Some direction (help) getting new 4Runner

D

Dario

Member
We need to get a new car and the wife is leaning heavily toward a 4Runner. I like it too. (Note that I'm a Land Rover guy. Now ready for some Toyota quality.)

The options for 2014s are a little confusing and the the 3 dealers I've visited are clueless on helping me to see the differences. (How can you know nothing about the cars you're selling?)

I don't see it getting used off road very much. A fair amount of snow driving and it will have snow tires in the winter. Given this, would I want the Trail? I've read that KDSS has stiffer sway bars so it helps on-road as well. Is there any value if I'm not doing any real off-roading? It looks like a great feature, just not sure it adds any value for me.

We sometimes haul a lot of kids around. Any input on the optional 3rd row seats? They seem to have very limited head room.

Anything other guidance? Thanks for any feedback.
 
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Snow, wife, land rover, lots of kids = Test drive a limited. Full time 4WD for the snow, top level interior, third row availability. Drive the trail and limited back to back a few times if you want to compare the KDSS system with the X-REAS on the limited. No third row on the trail. The third row is ideal for kids, adults not so much. Options are region specific, Toyota.com is the best way to see what is out there.
 
Donkey said:
Snow, wife, land rover, lots of kids = Test drive a limited.
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Thanks for that. Couple of questions: I can't find any decent explanation of KDSS or X-REAS. Just read and get that X-REAS is likely better for on-road handling. 20" wheels - really? I don't see how those could work in the snow or even take snow tires. Doesn't 20" wheels and very low profile tires effectively turn that SUV into a car from a traction perspective?

Other downside is the cost. Was not looking to spend $43K on a 2nd car.
 
Donkey said:
Check YouTube for the official KDSS and X-REAS videos. The 20" wheels do slightly limit tire choice but you can always run 17's for the winter. Beyond the limited's optional cooled seats, KDSS/rear locker on the trail, X-REAS and full time 4WD the limited the three are fairly similar.

X-REAS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgMZiKINudo
KDSS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0k2YLuE8g8
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Yeah, they look similar. Didn't realize until I read your note that the Limited is AWD.
 
You are probably used to memory seats, auto headlight, ventilated seats, auto temp, full time 4x4, etc. Are you ready to give those up, if not the Limited is your only choice.
 
Dario said:
Thanks for that. Couple of questions: I can't find any decent explanation of KDSS or X-REAS. Just read and get that X-REAS is likely better for on-road handling. 20" wheels - really? I don't see how those could work in the snow or even take snow tires. Doesn't 20" wheels and very low profile tires effectively turn that SUV into a car from a traction perspective?

Other downside is the cost. Was not looking to spend $43K on a 2nd car.
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Run 17s in the winter if you're opposed to buying 20" winter rubber.. That's what I do.
 
Other then the stock tires I thought Bridgestone made a snow tire for the limited as well. For someone that doesn't plan much off-loading the limited is the better choice, in my opinion.
 
03_4x4Runner said:
You are probably used to memory seats, auto headlight, ventilated seats, auto temp, full time 4x4, etc. Are you ready to give those up, if not the Limited is your only choice.
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Absolutely. I'd be fine driving a 1995 Honda Accord. AWD is nice to have. Could easily live without it. But I get your point. The wife will likely appreciate it.
 
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Very unhappy with you guys. "Hey Dario, be sure to have your wife test drive a Limited." I'm even more unhappy with me for listening to you. This was the equivalent of telling your fiancée "Why don't you try on the bigger diamond just for comparison."

So now I'm looking at getting a limited. I didn't drive it. Her description of the difference between the two was "not even close" in terms of handling, especially cornering.
 
