Do you wave at other 4Runners?

I grew up in a small ag town in South Texas. I learned from the get go to wave at everyone. Farmers/ranchers with the left hand on top of the wheel with the two finger wave always made me smile and wave back. So I always have, always will wave at anyone passing by slow enough to see it. I enjoy being friendly.

 

Not in town, but maybe if I see one when out on a trail.
Our office vehicles for work are two Jeep Wranglers. The first time I drove one people kept waving or nodding at me and was so confused because I had no idea why. It’s not like people normally wave at me when driving around. It took me a while to realize that it was only people in Jeeps waving at me and that I was also in a Jeep. That’s when I learned about that.

 

To everyone but the SR5s with TRD tags

 

That’s a thing?

 

It is, but I don't know how you would notice, really, by passing someone on the street. Unless you made a u-turn and followed them closely for a few miles. If you did that, I don't think they would be interested in waving; probably more interested in trying to lose the tail.

 

I unfortunately waved at one today because I thought it was someone I knew. I felt dirty after.

 

so I was kinda joking, but…
I have really only seen one that had me laughing and rolling my eyes. I parked next to one at the grocery store and it was friggin covered in TRD stickers (hood, door, fender, etc) but still had the SR5 tag. I almost wanted to hang out and ask if this was a joke or they were serious.

Driving back from LA last month my wife and I saw a red 2 door ford ranger with “raptor” painted on each door and at the top of the tailgate. Dude also had friggin raptors painted on the bed with claw marks.

 

I always thought the TRD designation on 4Runners was ludicrous to begin with. Toyota Racing Division? 4Runner? It’s a little incongruous don’t you think? Does my “TRD” Off Road have any actual “performance” parts that might make it outperform an SR5? Nope. Not even the stupid TRD cold air intake.

Am I missing something? Does the TRD badging have anything to do with the mechanicals other than a lever vs a knob on the transfer case?

 

Just needs the toyota stripes in several places on your car and you're ready to rally

 

What about the suspension?

 

I’m pretty sure that the SR5, the TRD Off Road, and the TRD Off Road Premium all have the same suspension. The Pro, the Limited and the Sport deserve the TRD moniker more than the Offroads.

 

I do look at other modded 4runners when they are far away but pretend I don't see them when they are next to me.

 

Advanced traction management and locking rear diff make an already competent sr5 even more competent. So yes, the trd models are more performance oriented than the the sr5 and limited.

Why does the base carry the sr5 name? The sr5 used to be reserved for performance models. Really it's all just marketing

 

Got to differentiate between models/options somehow.

 

I had to re-do the research to make sure I wasn’t crazy. At least for the 2018, there are two differences if you’re comparing the 4x4 SR5 to the TRD Off Road. (There is an SR5 4X2, but I’m not sure why you’d purchase that over a Highlander. Would be curious about that.) The two differences: Rear lockers and Crawl Control. But, as you work your way up the models there are improvements in suspension, tuning, and armor.

Mainly just writing here because it helps me remember what I learn. I’m not super uppity about have a TRD. It does sound out the word Turd after all.

 

The only real performance difference is suspension where the trd has come with either bilstein of fox suspension (depending on the year). The tuning is the same and the Trail/trd off road have most of the same armor except for a different engine skid plate. Neither skid plate is very robust.

 

On my 4R, I really don't care for the reduced voltage high beams that constitute the DRL's. So I made a mount behind the grill that holds a pair of PIAA yellow fogs that I use for the DRL's. In our town, there's another Blue 4R that has yellow fogs mounted in the same place and I've been waving at the Lady that drives it and she waves back. All the other 4R's in town either do or don't run the DRL's.

And the day goes on.

 

Here’s one for all. My friend bought a theft recovery 4Runner at a good price and took off the body. Replaced it with an early “Stout” truck body. Got two TRD Off Road decals, one for each side towards the rear of the truck bed and put them on. Had a custom pinstripe guy copy the color and look of the TRD Off Road decal, then with paint printed “Before” in front of the decals. It read “Before TRD Off Road”. I thought that was the coolest mod I’d ever seen.

 

Speaking of… last week I saw a modded Lexus SUV with “LRD Off Road” badging.

 

There is a GX in my neighborhood that has some stellar wheels/tires/suspension upgrades done in one of the most tasteful ways I’ve seen on a GX. Has a front runner rack on it, too. He has the LRD decal on the two rear quarter panels that are the ‘only’ thing I think is a miss. Yet, with how the rest looks, I admit (as a guy with a bone stock ORP with factory ‘OR Upgrade Package’) about half the time I think it looks pretty cool.

 

Not completely accurate if your ORP has the KDSS suspension package

 

I only wave at non Limiteds and if they have AT or MT tires on

 

Another one.

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I give others driving the middle finger

 

Nope. All the old women who drive them up here dont care.

 

Just took a ten-mile or so run up into the mountains just to "lube up" the transfer case, etc. Saw well over a dozen 4Runners in the ~20 miles I drove. No one even looked, although most were soccer moms=several at the local high school picking up younger kids!