Thinking of getting a T4R...advice please

I was describing your 4R to another tundra friend of mine and we were commenting on how good that red looks. Totally awesome looking!

 

KDSS offers better on-road handling and more off-road articulation at slower speeds. It seems to be fairly low maintenance for a hydraulic system. I remember some rebuilding theirs at 150k on t4r.org.

 

Have a 2020 TRD Pro for the wife. Replaced my 2014 Jeep SRT

Pros:
- Anvil reliable
- Lots of interior room
- Fantastic on snow / ice / off-road
- Love the looks (subjective, but looks fantastic)
- Interior is basic, but not nothing really glaring it’s missing
- Sit fairly high with great visibility
- Fox shocks on the Pro are fantastic
- Stereo isn’t bad with the higher trim

Cons:
- Underpowered (pedal commander helps immensely)
- Averaging about 17-18mpg
- Definitely not a quiet or refined ride
- Headlights are horrible if not getting the new LED’s of the 2021 higher trims

Overall I really like the 4R Pro. However, I bought it mainly because I wanted it, and the wife would have been better suited with something a bit more pavement friendly. She still loves it, but it’s like how girls love Jeeps too.

If I could do it all over again, I would have bought her a Sequoia or an Explorer ST (which a buddy has, and it’s a damn nice rig).

 

I'm flattered you are asking me...

I've had three different Limited's. I'm on my 3rd right now.

In order of your questions.

There are no, none, zero, drawbacks to the awd system in the Limited.

You can still move it to the same speed ratios (high and low) as a transfer case with a manual select switch. I've been on T4R.org nearly every day for 6-7 years and haven't seen a reliability, quality, or durability issue with the center diff ( the torsen center diff). One thing to note is the Toyota factory transfer case and center diff oil (LF 75W) is up to $60 per quart ( 2 total quarts for full refill). You either have to pay for this or find creative solutions like Ravenol etc...

I've done some moderate trails without even switching to 4 high or 4 lo in the limited. I drove through 10+ miles of central Texas pasture on a hellaciously rainiy new years eve one time . Felt like literal peanut butter. didn't switch into 4 high or lo one time. This was on factory Bridgestones.

Only critique is the factory tires are more street tires than A/T. Thankfully Toyo makes A/Ts for the Limited.

XREAS as mentioned before is not as robust as the traditional suspension or trd pro. With heavy trail time it will start showing signs of needing replacement about 60-80 k miles. Light trail time it can go about 100-120k miles. Its a simple system that is easily replaced with other less expensive shocks.

On the street is helpful keeping suv steady with minimal body roll.

I'm not an audiophile but the JBL system sounds plenty good to me. My wife thought the audio sound in sr5 premium we had was awful. She really likes the JBL system.

My 2021 Limited also connects to the phone much smoother than older systems.

I've seen alot of Limiteds with 17" tires with and without a lift and it looks very nice.

Another maintenance item to be aware of is the driveshafts, both front and rear, have grease zerks. The u-joints take a basic Lithium NLGI 2 grease. The slip yokes on the shaft require a moly-lithium grease. So yeah two different greases. Most people get away with cramming mobil 1 into them. I'm picky and use the moly grease and lithium grease.

The seats in Limited seemed more comfortable than other trims. We take long trips of 12 hours in our 4runner (and Tundra). The Limited I can get out of and feel good. Other trims after about 10-11 hours I'm starting to get sore and achey.

The ventilated seat do actually help in really hot climates. It isn't cooled...its just recirculated cabin air. The heated seat function works very well.

4 runner also works very well with kid seats.

 

I used the two correct kinds of grease as well. Feels kind of wrong that I can’t grease my Tundra.

 

The PROs sure are nice but here in AZ still selling +10k above MSRP...but dang they are nice!!!

 

Looks amazing!

 

I would look for the color and trim of T4R you like.

I would avoid all other SUVs.

my wife and I have had 5 T4Rs, no issues other than wrecks or poor decisions to sell 4 of them (Still have our 2013 T4R).

 

So much good info here...y’all are the best. I think I have narrowed it to the Limited or the OR Premium. Decisions decisions

 

Seriously...how great is the rear sliding window???

 

@EglSctAndy not that you asked me again either, but thought I would weigh in on my dislike of the JBL that I mentioned before to avoid. My dislike is simply based on the fact that if you ever upgrade it, it will require extra adapters. When new, I bet it sounds alright. In my 03 I had to run a harness from the cargo compartment to head unit to retain factory wiring when I replaced my stereo.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I am by no means an audiophile but it seems like the JBL hate is uniform across both the 4R and Tundra. I think the sound is ok in my SR5 tundra so I’m sure the JBL would be fine.

 

The premium JBL in our 2020 4R Pro is LIGHTYEARS better than the premium JBL that was in my 2018 Tundra Platinum.

