The Trail continues to impress.

[453030]

I am right at 11 months of ownership and almost 13k miles. This last weekend we made 2 day trips with our little ones, and traveled a total of 400 miles in Colorado. I am more than pleased with the highway driving at 85mph, canyon turns and switchbacks are just fine with the thicker swaybars used with KDSS. I have no issues with body roll or nose dive. The seat is so perfectly comfortable for me, I guess I am lucky in that regard. The only issue I have observed is the seatback creaking. Strangely enough it comes and goes, and I did not feel it at all over the recent miles.

Not many vehicles can comfortably cruise through the Rocky Mountains and head offroad for strenuous duty. Perhaps no vehicle is perfect, but the 4Runner Trail has been perfect for me.

Here is a shot taken at over 12,000 feet.

 

[Antman]

Looks like a postcard!

 

[tjnaples]

I'm with you 100% dude, the TE is the way to go. Being new to the forums I am amused at all the modding people do to make their 4Runner into a trail via suspension, wall charger ability, new hood etc. We are to be envied my friend! :hatsoff:

 

[terra4r]

very nice shot. :thumb3:

 

[nashman69g]

I though this was a Toyota picture for their next brochure...Looks good!

 

[Ryan F.]

Awesome postcard pic. Although I am a Limited owner, I would agree that the Trail is a very nice set up--very much something I will consider when purchasing my second 4 Runner. Yup, I am planning for a second as I have been very impressed with my first.

 

[DHeuschele]

Love my Trail also - Plan to keep it forever

I also love my trail. Great on road very capable off road.

I have cleared 4-5' snow drifts, have slid one wheel off a shelf road and recovered, and screwed up on a road by thinking that it would not be extremely more difficult than the last time I did it (for those in San Diego the road to Larson's Peak is significantly worse than a few years ago - not even comparable). In each case the Trail managed to get me out of the mess I got myself into.

Has anyone else had the dealer harp because of dents in the skid plates? My view is the impacts should be soft as possible, but the skid plates are there so not to damage the critical items and if the only parts with impact are the skid plates then I did pretty good. The dealer shot photos of the dents in the skid plates and indicated they would be "in the file" whatever that implies.

 

[Ryan F.]

I also love my trail. Great on road very capable off road.

I have cleared 4-5' snow drifts, have slid one wheel off a shelf road and recovered, and screwed up on a road by thinking that it would not be extremely more difficult than the last time I did it (for those in San Diego the road to Larson's Peak is significantly worse than a few years ago - not even comparable). In each case the Trail managed to get me out of the mess I got myself into.

Has anyone else had the dealer harp because of dents in the skid plates? My view is the impacts should be soft as possible, but the skid plates are there so not to damage the critical items and if the only parts with impact are the skid plates then I did pretty good. The dealer shot photos of the dents in the skid plates and indicated they would be "in the file" whatever that implies.

I have to say that your dealer is an *******. Seriously.:wtf:

 

[mole]

The dealer shot photos of the dents in the skid plates and indicated they would be "in the file" whatever that implies.

I think that means that if issues arise later that they can claim was a result of your use (or maybe abuse in their eyes), they'll use the photos to document them denying warranty coverage.

In my experience, they tend to do the same thing with modified vehicles as well.

 

[tlflow]

Reason for being

The Trail is, in very real terms, a small Landcruiser - KDSS and all. I have found mine to be very at home offroad and quite civilized on road, even when towing. Those little gadgets work great too! Jeep guys can't make such a claim, the solid front axle low power/weight and non-existant aerodynamics make them a handle full at HW speeds and practically useless for towing.

The skids are supposed to be dented on a Trail, it's your moral obligation! I am sure that dealer placing a note in your 'permanent record' will only add to your credibility.

 

[TheSentinel]

I also love my trail. Great on road very capable off road.

I have cleared 4-5' snow drifts, have slid one wheel off a shelf road and recovered, and screwed up on a road by thinking that it would not be extremely more difficult than the last time I did it (for those in San Diego the road to Larson's Peak is significantly worse than a few years ago - not even comparable). In each case the Trail managed to get me out of the mess I got myself into.

Has anyone else had the dealer harp because of dents in the skid plates? My view is the impacts should be soft as possible, but the skid plates are there so not to damage the critical items and if the only parts with impact are the skid plates then I did pretty good. The dealer shot photos of the dents in the skid plates and indicated they would be "in the file" whatever that implies.

I see you're in San Diego, go ahead and drop their name. What stealership is being asses about dents in skid plates? They sold you a "trail edition" and gets in your business because of dings on your skids? So Gay When they said "in the file", I would have said, "Okay ****head, I'll be sure and never come back here again, thanks for being a deuche." They plan on screwing you over on future warranty work on the vehicle and blaming your trail use for which the vehicle was designed for...makes no sense. There are plenty of Toyota stealerships in SD county, find a new one.

 

[tjnaples]

The Trail is, in very real terms, a small Landcruiser - KDSS and all.

And is more reliable. It is not a good combo to have in a vehicle, expensive and breaks. :smashputer:

 

[homeyclaus]

OP, great shot.

