Ride Quality Difference- Limited Vs SR5
- Thread starter chetJ
- Start date
Chet, what's more important to you, smooth ride or agile handling?
I never drove an SR5, but have read posts saying the ride is smooth (and somewhat bouncy) but it has noticeable body roll. SR5 owners can give you a better idea of its ride and handling, of course.
I drove a TE with KDSS. It had a nice ride and pretty good handling, but I noticed body roll, especially at lower speeds. I believe KDSS disengages sway bars at 40 mph or below, so that's probably why I noticed body roll at lower speeds. I thought the TE would be a good daily driver and liked its ride but didn't care for the body roll.
I drove the Limited and was impressed by its handling immediately. It's very nimble for its size and you don't feel body roll nearly as much, especially at lower speeds. The ride is firm and can even be harsh on broken pavement at highway speeds. The 20" wheels and lower profile tires contribute a lot to its harsher ride but help with handling. Obviously, it's a tradeoff. Some folks on this forum have changed the wheels and tires out for ones with a more compliant ride, more off-road capability, etc.
I love the Limited's handling. It handles wonderfully in city driving. The ride is rougher than many may expect, so definitely do a thorough test drive if you're considering one and go over some rough pavement.
I was tired of the floaty, bouncy, body-rolling ride of my Highlander. The Limited's ride and handling were what I was looking for.
Take some thorough test drives before you decide. Toyota hasn't made it easy to choose between the trim lines this time.
Good luck!
I never drove an SR5, but have read posts saying the ride is smooth (and somewhat bouncy) but it has noticeable body roll. SR5 owners can give you a better idea of its ride and handling, of course.
I drove a TE with KDSS. It had a nice ride and pretty good handling, but I noticed body roll, especially at lower speeds. I believe KDSS disengages sway bars at 40 mph or below, so that's probably why I noticed body roll at lower speeds. I thought the TE would be a good daily driver and liked its ride but didn't care for the body roll.
I drove the Limited and was impressed by its handling immediately. It's very nimble for its size and you don't feel body roll nearly as much, especially at lower speeds. The ride is firm and can even be harsh on broken pavement at highway speeds. The 20" wheels and lower profile tires contribute a lot to its harsher ride but help with handling. Obviously, it's a tradeoff. Some folks on this forum have changed the wheels and tires out for ones with a more compliant ride, more off-road capability, etc.
I love the Limited's handling. It handles wonderfully in city driving. The ride is rougher than many may expect, so definitely do a thorough test drive if you're considering one and go over some rough pavement.
I was tired of the floaty, bouncy, body-rolling ride of my Highlander. The Limited's ride and handling were what I was looking for.
Take some thorough test drives before you decide. Toyota hasn't made it easy to choose between the trim lines this time.
Good luck!
Land_locked
New member
I have an SR5 and did a wheel/rim swap with a member who has a Limited. Immediately after leaving the service dept I could tell a huge difference. The SR5 wheels do tend to "roll and sway" more than the limited rims. The ride is much more stable now. Just my 2 cents.
At the time, the only floor boards in the US that were considered "factory" were being installed by SE Toyota, (distributer), they were not listed on the official Toyota web site etc...so only vehicles coming through that particular distributer had them. Now, you can get them at just about any dealer across the country. As far as the body side moldings, that was aftermarket. You can get just about any molding you want by simply finding a auto specialty store and order them and many will install for you. I am out of town right now, so sorry, no current photos available.
I've had a considerable amount of time driving a variety of different Mercedes-Benz vehicles (SUVs and sedans) that had 20" wheels and smaller wheels as well (typically 18"). I can tell you from experience that the difference between a 20" wheel and a 17" inch wheel will be VERY noticeable in terms of ride harshness. The shorter sidewall on a 20" wheel is quite a bit stiffer and will transmit ride harshness much more so than a 17" wheel/tire of the same overall diameter.
I drove the Limited. I thought it had a stiffer ride and handled slightly better than the SR5. I prefer the ride of the SR5 and I'm happy with the way it handles. I don't think it floats and sways at all on turns and stops. The type of tires do matter and I have AT tires on my SR5. But then again, I don't drive it like my G35.
SeattleMike
New member
The dive is minimal, but it's there. I only really notice it when I brake at night and see the headlights dip down on the back of the car in front of me.
We did most of our test driving in a Limited, followed by 5 minutes in a Trail with everything on it in Vancouver, WA. We thought the Trail felt better than the Limited but that was based entirely on our distaste for leather seats and the boggy feeling of the Limited at low (5 mph or less) speed. We never considered an SR5.
JB.
New member
What psi?
One trip in a TE and thats all I wanted. Other than the cheesy stock tires, I am happy as a lark. It handles splendidly off road, which is what its desgned for. And the KDSS makes it no slouch on pavement either
I will catch a lot of flack, but you should not buy a 4runner to solely cruise the mall or roam pavement. There are so many more practical and better handling rides out there for that kind of driving
chetJ
New member
Watk69- I have to respectfully disagree with you here.
You say "I will catch a lot of flack, but you should not buy a 4runner to solely cruise the mall or roam pavement. There are so many more practical and better handling rides out there for that kind of driving"
What other mid-size SUV is out there that is so reliable, with comparable gas mileage, and can be bought in this price range?
Do let me know
You say "I will catch a lot of flack, but you should not buy a 4runner to solely cruise the mall or roam pavement. There are so many more practical and better handling rides out there for that kind of driving"
What other mid-size SUV is out there that is so reliable, with comparable gas mileage, and can be bought in this price range?
