What minor designed details do you appreciate most on the 3rd gen?

[4flyer]

I personally really like the "secret compartment" in the center console.

 

[johnbyebye]

The auto window roll up. My other vehicles only had auto down.

 

[KingRob]

The 5 speed behind the 3.4 and the clutch start cancel button

 

[gamefreakgc]

The cupholders on the 96-98.

Oh wait they are TERRIBLE. :ybrick:

 

[3rzrunner]

I personally really like the "secret compartment" in the center console.

Secret compartment?

Not very minor, but the roll down rear window is my favorite.

 

[Roamed YT]

The rear 12V power point is kind of nifty. These things were designed and built at the very end of the Toyota "indestructible" engineering era so I appreciate that too.

 

[Airmapper]

A rear FM antenna. I mean it would have been so easy to leave it at one and be done.

Hmm, or they knew that the retracting one was going to be a POS and it's to keep you from loosing your mind driving in silence until you get it fixed....

 

[JayRolla]

Every single design feature mentioned are only on late model 3rd gen 4runners.

That being said i hate how toyota designs interiors. They are horrible. Tight quarters, no leg room, no storage, small arm rests, bad rear window and ect button location, horrible cup holders front and rear, ect......

I like my 4x4 push button in my limited. Makes me feel new. Lol.

 

[kolelt]

The auto window roll up. My other vehicles only had auto down.

my 97 dont have auto up!

 

[kolelt]

Every single design feature mentioned are only on late model 3rd gen 4runners.

That being said i hate how toyota designs interiors. They are horrible. Tight quarters, no leg room, no storage, small arm rests, bad rear window and ect button location, horrible cup holders front and rear, ect......

I like my 4x4 push button in my limited. Makes me feel new. Lol.

i agree with no leg room. My dad is a tall guy. Seeing him sitting in the passenger seat makes me laugh so hard

 

[T4R2014]

That being said i hate how toyota designs interiors. They are horrible. Tight quarters, no leg room, no storage, small arm rests, bad rear window and ect button location, horrible cup holders front and rear, ect......

Pretty much. But it's a 4Runner dammit, so we have to look past that.

 

[IsaiahC]

The ball-cooler vent underneath the steering wheel. It's a must have in summer with A/C

 

[wake_rider]

Every single design feature mentioned are only on late model 3rd gen 4runners.

That being said i hate how toyota designs interiors. They are horrible. Tight quarters, no leg room, no storage, small arm rests, bad rear window and ect button location, horrible cup holders front and rear, ect......

I like my 4x4 push button in my limited. Makes me feel new. Lol.

I don't get many of these gripes. I don't feel like, for the overall size of the vehicle, that the interior is cramped at all (and I'm a long legged 6'3"). The arm rests are more than sufficient and there's reasonable storage in the doors, console, glove compartment, seat backs and rear storage compartment.

The only place I see opportunity for any real storage improvements might be in an overhead setup. The only complaint is have with the cup holders on my 2000 Limited is that I wish one of the fronts was stepped in such a way that it could hold a larger bottle/cup. I'm never without my Nalgene and I wish I didn't have to wedge it between the door and my left hip. It's fine while I'm driving, but an annoyance every time I open the door and the bottle goes rolling away on the concrete. I guess extending this grief to the rear cup holders would also be reasonable, but I'm never back there.

The rear window and ect buttons seem in logical places to me.

I do wish that some type of field monitor came stock on this vehicle. Having an analog display of pitch/roll/tilt angles with an integrated compass would have been a nice touch to include. The digital compass on the mirror is just not sensitive enough when you want a bit more accuracy.

But hey, this thread is about things we like that might not be obvious, right?

I really like the rear heater. I use it almost like a seat warmer. I don't like having hot air blow in my face, so I usually have the rear heater on high with my moon roof cracked open to allow my head to feel less claustrophobic from the heat. This method of keeping me warm during the winter, but not annoyed or uncomfortable, seems to be a winning combination for my preferences.

I also like the speed offerings of the intermittent wipers. I know. Odd. I've had a number of vehicles in the past that the intermittent options were either excessively slow or seemingly full speed; not much in-between existed. I feel like you actually see incremental change in the intermittent adjustment on the 4runner.

I like the size of the washer fluid tank. It holds a reasonably large amount of fluid. I'm easily annoyed by a dirty windshield and Oklahoma is well flooded with mammoth sized flying insects, so having a large volume of windshield washer fluid is an enjoyable and usable feature.