Jhalko said:
Other then the stock tires I thought Bridgestone made a snow tire for the limited as well. For someone that doesn't plan much off-loading the limited is the better choice, in my opinion.
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One more thing to remember about the 20" wheels and tires on the Limited... the tires are actually a little narrower than on the SR5 and Trail (245 vs. 265). While that makes the Limited look a little strange ("wagon wheels" are how they are normally described around here), the 'tall and skinny' aspect does allow them to work pretty decently in the winter. They're not perfect mind you, but they work pretty decently in combination with the full-time 4WD. I bought a '14 Limited last fall, and live in MN... I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised with how well the wheels and tires worked in the abundant snow and ice we got last winter. YMMV. Good luck.

-sjm
 
ScoMey said:
One more thing to remember about the 20" wheels and tires on the Limited... the tires are actually a little narrower than on the SR5 and Trail (245 vs. 265). While that makes the Limited look a little strange ("wagon wheels" are how they are normally described around here), the 'tall and skinny' aspect does allow them to work pretty decently in the winter. They're not perfect mind you, but they work pretty decently in combination with the full-time 4WD. I bought a '14 Limited last fall, and live in MN... I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised with how well the wheels and tires worked in the abundant snow and ice we got last winter. YMMV. Good luck.

-sjm
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Good feedback. I've read a couple of the lengthy 20" wheel discussion. Besides being large, they're an unusual width (7"). After reading it seems that there are some decent options. Or I could get 17" wheels for winter tires, as somebody recommended. Glad to hear they work pretty well in the winter. A I agree that they look odd.
 
For your purpose, the Limited is basically your choice. Very comfy vehicle and relatively simple on the "specialty buttons". there is 1 simple dial to put it in lock or low range.

With the box design, the roofline doesn't drop a lot and the rear seats aren't a lot higher, but the legroom is minimal. may not be worth your money depending on how frequently you need it.

The 20 inch rims are nice looking, but a pain to find replacement tires for, so if you can strike a deal with the dealer on some 7.5 inch wide trail or SR5 rims and tires, that may be helpful.

XREAS is cross connected shocks = (in the words of my wife) drives smooth like a Cadillac!

I not longer have the xreas on mine (replaced with the lifted suspension), but I took mine offroad with it and it handled just fine.

Enjoy the LE and welcome to the fold!

Okki
 
Caveat to [MENTION=1032]NoDak[/MENTION] 's SR5/P comment is the 4WD system. It's just a knob, but my wife is car-challenged and would not know when to turn on/off. I'd never buy her a PT 4WD vehicle.
 
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Dario said:
We need to get a new car and the wife is leaning heavily toward a 4Runner. I like it too. (Note that I'm a Land Rover guy. Now ready for some Toyota quality.)

The options for 2014s are a little confusing and the the 3 dealers I've visited are clueless on helping me to see the differences. (How can you know nothing about the cars you're selling?)

I don't see it getting used off road very much. A fair amount of snow driving and it will have snow tires in the winter. Given this, would I want the Trail? I've read that KDSS has stiffer sway bars so it helps on-road as well. Is there any value if I'm not doing any real off-roading? It looks like a great feature, just not sure it adds any value for me.

We sometimes haul a lot of kids around. Any input on the optional 3rd row seats? They seem to have very limited head room.

Anything other guidance? Thanks for any feedback.
Click to expand...

The SR5 makes a great family wagon. An SR5 will handle snow very well especially with your snow tires (Stock wheels SR5 are 17")

The limited has a lot of extras. The standard SR5 will keep your costs down and should be sufficient for your needs. Don't overdo it. You most definitely do not need a trail edition. If anything, if you want some extras get the SR5 premium, or if you are ok with a nice ride and care more about price get the standard SR5.
 
@ Dario,

You may have already considered this but based on your needs (I am making an assumption here as only a few of them are listed) have you considered another make/model? For me the 4Runner was the perfect vehicle in a shrinking list that can , in relative comfort, take 1000+ mile road trip, drive 70+mph, handle 95% off road driving/"over landing" and didn't cost a small fortune. *That last point is debatable. No regrets in my purchase however for purely street driving it would not be my 1st choice (however lots of members here don't do offloading at all, some do state campgrounds/gravel roads, others do MOAB and a large group fall somewhere in-between)

That being said, I hope you choose a 4Runner as they are exceptional vehicles. With the 2015s about to roll on the lots you should be able to get a decent deal on a 2014.