Do let me know
Well if you are using it for pavement only with the assurance of AWD for sloppy conditions then there are many choices that rate higher than our beloved 4runner for handling, safety and reliability.........Highlander, MDX, Terrain, Acadia etc etc. Some of them drive like they are on rails from personal observation and have a very car like feel with direct feedback from pavement nuances.
And to say none of the above is reliable is not quite true, I've owned many a GM truck and Suburban, ran em all over a 100k and only changed oil, the service writers would starve to death depending on my vehicles to break down. My play toy, the 2010 Camaro SS is the most fun car I have ever owned, so far so good
However if you are used to a truck and the way they handle, and like it, then the 4runner is for you. I just look at a 4WD 4runner bought to be never taken off road as sacriledge but different strokes for different folks. My wife and I love our TE, but we are used to a truck and go off the beaten path every weekend with it
ckon
New member
For handling, go Limited. For ride, if your roads tend to be on the rough side, and handling isn't high on your list, go SR5. YMMV.
When I was trying to decide on swapping my Limited's 20" wheels for some 17s, I borrowed an SR5 from my dealer for a few miles. I couldn't make a decision on the swap because though the SR5 absorbed the rough roads much better with the 17s, IMO, it didn't handle very well compared to what I was used to with the Limited. Obviously, the SR5 didn't have XREAS though, so I really couldn't tell if the difference was wheels, tires or suspension.
There WAS a real difference in the way they felt, rode and handled, though. My Limited handled very well, but was pretty choppy on some of the roads around here, so I've since just replaced my tires and that seems to be the compromise I needed.
You'll just have to try both for yourself to see what's more important to you. Good luck!
Other than the XREAS in the Limited, does anyone know the specific differences in the suspensions between the different models - specifically, roll bar thickness and spring rates? I'm just wondering, for 5th gen SR5 owners, what the most cost effective way to approach the handling level of the Limited models. Judging by the the things I've read on this forum so far, it seems like new tires, mono tube shocks, roll bars, and/or stiffer springs (if needed) would be the likely tickets. It may not be as effective as the XREAS suspension, but these items seem like they should get the SR5 quite a bit closer to the LE's capabilities.
Its a 4runner, not an H1. I'm willing to bet most people who buy new 4runners plan to spend 90% of their time on pavement.
Snooperstyle
Member
Got my BFG 275/70/17s on and just got back from 800 mile trip on them. They are not in balance, and I need to go back, but here are my observations, since I switched to a 17" rim on my limited.
1. At 50psi the ride is stiffer than the stock LTD setup. At 35 or 40psi, it is pretty nice, but still these are E-rated tires, so it drives more like a truck now.
2. Still corners like a magnet, but will buckle a tiny bit more when you really mash it...definitely due to tread depth/type. Bottom line, the truck just does not roll at all.
3. Absorbs small speed bumps, potholes, etc. MUCH better, but you can definitely feel them a lot more when you jack up your PSI (duh!).
4. At high speeds, say over 60mph, the truck feels less stable than the stock LTD setup...but this is because I now have heavier tread, and also an E-rated tire on there. This is when you are on the highway, and you accidentally move the wheel a bit two quick...that is when it feels less stable.
In conclusion, I think XREAS with 17" wheels rocks. Highly recommended, but you should seriously think about it before you put on AT or MUD tires unless you really want them (which I did).
1. At 50psi the ride is stiffer than the stock LTD setup. At 35 or 40psi, it is pretty nice, but still these are E-rated tires, so it drives more like a truck now.
2. Still corners like a magnet, but will buckle a tiny bit more when you really mash it...definitely due to tread depth/type. Bottom line, the truck just does not roll at all.
3. Absorbs small speed bumps, potholes, etc. MUCH better, but you can definitely feel them a lot more when you jack up your PSI (duh!).
4. At high speeds, say over 60mph, the truck feels less stable than the stock LTD setup...but this is because I now have heavier tread, and also an E-rated tire on there. This is when you are on the highway, and you accidentally move the wheel a bit two quick...that is when it feels less stable.
In conclusion, I think XREAS with 17" wheels rocks. Highly recommended, but you should seriously think about it before you put on AT or MUD tires unless you really want them (which I did).
Sorry it took so long to reply JB, I was traveling. I am now running Michelin LTX M/S2 285/75/R17 at 45 PSI. As I stated before they are 8 ply so the max PSI is 65, plenty of room for expansion. (I live in Florida). Much firmer ride in the turns, a bit more bumpy then the OEM C load tires, but much better in the turns. Much less body roll and sway. Now, if I had the XREAS like the Limited, should even be better. But since I do not know what I am missing, I am ignorantly happy!
JB.
New member
Hope the trip was good one.
I was just wondering on the pressure since an increase would make a big handling difference all by itself but, of course, you probably wouldn't want to run the OEM tires at 45psi. Glad you're enjoying the new ones.
You are correct. I did fill the OEM's to max (with a few pounds less for expansion), but still, with such soft sidewalls and an almost 5k truck, I just did not feel comfortable with the OEMs. Now, I did not need 8 ply, 6 ply would have done just fine, but the tire store did not have those in stock and the 8 plys were on sale so, being the patient man I am, I took those. Even with 1600 miles on the OEM tires, The tire store called Dunlop and I got full credit for the swap of the OEM's, $160.00 a piece if memory serves. I had it in my mind I would get about $50.00, so again, another reason to buy at that time. No regrets, much better ride.
Snooperstyle
Member
Full credit? Sweet! Where was that?
