Potential newbie - have spent hours reading forum & still some Q's

[wanderMT]

You will not be happy with the ride on rough paved roads. Alignment is no different because you have full frame on 4R.

 

[WallyT4R]

If I were you OP I would seriously consider not getting a 4R. I would look closely at the redesigned Rav4. It will suit you a lot better than a 4Runner in your situation and save you a lot of money on a day to day basis and big time on initial cost compared to a 4R. Check it out...

https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/RAV4/

 

[philsey]

If I were you OP I would seriously consider not getting a 4R. I would look closely at the redesigned Rav4. It will suit you a lot better than a 4Runner in your situation and save you a lot of money on a day to day basis and big time on initial cost compared to a 4R. Check it out...

https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/RAV4/

While a decent vehicle, this might present a man-card issue. It would for me.

:hatsoff:

 

[Toffees]

While a decent vehicle, this might present a man-card issue. It would for me.

:hatsoff:

Eh, it's an Outback. Not a bad car, just have to know what you want and drive it.

 

[Toffees]

OK guys - here are answers to your questions in no particular order:

Clients will not be in my vehicle;

JGC is fine as daily driver with my partner and I. I think the 4R is much better looking;

Did not care for the excessively high center console in the Highlander as it made me feel closed in;

Rugged interior is OK by me;

I don't currently go off road in my car, but and sure I would start if I got a 4R;

I really like the look and differentiation with the 4R. If I got a Pilot or such, I think I'd keep comparing it to a car and be disappointed. If I got a 4R, I know it's such a completely different animal I would appreciate it for that. I once owned a MINI Cooper S. It was noisy, punishingly rough riding, had no space, and a terrible commuter car with the sport suspension and run flats. BUT, I absolutely LOVED that car for the how unique it was and that it had personality even though there were many other cars that would have been a "better" car for me.

I am surrounded by soccer moms and dads in their typical mall SUV's and I don't know if I could handle being like them.

If you understand what the 4R is, you might love it. A test drive should settle it.

 

[FirefighterMTN]

When I look at ruggedness, resale, reliability, and something I think looks good, there are very few options. I don't want a typical mall-SUV, and I am not a pickup truck guy.

I can't comment to your KDSS question as I do not have that option, nor about the alignment as I've only had my 4Runner for a while, but I can comment on your above statement as it sounds like we are/were in the same boat.

When it came time to grow up and get a big kid car (just turned 40), I decided to get something that was much more capable than the commuter Focus that I was driving, which brought mpg's to the party, but pretty much nothing else.


I had it narrowed down to two options for my price range of $30k. 5th Gen 4Runner and '16+ F150. Yes, not the same category of vehicle, but both had what I needed and that was actually the trouble in deciding!

The 4Runner obviously won out and here's why-

1) Reliability. It's tough to beat Toyota on the longevity of their vehicles.

2) Looks- In my humble opinion, the 4Runner is one of the best looking vehicles on the road.

3) Capabilities- I'm not an off-roader, but I like the option should the need arise. I'll never go much beyond a front level and maybe slightly more aggressive tires, but I like the fact that if I need to get to some sketchy areas for camping/mountain biking, I don't have to worry much if my vehicle can do it. My wife has an MDX and yes, it's AWD and can some stuff, but I'd never take it much past a slightly wet grassy field.

4) Size- Not too big, not too small. 3rd row is huge for me as I have kids and they have friends. Plenty of room.

5) The ride- Yes, the ride. My SR5 on OEM tires rides better than my wife's MDX. I'm actually driving a Limited while mine has some hail damage repaired and I prefer the 17" wheels and part-time 4WD over the Limited setup.

For me, the 4Runner is an all-around perfect ride for me. Rugged enough to handle my kids/dogs/friends yet nice enough to be comfortable and such when I'm commuting.

Fuel Mileage sucks compared to most other vehicles, but I'm pulling almost 19mpg's and that's livable.
The motor and tranny are dated, but reliable.