I find my TE draggin' its butt in the VA and WV hills though, and mileage takes a nasty, nasty hit at anything over 70 (like to 17.5 mpg :wow. Are you having to drive yours in sport mode, 4th gear a lot too?

Can't argue with the off-road mojo though - the missus, little one and I were on this trail (taken when sunny and dry here, and it's MUCH steeper than it looks)

in the middle of a thunderstorm, and we ended up crawling back up, in what was now a creek, to the smoother road in 4-LOW; mainly to not jostle junior too much. On one narrow stretch I thought I was going to lose the outboard rear wheel over the precipice, and hit the locker in a panic. Made it. And I should have known better than to take that WV "county highway" solo.

ETA: Any dealer taking pics of dings in the skid plates for anything other than laughs needs to be outed for douchebaggery of the highest order, and asked if they void warranties like Jeep did in the 90's too. Tools.

 

[dpr422]

Just curious - where did you (the OP) take that picture?

 

[StarGazer]

Excellent picture! I'd also like to know where that is.

I will be doing a road trip to Colorado next week by way of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (Point Sublime, here I come), Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Gonna really test my Trail for the first time. I'll post pics.

 

[453030]

Thanks for all the kind remarks guys.

The photo was taken high up on the trail to Argentine pass, just past Santiago mine. Much of the road up is a shelf trail, and unfortunately it was blocked by an impassable snow mass a few hundred yards past where the photo was snapped. There are plenty of challenging spurs to try along the way. One very steep climb in particular caught my eye by Waldorf, but with only my wife and young children I did not try it.

BTW, this trail sits just west of Georgetown CO.

 

[DHeuschele]

Skid Plate grief from Poway Toyota

I see you're in San Diego, go ahead and drop their name. What stealership is being asses about dents in skid plates? They sold you a "trail edition" and gets in your business because of dings on your skids? So Gay When they said "in the file", I would have said, "Okay ****head, I'll be sure and never come back here again, thanks for being a deuche." They plan on screwing you over on future warranty work on the vehicle and blaming your trail use for which the vehicle was designed for...makes no sense. There are plenty of Toyota stealerships in SD county, find a new one.

It was Poway Toyota but I did not purchase it there. I purchased it at the Mission Beach dealership (unsure of name it may be Mission Beach Toyota).

The maintenance representative gave my wife grief about it but he was out and was not able to be found when I picked up the car. So they had the mechanic talk to me. I asked if there was any damage besides the skid plates and he indicated the muffler was dented also. I asked in any suspension parts had damage and he indicated not that he could tell. I then basically asked if the skid plates were there to protect the other parts and he indicated that they were. Basically it was not the mechanic who had grief with the skid plates being dented. I am sure it would have been different if I talked to the maintenance representative who gave the wife grief.

I asked for copies of the pictures .

Poway Toyota really is convenient for me as I live in Poway and work in Carmel Mountain. However, I do not really know what they were implying by stating that the photos would be kept in my folder.

 

[453030]

I find my TE draggin' its butt in the VA and WV hills though, and mileage takes a nasty, nasty hit at anything over 70 (like to 17.5 mpg :wow. Are you having to drive yours in sport mode, 4th gear a lot too?

In the mountains I am in sport mode the entire time. I am not big on using my brakes unless necessary, and the 4Runner's gearing keeps the truck easy to control up and down Colorado's mountain passes. I can climb the hills in 4th unless I have to slow for any reason, in which case I'll drop to 3rd.

The day before this trip, we did almost all highway miles to the Royal Gorge. Speed varied between 65 and 85. I had filled the night before and right after we got back, and even with a few errand stops on the front end, I averaged 22.5mpg. Thoroughly impressive to me given the DuraTracs and fact that I ran A/C for the whole trip.

 

[homeyclaus]

In the mountains I am in sport mode the entire time. I am not big on using my brakes unless necessary, and the 4Runner's gearing keeps the truck easy to control up and down Colorado's mountain passes. I can climb the hills in 4th unless I have to slow for any reason, in which case I'll drop to 3rd.

The day before this trip, we did almost all highway miles to the Royal Gorge. Speed varied between 65 and 85. I had filled the night before and right after we got back, and even with a few errand stops on the front end, I averaged 22.5mpg. Thoroughly impressive to me given the DuraTracs and fact that I ran A/C for the whole trip.

That's very, very interesting. I guess my truck has some problems I need to look for, starting with (another) wheel alignment. Mine is bone-stock except for Nitto TerraGrapplers (P-series, not LT), and RR sliders, so it should be close to your truck's mileage in the WV hills.

 

[453030]

That's very, very interesting. I guess my truck has some problems I need to look for, starting with (another) wheel alignment. Mine is bone-stock except for Nitto TerraGrapplers (P-series, not LT), and RR sliders, so it should be close to your truck's mileage in the WV hills.

Let me clarify the trip to the Royal Gorge was mostly flat. The road into the park is hilly and windy for 4 miles, but it is at 35mph or so. I am positive the mountain trip did not yield the same mileage, especially with the off-roading. Typically I average just under 20, but my normal commuting includes more stop and go than the highway trip that got me 22.5.