Invest a few hours with some Dynomat on the doors; mine thunk shut like my old 1990’s Audi at this point. Lovely.
What do you think about the quality, gas mileage and price of the 4Runner?
- Thread starter TheGuardian
- Start date
Invest a few hours with some Dynomat on the doors; mine thunk shut like my old 1990’s Audi at this point. Lovely.
mnofpeace
Member
Seeing that this thread was started two months ago...and my 2014 is literally the same vehicle as the 2020-21s...(if i wanted radar i'd buy an F-16)
Ill say that all of your Cons are valid to an extent. but...
the mpg is always harped on, except when i compare it to the Ford, Chev, et al, those vehicles mpg are usually only 1-3 better than the T4R
as far as everything else, not one dime has been spent on vehicle repair, only normal maint....i can tell you that all of those cons can be acceptable when it has meant all i have to worry about is getting in, turning the key, and driving away. on road/off road, towing, snow, dry, road trips...the ONLY thing that has failed are the auto locks, and my thumbs still work so im good.
Ill say that all of your Cons are valid to an extent. but...
the mpg is always harped on, except when i compare it to the Ford, Chev, et al, those vehicles mpg are usually only 1-3 better than the T4R
as far as everything else, not one dime has been spent on vehicle repair, only normal maint....i can tell you that all of those cons can be acceptable when it has meant all i have to worry about is getting in, turning the key, and driving away. on road/off road, towing, snow, dry, road trips...the ONLY thing that has failed are the auto locks, and my thumbs still work so im good.
rushrunner
New member
Auto backwindow down! Call it done! :lock1:
The4RunnerDude
New member
I'll start with CONS
Gas Mileage
I haven't had mine for too long, but it is my daily driver and I would say that while the gas mileage does suck..I knew that going into it. I've actually been impressed that I've gotten over 20mpg around my hometown at times though. There are two different ways that I can get to work. The shortest way has about 10 stoplights and I average between 14-16mpg (according to the 4runner) depending on how many lights I hit. The longest way is basically double the mileage, but only has 1 stoplight and I routinely get about 21mpg. It seems to me so far, you want to be in that 40-55 mph range as long as possible to "reap" the most gas mileage benefits.
No Auto Headlights (at least on my 21 TRD ORP)
I don't understand how a vehicle has auto high beams, but doesn't have auto headlights. What? My 2008 car has that feature. WTF? This bugs me more than the gas mileage...and I'll fully admit I'm lazy and have just gotten complacent with turning my headlights on when I need them.
5 Speed Transmission
Not a huge deal for me yet (haven't towed anything), but you'll notice it being sluggish at times. Definitely don't pull out in front of someone or try to race anyone.
2.1A USB Charging Inputs
Takes my iPhone a good bit of time to charge. I bought a couple 12v Anker Chargers that work much better.
PROS
It will blow your mind. Enough said.
Look, this is a badass vehicle. We all know it, or we wouldn't be here. I've driven a number of SUV's, even other Toyota's (Highlander, Sequoia, even Tundra), but the 4R just always seemed to be the perfect balance of size, performance, and bling to me for an SUV. I've driven a couple rental 4R's when traveling and they performed great, and just felt solid for being older vehicles...one time we even had to drive through hurricane flood waters and over and around debris for a few days, and also drove over some pretty loose sand at a beach when I thought we might spin out some. The 4R crushed all tasks. I was very impressed.
Anyways, I finally purchased a 21 TRD ORP, and have to say...it's exceeded my expectations so far. I went down a rabbit hole of reading reviews and watching YouTube videos, all that stuff. And admittedly, I haven't towed anything or done any serious off-roading yet, but did take it down a gravel road with 6 creek crossings...muddy/gravel and water crossings probably 16'ish inches deep at most with a decent base...I've got the stock tires which aren't real AT tires at all, and they did fine on that road, but I would not trust them in any capacity for any serious real deal off-roading...or even the road I did without a buddy for that matter.
I've got no complaints with the entertainment/navigation stuff...I'm sure it could be better and faster, but it works and does what you really need it to. The speakers actually sound really good too for factory speakers IMO. I listen to all kinds of different genre's and you can dial in a decent sound for anything really. Plenty of bass and kick.
