Where can TE go that 4wd 4runner can't?
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SeattleMike
New member
jam23r1
New member
its not the truck its the driver
Alright, assume the same driver drives both. Where can he go with the TE but not the other 4wd 4runner?
jam23r1
New member
it all depends on what truck your compareing it to the TE and the sr5 will go just about anywhere the other one can and as far as off road viehcle's thare are just a few left that are real 4x4 left
1.jeep wrangler
2.fj and 4runner and land cruiser, taco
3.land rover
4.nissan xterra and mybe pathfinder
5.hummer h1 and h3
4ShoreRunner
New member
First, think about the trails you'll be driving.
Are you buying this to do some serious offroading in? Do you plan on upgrading the tires and suspension? If so, the TE might not be a bad choice.
The things the TE really has going for it are the locking rear diff, and A-TRAC. All the other things like multi-terrain select and crawl mode are gimics in my opinion and I don't ever see using them.
The locking diff on the other hand, I use almost everytime I go out because of the types of trails I run. If I was buying a 4Runner just to have peace of mind when it rains / snows or was just doing some beach driving the Limited or SR5 would have been my choice.
Dlak
New member
The LE has a-trac standard. The advantage of the TE is the locking rear differential, approach angle, and kdss. Alot of people are getting AWD confused with AWD/locking center dif which the LE has. Basically the same 4wd system as the landcruiser less crawl control and kdss.
03_4x4Runner
Senior Member
Better tires and a lift will do you the most good regaurdless of what model you start with. A locker is good in the rock when one tire is in the air a lot. Most of the people I have seen on the trails with new vehicles do not use them to their capabilities because they are afraid to get them dirty or scratched up. They go in about as far as a minivan could go and say this is to rough and want to turn around. They may as well have bought a Highlander. If you off road in hard places your vehicles will not remain showroom pretty.
RonMAIDEN
Super Moderator
I've compared parts of certain trails going back and doing them with the rear locked and then unlocked and the diff really shows when you are getting a rear wheel in in the air often;I was able to do most of the obstacles with the rear unlocked but with the rear locked it took most of the drama (and less work) out of the hard parts but even on most of the trails I drive I only lock the rear for the harder parts which might only be a few times on a run.
03_4x4Runner
Senior Member
I am not familiar with 99s. Do they have a-trac? Atrac makes a world of difference, not as good as a locker but better than nothing to assist traction.
kingpin748
New member
You can go to the bank with the money you saved!
scanny
Senior Member
Just wanted to mention that SR5 has A-TRAC too. The main difference from Trail is lack of rear differential locker, KDSS and crawl control. Trail has also slightly better underbody protection and aproach/departures angles.
By the way rear diff lock can be installed by ARB, real skid plates are 3rd party anyway, KDSS and crawl control are only things you can't get in other trims. So I would say Trail donesn't have really big advantages over SR5 or Limited offroad. Stock TE is just a little bit better for rock crawling. The shorcoming of Limited comparing with SR5 in my opinion is that it has 20" wheels - I would not go any serious offroad with those wheeels. But wheels can easily be changed. And for peace of mind in rain/snow conditions you don't have to have 4Runner - any crossover will do.
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iDRiVaT4R
New member
I would get the TE and just take the seats to an upholstery shop. What's exactly the issue with the TE seats if you don't mind me asking?
I love my TE with the KDSS. If you were planning on buying a TE without KDSS then yeah, just go with the SR5 4Runner. Locker can be added later, the Crawl Controls in a TE is great if you've never driven off road before but otherwise useless. The only thing left is the optional KDSS pkg. which IMO is Really Cool!
A-TRAC if needed will get you through most obstacles.
I love my TE with the KDSS. If you were planning on buying a TE without KDSS then yeah, just go with the SR5 4Runner. Locker can be added later, the Crawl Controls in a TE is great if you've never driven off road before but otherwise useless. The only thing left is the optional KDSS pkg. which IMO is Really Cool!
A-TRAC if needed will get you through most obstacles.
I tried the Atrac for the first time last weekend. I was surprised how easily I got stuck by crossing up/flexing in a small ditch. I got the driver's rear wheel in the air and I believe the front wheels were firmly planted on the ground (but right one must have been spinning.)
TC in 4 low. Without Atrac I spun the suspended rear wheel and did not move. Engaged Atrac and gave gas just above idled...still stuck.
Sped up more and Atrac engaged (click/clack/whirr) and I backed right out.
With a rear locker I would have idled right out in 4 low without having to use more throttle to get the Atrac to recognized the slip.
I've previously owned Wranglers with and without lockers and it takes much more to get a locker equipped one stuck in the first place. Have to believe it is the same with a 4runner.
Totally unrelated, but I would have liked a TE instead of SR5, but I think Toyota should market/trim the TE like a Rubicon vs an X wrangler. For better or worse many people mistake the TE for an entry level 4R with the black trim instead of being an upgrade from the SR5. To me it would make more sense if the Sr5 and TE (non functional) trims were reversed. I.e., the blacked out mirrors, handles, grille should be the lesser trim level.
TC in 4 low. Without Atrac I spun the suspended rear wheel and did not move. Engaged Atrac and gave gas just above idled...still stuck.
Sped up more and Atrac engaged (click/clack/whirr) and I backed right out.
With a rear locker I would have idled right out in 4 low without having to use more throttle to get the Atrac to recognized the slip.
I've previously owned Wranglers with and without lockers and it takes much more to get a locker equipped one stuck in the first place. Have to believe it is the same with a 4runner.
Totally unrelated, but I would have liked a TE instead of SR5, but I think Toyota should market/trim the TE like a Rubicon vs an X wrangler. For better or worse many people mistake the TE for an entry level 4R with the black trim instead of being an upgrade from the SR5. To me it would make more sense if the Sr5 and TE (non functional) trims were reversed. I.e., the blacked out mirrors, handles, grille should be the lesser trim level.
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4ShoreRunner
New member
Dlak said:
My bad guys - not trying to spread mis-info on the forumz, for some reason I thought you guys only had "TRAC" but we had "A-TRAC" ...not sure where I got that from.
SeattleMike
New member
That's not my truck, that is a pre-production TE model on the Rubicon Trail. If you tried that in an SR5 or LE, you'd be missing several plastic trim pieces at the end of the day. While some things are driver skill, a good driver can't overcome bad angles, lack of a locking differential, or narrow approach and departure angles. Based on your desire for "genuine trails", get the TE or lose the extra molding on the SR5 like BFLAN or IAMSAM.
RonMAIDEN
Super Moderator
I think some of that "lesser" trim pieces were left unpainted by design for the offroad crowd and handles scraped and brushes with foreign objects better than painted pieces.
Check out a 3rd gen that regularly offroads and compare the flare scratches on ones equipped with the widebody painted version vs the plastic black ones on the lesser models. I purposely chose my '99 Highlander/Sport vs the later years versions which had painted flares since I knew off roading was in it's future.