If it was going to be my wives daily driver I would lean towards the limited based on creature comforts & AWD but ultimately her choice (happy wife = happy life). I think you would do yourself a huge favor by finding one with the 3rd row and testing it out to determine if its worth it to you or if you could live without (would expand your choices).

Good Luck
 
Engineer said:
You may have already considered this but based on your needs (I am making an assumption here as only a few of them are listed) have you considered another make/model?
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Oh yeah. We've looked at practically everything. The wife generally hates crossover SUVs. Her POV is that they may as well be mini vans, which she doesn't want to drive.

Engineer said:
For me the 4Runner was the perfect vehicle in a shrinking list that can , in relative comfort, take 1000+ mile road trip, drive 70+mph, handle 95% off road driving/"over landing" and didn't cost a small fortune.
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I'd argue that the Limited gets into the "small fortune" space, but absolutely agree with you. Shrinking list is exactly right. What the heck is left that compares and is under $50K? We looked at an Xterra yesterday - not even in the same league as a 4Runner.

For what we do I think Subaru is likely the best choice. A little too small and the wife hates them. They can be great cars for the money. The Honda Pilot is nice, but it's more mini Van than SUV (imo).

Engineer said:
That being said, I hope you choose a 4Runner as they are exceptional vehicles. With the 2015s about to roll on the lots you should be able to get a decent deal on a 2014.
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You would think! The first place I spoke to last week turns out to be the best price wise. Most others aren't budging more than ~3% of MSRP. One sales manager came out to talk to me as I was leaving one dealership. I told him for 2% I may as well order a 2015. He agreed with me and said "I'm going sell all these 2014 4Runners at close to MSRP this week. There's just no reason to discount them. This is a 4Runner, not a Camry."

If they're selling them near MSRP, can't really argue with that. Some dealers here have a few 2015s in already.
 
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I understand about the CUV=minivan and my wife thinks the same. Good luck on price negotiation, in the end I was not able to get as good of a deal as some other members however I left happy and dealer was happy so we both won (it was the first new vehicle I ever bought and it was ordered from the factory). Unfortunately for us the dealer is correct, I am sure all the 2014's will sell. In that case it may make sense to order a 2015 simply for the "higher resale" in the future, might even give a couple more months for more downpayment etc. There is an entire thread about how much people paid but its really hard to sort through all the info as people enter it differently (tax rates, taxes included, trade in value (not all states allow for a reduction in sales price by trade in amount etc) etc.

Shrinking list indeed, I looked into about every BOF SUV made in the last 15 years (even looked into importing a new 70 series........didn't take long to realize that wasn't happening). Jeep Rubicon Unlimited made the short list ,reliability be damned - thats just another chance to work on it :) but after extensive test drives the lack of refinement in the driving experience and cargo room were not worth the price for me.....had it been in the low-mid 30's I think It would have made the choice much harder. I knew that which ever vehicle I brought home would be in the stable for 10-15 years.
 
Dario said:
You would think? The first place I spoke to last week turns out to be the best price wise. Most others aren't budging more than ~3% of MSRP. One sales manager came out to talk to me as I was leaving one dealership. I told him for 2% I may as well order a 2015. He agreed with me and said "I'm going sell all these 2014 4Runners at close to MSRP this week. There's just no reason to discount them. This is a 4Runner, not a Camry."

If they're selling them near MSRP, can't really argue with that. Some dealers here have a few 2015s in already.
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They aren't selling them near MSRP, he's BS'ing you. At this point in the year, I'd take nothing less than 9-10% off MSRP for a 2014. You just have to shop around, stick to your number, and be ready to walk if they aren't giving you a deal. You live in the PNW so there should be plenty of dealers and stock to choose from and if you have to, maybe the dealers in Washington could give you a better price.

Check out this thread for what people are paying and use Truecar.com as well
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/154274-how-much-people-paying-2014-4runner-out-door.html
 
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