-JD-
New member
When you say quiet, powerful and smooth are you referring to the engine? or the sound dampening and suspension?
Previous generation 4Runner was better
- Thread starter Toyko
- Start date
When you say quiet, powerful and smooth are you referring to the engine? or the sound dampening and suspension?
Clarification
Primarily the engine although the cabin while more confortable is not as quiet (road, wind, and engine noise) as the 4th gen. The noise is mentioned in some of the reviews. As far as the suspension, both of mine have XREAS and I did not notice any significant difference.
Primarily the engine although the cabin while more confortable is not as quiet (road, wind, and engine noise) as the 4th gen. The noise is mentioned in some of the reviews. As far as the suspension, both of mine have XREAS and I did not notice any significant difference.
Sorry guys, but I have to side with CR on this one. The 5th gen is clearly a step backwards from the 4th gen. CR is just telling it the way most people see it. I do think it is a bitter pill for 5th gen owners to swallow, but everybody knows that Toyota cheaped out on the 5th gen. Blame the economy....it must have something to do with it. How else would Toyota expect to keep the prices in line with the prices we paid for the 4th gen?
I'm still waiting to see sales jump through the roof on the 5th gen, but CR certainly isn't doing anything to help in that department!
I'm still waiting to see sales jump through the roof on the 5th gen, but CR certainly isn't doing anything to help in that department!
I've often wondered when we were going to reach a plateau. Think about it--cars can't just keep improving at the same pace forever. Eventually, improvements are bound to level off or even slightly decline. Cars have been getting better and better at such a rapid pace that we were due to see an article like this that makes mention of cars that aren't as good as their last generation. In the case of the Jetta, it is clearly because VW decided to move towards a much lower price and they ended up with a much lower end car as a result. I think the same thing happened with the 4Runner, but to a lesser extent. High gas prices and a poor economy were probably big factors in Toyota's decision on the 5th gen 4Runner.
-JD-
New member
No one seems to be specifically mentioning anything that is inferior. What specifically makes the 5th gen worse?
I for one am glad to see they got rid of the goofy climate control system from the 4th and the feminine styling.
I think toyota decided to reposition the 4runner as a more rugged off road SUV as they already have two other on road oriented SUV's in their lineup. I think it seems like a nice course correction from the straying into the 'soccer mom' direction toyota seemed to be going with the 4th gen.... but to each their own i guess..... :shrug:
I for one am glad to see they got rid of the goofy climate control system from the 4th and the feminine styling.
I think toyota decided to reposition the 4runner as a more rugged off road SUV as they already have two other on road oriented SUV's in their lineup. I think it seems like a nice course correction from the straying into the 'soccer mom' direction toyota seemed to be going with the 4th gen.... but to each their own i guess..... :shrug:
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bzizzi
Member
I hesitated trading in my 05 SE 4R on a 2011 SR5 with leather and the pretty much everything else. I have no regrets at all getting the 5th gen. The seats are way more comfy, the headroom is better, it is starting to break in and seems quicker. The dual vvti does make a difference. It goes into a different power band when it hits 3500rpm and pulls harder. Don't really miss the Xreas as much as I thought I would, the new one rides smoother and handles just as good on the back roads near my house.The stereo in the 5th sounds way better than the old JBL system, especially in "Party Mode". The 5th is quieter than the 4th, even the sunroof operates much quieter.I also noticed no wind buffeting as speeds increase.The interior also has more room all the way around.The only thing that I miss is the rear window function on the remote !! I liked dropping the back window on hot days or with an arm full of groceries.My 05 SE was a great vehicle though, it never had any issues at all.
I also miss the hood scoop a little, but it was a bug collector, when large bugs hit the mesh grill @ 80 mph it would dice them up into pieces that I could not get out of the scoop !!
I also miss the hood scoop a little, but it was a bug collector, when large bugs hit the mesh grill @ 80 mph it would dice them up into pieces that I could not get out of the scoop !!
Seriously? There are literally hundreds of posts in this forum alone where people talk about all the stuff that the 4th gen had that was deleted for the 5th gen. Not only that, but go ahead and read the Consumer Reports article and you'll see that the 5th gen just doesn't perform as well as the 4th gen did in their own various testing categories.
Curt Sauve
New member
I think the point that some are trying to make is that decontenting doesn't lower the build quality, reliability, or resale value. I traded in an 08' SE V6 for an 11' limited so I didn't give up anything that was important to me. I didn't even look at the SR5, I would've had to give up XREAS and the Torsen, and that was not acceptable. The only thing I didn't like on my LTD was the mast antenna so I replaced it with the Stubby. I also removed the sliding cargo deck, but I did the same the on my 08 as it came with the two tier cargo deck that was worthless. I don't feel like I took a step backwards at all, in fact I gained some options that the 08 didn't have, but I did have to step up to the LTD to get what I wanted. I love my 5th as much as the 3rd and 4th gens that I had. If you don't like it, buy something else.
There are some things I miss about my 2003 SR5 - mostly the seats. In my opinion the seats were *much* more comfortable in the 4G; more padding and seemed more contoured (better side bolsters). The comfort was maybe a familiarity thing since I had more than 8 years and 100K on the '03 but there's no doubt its seats were more thickly padded.
The V8 was also much smoother and quieter than the new V6 and seemed much more powerful but I admit I'm still getting use to having to really jump on the V6 to make it respond.
The '03 was also easier to wash - fewer drips after the initial drying. The chrome strips on the '11 front bumper and under the doors and the back window is a real pain in that aspect.
Although I'm not sure I ever really got used to the quick steering of the '03 the steering in the '11 seems really sloppy so far. But I suspect I'll get used to it - especially with all the exercise in the almost-daily 40 mph winds of west Texas.
