What package has the best ride TE or LE

[1supra]

looking at buying a used 2010 or 2011 4runner. Few questions for you guys that know them well, I like the extras that the LE comes with,I dont really care for the skinny 20s it comes with though. What model would give the best ride stock? how much does a good aftermarket suspension cost, Im looking for a plush comfortable ride...
I test drove a 2011 LE and wasnt impressed with the ride. I dont need ultra performance offroad,but want something capable for driving the beach and getting through deep sand well. How big tire can be used without lifting it?

I was most impressed with the driving feel of the mdx,but its not enough truck to do what I need it to and tow trailers,boats and such. I liked the new turbo f150,very plush and powerful,just not a ford guy though,can the 4runner be modded to feel like this without spending a fortune?

 

[Javelin]

Pretty sure the limited rides better than the trail. Mabye get the limited and get 17s or 18s so there's some more rubber between the wheel and road.

Or just buy a land cruiser / lx570 :thumb3:

 

[Jhalko]

Doubt you'll get the plush ride you want from a 4runner and you'd probably spend a lot of money in vain to get a ride you might or might not be happy with. The 4runner isn't great for towing, it sounds like a f150 might be a better fit. I love my LE but I don't ever tow and I thought it was the best ride of the different models. I haven't driven a f150 but if I wanted a full size truck I'd have no problem buying one.

Ride is very subjective, drive it and decide.

 

[wfo9]

Im looking for a plush comfortable ride...
I test drove a 2011 LE and wasnt impressed with the ride.

I need it to and tow trailers,boats and such. I liked the new turbo f150,very plush and powerful,just not a ford guy though,can the 4runner be modded to feel like this without spending a fortune?

Sounds like the 4runner is not ideal for what you want. It is not a great tow vehicle and the ride is not going to get any plusher than the LE.

The 4runner is more geared towards offroad use and not towing... Most suspension upgrades are going to stiffen it up a bit and eliminate the nose dive...

Nothing wrong with a f150 or a new Chevy truck. They are pretty rock solid these days. I have a 2014 GMC Sierra and it is great for towing and gets better mpg than my 4runner most of the time. If you have really big stuff to tow get the 6.0.

 

[1engineer]

If you want a great ride get a CUV. If you want to tow and have a decent ride get a truck. If you want to go off road and tow every now and then and like a firm ride get a 4Runner. No vehicle is perfect.

 

[1supra]

engineer..thats my whole goal,with the exception of firm ride. Im a toyota guy at heart,Ive had many supras and lexus vehicles. It seems these days everything that toyota makes that rides nice gets the lexus badge instead.

I want to get away from trucks,I already own a superduty,on bilstein suspension it rides very nice,im just over big trucks since i dont tow heavy anymore.Id of never bought it if toyota made a diesel.I dont tow often and rarely tow a 20ft boat. But the vehicle I choose still has to do it decently when needed. As with almost any vehicle the primary use will be on road from point a to point b,so the most important to me is a nice ride for a everyday driver Was really hoping someone here would tell me it could be done in the 5th gen. Its not a cheap vehicle im surprised its not better than it is by now with tech where it is in most vehicles.The cherokee has a super nice ride for a 4x4,but.... Chrysler. hmmmm

I drive a gs460 and have been spoiled I suppose,I know lexus makes the gx460,very sim to a 4runner,never driven one though,hows the ride on it?

 

[danoT4R]

I like the ride of my trail edition, but I wouldn't call it 'plush'. Honestly if you're this concerned with ride quality, test driving is the only way to go. We can make it sound as good or bad as we want on here, but ultimately only you know your own preferences. Good luck in the search, hope you find a 4runner to your liking!

 

[fraggy]

You may want to look at the Lexus GX460 which has a smoother ride than the 4-runner. It is basically a 4-runner with a V8 and different body style.

