'22 TRD Pro - Thoughts after the first 12K miles

Thought I would post my thoughts after four months and 12K miles of ownership. I picked it up from the dealer on Dec 11th with 3 miles on the odometer.

Quality: About on-par with my expectations. I am a buyer who does TONS of research before buying a new vehicle. I joined this and other forums while deciding which one. I knew ahead of time to NOT have high expectations on certain things, but he one thing that tipped my decision in favor of Toyota in general, and 4-Runner specifically, was quality and reliability.

So, I'm not disappointed, although, also not super-impressed (I Guess?) with things. The quality of the vehicle itself is what I expect from Toyota, although the interior takes the 'quality rating' down a couple of notches. I have had intermittent squeaks and rattles that seem to go away on their own... nothing major and no fails, just a bit of "chincy-ness" that I wasn't quite ready for. Seats are comfy for the most-part, and I do miss the HUGE amount of room I had in my F150, but I knew this would be a much tighter space. Exterior is very nice, although, I can't understand the use of very light-colored primer on a black vehicle. Chips are immediately 'in-your-face'. Why not use a darker primer on darker painted vehicles? Also, (and this is a dealer bitch) my paint had horrible swirl marks in it when I got it in the bright sunlight for the first time. I had to pay a detailer a pretty penny to spend 7 hours of back breaking work removing them. I highly recommend that you tell the dealer NOT to wash your vehicle before delivery, unless they're using the right stuff to avoid this. Mechanically, a solidly built car. No real complaints except that I am a little miffed about the way this transmission "hunts" around between 4th and 5th speed.

Power: I fully expected to be VERY disappointed in the available power from this vehicle (coming from a full-sized truck with a very powerful twin-turbo engine), however, I must say that, while I DO miss it a bit when accelerating, I find that the power curve is acceptable and better than I expected. I do NOT have any chips/pedal commander/etc... fully stock. There is more than enough for what I need. I can pass fine when I need to, off road, I am not lacking at all.

Maintenance: I opted to NOT use the dealer's free maintenance for the first 25K. I have performed two oil changes and tire rotations. After reading/watching/researching the procedure, I was a little apprehensive about the oil filter set up. Why on earth would Toyota do it this way? But after changing it twice (I DID, btw, change to the aluminum filter housing on my first change), it's not so bad. I wish I didn't have to remove my TRD skid plate each time - pain in the ass to re-install it alone in my drive way, but I will get use to that after a while. So far so good, I will re-visit this after I have to do more than just oil/tires.

MPG: Like most people, I could NOT believe a smaller sized SUV (compared to what I was used to before) with a V6 would only get 18-19 mpg. I just 'knew' that I would do better than that!! Ha... I am finding that I can drive it gently and get 19-20, drive it 'normally', and get 18-19, and drive it without caring about MPG and get 16-17. So, pretty much exactly what is advertised. I've gotten as good as 20.5... several in the high-19s, low-20s... but my average is a solid 19.0 mpg (see the Fuelly app graph below... can you tell where my road trips have been? LoL). So, bottom line, I really can't complain, because EVERY SINGLE reference told me I would get this MPG. I guess I can say "As Advertised!".

Off Road: I haven't had too many opportunities yet to really put it through it's paces, however, in the limited amount I have, I'm THOROUGHLY impressed on this front. I've owned Jeeps, several different full-sized trucks and a couple of smaller trucks with 4WD. This is, without a doubt, the most off-road capable vehicle I have ever driven. Snow, Mud, Steep inclines with rocky or dirt surfaces, etc. I feel very confident in it getting me to the other side and back. I LOVE the old-school transfer case shifter. My last vehicle was a knob. Worked fine, but just didn't have that feeling, you know? I haven't tried all the modes yet. But what I have tried worked better than I expect. Well done on this factor, Toyota!! I have not, and don't plan to lift this vehicle. I don't need the extra ground clearance or larger tires, not so enamored of the "look" of a big lift/tires, and I just feel like I would be endangering some of the longevity and reliability of suspension components if I did. I may change my mind and do a mild lift for clearance with 285s down the road, but for now the look, stance, ride, etc of the stock Fox suspension and 265s are fine with me.