But, I love my new 4Runner and don't regret the trade. I drove a RX-350 and really thought I wanted one for change of pace but after a second test drive in the '11 4Runner I felt like the Lexus would be a big step down.
I even kinda missed the gaudy gray cladding on my '03 (with the truck's white paint). The old gal didn't have a scratch on her when I traded her in and the paint still looked like new after a wash/wax and the truck looked really sharp. But, after a month in the new ride I actually saw my '03 on the street and it looked really dated.
So maybe the 4th generation TR4s were a little more refined - especially after all the updates through the end of cycle - but I'd be hard-pressed at this point to say they were better than the 5th gen. Maybe time will tell.
Les
The V8 was also much smoother and quieter than the new V6 and seemed much more powerful but I admit I'm still getting use to having to really jump on the V6 to make it respond.
The '03 was also easier to wash - fewer drips after the initial drying. The chrome strips on the '11 front bumper and under the doors and the back window is a real pain in that aspect.
Although I'm not sure I ever really got used to the quick steering of the '03 the steering in the '11 seems really sloppy so far. But I suspect I'll get used to it - especially with all the exercise in the almost-daily 40 mph winds of west Texas.
But, I love my new 4Runner and don't regret the trade. I drove a RX-350 and really thought I wanted one for change of pace but after a second test drive in the '11 4Runner I felt like the Lexus would be a big step down.
I even kinda missed the gaudy gray cladding on my '03 (with the truck's white paint). The old gal didn't have a scratch on her when I traded her in and the paint still looked like new after a wash/wax and the truck looked really sharp. But, after a month in the new ride I actually saw my '03 on the street and it looked really dated.
So maybe the 4th generation TR4s were a little more refined - especially after all the updates through the end of cycle - but I'd be hard-pressed at this point to say they were better than the 5th gen. Maybe time will tell.
Les
Curt Sauve
New member
The thing I miss the most about my SE is the ability to shut off the VSC in 2Hi and smoke the the back tires,.....dang near as well as my old 72' Heavy Chevy. Those days are over now with my AWD LTD 5th gen.
LOL....I'll cut you some slack because you're a noob around here. Find the mega-thread that talks about all the stuff the 5th gen lost from the 4th gen. It's too much to list here again, so just read the other thread.
Did you read the Consumer Reports article? They aren't just talking about de-contenting, they're also talking about other areas of the vehicle. Here's a list of the things that Consumer Reports felt went backwards on in the 5th gen compared to the 4th gen: Ride control, handling, noise, driving position, front access, interior fit and finish.
-JD-
New member
Yes, I've read the consumer reports article, but I've also read a lot of other reviews that disagree with that one. That one bad review seems to get brought up a lot. I'm assuming you own a 4th gen?
could you link me to the mega thread? it cant' honestly be 'too much to list' ...
could you link me to the mega thread? it cant' honestly be 'too much to list' ...
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RonMAIDEN
Super Moderator
I think it's funny how consumer reports gets ripped on other threads but when they suit an argument they all of a sudden become the holy grail. Let's give the 5th gen some time to get a few years under it's belt before we compare it to the 4th gen which had a generation to refine it's details. It's not like the '03s were the perefect 4Runner when they debuted and in some respects the 3rd gen is a better built Runner than the 4th gens were.
sandcrawler
Senior Member
amen, brother.
Hawkdog21
New member
Amen x20. I had two 3rd gens before my 5th, and everyone is talking about stupid little stuff like FM antennas... but no one gives any weight to the fact that the 4th gen looks like a minivan. I bought another 3rd gen so I did not have to buy a 4th. The 2010/11 isn't perfect, but I bought it because it is what I believe a redesigned 3rd gen, locker available from the get go, no nonsense crap and extremely capable and looks damn good every time you look at it.
bnekic
New member
I named the two things that really matter. Yes I did just join the forums but not a newb to 4Runners, trust me
Curt Sauve
New member
Yes I read the article, and I can't believe the reviewer drove a 4th gen and 5th gen back to back, equiped the same. The article is one person's opinion of the truck. Some folks don't like trucks, and thats fine. The 4th gen. was on it's way to becoming something resembling an Explorer or a Highlander. I love my 5th gen., everything about it is better than my 4th, hopefully it will evolve into something even better.
bzizzi
Member
The 4th was a great vehicle but the 5th is better for me because it is bigger has a more powerful V6 . My main gripe with the 4th was the seats were too close to the floor and uncomfortable no matter how you would adjust them and the JBL stereo sucked really bad.There is nothing you could do about the seats because headroom was already too close for me.The whole vehicle is larger all the way around and I believe it even has more ground cleareance.
If you would own a 5th you will not miss the 4th !! I like the pull stick for putting into 4wd( more reliable in the long run) and in/and out of 4WD fast !! No more blinking light and it does not go in until it feels like it..The 5th also is much quieter and rides much better.Back up camera, USB, Bluetooth,XM, Reclining back seats, no defective sunroof to worry about or $1200/shock Xreas to replace.100k mi spark plug change intervals.Dual VVTi has more power and gets better mpg.Should I keep going, you 4th guys are still living in denial !!
If you would own a 5th you will not miss the 4th !! I like the pull stick for putting into 4wd( more reliable in the long run) and in/and out of 4WD fast !! No more blinking light and it does not go in until it feels like it..The 5th also is much quieter and rides much better.Back up camera, USB, Bluetooth,XM, Reclining back seats, no defective sunroof to worry about or $1200/shock Xreas to replace.100k mi spark plug change intervals.Dual VVTi has more power and gets better mpg.Should I keep going, you 4th guys are still living in denial !!
