I found out earlier this week that a nearby dealer (NC) was doing training today on the new 4Runner, so I stopped by to check them out. Here are my impressions:
Exterior
It looks good in 3D. Many cars struggle to look good online or in brochures and it really takes seeing the new one in 3D to do it justice. I originally thought it looked too soft, but it was parked next to a Highlander and that is when you realize how much more muscular it looks than its sister. It's also a bit larger, but unless you see them side-by-side you probably won't notice that. The rear bumper is also really low which looks like it will make loading and unloading items easy, and doesn't detract too much from the look of the car. I'm sure it hurts departure angle a bit, but that isn't a major concern of mine. Others were definitely right that it needs projector head-lamps and LED tail-lights. The closing of the doors seems solid and not as cheap as others have commented either. The wheel and tire combo on the SR5 looked better than the Limited. The Limited needs wider wheels and tires -- they looked too skinny.
Interior
I'm only 6'3" but once again the 4Runner seems to be built for people who are shorter (or built differently) than me. I didn't buy a 3rd Gen because there wasn't enough headroom and this one just barely had enough. I had to lower the power seats (which had the upgraded weather-resistant fabric that seemed nice) all the way and then recline the seat so I could sit without slouching. I'm sure the sunroof in this one takes up an extra inch, but I would like a sunroof, so getting rid of it is not an option. Overall I would say the interior and the materials are good enough. The plastic doesn't feel quite as cheap as others have stated, but I'm driving an old Xterra so I'm used to cheap interiors. The back seats had decent leg room, but again the headroom was a bit lacking for someone my size. I could slouch and tolerate it for a while though. The center arm-rest in the rear seems like a poor design. It's too thin and I would have to lean over to rest my forearm on it. Neither car had a 3rd row seat and that pissed me off. One of my main goals was to see how small that third row was and if a car seat would fit back there, but I was not able to test that out. Both had those slide out trays and I didn't really mess with them.
Pricing and Availability
There was a 2wd SR5 with power-seats and sunroof with an MSRP of $32k and a Limited with NAV for $40k. I don't remember the specific breakdown stated by the salesperson, but it sounds like a majority of the 4Runners made will be SR5 models (over 70%) with Limited models being next (around 20%) and Trail models (under 10%). Early November 2010 is when they are supposed to start showing up here.
Overall
I'm not ready to write this car off, but I'm less optimistic than I was a few days ago based on the headroom. I just can't buy a car if I don't fit comfortably. I also do not think I'm willing to pay $40k for the Limited version of this car. Many will, but I probably will not. The SR5 was nice enough and I would pay $32k if it had 4wd and if the 3rd row was usable for a child-seat, but it sounds like that model would probably cost closer to $35k.
(EDIT: spelling and added description about wheels and tires)
Exterior
It looks good in 3D. Many cars struggle to look good online or in brochures and it really takes seeing the new one in 3D to do it justice. I originally thought it looked too soft, but it was parked next to a Highlander and that is when you realize how much more muscular it looks than its sister. It's also a bit larger, but unless you see them side-by-side you probably won't notice that. The rear bumper is also really low which looks like it will make loading and unloading items easy, and doesn't detract too much from the look of the car. I'm sure it hurts departure angle a bit, but that isn't a major concern of mine. Others were definitely right that it needs projector head-lamps and LED tail-lights. The closing of the doors seems solid and not as cheap as others have commented either. The wheel and tire combo on the SR5 looked better than the Limited. The Limited needs wider wheels and tires -- they looked too skinny.
Interior
I'm only 6'3" but once again the 4Runner seems to be built for people who are shorter (or built differently) than me. I didn't buy a 3rd Gen because there wasn't enough headroom and this one just barely had enough. I had to lower the power seats (which had the upgraded weather-resistant fabric that seemed nice) all the way and then recline the seat so I could sit without slouching. I'm sure the sunroof in this one takes up an extra inch, but I would like a sunroof, so getting rid of it is not an option. Overall I would say the interior and the materials are good enough. The plastic doesn't feel quite as cheap as others have stated, but I'm driving an old Xterra so I'm used to cheap interiors. The back seats had decent leg room, but again the headroom was a bit lacking for someone my size. I could slouch and tolerate it for a while though. The center arm-rest in the rear seems like a poor design. It's too thin and I would have to lean over to rest my forearm on it. Neither car had a 3rd row seat and that pissed me off. One of my main goals was to see how small that third row was and if a car seat would fit back there, but I was not able to test that out. Both had those slide out trays and I didn't really mess with them.
Pricing and Availability
There was a 2wd SR5 with power-seats and sunroof with an MSRP of $32k and a Limited with NAV for $40k. I don't remember the specific breakdown stated by the salesperson, but it sounds like a majority of the 4Runners made will be SR5 models (over 70%) with Limited models being next (around 20%) and Trail models (under 10%). Early November 2010 is when they are supposed to start showing up here.
Overall
I'm not ready to write this car off, but I'm less optimistic than I was a few days ago based on the headroom. I just can't buy a car if I don't fit comfortably. I also do not think I'm willing to pay $40k for the Limited version of this car. Many will, but I probably will not. The SR5 was nice enough and I would pay $32k if it had 4wd and if the 3rd row was usable for a child-seat, but it sounds like that model would probably cost closer to $35k.
(EDIT: spelling and added description about wheels and tires)
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