Back seats fold down nearly flat (not common for some SUV's) so it is great for camping/overlanding for 1-2 people, plenty of cargo space, and you can roll down the back window which is AMAZING. We basically live in the country, and have to haul our own recycling and trash at times. Yep...that feature is amazing. LOL Airs everything out quickly.
Anyways, I forgot this was supposed to be a PROS/CONS list and not just my review of my 4R and then me rambling on a bunch and so on.
TLDR: If you want to buy one, and can buy one, buy one...it will make sense, plus there are much worse ways to invest your money. Hell, you could've probably made money if you bought one a year ago and sold it or traded it in. It's getting crazy out there.
Gas Mileage
I haven't had mine for too long, but it is my daily driver and I would say that while the gas mileage does suck..I knew that going into it. I've actually been impressed that I've gotten over 20mpg around my hometown at times though. There are two different ways that I can get to work. The shortest way has about 10 stoplights and I average between 14-16mpg (according to the 4runner) depending on how many lights I hit. The longest way is basically double the mileage, but only has 1 stoplight and I routinely get about 21mpg. It seems to me so far, you want to be in that 40-55 mph range as long as possible to "reap" the most gas mileage benefits.
No Auto Headlights (at least on my 21 TRD ORP)
I don't understand how a vehicle has auto high beams, but doesn't have auto headlights. What? My 2008 car has that feature. WTF? This bugs me more than the gas mileage...and I'll fully admit I'm lazy and have just gotten complacent with turning my headlights on when I need them.
5 Speed Transmission
Not a huge deal for me yet (haven't towed anything), but you'll notice it being sluggish at times. Definitely don't pull out in front of someone or try to race anyone.
2.1A USB Charging Inputs
Takes my iPhone a good bit of time to charge. I bought a couple 12v Anker Chargers that work much better.
PROS
It will blow your mind. Enough said.
Look, this is a badass vehicle. We all know it, or we wouldn't be here. I've driven a number of SUV's, even other Toyota's (Highlander, Sequoia, even Tundra), but the 4R just always seemed to be the perfect balance of size, performance, and bling to me for an SUV. I've driven a couple rental 4R's when traveling and they performed great, and just felt solid for being older vehicles...one time we even had to drive through hurricane flood waters and over and around debris for a few days, and also drove over some pretty loose sand at a beach when I thought we might spin out some. The 4R crushed all tasks. I was very impressed.
Anyways, I finally purchased a 21 TRD ORP, and have to say...it's exceeded my expectations so far. I went down a rabbit hole of reading reviews and watching YouTube videos, all that stuff. And admittedly, I haven't towed anything or done any serious off-roading yet, but did take it down a gravel road with 6 creek crossings...muddy/gravel and water crossings probably 16'ish inches deep at most with a decent base...I've got the stock tires which aren't real AT tires at all, and they did fine on that road, but I would not trust them in any capacity for any serious real deal off-roading...or even the road I did without a buddy for that matter.
I've got no complaints with the entertainment/navigation stuff...I'm sure it could be better and faster, but it works and does what you really need it to. The speakers actually sound really good too for factory speakers IMO. I listen to all kinds of different genre's and you can dial in a decent sound for anything really. Plenty of bass and kick.
Back seats fold down nearly flat (not common for some SUV's) so it is great for camping/overlanding for 1-2 people, plenty of cargo space, and you can roll down the back window which is AMAZING. We basically live in the country, and have to haul our own recycling and trash at times. Yep...that feature is amazing. LOL Airs everything out quickly.
Anyways, I forgot this was supposed to be a PROS/CONS list and not just my review of my 4R and then me rambling on a bunch and so on.
TLDR: If you want to buy one, and can buy one, buy one...it will make sense, plus there are much worse ways to invest your money. Hell, you could've probably made money if you bought one a year ago and sold it or traded it in. It's getting crazy out there.
5thGenHunter
New member
Not sure if this has been mentioned but, using a rental vehicle to be your example is about the worst choice you could have made. Go look at a used 4Runner sitting on a lot or look at a friends. Rentals get beat on and are not very well cared for.
