Posting this to get others to share their VR Tune experience. Installed the Stage 1 VR Tune on my stock 2018 4Runner Limited. This post is to share VR Tune results, not to talk about other unrelated upgrades or folks having a negative opinion without trying. Installed my Stage 1 VRTune a couple of months back and have about 1,000 miles of highway and 500 miles of city driving experience. Here are my subjective findings based on my previous experiences driving a 2007 V8 Triton Ford Explorer and our 2015 Lexus Gx V8.
The 4Runner factory lacks pedal response and in addition once you step it down you hear a lot of noise but there is no power band beyond 2,500 RPMs and it continues to show a lack power through shifts to redline. My first attempt at addressing this was a Pedal Commander which essentially adjusts the sensitivity of the gas pedal, loved it by the way. I found a new sense of confidence however the +2,500 RPM continued to lack as expected. After running the Pedal Commander I decided to give the VR Tune a try.
Contacted them and the process was easy. They shipped a DIM Sport tuner to pull the ID file in which I used their website to request a tune of “more power please”. They provided a new file and with their instructions 20 minutes (slow and careful) I had the tune installed. After 1,500 miles of combined highway and city here are my observations.
1. Lack of pedal sensitivity not as apparent as there is more power; as much I sold my Pedal Commander on eBay
2. Shifts remain sound and acceleration without as many downshifts; overall more driving confidence, enough to say I can actually accelerate to 60 MPH slowly with the ECO light on (could never before unless you had 5 minutes)
3. 2nd and 3rd gear from normal driving through redline pulls much better, thumbs up!
4. Overall in town drivability much better, more comparable to the Lexus Gx
5. Highway has about 50% less down shifts on minor hills and when downshifting it goes back into final drive sooner
6. Overall City and Highway gas mileage is about .5 MPG better, of course if your are hard on the brakes and/or WOT you will use more gas with a Tune; here is what I am seeing in my Limited stock:
-230 miles highway 77 MPH; 45 degrees, rain and 25 MPH head wind – 17 MPG
-230 miles highway 77 MPH; 60 degrees, no wind – 19.8 MPG
-230 miles highway 77 MPH; 90 degrees 30 MPH cross wind/some tail – 20 MPG
-230 miles highway 77 some 80 MPH; 70 degrees 15 MPH tail wind – 21.8 MPG
-Overall city < 10 mile trips overall – 16 MPG
The tradeoff is cost; the cost for the tuner, the tune, and the requirement for 91 octane. Out of the gate $700 and on-going an extra $25 cents a gallon for gas (slight offset with 2.5% better mileage). Not looking back at the costs, as someone whom has 150,000 miles of body on frame V8 driving experience the 4Runner now has an acceptable level of acceleration and confidence.
The 4Runner factory lacks pedal response and in addition once you step it down you hear a lot of noise but there is no power band beyond 2,500 RPMs and it continues to show a lack power through shifts to redline. My first attempt at addressing this was a Pedal Commander which essentially adjusts the sensitivity of the gas pedal, loved it by the way. I found a new sense of confidence however the +2,500 RPM continued to lack as expected. After running the Pedal Commander I decided to give the VR Tune a try.
Contacted them and the process was easy. They shipped a DIM Sport tuner to pull the ID file in which I used their website to request a tune of “more power please”. They provided a new file and with their instructions 20 minutes (slow and careful) I had the tune installed. After 1,500 miles of combined highway and city here are my observations.
1. Lack of pedal sensitivity not as apparent as there is more power; as much I sold my Pedal Commander on eBay
2. Shifts remain sound and acceleration without as many downshifts; overall more driving confidence, enough to say I can actually accelerate to 60 MPH slowly with the ECO light on (could never before unless you had 5 minutes)
3. 2nd and 3rd gear from normal driving through redline pulls much better, thumbs up!
4. Overall in town drivability much better, more comparable to the Lexus Gx
5. Highway has about 50% less down shifts on minor hills and when downshifting it goes back into final drive sooner
6. Overall City and Highway gas mileage is about .5 MPG better, of course if your are hard on the brakes and/or WOT you will use more gas with a Tune; here is what I am seeing in my Limited stock:
-230 miles highway 77 MPH; 45 degrees, rain and 25 MPH head wind – 17 MPG
-230 miles highway 77 MPH; 60 degrees, no wind – 19.8 MPG
-230 miles highway 77 MPH; 90 degrees 30 MPH cross wind/some tail – 20 MPG
-230 miles highway 77 some 80 MPH; 70 degrees 15 MPH tail wind – 21.8 MPG
-Overall city < 10 mile trips overall – 16 MPG
The tradeoff is cost; the cost for the tuner, the tune, and the requirement for 91 octane. Out of the gate $700 and on-going an extra $25 cents a gallon for gas (slight offset with 2.5% better mileage). Not looking back at the costs, as someone whom has 150,000 miles of body on frame V8 driving experience the 4Runner now has an acceptable level of acceleration and confidence.
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