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2010 Toyota 4Runner redesign

769 messages,  Last post on May 12, 2013 at 1:04 PM

You are in the Toyota 4Runner Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota 4Runner, Concept Cars, Future Vehicle, SUV

Messages Page 75 of 78

#734 of 769 Re: New Jeep Grand Cherokee Betters New Toyota 4Runner (Consumer Reports) [tsu670] by stateofmaine

Nov 05, 2010 (3:43 pm)

Replying to: tsu670 (Nov 05, 2010 6:24 am)
want to add to my previous post that there is a big difference in how reasonable the "wait and see" approach is in buyers' consideration of these two vehicles. namely:
 
the Grand Cherokee (Jeep itself, more broadly) has a well-founded/deserved reputation for poor quality stretching back many, many years. every mention of Jeep on this sub-forum has come with that caveat and commensurate hesitation, and the professional auto reviewers never fail to make note of it in their critiques either. the new JGC is an attempted "reboot" by a company that in the past decade has been bought and sold, filed for bankruptcy, and is now at the start of a new partnership (with Fiat of all companies... don't get me started). given the state of the american auto industry, of course there's a certain allure to the notion of a homegrown brand making good again, rising from the ashes, and winning out the day. it makes for an awesome story; i'm not immune to its appeal. however, the fact is that the JGC comes burdened by a family history—quality improvements must be deep to be substantive and lasting. and quite honestly, the fact that Chrysler has now grafted its already questionable DNA with Fiat... well, it just doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies, let's say.
 
the 4Runner, on the other hand is the 5th generation of a venerable brand, manufactured—as from the start—in Toyota's renowned Tahara plant with LandCruiser and Lexus models whose build quality exudes, well, quality. the 4Runner's new Prado 150 platform is an evolution of a trusted foundation that's proven its mettle and earned a rock-solid reputation for more than 25 years. despite the public drubbing it took last year, (and odd how the NHTSA's recent findings were nowhere near as widely publicized by the press) Toyota's quality system is still considered the gold standard and emulated worldwide.
 
buyers looking at a new 4Runner aren't asking themselves, "it's nice, but is it going to last?" because they don't have to. it's a stark contrast with the same inner monologue played out at a Jeep dealer, because that's the way it is. people will compare feature-by-feature, but when it comes to Toyota, the question of quality is simply off the table.
 
yes, yes, yen -v- USD, decontenting, blah, blah... those are real things, sure, but if you think that Toyota hit the "sloppy switch" on the 2010 4Runner assembly line because of the currency exchange—and that if the USD/yen ratio improves they'll return it to the "quality setting"—well, that's just bananas. yes, bananas.
 
your attitude about the 4th gen being the last "valuable" 4Runner is like a high school student chanting "Class of 2010 sucks! Class of 2008 ROCKS!!" they're both great vehicles borne of a storied history of great vehicles. and you do them both a disservice by presenting the 2011 JGC and 2010 4Runner as a parity choice.

#735 of 769 Re: Comfort challenged [pjc1] by tiredowaitin1

Dec 01, 2010 (12:35 pm)

Replying to: pjc1 (Feb 23, 2010 9:39 pm)
Hmm, I play with the seat constantly trying to get comfortable in this new '11 4Runner SR5. I just can't see to find any setting that's good. Why? If the steering wheel dropped a little more, maybe it would be doable. So it's not me then, and I'm in Sales on the road. Looks like I'll trade it in for the new Durango or Ford Explorer which I was waiting for but just couldn't wait any longer. My last Toyota was a '90 4x4 reg cab p/u I bought new back then and need I say any more about horrible seating. My last vehicle was an '01 MDX of which there is no seating comparison! It was super! I went back and forth coparing Highlander to 4Runner and decided on this since I tow but why can't they get it right! I just can't tolerate horrible seating.

#736 of 769 Seating by chuck1919

Dec 01, 2010 (12:54 pm)

I am in sales too. I own an '05 Sport -V8-2WD. It's a great vehicle but I couldn't Imaging driving it every day in sales. We tow a 5,000 pound travel trailer. The 4Runner is on a truck frame, there is no getting around this.
 
I suspect there are more than just lousy seats causing your problems.
 
The MDX is a great vehicle with a uni body chassis and front (or all wheel?) drive.
 
It is NOTHING LIKE the 4Runner.
 
You would have been better off with the Highlander for every day driving, but it would not have met your towing requirements.
 
You can't have very thing. That Durango will ride like a truck as well.

#737 of 769 Re: New Jeep Grand Cherokee Betters New Toyota 4Runner (Consumer Reports) [stateofmaine] by tsu670

Dec 02, 2010 (8:30 am)

Replying to: stateofmaine (Nov 05, 2010 3:43 pm)
I never once said Toyota hit "the sloppy switch" regarding quality of the latest gen 4Runner. I actually said I believed quality would not change.
 
First you misrepresent a statement of an article I linked that you admitted turned out to be from another article entirely, then you misrepresented my direct words. What appeared to be a potentially intelligent conversation instead turned disappointing. Perhaps for others reading this thread it isn't difficult to see where the "bla, bla, bla" is really coming from.

