Talk me out of a 4Runner TRD Pro

[Madtiger]

I’m a little intrigued by the new info coming out about the 2023 GX.

Nice update…but that front end (without AHC to lift the front end) will be a huge minus for anyone who takes it off-road. Other than cost i guess, i never get why GX with the most premium package cannot have AHC…it has the rear butt lift but that actually decreases approach angle! And why is fuel tank skid plate “optional” onLy on the expensive package?!

 

[goodnightnyc]

The 4runner is a simple vehicle, and the mechanical components are very high quality. That is why they are the price they are. They are relatively simple. This is what many people want, they sell like crazy. Could they make the interior nicer? Sure I guess. But people use the 4runner for throwing dogs and camping and hiking stuff in. Guess what happens if you have a fancy interior and the dogs chew on a seat or panel? Now you have to replace that item. And if it's fancy it's fragile and expensive. Ever had to replace a wood panel on a Lexus? It's not cheap. Could the 4runner have more electronic fancy things? Sure. But again that's more stuff to break. Could a 4runner have more power? I guess. However the 4.0 is one of the most reliable engines on the planet. I would say it's more reliable than the 5.7. The automatic transmission is also extremely reliable. Reliability is a huge deal in a 4x4. When your 1000 miles from home on a adventure of some sort would you rather have reliability or twin turbos and lots of electronic luxuries? A fair group of people just want to load it up with all their gear and go without worry and make it back. Yes you can go buy a European vehicle, or maybe a turbo something. Most vehicles that are not Toyota and are fancier will have more problems at 100k miles than a 4runner or most other Toyotas at 300k miles. An Audi, vw, Landrover, ecoboost, jeeps, all have their mechanical issues. 4runner has none. The TRD pro is a great vehicle. Honestly you could buy one, keep it for a year, and if you want something different it will sell easily for a tad less than its sticker price. They hold value very well.

Great points. That’s my rationale as well. I could buy the TRD Pro (assuming I can find one at MSRP) and then resell it without losing much money if any at all.

If money were no object I’d rather buy a second LC200 and modify it for purely off-road/recreational use. But the cost of mods adds up quick, and I likely wouldn’t recover any of it upon resale. So it would turn into a very expensive toy (albeit superior to the 4R).

 

[Angelo1]

The 4runner is a simple vehicle, and the mechanical components are very high quality. That is why they are the price they are. They are relatively simple. This is what many people want, they sell like crazy. Could they make the interior nicer? Sure I guess. But people use the 4runner for throwing dogs and camping and hiking stuff in. Guess what happens if you have a fancy interior and the dogs chew on a seat or panel? Now you have to replace that item. And if it's fancy it's fragile and expensive. Ever had to replace a wood panel on a Lexus? It's not cheap. Could the 4runner have more electronic fancy things? Sure. But again that's more stuff to break. Could a 4runner have more power? I guess. However the 4.0 is one of the most reliable engines on the planet. I would say it's more reliable than the 5.7. The automatic transmission is also extremely reliable. Reliability is a huge deal in a 4x4. When your 1000 miles from home on a adventure of some sort would you rather have reliability or twin turbos and lots of electronic luxuries? A fair group of people just want to load it up with all their gear and go without worry and make it back. Yes you can go buy a European vehicle, or maybe a turbo something. Most vehicles that are not Toyota and are fancier will have more problems at 100k miles than a 4runner or most other Toyotas at 300k miles. An Audi, vw, Landrover, ecoboost, jeeps, all have their mechanical issues. 4runner has none. The TRD pro is a great vehicle. Honestly you could buy one, keep it for a year, and if you want something different it will sell easily for a tad less than its sticker price. They hold value very well.

I don’t believe anyone is debating anything you said, I personally would not own a 200 and a 4Runner together. I like the idea of having a 200 and maybe Lexus or Porsche if one can afford it. Some days I don’t want to wear casual clothes and want to get a little more dressed up. That’s my personal taste of having a completely different type of vehicle in the garage. Spice of life makes things a little more fun

 

[Angelo1]

Nice update…but that front end (without AHC to lift the front end) will be a huge minus for anyone who takes it off-road. Other than cost i guess, i never get why GX with the most premium package cannot have AHC…it has the rear butt lift but that actually decreases approach angle! And why is fuel tank skid plate “optional” onLy on the expensive package?!

