year, maybe buying a new 4Runner. I won't be now, with no V8 and all the other things missing it just doesn't make any sense to trade mine in.
Spencer
New member
The stupidest thing I'd there gonna make it bigger and put a smaller engine in it? What don't people get about the bigger engine being more efficent.. I mean a 4cyl is bot going to be as efficent as a 6 cylender in this size vehicle. Just like my 4.0 frontier got better gas mileage than the 3.4 4runner I have now.. And v8 would get the same if not better than my 3.4
T
ToyTech99
Guest
Actually, smaller engines are more efficient than larger engines, all else equal. It is a myth to think that it is more efficient to have a big engine lumbering around at low rpm compared to a smaller engine operating at a higher rpm, relatively speaking. In fact, the less a throttle plate is open, the less efficient the engine's operation.
If the current V8 engine were more efficient than the current V6 in the 4Runner, then it would return greater fuel economy. Obviously it does not. You can't fairly compare a 4.0L engine in a Frontier to a 3.4L engine in a 4Runner because the variables are far too great. Compare naturally aspirated V6 and V8 gasoline engines in the same vehicle and the smaller engine will always be more efficient.
Spencer
New member
i disagree. more efficent at idleing sure cause theres no load. But this new 4 runner is getting to seqoia size and they want to use a 4cyl? people hated the powerless 4cyl on the 3rd gen and they want to put it in something this huge?
what do you think the difference between the 4cyl and v6 3rd gen gas usage was? not more than 1 mpg im sure, is it worth it to have an engine need to be full throttle just to decently accelerate vs a v6 or v8 low growl? then have a 150 hp engine trying to push a huge vehicle vs a v6 or v8 with 26-280 hp youll loose what 1 maybe two mpg? but you can actually tow something, carry 4 people without stressing the egine...
i think we can agree which would get better mileage a 3.4l 4runner pulling 6000 pounds or a 4.7 pulling the same load? one will have much more torque and can go up a bridge while cruising without needing to downshift the other like my 4runner cant hit a bump without downshifting
4Runner8
New member
i had a dream last night that the trail edition will come standard with a 3 inch lift and 33" tires and that when u order one u can choose better front coil overs such as fox or sway away. and that a 3 inch BL is an option for 6 inch lift to fit 35" tires with no trimming!! and full skids under the body. how sick would that be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ToyTech99
Guest
First of all, the new 4Runner is nowhere near the size of a Sequoia. It's only slightly larger than the current 4Runner.
You can believe whatever you want to believe, but the fact of the matter is that the current engines available in the 4Runner do not get the same fuel economy. The V6 does in fact get better fuel economy than the V8, so your theory about the V8 being more efficient because it doesn't work as hard doesn't hold water. Do yourself a favor and research "engine efficiency" and you'll learn that smaller engines in general are more efficient than larger engines (all else equal) because of increased throttle angle openings. A V8 engine that isn't being utilized for it's power and torque is more inefficient than a V6 engine under the same circumstances. There's no arguing that fact, no matter how you cut it.
At the same time, if you overwork an engine, of course it isn't going to be efficient at all. That's obvious. But for driving around and carrying an average load (or passengers) for example, the efficiency goes to the smaller engine, even if it is "working" harder.
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ToyTech99
Guest
I was trying to think of a better way to explain engine efficiency, when it occurred to me to explain it like this:
Think of two identical vehicles. One with a 400 HP V8 engine. The other vehicle is identical in every way, except that it has a 225 HP V6 engine. Now, bring them both out on the highway and drive them clear across Kansas at 65 MPH. How much HP do you think it takes to maintain 65 MPH for these vehicles (assuming they are average vehicles)? Maybe 50 HP? 60 HP? Okay, now knowing that both the V6 and V8 engines are more than capable of providing the HP necessary to propel these vehicles down the road, which one is working more efficiently? Which one will return greater fuel economy.
The answer in both cases is the vehicle with the V6 engine. Even if the V6 engine is working harder and at a higher RPM than the V8, you should be able to see that it is using a greater percentage of it's available HP and will therefore operate more efficiently. This is an extremely simplified way of explaining it, but it's the best I could think of at the moment.
Think of two identical vehicles. One with a 400 HP V8 engine. The other vehicle is identical in every way, except that it has a 225 HP V6 engine. Now, bring them both out on the highway and drive them clear across Kansas at 65 MPH. How much HP do you think it takes to maintain 65 MPH for these vehicles (assuming they are average vehicles)? Maybe 50 HP? 60 HP? Okay, now knowing that both the V6 and V8 engines are more than capable of providing the HP necessary to propel these vehicles down the road, which one is working more efficiently? Which one will return greater fuel economy.
The answer in both cases is the vehicle with the V6 engine. Even if the V6 engine is working harder and at a higher RPM than the V8, you should be able to see that it is using a greater percentage of it's available HP and will therefore operate more efficiently. This is an extremely simplified way of explaining it, but it's the best I could think of at the moment.
4Runner8
New member
that makes perfect sense. who said v8 is more efficient?? i mean i love the v8 power and noise when u stomp it but its not that much greater then the v6. if i could trade my 2wd v8 for a 4wd v6 i would make that trade any day. even though 4wd would lose fuel the 4runner's 4th gen v6 is very powerful for being a v6
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