#738 of 769 Re: New Jeep Grand Cherokee Betters New Toyota 4Runner (Consumer Reports) [tsu670] by stateofmaine

Dec 10, 2010 (6:41 pm)

Replying to: tsu670 (Dec 02, 2010 8:30 am)
it goes without saying that "sloppy switch" was a colorful euphemism to describe your previously stated opinion that the 5th gen 4runner is a lesser vehicle than the 4th gen. i'm sorry if i misinterpreted statements like the following to mean that you were calling its quality into question:
 
"The 4Runner has always had high reliability and safety ratings, and one can reasonably hope Toyota didn't compromise on those factors in its decontenting of the latest version.
...
I, too, would be concerned about Chrysler reliability, especially on a 1st year production run of a new version. Might be worth waiting a year or two. Same goes for the 4Runner. The dollar/yen ratio might someday improve substantially."
 
honestly, when i read your words again, it's difficult for me to arrive at a different conclusion, but in any case, i did not "misrepresent [your] direct words". based on your saying above that you believe "quality would not change" it would seem that i misinterpreted them, though i would be surprised to learn that i was alone in that interpretation. 
 
secondly, yes, i admitted that i mistakenly quoted a different article reporting the exact same Consumer Reports story (CR is behind a paywall; can't link to the story directly). again, there was no misrepresentation; i explained the error. having said that, the quote from the article i sourced was that CR could not recommend the new JGC due to its "lackluster reliability" — which is a fact no matter which article you happened to read. moreover, the spirit of the article i quoted was precisely the same as the one you originally linked to because, obviously, they were reporting the exact same CR test results. the differences are trivial and ultimately immaterial. further, the quote "The 4Runner doesn’t let you forget you’re driving a truck” is indeed from the article you linked to in your post. 
 
please illuminate me as to how any of that amounts to "misrepresentation"? ... "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride.
 
i regret that you feel a "potentially intelligent conversation turned disappointing." i feel i've made some exceedingly cogent (if impassioned) points and, like anyone on the Internet, leave it to readers to separate the wheat from the chaff for themselves.

#739 of 769 Re: Good Choice [nothardly] by jcatan3

Jan 11, 2011 (9:15 pm)

Replying to: nothardly (Oct 23, 2010 5:34 pm)
I sold my 2004 4Runner Sport Edition (which I drove for 80K miles) and purchased a 2010 Limited - loaded w/ nav, premium sound, etc. I feel that the 2010 is a huge improvememt over the predecessor. The interior is roomier, instrumentation is laid out much better, is more driver friendly, and is much more comfortable..period!. It has plenty of power but is a bit more sluggish than the 04 (maybe from added weight?) but then again, it's an SUV not a sports car. The ride is extremely smooth and I do not hear any strange noises. I have read earlier complaints about the brake pedal, but my 04 did that too (as well as other vehicles that I've owned) & its barely noticeable. I love the exterior styling...it is much more aggressive looking. The only 2 complaints that I have are that the slide out cargo table is pretty much useless & just takes up space and I wish that the antenna was built in like on earlier models. Otherwise, I love it! 12,000 miles driven so far.

#740 of 769 Re: Good Choice [jcatan3] by warreb

Jan 12, 2011 (8:43 am)

Replying to: jcatan3 (Jan 11, 2011 9:15 pm)
Good continued luck with your 2010. I'm coming up on 15K with mine, after a year; so far, so good.

#741 of 769 hmmm... let me see what I read till now by kennerdriver

Feb 05, 2011 (6:41 pm)

Wow... a great thread of nitpickers...
 
1. Someone comparing a $40k vehicle's comfort to a $80k+ vehicles comfort. Well, at least he did acknowledge that the $80k vehicle was perhaps not very reliable.
 
2. Someone keeps on harping about the greatness of a Jeep.
 
3. Little annoyances like the lack of locking for the gas cap, bug's eye like protrusion of the side lights etc... btw, it is amazing that my wife picked at all those little nits after just walking around the vehicle at the dealer's and the test ride.
 
There are some serious complaints like the hissing brake which deserves careful attention. Otherwise, I think I just read a bunch of pages with nit pickers trying to portray inconvenience as a problem. I think they knew that going in and should not have purchased the vehicle as those were pretty obvious at the first glance.
 
Now that you have the vehicle, why not just try to enjoy it and have fun

#742 of 769 Re: hmmm... let me see what I read till now [kennerdriver] by jspagna1

Feb 08, 2011 (1:59 pm)

Replying to: kennerdriver (Feb 05, 2011 6:41 pm)
Well here is my take on this conversation. I had a 95 Jeep GC with the V8 (318 cid) and it hauled balls, but it went through brakes like crazy and it had electrical gremlins up the ass.
I then bought a 97 T4R SR5 and still own it to this day with it now having 154,000 miles. Truck is totally undestructable.
Yes it has no locking gas cap, and it has the poll antenna with no longer works, no LED's, no heated mirrors, etc, etc. But the truck is depenable as hell.
I never buy the first year production of a new MY and I will probably keep mt Runner or give it to my daugher who wants it bad, but I am just soooo nervous about buying a new Runner because they just don't make them like they used to. But if and when I need to buy a new truck the 4Runner will be number one on my list.

#743 of 769 Consumer Reports pans 5th gen 4Runner by tsu670

Mar 16, 2011 (3:29 pm)

Please don't shoot the messenger:
 
4th Gen Better Than 5th

Messages Page 75 of 78

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