5thGenHunter
New member
Toyota took two 2010 4Runners on the Rubicon trail with only A/T tires and sliders for mods. Both conquered it and then drove 700+ miles back to Arizona. The Jeep Rubicon has more clearance, much taller tires, front locker, and other options. Did they take a bone stock 4-door JR and beat the Rubicon? The point is, even though the T4R's doors don't come off and maybe some stuff isn't as durable as the Rubicon's, doesn't mean that it's not one of the best off-road vehicles in the world.
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blanchard7684
New member
This.
I've had 5 5th gens ( various reasons) and they have had superlative quality.
I have a new 2019 Tundra and by comparison...its well short of the 4runner.
Charles Bronson
Member
It makes no difference where the vehicle is made. Cars are like Legos now and parts generally only fit one way and are quality checked/inspected through the manufacturing process. It doesn't matter if it's built in Japan, Europe, the US, Mexico, etc. The quality comes from the engineering and in the 4Runner's case, much of it in its tried and true simplicity.
Charles Bronson
Member
Cons
- Dismal MPGs
- GEAR HUNTING on the highway while in cruise control. My God does this piss me off. Why in the world does the thing NOT gear hunt when the cruise is off, but goes into hunting fits when it's on? Even long minor grades force a downshift. The tranny logic programmer should be shot. This is a 2020 4runner too. Toyota couldn't fix this after nearly a decade on the market? Really?
- Long geared 5 speed auto. This truck would be quicker and get 20+% better mpgs with a 6 to 8 speed auto.
- Poor throttle response (I understand why they did it though)
- Way too much nose dive on braking. It unloads the rear tires and makes it damn easy get the ABS engaged on even moderate braking. It's dangerous in my opinion.
- No 3-flash turn signals. This is 2021.
- No automatic headlights. This is 2021.
- No warning beeps with the back up camera when getting close to objects, cars approaching, etc. This is 2021.
- Overpriced if you're paying anywhere near MSRP
Pros
- Looks
- Driving position. Thank God its comfy for tall folks like myself because I often don't run the cruise control (see gear hunting above).
- Simplicity. It's like a 1990 throwback
- Cheap parts
- Reliable
- Easy to work on
- Huge aftermarket support
- Incredible offroad capability
- Dismal MPGs
- GEAR HUNTING on the highway while in cruise control. My God does this piss me off. Why in the world does the thing NOT gear hunt when the cruise is off, but goes into hunting fits when it's on? Even long minor grades force a downshift. The tranny logic programmer should be shot. This is a 2020 4runner too. Toyota couldn't fix this after nearly a decade on the market? Really?
- Long geared 5 speed auto. This truck would be quicker and get 20+% better mpgs with a 6 to 8 speed auto.
- Poor throttle response (I understand why they did it though)
- Way too much nose dive on braking. It unloads the rear tires and makes it damn easy get the ABS engaged on even moderate braking. It's dangerous in my opinion.
- No 3-flash turn signals. This is 2021.
- No automatic headlights. This is 2021.
- No warning beeps with the back up camera when getting close to objects, cars approaching, etc. This is 2021.
- Overpriced if you're paying anywhere near MSRP
Pros
- Looks
- Driving position. Thank God its comfy for tall folks like myself because I often don't run the cruise control (see gear hunting above).
- Simplicity. It's like a 1990 throwback
- Cheap parts
- Reliable
- Easy to work on
- Huge aftermarket support
- Incredible offroad capability
ElectroBoy
Banned
While I believe you’re mostly correct about the great engineered Toyota products and building block assembly procedures, don’t discount the brain-dead capability of workers performing repetitious tasks. Americans or others.
Take for example the massive recall of fuel pumps. This forum is getting more posts of dealerships f-ing up this well documented, cookie cutter procedure.
Check out posts #293 and forward.
https://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/281772-fuel-pump-recall-20.html
Totaly disagree with the statement "where the vehicles are made". I do agree with Toyota engineering !!!
Go to youtube & watch some videos on 4Runner assembly at the Japanese plant. You will be amazed at the difference the way that 4R's are built.
Good to hear. I had no idea, have a link for the above? Thanks.
Totally agree, the day they stop making the Landcruiser or 4Runner at the Tahara plant will be a SAD day for those that know. Built with attention to detail “like no other”, oops a Jeep reference. The only thing that makes the current Jeep that is incredibly capable “like no other” is its solid front axle and in that respect the have stayed true to form. Quality control, well not so much