 

That’s encouraging!

 

OMG, I think I just fell in love. That think is beautiful!

 

I had a 2014 and never would have gotten rid of it if it wasn’t totaled in an accident. Bulletproof vehicles and can be modded to suit any needs. Liked it so much I bought my 16 year old a 2007 as her daily driver.

for what it’s worth, I would definitely recommend a pedal commander or similar device. And the radio can be easily upgraded with aftermarket.

 

Hey everyone...just a “quick” update on this. Been working directly with a GM at a very large dealer here in Phoenix. 24 of 25 4Runners in their allocation are sold. The one available is a Nautical Blue Limited. I have also talked to 4 other dealers in AZ and one in TX and everyone is completely sold out of 4Rs and most don’t expect to see any more for weeks maybe months. The dealership I’ve been connected with gets a look at their next allocation tomorrow and from what I understand they really have no idea what will be in it. The GM and I are going to connect to see what is available. Normally I would get a pretty smokin deal working with this individual, but with the market being what it is I expect I will pay very close to MSRP. As with the Tundras, the used prices are elevated and not much of a savings from new.

So here’s where things get interesting and I’d love your thoughts. I went to Carvana to see what they have and they had maybe a couple dozen 4Rs in the trims we would consider. I found a ‘20 Army Green Pro that has almost no miles and both me and my wife think it would be a great vehicle for her. The price is elevated to say the least, but we also got a lot more than we expected on trade. Everything on that deal is buttoned up and delivery/pickup is scheduled for Monday the 24th.

Just like our Tundras, I know I could save on a lower trim and add the things we want over time. That would certainly save some money and the quality could also be higher with the different components. While I’m happy I did that with my Tundra, I’m not really sure that I will have saved all that much money when I’m done (still want to add leather and upgrade the sound).

I still have plenty of time to cancel the Carvana transaction and tomorrow I should have insight into the dealers next 4R allocation. If there is some great options I will probably go that route, but something about the AG Pro is really exciting to me!

 

Either way, you’ll be very happy and I am confident will have no regrets. It is a bulletproof vehicle and very capable. The only thing I will say is, much like the tundra, it can / does feel a bit sluggish. Get a pedal commander or sprint booster and it will alleviate the throttle lag.

 

That’s the first “mod” on the list!

 

if you are up for a road trip Lubbock and Midland have limited models in stock


This the dealer I normally work with . They have a nightshade limited in stock.

https://www.genemessertoyota.com/in...tshade-four-wheel-drive-suv-jteju5jr2m5907582

Toyota of midland has good selection. They don’t have 4x4 limiteds though

https://www.toyotaofmidland.com/search/new-toyota-4runner-midland-tx/?cy=79703&md=298&tp=new

I see a 21 trd pro and a other options.

 

Interesting that you mention Gene Messer in Lubbock because that’s where we checked. My wife is from there and will be heading back for the month of June with the kids. I had my father in law stop by there on Thursday and they said everything is sold and they don’t expect to see anything until the end of summer, if they see any 4Rs at all. What I have learned thru this process is that online inventory is both inaccurate and a tool to engage clients in conversations about other vehicles that might be available.

 

Wow. crazy.

I've had fantastic luck with Gene Messer's online inventory accuracy. I trust it more than what the sales folks say.

 

Yeah I feel the same way. I think it is a function of how crazy things are right now. I may call over to midland and see what they have to say. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts!

 

FWIW I just got my Limited a month ago at Gene Messer. Called to see if it was available (based on website inventory). They still had it. I told them to put my name on it.

Signed papers and drove out.

 

Sounds like a breeze!

 

One thought on Limited... is your wife a "car girl"? Meaning, will she be able to handle manually throwing the lever to 4WD if needed? My wife isn't really into cars, and in all honesty the full time awd would be better for her - fortunately we live where snow/ice is seldom a concern. So if road conditions where you live warrant 4wd throughout the year, this may be something to consider.

Also, the only thing I'd change about our '14 Trail "Premium" is the seat surface. That softex is durable, but it is not breathable and HOT. Makes your ass/back sweat. I'd love to have ventilated seats, even ambient cabin air would be an improvement.

Either way you go, you'll love it. Also note, T4R.org mentioned in an earlier post is a great resource. The only thing about that site is they've gotten a bit lazy... they created a 6th gen section like 2 years ago when there were rumors of a redesign, and now those new to 4R think 2019+ is 6th gen (because they've incorrectly labeled it and have not corrected). Otherwise, pretty good forum. Not as active as it used to be, but search should reveal a lot of good info.

 

They're solid, cloth seats last alot longer than leather. If you want to mod it buy a basic one and do the mods yourself it will be cheaper in the long run, don't let a dealership charge you thousands for sidesteps or any apparance packages it's not worth all that unless your fine with that. Generally right now prices are high but maybe you can get lucky