Boy am I glad I kept my 21 and NOT buy the 22 Tundra

Thats funny, my wife absolutely hated the feel of the 4Runner and absolutely loves her Highlander. She got quite used to all the new tech and zooms right through it.

 

Well, yeah, different strokes for different folks and all that. My wife by trade is a certified diabetic educator; to read her handwriting or emails you'd think she struggled with English - and as far as grammar/syntax goes, he used to because she's got a mild to moderate case of dyslexia. She doesn't exactly 'struggle' with tech, but she is very much a creature of habit; and as such, while she likes her tech, what she likes more - and what she kind of had to buy a Highlander to find out - is for said tech to be reliable, dependable and easy to use.

For example, you're probably familiar with the 'driving mode' buttons in the Highlander (e.g., the eco/sport/normal toggle switch; the snow/mud/sand buttons; and so on). They're handy...except for the fact that they're just in front of the armrest, and they're small buttons.

From my POV, I'd think you'd want buttons like that to be bigger and closer to your line of sight. The LAST thing I want is to look away from the field of view when I'm driving through mud, snow, etc. Granted, in the 4Runner, the 4WD knob is down at the front of the center console, but it's also the size of a small hockey puck, and ridiculously easy to engage.

If I stomp on the gas in my Tundra, and in the 4Runner...it goes. If we do the same thing in the Highlander, more often than not, it goes for about a second - then all power cuts out, almost as if traction control were kicking in....except it's not traction control (as I've tried it while disabled). When that happens while passing on a 2-lane country road, it makes one sh*t their pants. LOL Reports say a transaxle replacement *may* fix it - I say 'may' because there are also tons of reports of said transxaxle replacement making it *worse.*

There are more examples, but at the end of the day, from my wife's POV, it doesn't need to have all the latest tech, or be the fastest, etc. It just needs to have the basic obvious tech (e.g., sound system, adaptive cruise control, the safety features, etc.) and be reliable and simple to use, and the 4Runner fits that to a T.

 

These are two very good points.

I paid 49k for my 17' Platinum WITH the TRD PRO suspension and PRO dual exhaust installed before I took delivery. I added a supercharger and TRD BBK for about 11k. So @ $60k I have a loaded to the max, SC'd V8 Platinum Pro. 19mpg, 550hp/550t
I can't even think about what it cost to do a Platinum Pro+ with the 22' ?

 

I really like the ride of the 4Runners. I tried to get my wife into one but she went with the RDX. Maybe next time.

 

I tried the same thing with my wife. I wanted her to take my 2020 AG 4runner Pro but she has been driving Acuras for years. She wanted a 21 RDX. She did not want to drive that big tank and color was for a guy. But she loves riding in the tundra.

 

The most important thing here is, you really get 19 with a blower?

 

Actually yes.
I've gotten over 20mpg with the computer but with hand calculations, it's closer to 19. It will drop to 18 in the winter with the cold weather additives.
How?
I have a gentle commute on 35-40mph flat, back roads. With the SC, I barely have to touch the gas to go the speed limit (which I do because of shit crazy deer). And I only get to juice it if I go on the highway. That's maybe 3-4 times a month, so I get great gas mileage. Granted it's $4+ /gal for 93 octane so the cost/savings is mute to begin with. I don't baby it when I have the room, but stretching her legs is not a daily thing. The best part is when I need the juice, I have plenty on tap!

 

So far nothing in the Gen3 even remotely moves me to sell my 2017 TRD PRO, not even the foo-manchu front mustache. I'm waiting for someone to get creative and do a Hulk Hogan wrap on a Gen 3.

But I am NOT knocking it, am sure it will be a proven truck after the first kinks are worked out. I'm just super happy with my Gen 2.5. I waited 52 years to buy my Goldilocks Truck. I was $43K pretax & tags out the door. Had everything I wanted, the most tech of any vehicle I had bought (was driving an 06 Jeep Commander and 97 M3). The looks, ride, performance, durability, color and equipment with great entry price made this my likely once in a lifetime truck. Will keep till I can't drive Good Lord willing.....

So far at nearly 5 years and 65K of ownership, I have done oil and filters, new tires at 60K and new brake pads at 65K. Sure it is thirsty, but it is paid for. Would take me 10 years of minimally better fuel mileage to make up the extra $20K I'd have to come out of pocket to upgrade to a new, but even then, I think I would be looking at a 21 rather than a 22.......

 

I use to have a 20mile commute to work. It was like yours. Back roads, 35-40mph and I would also get 19-20mpg. Before my 33”, I would get around 18-19 being easy on it, on the hwy 60-65mph. Now with the 33” on my last trip, 15-16mpg@75-80mph. If I kept it below 70 it would have been around 17-18. But then again I didn’t buy it for mpg if that were the case I would own a economy vehicle.