I am so glad I bought this vehicle. I almost got a base F150 XLT and though the bed would be nice, the 4R just fit more of my needs on a daily basis. Also, I got more with the 4R for the $$. Certified. Lower miles. Better options. All in all, I'm super happy!!

Happy hunting!

Brian

 

[Diced Zombies]

I can't comment to your KDSS question as I do not have that option, nor about the alignment as I've only had my 4Runner for a while, but I can comment on your above statement as it sounds like we are/were in the same boat.



5) The ride- Yes, the ride. My SR5 on OEM tires rides better than my wife's MDX. I'm actually driving a Limited while mine has some hail damage repaired and I prefer the 17" wheels and part-time 4WD over the Limited setup.


Brian

Can you explain the difference in these two and why you prefer the SR5 over the Limited?

 

[mscot]

Be prepared for a rough ride. my experience with a 4R w/ KDSS is that it absorbs large bumps like they are not there but you feel every small bump/crack in the road. I haven't been on a washboard road yet (aside from every road in Denver) but I imagine it would be pretty uncomfortable.

that said, it does do better on curving roads than you would expect a BOF SUV of this size.

If you aren't on curvy roads often, I wouldn't get the KDSS.

Honestly, I wouldn't get a 4R if I had no plans of going offroad (or dreams of, as it is with many of us).

 

[snitz427]

I'm going to be the Debbie downer and give you my opinion of my recent 4Runner purchase. I bought a new 2018 model, and the versatility, resale value and reliability is what sold me of the 4Runner. I purchased the car with the intent of lightly modding it for road tripping, camping, and hauling a bunch of crap around day to day.

I live in Baltimore and the roads are crap - the TRD Premium's suspension does a good job of absorbing the bumps and potholes, however, the nose dive when braking is pretty awful. I upgraded the suspension - and would highly recommend it. No need to spend big money on a lift, just swap in some Bilsteins (or in my case, the FJ Pro kit) for a quick, cheap fix.

I do not find the seats comfortable at all. Maybe I need to break them in more - but they can be downright uncomfortable at times. I've heard others say they find them super comfortable, so I think it is a personal thing.

I will be brutally honest and tell you that I did not love this car after buying it. I was disappointed with the purchase. There are a lot of things that Toyota could have or should have done better, especially for a "premium" vehicle. There are a lot of rattles and noises on my brand new car - more than my 10 year old slammed Audi has! Entune is pretty crappy all around. The interior lighting is crap. It chugs fuel (15mpg!) and is a bit sluggish and slow. The doors feel and sound cheap. The interior compartments are odd and relatively useless. A lot of little things that Toyota (or a new owner) could easily fix to create a much better car.

That being said, after doing some modifications, road trips, and camping trips - I am starting to appreciate the car more and more. I bought it primarily for comfort when road tripping and camping, and it serves that purpose well. It is very comfortable for the back seat passengers, very roomy, and it hauls a ton of gear! I haven't done any off roading yet, but it feels just as capable as my Rubicon Unlimited (albeit larger and slower).

I've been putting time and effort (and money) into adjusting or fixing the things that I do not like about the car. I was expecting to mod the car when I bought it, so fixing some of these annoyances - like the suspension - are not as big a deal. If I wasn't willing to mod the car, I would've traded it in immediately for something a little more refined.

 

[snitz427]

Be prepared for a rough ride. my experience with a 4R w/ KDSS is that it absorbs large bumps like they are not there but you feel every small bump/crack in the road. I haven't been on a washboard road yet (aside from every road in Denver) but I imagine it would be pretty uncomfortable.

that said, it does do better on curving roads than you would expect a BOF SUV of this size.

If you aren't on curvy roads often, I wouldn't get the KDSS.

Honestly, I wouldn't get a 4R if I had no plans of going offroad (or dreams of, as it is with many of us).