Probably don’t need the skid plate on the higher end package for mall shopping. Maybe they don’t add AHC to give the LX for room to sell.

 

[Madtiger]

Great points. That’s my rationale as well. I could buy the TRD Pro (assuming I can find one at MSRP) and then resell it without losing much money if any at all.

If money were no object I’d rather buy a second LC200 and modify it for purely off-road/recreational use. But the cost of mods adds up quick, and I likely wouldn’t recover any of it upon resale. So it would turn into a very expensive toy (albeit superior to the 4R).

Stupid question…and since this thread is so long and i am lazy, why not get a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for “off-road/recreational use”? Cheaper than TRD Pro. Much more capable. Resale value is insane, maybe even better than 4runner? Fun as hell vehicle to drive with top down, door off, and even windshield down. And quite frankly a damn cool vehicle without the “poser” look.

 

[Madtiger]

Probably don’t need the skid plate on the higher end package for mall shopping. Maybe they don’t add AHC to give the LX for room to sell.

But that’s the thing…no GX has had skid plate for gas tank until 2021 when it is ONLY on GX with off-road package. So, with the nose that is low and no skidplates, it is as if GX is really an on-road queen. And 4runner is the brute cousin.

 

[goodnightnyc]

Stupid question…and since this thread is so long and i am lazy, why not get a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for “off-road/recreational use”? Cheaper than TRD Pro. Much more capable. Resale value is insane, maybe even better than 4runner? Fun as hell vehicle to drive with top down, door off, and even windshield down. And quite frankly a damn cool vehicle without the “poser” look.

Not a stupid question! I actually owned two Rubicon’s previously. See post #124 in this thread.

Great vehicles. Only the 2 door, manual transmission Wranglers interest me. I sold them because my wife can’t drive stick and getting my two year old in the back seat was too cumbersome. So I barely wound up driving them at all. To be honest though I do regret selling the 2019 Rubicon. It was a blast to drive.

 

[Madtiger]

Not a stupid question! I actually owned two Rubicon’s previously. See post #124 in this thread.

Great vehicles. Only the 2 door, manual transmission Wranglers interest me. I sold them because my wife can’t drive stick and getting my two year old in the back seat was too cumbersome. So I barely wound up driving them at all. To be honest though I do regret selling the 2019 Rubicon. It was a blast to drive.

So, buy a 4-door Rubi with automatic.

 

[blaise]

I don't think you'd be particularly happy with the purchase. Driving a 4Runner (which is really the vast majority) on the highway with A/T tires is incredibly loud, it's underpowered, less space, etc.

Still a great truck though, just most serious 4Runner owners are aspirational L/C buyers.

 

[goodnightnyc]

So, buy a 4-door Rubi with automatic.

But that’s not a real Wrangler! Lol

 

[TeCKis300]

Speaking of the GX, a buddy just got one and slapped some mildly upsized 265/65r18 (31.5) AT3s on. We all thought he was going to hold us back with his clearance and angles as the rest of us run 35s and 37s.

We're not rock crawling but did hit some pretty good technical stuff. The GX held it's own. Because of its more compact dimensions, its angles really didn't impede it. Stock suspension (non-KDSS) also held its own with great body control. 7hrs of off-roading and he was all smiles in total comfort. I like the GX a lot.

That would be my choice but that doesn't take away from the 4R. Heck, people pay big money for older 40-series, and they are infinitely more simple, rickety, and underpowered. If the goal is a simple, durable, and an honest off-roader, the 4R is it.

 

[Chewbacca]

I don’t believe anyone is debating anything you said, I personally would not own a 200 and a 4Runner together. I like the idea of having a 200 and maybe Lexus or Porsche if one can afford it. Some days I don’t want to wear casual clothes and want to get a little more dressed up. That’s my personal taste of having a completely different type of vehicle in the garage. Spice of life makes things a little more fun

You think 4Runners and 200s are expensive right now? I went 911 shopping a couple months ago. They had a 5 year old 911 GTS (i.e., not a special car, just a 911) on the lot. It originally stickered for $125k. They were asking $135k. I laughed. They didn't have hardly anything else except Taycans, Cayennes and Macans on the lot.

I will be waiting for a 911 for a while. I can see paying over sticker for something like a GT3, but a 5 year old 911 GTS? Hell no.