 

[1engineer]

engineer..thats my whole goal,with the exception of firm ride. Im a toyota guy at heart,Ive had many supras and lexus vehicles. It seems these days everything that toyota makes that rides nice gets the lexus badge instead.

I want to get away from trucks,I already own a superduty,on bilstein suspension it rides very nice,im just over big trucks since i dont tow heavy anymore.Id of never bought it if toyota made a diesel.I dont tow often and rarely tow a 20ft boat. But the vehicle I choose still has to do it decently when needed. As with almost any vehicle the primary use will be on road from point a to point b,so the most important to me is a nice ride for a everyday driver Was really hoping someone here would tell me it could be done in the 5th gen. Its not a cheap vehicle im surprised its not better than it is by now with tech where it is in most vehicles.The cherokee has a super nice ride for a 4x4,but.... Chrysler. hmmmm

I drive a gs460 and have been spoiled I suppose,I know lexus makes the gx460,very sim to a 4runner,never driven one though,hows the ride on it?

Then go buy a Limited, ditch the 20" rims and tires and replace with 17" wheels (smallest that will fit calipers) and a nice tire. This will give you the most "stuff" in a 4Runner with the best possible OEM ride and changing from 20's to 17's gives it a little extra cushion. If that's not plush enough then remove the XREAS suspension and replace it with aftermarket. Aftermarket suspensions will run you from about $1K to $7K installed, depending on the plushness factor. The wheel and tire swap will cost you just a few hundred if you sell the 20's and tires on craigslist.

My opinion after reading your posts?
You either have champagne tastes on a beer budget or you are trying to be thrifty.
The easy solution is go buy a Lexus. Those are just loaded up 4Runners with a differently tuned suspension and a V8. That's going to cost you at least $10-$20K more than a 4Runner but will accomplish all your desires.
The next easiest is a LandCruiser. That's going to cost you $40K more but man that is the ultimate solution.

So, you could spend only $1K-$7K and be happy (but requires a lot of work and possibly disappointment) or you could spend $40K or anywhere in between and be happy. Your call.

 

[adam2562]

i had a limited and now have the trail.. the limited is good but in my eyes cant take a turn like the trail (probably due to the thicker swaybars on the trail) yet if u go offroad and have kdss they loosen right up to flex away and actually smoothen up the ride when on trails

 

[forwheeler]

So, you could spend only $1K-$7K and be happy (but requires a lot of work and possibly disappointment) or you could spend $40K or anywhere in between and be happy. Your call.

Or go buy a Grand Cherokee limited or overland (not much more $$$ than a T4R Ltd) and spend $2000 on the extended warranty. I drove one last weekend, and if it wasn't for the reliability issues, I'd buy one.

 

[sickk21]

Or go buy a Grand Cherokee limited or overland (not much more $$$ than a T4R Ltd) and spend $2000 on the extended warranty. I drove one last weekend, and if it wasn't for the reliability issues, I'd buy one.

I own a '14 Grand Cherokee Overland as well as a '14 4R LE and the GC is definitely way quieter and more smooth than the 4R. Although there's something about the 4R I like better, I can't put my finger on it. It's bigger, rougher and tougher. The GC is a better fit for my wife..

 

[wfo9]

I own a '14 Grand Cherokee Overland as well as a '14 4R LE and the GC is definitely way quieter and more smooth than the 4R. Although there's something about the 4R I like better, I can't put my finger on it. It's bigger, rougher and tougher. The GC is a better fit for my wife..

My fried just got a GC overland this weekend with the turbo diesel. I must say they are kicking Toyota in the butt in terms of features, luxury, ride, mpg... but, there is still something about the t4r I really like for myself. Again, I can't really put my finger on it. Simple and tough is the only way I can describe it.

 

[bimrunner]

My fried just got a GC overland this weekend with the turbo diesel. I must say they are kicking Toyota in the butt in terms of features, luxury, ride, mpg... but, there is still something about the tr4 I really like for myself. Again, I can't really put my finger on it. Simple and tough is the only way I can describe it.