I have KDSS and have not experienced any harshness in the ride - and believe me, I have driven on all road conditions lately!! My slammed Audi picks up every bump, and larger ones can rattle fillings... so I am hyper sensitive to bumps. The stock suspension is a comfortable ride, sans the nose dive when braking (which you get used to).

The 4Runner is perfectly fine on regular roads. My recommendation would be to skip the Off Road Premium (which I have) and go with the either the Limited if you want the features, or the SR5 if you don't. Unless of course you plan on doing some off roading where terrain select and crawl control would be useful. I picked the Premium as I wanted KDSS and the leatherette seats (which feel kinda cheap, but are growing on me). Id probably skip the sunroof in favor of more headroom. I got a great deal on my Off Road Premium, but if I were to do it again and not get a great deal, I probably would've gotten an SR5 and modded it on day 1.

 

[FirefighterMTN]

Can you explain the difference in these two and why you prefer the SR5 over the Limited?

Can you explain the difference in these two and why you prefer the SR5 over the Limited?

The quick and simple answer is that my SR5 is more plush (ride wise) than the Limited and I'm sure that's 100% due to having more rubber between the rim and pavement. Yes, my SR5 does wonder a tad, but I'll take that over feeling more of the bumps. (I drive 99% on pavement)

As for the AWD vs pt 4WD, it was subtle, but the Limited felt even more sluggish and almost as if I was pushing a little. Now, with that said, if I had bought a Limited and that's all I knew, I would not have noticed it I'm sure! I only did on account that I jumped out of my SR5 and in the the Ltd and was thinking "this feels like it's in 4WD"...well it was, AWD that is.



And, with all that said, I wish I would have gotten a Off Road Premium, but I really needed the 3rd row!

 

[Diced Zombies]

Great info. Thanks for taking the time to write it up.

I'm going to be the Debbie downer and give you my opinion of my recent 4Runner purchase. I bought a new 2018 model, and the versatility, resale value and reliability is what sold me of the 4Runner. I purchased the car with the intent of lightly modding it for road tripping, camping, and hauling a bunch of crap around day to day.

I live in Baltimore and the roads are crap - the TRD Premium's suspension does a good job of absorbing the bumps and potholes, however, the nose dive when braking is pretty awful. I upgraded the suspension - and would highly recommend it. No need to spend big money on a lift, just swap in some Bilsteins (or in my case, the FJ Pro kit) for a quick, cheap fix.

I do not find the seats comfortable at all. Maybe I need to break them in more - but they can be downright uncomfortable at times. I've heard others say they find them super comfortable, so I think it is a personal thing.

I will be brutally honest and tell you that I did not love this car after buying it. I was disappointed with the purchase. There are a lot of things that Toyota could have or should have done better, especially for a "premium" vehicle. There are a lot of rattles and noises on my brand new car - more than my 10 year old slammed Audi has! Entune is pretty crappy all around. The interior lighting is crap. It chugs fuel (15mpg!) and is a bit sluggish and slow. The doors feel and sound cheap. The interior compartments are odd and relatively useless. A lot of little things that Toyota (or a new owner) could easily fix to create a much better car.

That being said, after doing some modifications, road trips, and camping trips - I am starting to appreciate the car more and more. I bought it primarily for comfort when road tripping and camping, and it serves that purpose well. It is very comfortable for the back seat passengers, very roomy, and it hauls a ton of gear! I haven't done any off roading yet, but it feels just as capable as my Rubicon Unlimited (albeit larger and slower).

I've been putting time and effort (and money) into adjusting or fixing the things that I do not like about the car. I was expecting to mod the car when I bought it, so fixing some of these annoyances - like the suspension - are not as big a deal. If I wasn't willing to mod the car, I would've traded it in immediately for something a little more refined.

 

[Roncu]

Reading your wants and needs, if I were you I would look into a preowned Land Cruiser. You could probably find a decent one with low miles for about the price of a new Limited. Just another option. I've owned 3 and the seats and ride was great, among the other things you mentioned.