Why Consumer Reports Hates 5th Gen T4R?

I actually had been driving it for a day or two at that point. I think when full I can go about 420 miles or so.

 

In my mind they are comparing apples to oranges. It's not an SUV, it's a truck, or better yet, in its own league! CR is dumb.

 

Of course it’s an SUV. In the most classic sense of the term. A term invented to describe a vehicle based on truck underpinnings, but having accommodations for more passengers, and the ability to keep gear out of the weather. A jack of all trades. Why do we insist on calling it a truck? It’s not a truck. Trucks have a bed or a box and their primary use is hauling. The Bronco. The Blazer. The 4Runner. These are SUV’s. Body-on-frame behemoths with their roots in the pickup truck realm. But recently the term SUV has been conflated with Crossover. Thats why we call it a truck. Because the term SUV has been stolen and applied to lesser vehicles. Toyota is partially responsible for the confusion — using the term AWD to describe any vehicle that’s not 2WD. As if they could borrow the 4Runner’s off-road credibility and give it to the Rav4. How did that turn out? Rather than elevate the RAV4 they’ve dragged the reputation of the 4Runner down to the level of the AWD. And it’s the same with Consumer Reports and their co-opting of the the term SUV.

Yes. The 4Runner is an SUV. And we should proclaim it proudly, and wrest the term back from mere crossovers, and keep the crossovers in their place. I know you all share my outrage!

I better stop now. I’m starting to get a little misty. (*sniff*)

 

SUV = built on BOF truck chassis.
Crossover = built on unibody chassis.
I’ve always thought the “crossover” label was ridiculous.

 

SUV is really a meaningless term now. Even lifted hatchbacks are called SUVs these says, it's dumb.

that said calling BOF SUVs "trucks" is as old as the term SUV itself.

 

When my wife asks what we're taking when we go out, I'm not going to answer the ESS YOU VEE or FOUR RUNNER, I say truck. You can call it anything you like.

 

4Runner is SPV (special purpose vehicle)

 

I recently traded a 2016 VW Touareg for my 2019 ORP. The VW was the first SUV that I had that was a unibody and not a BOF. I don't feel that it pulled my boat as well as other SUV's that I've had (Jeep Cherokee, K5 Blazer, Tahoe, Land Rover LR3) all of which were BOF. One of the reasons I traded the VW was that there was, to me, too much technology (i.e. things that can go wrong, that are expensive to fix). Example: Ada[tive Cruise Control, Lane Departure which is tied to the wheel alignment and if a wheel gets knocked out of alignment the alignment, which can only be done by a VW dealer is over $900.00. The 4R has plenty of technology for what I use it for. CR knocks it for the things it doesn't have, which some of us don't want, and doesn't give it any credit for the things it does have, which we do want.

I'll check CR for Washers & Dryers, since they all pretty much do the same thing, wash and dry your clothes. I don't however check them for vehicles, since vehicles, especially SUV's are not a one size fits all purchase.

 

That’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard of, I wouldn’t want a vehicle that has $900 wheel alignments either. You picked the right year 4 runner because after 2019 we now have those stupid safety features. I am Atleast happy you can disable the active cruise control so it behaves like old school cruise control. Only + side is I like the gauge cluster better in the 2020+ Models.

 

Consumer reports has a job to do, write articles, sell to the masses.
The only thing the 4runner sucks at is stereos.. They are awfull. JBL too. Low grade..

 

I thought I had JBL and I was wrong, compared to newer vehicles I agree the speakers are kind of weak.

 

You’ve proved my point. You’ve been conditioned by the ad people and propagandists to see the term as a pejorative.

 

It's not a pejorative to use those terms, they just take too long to say. Why use 3 syllables when one will do?

As far as I'm concerned, there are cars, trucks (bed or not), and bikes (motorcycles).

Who gives a flying flip what people call their 4Runner...?

 

So true. The article states that for the money the 4Runner should ride like a Luxury car like a Cadillac ..LOL It's a real 4x4 Off Road Machine and the $40K+ price shouldn't mean it has a soft ride.

 

Sometimes I express myself poorly. If I have offended you I apologize.

 

It’s a SUV! If you don’t have enough time in life to say SUV well damn you gotta free some up.

 

I agree though. “Kids, go get in the truck” versus “Kids, go get in the SUV”. I say ‘truck’ tells them which vehicle more readily in a multi-car family such as mine, where we have a Rav4 and a 4Runner. Both are technically SUVs. The Rav4 is decidedly NOT a truck.

 

My wife has a rav4 as well, tell them to get into the BEAST

 

"Ok, Daddy. Mommy's BEAST or your BEAST?".

 

Pshhhh if that’s the case gotta teach em what’s real

 

No offense taken, no worries. I suppose I've derailed this thread far enough. Back to railing at CR...

 

They. Said THIS....



20 Most Reliable Cars of the Decade According to Consumer Reports - By Eric Shaal -
Published on
June 5, 2018

1. Toyota 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner is nearly impossible to kill.

• An amazing 13 straight years of top reliability scores make 4Runner the undisputed champion.

It may lack refinement and seem a little dated, but as far as reliability is concerned nothing compares to Toyota 4Runner. The truck-based SUV posted 13 consecutive years of the highest ratings Consumer Reports gives for durability. Since 4Runner has not undergone a redesign since 2010, buyers of any model-year can be confident they’re getting the most bulletproof vehicle in America.

 

Auto industry writers generally are not 4Runner people. They want continuous product development. Without it, they have little to write about.

Toyota hasn't given them anything to write about for over a decade so they can either ignore the 4Runner, bash it for being old and stale or mention some people still buy them because they are reliable.

 

I guess they get things right once in awhile.

 

As the adage goes if ain’t broke don’t fix it

 

Consumer Reports??? - hahahaha!. Kia Telluride - hahahaha!. Shit, you guys kill me.

 

Because it isn't made for the general population

 

So did I. Had an R/T. Kept getting that dreaded p300 code from the Pentastar v6. Had multiple roller rockers replaced and never fixed the issue.
Then the thing started stalling out on me with Map sensor issues. 3 MAP sensors in 1 year.
Dealer gave me $9300 for it and saved another $650 off the 4runner with the tax savings.

My wife couldn’t be happier even though we enjoyed the journey until the engine issues.

We looked into the Telluride and the Hyundai palisade wasn’t super impressed with either and wasn’t looking to spend around $45k for a 2 year old suv with over 40k already on the clock. I’ll deal with the 60 less miles per tank and enjoy my money saved.

 

Except the shimmy. We leave that for some