Speaking of the "look": I have always liked the look of 4Runners. I think the 3rd Gen is, for me, the nicest looking version, however, the current generation is very nice, as well. I originally wanted to get an ORP, because my favorite colors and options fit into that trim level. I ended up with a Pro because I found one at MSRP that I was able to get without a super-long wait and my prior search for a non-KDSS Lunar Rock or Nautical Blue ORP (my original desire) was just not working. I am now fully satisfied with the TRD Pro. I like the look (yes, I even like the stock roof-rack.. .call me weird if you must. LoL). Many of the options I wanted on my initial ORP search (Moonroof, non-KDSS, off-road tires/nicer wheels, MTM camera, etc) came stock on this trim level. As did Dual Climate (BIG PLUS !!!!), Remote Start (love this in cold weather!!!), Heated Seats (Ditto!), etc. as stock have all won me over. I'm even warming up to the Midnight Black Metallic paint (with the aforementioned exception of the light primer causing every chip to show up like a neon billboard). It's extremely classy and has subtleties to it that you just can't see in a picture. It IS a pain to maintain, but when it's clean, it's fantastic. I also love the fact that there are a million (seemingly) minor appearance mods available to make each of our 4Runners unique and individual-looking.

What I Would Like to be Different: This could be a very long list, but would mostly be a personal choice list. But a few of the top things:
- Transmission. I really think Toyota could make this much better. It works fine for slow speed city/off road stuff, but on the highway, If I'm staying anywhere around the legal speed limit, it is constantly hunting for a gear. The least incline causes the rpms to jump up and down several times until it levels out. Come 'on Toyota. is an 8 or 10 speed tranny really that much of an issue to back-fit?
- Engine Options. Here is where I feel Toyota saves a TON of money but does not pass that along in model pricing. Why couldn't I get a Turbo-version if I wanted? Or a larger (or smaller) displacement version. I think that THIS will be the biggest change for the 6th gen... at least I HOPE it is!!
- MPG. I would love to be able to say my Japanese-built smaller form-factor vehicle can reliably log 22-24 mpg (hell, I averaged 22mpg in my F150 over 218K miles!). Apparently Impossible with the 4Runner.
- Back Up Lights: Yes, I can use the camera. I typically don't, however, the reverse lights are simply inadequate for us old folks who learned to back up without cameras (and apparently don't like using the camera?). This should be a simple fix. I added brighter bulbs, but still need more.
- Tech.
1. A damned auto-open/assisted close hatch. Period. There's zero reason this is not available on a $50K+ vehicle. I know I can add it aftermarket. Shouldn't have to.
2. A better Multi-Function Display. The small display in front of the driver's face. Functional for the most part, but some features are buried, hard to find and require a lot of button pushes. The fact that setting the cruise control speed brings up a display that Makes EVERYTHING ELSE disappear... EVERY STINKING TIME I set it/accelerate/decelerate/etc ??? Unsatisfactory. I don't need THAT to blank out everything else. Even when I bypass the radar control and use 'normal' Cruise... it still brings up the full-screen to show me the speed that I set it to. Makes no sense at all.
3. Wireless phone connectivity. Blue tooth works fine. But only for the phone stuff. Why do I need to purchase a separate device to connect my apps wirelessly to the display? The 3rd party aftermarket solution is okay (except for an annoying delay in voice between you and the caller), but I shouldn't need to burn a USB slot for that. Make it part of the system. I would pay extra for that as an option.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. Paid a bit more than I expected, but got a higher Trim Model for the extra $$$ (and very happy I got this at MSRP in today's market!!). I fully expect to get many trouble-free miles out of this and after these first few months, I think it will give them to me. I love the look, I love the off-road prowess, and, all things considered, I would rate this at a solid 9 out of 10 purchase, compared with my expectations.

A big plus for me? The HUGE amount of info and the "family" feeling I get belonging to the wider "4Runner Community", I feel more pride of ownership and have great confidence that I would get tons of assistance with any question I might have. THAT is an "option" that deserves some consideration from people looking to buy one of these. It's a zero-cost feature that is worth FAR more than many of the other options we pay dearly for. I just wish that every other post wasn't about lift options and which tires would or would not rub. LoL.

Here is the Fuelly App graph of my MPG over these past 12K miles (45 fill Ups).



And a nice look at my "Black Betty"...

 

I've had mine about half the time you've had yours. Instead of doing a full write-up I'll just piggyback off of yours.

As much as people bitch about the power, I think it's right where it needs to be. I'm not showing it off by any means, but it's more than adequate. I rented a Jeep on vacation and the Runner doesn't feel any less powerful.

The transmission doesn't bother me at all. Just not something I've ever paid much attention to.

MPG is as expected. I used to have an Xterra and it got 13-14 all the time.

My biggest complaint is the camera. I know I gave up tech for reliability, but a higher res camera shouldn't be any less reliable.

 

yeah, nice write up. regarding the interior- my dash pops and creaks, and the sliding cargo tray rattles a bit. aside from that nothing really to complain about (its a lot of plastic, but it is what it is).

i wholly disagree about the power lift gate. zero interest in that. had one on the QX70 and found it slow and annoying, and incredibly expensive if it needed replacing.

i'll be doing a lot of my own maintenance as well. regarding the skid plate, i'll probably use something to help hold it up (sturdy box/platform, etc) when getting the first bolt or two in. i've installed/removed exhaust systems by myself in my dirt driveway before... so holding and installing heavy objects above my face isn't really the best of times.

