Very nice. We have a 2017 Limited. I don’t know that I’d take it out to Moab in stock form, but it handles Midwest weather just fine. Honestly I couldn’t tell you the technical details, we just like 4runners. After someone hit and totaled our 2011 we went right out and bought this one.Originally Posted by GJM
I wanted to trade it in on the new Voodoo Blue model but wife says no (pic from random google search).
So I was told by a car buddy. I'm looking very hard at getting a 2020 Off-Road Premium with KDSS, because I want the safety features, along with factory Android Auto and hopefully push-button start. The only other thing I'm considering is the Bronco, but who knows when hard info will come out for that, and that's the very opposite situation of the 4runner, where it's a brand(-ish) new platform. I've also considered the Ranger, but I think I would rather have the trunk rather than the bed, since I'm mainly wanting it for camping.
Local dealers want $10K over MSRP for the TRD Pro. Though it looks amazing, it's not for me since I don't want to roll in 2WD daily, and having had auto climate for the last 13 years, I can't go back that far in time.
Definitely already used to body-on-frame, current vehicle has super stiff suspension and live axles. I don't go off-road recreationally, but do like ground clearance for emergencies.
The Nightshade is what piqued my interest, since I don't like wood trim.
Already read the last 2-3 years worth of material, read the owner's manual, and looked at the servicing on Alldata. Cross-shopping with the Honda Passport and Range Rover Sport. The Passport bests the 4Runner in pretty much all aspects except for ground clearance and reliability. Having owned two Land Rovers, air suspensions no longer scare me (known vs unknown), and I can spec a full-size spare for roadtrips, unlike the Passport that only comes with a compact spare.
LittleLebowski, if you see this, check your PM.
I just hit 2,000 miles on my 2019 TRD Pro, so I can't really speak on the reliability yet, but I can share my thoughts so far.
While still in the research phase some of the things that concerned me were the "lack of power" that I had read about, the "smallish" screen, the lack of dual automatic climate control, and no keyless entry/push button start. The last two weren't a big deal to me, but I assumed it would be annoying giving up those conveniences since I was already used to them.
After owning and driving the truck for a few months, I can say that I've actually come to prefer the simple manual climate control over the automatic. I find that I can actually fine tune the temp to what I like better than any of the automatic systems that I've used. This doesn't really help with the dual climate situation for anybody else in the vehicle who may not like my settings, but my truck my rules so I'm not too worried about that.
I've also found that I don't mind not having the keyless entry and push button start as much as I thought I would. Using the key to unlock the doors instead of the touch sensors on the handle is actually a bit more convenient in the rain of if I have passengers who are riding with me. It is also a bit more reliable/rugged since I did have battery issues with the previous system and had a few instances where it just refused to work right. At this point I would be fine with either option, and since you are looking at the Limited this wouldn't be a concern for you. However, Toyota is adding the keyless entry to the 2020 TRD Pro so if that is important to you and you are thinking about a TRD Pro it might be worth waiting.
The screen also isn't an issue for me in real life usage. It is about the same size as the screen in the car it replaced so it hasn't been a big change for me, but I did test drive some other vehicles with MUCH bigger screens. While I wouldn't turn down a bigger screen, I don't use the screen for much more than using the reverse camera so it just doesn't impact me much. If you use the in vehicle navigation a lot a bigger screen may be nice, and again Toyota is releasing a bigger screen in the 2020 models with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (I think). I've also seen some nice aftermarket options available.
The 2020 model will also come with the Safety Sense stuff if that is important to you. I prefer to drive my vehicle myself so I'm just fine with not having this. If I was going to be sharing the vehicle with a teenage driver or something like that, I'd make sure to get something that had that technology.
The power and acceleration seems absolutely fine to me for something this size. It isn't a sports car and doesn't drive like one, but it has a great drive for every day use. I could see that it might be a little underpowered if you plan to tow a lot, but I haven't used it for towing so I won't comment on that.
The one thing that absolutely did bother me that I wasn't expecting was the headlights. Coming from a car with adaptive HID headlights, these things were just way too dim. After driving in the dark with a light rain and not being able to see anything I noticed just how bad they were compared to my previous vehicle, and I think it is a safety concern. Since then I've swapped in an HID kit for the low and high beams from XenonDepot and feel much better now. I'm a little annoyed that I had to spend $400 to upgrade that myself on a $50,000 vehicle, but the swap was easy enough and the results are great, if not a bit too bright.
Last edited by dontshakepandas; 05-01-2019 at 11:59 AM.
I’ve had 2017 sr5 premium , 2018 limited, and now as of last week 2019 TRD Pro.
The limited is a swanky ride. It is extremely close to a Lexus quality interior. I think my favorite part of it was the leather seats.
The limited’s xreas really limited body roll and felt very stable in corners.
The center diff was awesome and a huge convenience. I rarely even needed to engage 4hi or low. And it was stable in bad weather. The plus side was it only very very slightly increased steering effort compared to other models.
Although totally unconfirmed I highly suspect the seat in the limited is same as TRD Pro . The limited adds ventilated seats that did nothing for me. The comfort was the same between the pro and limited. Both were more comfortable on long trip than sr5 premium.
I did some decent trails in northern az and had no concerns other than tires... hardcore off roading will demand not just a tire change but also a wheel change. 20 inch wheels simply don’t have a lot of options.
Being in a TRD Pro now I do miss the keyless entry. However my pro has a remote start system.
When folks start out with a limited and decide to seriously attacking hard trails, they run the xreas system to failure then replace with Trd pro system.
I’ve had no issues in 45 k miles on two 4runners. None. Not a single glitch.
The maintenance is involved much more than other vehicles. The oil filter is best handled by a dedicated Toyota filter adapter.
The drive shaft greasing is not a huge deal . The zerks are fairly easy to access.
Diff fluid changes are a breeze.
Transmission flushes are not too bad but require some attention to a procedure in verifying fill level.
Spark plugs and air filters are easy.
The engine layout is well done and no apparent issue with getting to typical items like fan s, belts, water pumps etc.
Brakes are easy.
The cabin has a high amount of space efficiency. You can get a lot of gear in this.
You also have abundant aftermarket solutions for rooftop cargo. The 4Runner is one of the few vehicles that don’t look silly with rooftop systems.
The 4 runner is also old school tech: hydraulic steering as opposed to electric, mechanical fan, port fuel injection.
Downsides
Very heavy for its size. Translation is abysmal fuel economy for its size and horsepower. You just have to get over this if you like it.
Acceleration is similarly hampered. You have to plan your passing maneuvers and freeway merges.
The cruise control system is unconventional. It took me months to get used to it.
Fan noise can be really loud.
Skid plates are pretty heavy and stout. You have to take a large one off to access filter. Think of it as a work out and you won’t mind.
Last edited by fixer; 05-01-2019 at 12:13 PM.
My wife and I went to look at 4Runners and Sequoias, and left with a “max cab” Tundra TSS. The 4Runners reminded her of the times she rode in one, belonging to a friend, during K9 SAR training and call-outs. She remembered wishing for more room. Being able to lower the rear window was desirable, regardless of the vehicle, and the max cab Tundra has that feature. Ultimately, the tremendous rear seat room was probably the deciding factor.
We now have his-and-hers Tundras, 2014 and 2019. Cool. (My 2014 was one of the few, last batch of 2-door single-cabs.) Maybe, in a few years, we will revisit the 4Runner/Sequoia/Land Cruiser.
Trivia: My Aunt Sherry still drives a 1999 4Runner.
Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.
Don’t tread on volcanos!
That makes two of us.
I blame Jezza, The Hamster, and Captain Slow.
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
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