 

[Madtiger]

It’s actually not on high ride height. It’s at normal. He talks about the build here. height

In this video:



Go to 16 min mark. Yeah, when they drop the diff and lift suspension and tricked the air suspension to be in HIGH mode, there is no articulation and ride becomes crap.

 

[Angelo1]

You think 4Runners and 200s are expensive right now? I went 911 shopping a couple months ago. They had a 5 year old 911 GTS (i.e., not a special car, just a 911) on the lot. It originally stickered for $125k. They were asking $135k. I laughed. They didn't have hardly anything else except Taycans, Cayennes and Macans on the lot.

I will be waiting for a 911 for a while. I can see paying over sticker for something like a GT3, but a 5 year old 911 GTS? Hell no.

That’s pretty ridiculous for a non-limited edition 911. Supply and demand.

In this video:



Go to 16 min mark. Yeah, when they drop the diff and lift suspension and tricked the air suspension to be in HIGH mode, there is no articulation and ride becomes crap.

No disagreement there. However, it still performed the job without damage. Go to the 20:30 mark. Lol. That 392 sure is a beauty on 39”s. It would be fun to own one for the nasty stuff. The Bronco is pretty impressive out of the box. The crux of our 200 is the CV’s and difficulty of adding just 35”s if done properly(4:88 gearing and Tundra swap).

 

[Madtiger]

No disagreement there. However, it still performed the job without damage. Go to the 20:30 mark. Lol. That 392 sure is a beauty on 39”s. It would be fun to own one for the nasty stuff. The Bronco is pretty impressive out of the box. The crux of our 200 is the CV’s and difficulty of adding just 35”s if done properly(4:88 gearing and Tundra swap).

Yup…that is why i have tons of respect for Rubicon 392. Nothing beats a Rubicon in the wild. Aftermarket support is unlimited.

As for Bronco…impressive off-road capability indeed. BUT, for daily use, it will drive me crazy with Fischer Price build quality:



These type of rattles and peeling insulation/headliner would drive me crazy.

 

[Angelo1]

Yup…that is why i have tons of respect for Rubicon 392. Nothing beats a Rubicon in the wild. Aftermarket support is unlimited.

As for Bronco…impressive off-road capability indeed. BUT, for daily use, it will drive me crazy with Fischer Price build quality:



These type of rattles and peeling insulation/headliner would drive me crazy.

“Fischer Price build quality” Priceless

 

[TheRealDeal124]

All this talk about Rubicons makes me miss my ol girl, 2006 Unlimited Rubicon, a unicorn in the jeep world. This was my toy before I switched to my 95 K294, yes my last two toys had factory lockers. That thing went anywhere I pointed it. Bought it with 21,300 miles in 2015, wheeled it stock for 2 years before I started modifying it. I stuck with mostly ARB gear when I could, I installed a 31 gallon fuel tank. Had tons of fun and I do miss it at times. The best Jeep platform to make a build with in my opinion.

 

[NYC570]

You think 4Runners and 200s are expensive right now? I went 911 shopping a couple months ago. They had a 5 year old 911 GTS (i.e., not a special car, just a 911) on the lot. It originally stickered for $125k. They were asking $135k. I laughed. They didn't have hardly anything else except Taycans, Cayennes and Macans on the lot.

I will be waiting for a 911 for a while. I can see paying over sticker for something like a GT3, but a 5 year old 911 GTS? Hell no.

911 prices shot up a lot recently. I could sell the TTS right now with a lot more miles and actually make a profit.

 

[Madtiger]

“Fischer Price build quality” Priceless

The nice thing about the Bronco is that you just need to have Elmer’s glue with you…they are on sale at Walmart for upcoming school year! Apparently, that is what Ford used to attach things together on the Bronco. So just buy a few boxes of Elmer’s glue for trail duty.

 

[goodnightnyc]

All this talk about Rubicons makes me miss my ol girl, 2006 Unlimited Rubicon, a unicorn in the jeep world. This was my toy before I switched to my 95 K294, yes my last two toys had factory lockers. That thing went anywhere I pointed it. Bought it with 21,300 miles in 2015, wheeled it stock for 2 years before I started modifying it. I stuck with mostly ARB gear when I could, I installed a 31 gallon fuel tank. Had tons of fun and I do miss it at times. The best Jeep platform to make a build with in my opinion.

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Beautiful Jeep! The old school Unlimited Wrangler truly is a unicorn.