Lastly, I love the ability to control the rear window from outside of the car. I use my fob at least twice a week to drop things in the back of my car when my hands are full. I'm a teacher, so often I just need to quickly grab things out of or drop things off into the rear, so being able to roll down and up that rear window without having to unlock the car and open doors is something I regularly appreciate.

 

[wake_rider]

The ball-cooler vent underneath the steering wheel. It's a must have in summer with A/C

This. I open my shorts in order to get a fresh, direct blast to the three gents.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Every single design feature mentioned are only on late model 3rd gen 4runners.

That being said i hate how toyota designs interiors. They are horrible. Tight quarters, no leg room, no storage, small arm rests, bad rear window and ect button location, horrible cup holders front and rear, ect......

I like my 4x4 push button in my limited. Makes me feel new. Lol.

True, but it does make for a smaller vehicle. These 4Runners have smaller dimensions that most sedans nowadays. I love parking in the "compact" parking spaces with an SUV.

 

[JayRolla]

I don't get many of these gripes. I don't feel like, for the overall size of the vehicle, that the interior is cramped at all (and I'm a long legged 6'3"). The arm rests are more than sufficient and there's reasonable storage in the doors, console, glove compartment, seat backs and rear storage compartment.

The only place I see opportunity for any real storage improvements might be in an overhead setup. The only complaint is have with the cup holders on my 2000 Limited is that I wish one of the fronts was stepped in such a way that it could hold a larger bottle/cup. I'm never without my Nalgene and I wish I didn't have to wedge it between the door and my left hip. It's fine while I'm driving, but an annoyance every time I open the door and the bottle goes rolling away on the concrete. I guess extending this grief to the rear cup holders would also be reasonable, but I'm never back there.

The rear window and ect buttons seem in logical places to me.

I do wish that some type of field monitor came stock on this vehicle. Having an analog display of pitch/roll/tilt angles with an integrated compass would have been a nice touch to include. The digital compass on the mirror is just not sensitive enough when you want a bit more accuracy.

But hey, this thread is about things we like that might not be obvious, right?

I really like the rear heater. I use it almost like a seat warmer. I don't like having hot air blow in my face, so I usually have the rear heater on high with my moon roof cracked open to allow my head to feel less claustrophobic from the heat. This method of keeping me warm during the winter, but not annoyed or uncomfortable, seems to be a winning combination for my preferences.

I also like the speed offerings of the intermittent wipers. I know. Odd. I've had a number of vehicles in the past that the intermittent options were either excessively slow or seemingly full speed; not much in-between existed. I feel like you actually see incremental change in the intermittent adjustment on the 4runner.

I like the size of the washer fluid tank. It holds a reasonably large amount of fluid. I'm easily annoyed by a dirty windshield and Oklahoma is well flooded with mammoth sized flying insects, so having a large volume of windshield washer fluid is an enjoyable and usable feature.

Lastly, I love the ability to control the rear window from outside of the car. I use my fob at least twice a week to drop things in the back of my car when my hands are full. I'm a teacher, so often I just need to quickly grab things out of or drop things off into the rear, so being able to roll down and up that rear window without having to unlock the car and open doors is something I regularly appreciate.

Well your later model has better storage. Door armrest is lol 3" wide and no padding. Center console is hard as a rock and so small only one person can use it. Ect button and my rear window activate when I put stuff in the center. I'll set water bottle down and my window rolls down because damn button.

 

[wake_rider]

Well your later model has better storage. Door armrest is lol 3" wide and no padding. Center console is hard as a rock and so small only one person can use it. Ect button and my rear window activate when I put stuff in the center. I'll set water bottle down and my window rolls down because damn button.

Hmm. My ect and rear window buttons are up on my dash. Are yours on your console?

 

[Roc Doc]

True, but it does make for a smaller vehicle. These 4Runners have smaller dimensions that most sedans nowadays. I love parking in the "compact" parking spaces with an SUV.

This is the main reason I think the 3rd Gens are the sweet spot in the 4Runner lineup. Especially considering how big the 5th Gens are, and how big Jeep JK's have become, the T4R can fit in spots, and make turns the bigger heavier rigs can't, AND we've still got that magical 105" wheelbase.

As far as the details, the 12v outlet in the back saved me the process of doing it myself. Right now it powers a sub box, but eventually I'll go to an under seat version, and the rear outlet will be for a fridge, or maybe a 2m radio for pit use.

 

[JayRolla]

Hmm. My ect and rear window buttons are up on my dash. Are yours on your console?

Again later model. Yes they are center console. Anything you put there will hit the buttons.

 

[Sean K.]

Undoubtedly....rear locker.