 

yes. I agree with the "phantom pops/creaks/rattles".

I would like a power lift gate because I load/unload tons of items all the time and need the hatch closed between trips. I haul sensitive RF equipment for work during the week and expensive band equipment on the weekends. I typically have my hands full and need to close the hatch to carry stuff inside (not interested in leaving a $5000 dollar guitar sitting in an open hatch while I'm lugging speakers, etc into the venue!!), and having to set everything down to close the hatch is annoying. We all use our vehicles differently and this one impacts me a lot!

I have found that using a floor-jack with a wood block is my best method, but it's still a pain. I wish there was a door/hatch to get to the filter. But I can manage, just usually not an easy thing to do!

 

i hear ya regarding a power hatch for your situation.

 

I have a deposit on a 22 ORP, that said my 2nd gen has a hook on the back of the skid plate to hold the rear up near the bolt holes while getting the fronts started then the rears are easy. I wonder why it wasn’t incorporated in the new runners?

 

Good question! That would be a huge help.

 

When the new 4R shows up I will look into fabricating a hook for it.

 

You’re not going to have a tomb quiet body on frame vehicle, unless maybe you spend like $160,000 on a G wagen.

I wish I got 20 miles per gallon. The best I’m doing is about 14.

Toyota has a small V8 and six and eight speed units that would directly bolt into this vehicle. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t offer it as an option.

The reason why they probably won’t offer it as an option is that in America you can’t buy a nicer engine without getting a bunch of luxury shit nobody wants and the truck would cost $75,000 and according to people on this website nobody would buy it even though people are paying $75,000 for dealer marked up PROs.

You should probably learn how to use that back up camera and mirrors together, because unless you have x-ray vision, you’re missing about a good 30% of your field of view.

All this is just wishful thinking because the next 4Runner will probably be some type of turbocharged hybrid four-cylinder crossover.

Also, remember that you bought a 2010 vehicle, because this thing really hasn’t changed since 2010. And even in 2010, it was just a slightly updated 2003.

 

Once I finally decide to start changing my own oil, I may incorporate an idea I heard about somewhere else regarding the skid plate. Replace some or all the bolts with stainless studs to make the holes easier to locate while lying on my back.

 

I love NOT having a power lift gate.

My wife has one on her Outback and on numerous occasions we've had to rearrange the rear cargo area so the hatch would close all the way. Super annoying on trips when everything is loaded and the corner of one little item grazes the hatch.

There's something to be said for being able to slam that shit in there.

 

I just don't like them because the motor is slower and more fickle than I want it to be on every single one I've ever used.

 

That's a creative idea but you'll want to be thoughtful about how many, and in what locations. A stud that hangs down too far can smack a rock, wreck the threads, and you could have a heckuva time getting your skid plate off.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking 2 or 3 just to act as locating pins, placed out of harm's way if possible, and cut off just past the nut that I would use. The thing about these is that there's a hex for a wrench on the stud itself. So if you do hit something and can't remove the nut, you can also remove the stud.

 

THIS is a great solution! I might be doing this, since I'm putting enough miles on this thing that I need to do oil changes every 2 months or so.

 

Ha.. I've gotten that comment on here before, but I've been driving since 1975 and some habits are just impossible to break. I glance at the camera every now and then, so I'm seeing that 30%, but I can't bring myself to rely on that to back up. I have three mirrors and a rear window that I use and it's worked for me for 48 years of driving a LOT of miles... I'm an old dog and new tricks just don't appeal to me. I DO like hitting the overhead view MTM camera, once stopped, when I park in a lined space, to make sure I'm centered, though! Only use I've found for that thing so far.

 

This is probably somewhat true, but my just under $50K 2016 F150 4door, 4WD was body-on-frame and it had FAR FEWER rattles than this one and I put 218K miles on that one. Still did not rattle the day I traded it in on this 4Runner. We all know the reputation (or lack-thereof) that Ford has for vehicle quality, yet they seem to be able to put it together without creaks, groans, squeaks and rattles. And don't get me wrong, I don't want a Lincoln / Cadillac quiet ride, necessarily, but it should be tad more solid than this seems to be with the interior.

 

This is odd because my 2019 makes no unusual noises at all after 90k. No rattles or squeaks or anything.

 

The camera and mileage are my main complaints, but the 4 Runner is such a great vehicle otherwise.

 

Thread on studs for skid plate. I have done this and helps quite a bit

 

My 4Runner at 93k miles actually has far fewer interior squeaks and rattles than my wife’s 2017 RX350 at 52k miles