Same reason I prefer to drive the 4runner over the MDX. MDX is faster, quieter, gets better mileage, easier for the family to get in and out of, has more techno gadgets (factory... that is), more comfortable seats... I'd take my truck any day over the wife rig. It is much more me. Shoot, I take the 80 before I take the MDX out! It is the difference between liking to drive trucks and liking to drive cars. I just like trucks better. OP sounds more like a car guy to me.

OP, test drive the GX. I'm guessing that is the trim level for ya.

 

[toyota4life]

...... Features, luxury, ride, mpg.... yes, but not build quality and reliability.... I guess they'll be comfortable while waiting for the tow (my best friends dad owns a Jeep dealership and I worked there for 3 summers in college, I witnessed horrors). They are having major issues in the dash/electronics going out in the 2014 GC's, youtube it. Back when I worked there in the late 90's it was transmissions, water leaks, rattles, electric seats catching fire, etc etc)

My fried just got a GC overland this weekend with the turbo diesel. I must say they are kicking Toyota in the butt in terms of features, luxury, ride, mpg... but, there is still something about the t4r I really like for myself. Again, I can't really put my finger on it. Simple and tough is the only way I can describe it.

 

[sickk21]

...... Features, luxury, ride, mpg.... yes, but not build quality and reliability.... I guess they'll be comfortable while waiting for the tow (my best friends dad owns a Jeep dealership and I worked there for 3 summers in college, I witnessed horrors). They are having major issues in the dash/electronics going out in the 2014 GC's, youtube it. Back when I worked there in the late 90's it was transmissions, water leaks, rattles, electric seats catching fire, etc etc)

The issues have been fixed. It was '14 early builds. My wife's '14 has 18k miles and haven't had an issue yet.. Not a fanboy, just sayin don't be dramatic.

 

[Jhalko]

The issues have been fixed. It was '14 early builds. My wife's '14 has 18k miles and haven't had an issue yet.. Not a fanboy, just sayin don't be dramatic.

Plenty of former and current jeep owners on here, including myself. The 4runner quality blows the jeep away, sorry.

 

[toyota4life]

The issues have been fixed. It was '14 early builds. My wife's '14 has 18k miles and haven't had an issue yet.. Not a fanboy, just sayin don't be dramatic.

I'm sure there are many out there that don't have issues like yours, and probably the majority don't, but overall reliability of a line of cars (or products) is not based on single cases, it's based on the patterns related to the general product population. Toyota has exhibited a pattern over long periods of consistently producing reliable cars, Jeep has not. No drama at all, just my personal logical conclusion based on experiences and observations.

Side note: I personally don't consider reaching 18k with no issues to be a testament to good quality, again, just my personal opinion.

 

[sn_85]

The issues have been fixed. It was '14 early builds. My wife's '14 has 18k miles and haven't had an issue yet.. Not a fanboy, just sayin don't be dramatic.

I would hope the JGC can go 18k without issue. The question is can it make it to 100 or 200k without a major problem. History isn't on their side but we'll wait and see.

 

[sickk21]

Plenty of former and current jeep owners on here, including myself. The 4runner quality blows the jeep away, sorry.

I never said that it didn't. My 4Runner has 500mi on it and is in the shop with an issue, so I think anything is possible.

I would hope the JGC can go 18k without issue. The question is can it make it to 100 or 200k without a major problem. History isn't on their side but we'll wait and see.

Like I said, my jeep can but my 4R didn't. The only reason I stated that I have 18k on the jeep is because it was mentioned that they have all of these issues, I pointed out that it was the early builds of the model year 2014 which mine is not and it hasn't had an issue thus far. I'm not even getting at anything really in fact I didn't even bring up the subject actually. Most of you guys here have to bring it up the toyota is more reliable than jeep like an insecure little girl. Like you all need reminders on why you bought such a vehicle. Ok we get it, your 4Runner is more reliable. So far mine hasn't been.