Hate to admit it, but the Ranger Raptor will destroy Taco/4R TRD Pro/Trailhunter sales

I don't have to deal with salt much, but I pressure wash mine when it warms enough. I know that's not an option up north. I soap mine good if I don't have a coat of mud for salt to lay on. I though about a electric pressure washer hooked warm facet or water heater. I have a little bit of rust in trailing arm boxes as usual. I was going to get the oil in spray cans for it. I don't think steel quality is as good now.

 

I bought my 2001 above Nashville and it had the black frame stuff on it still like new. I don't think it had been off pavement or in the rain. One of best looking 3rd gen colors I thought.

 

Spray Surface Shield before winter and you are golden.

 

I’m not sure if this place is over hyping the thoroughness of their “Level 4” undercoating (I mean which company doesn’t over hype themselves?), but they do sound convincing with how they take things apart and really get in there with a fine tooth comb, and also about the quality of the undercoating that they use. Ok sure I could be falling for the hype, however I’m at least basing it on their reviews, not the company’s sales pitch. So I’m planning to take a fairly long drive out to them no matter which new vehicle I buy (I’m in the salt belt)…if I don’t get a 4Runner it’ll be the more humble Forester Wilderness…

https://youtu.be/ETwBngHsqe8?si=2__2DHnst5Cv7j-v

 

So here is the thing- I don’t know.

It’s obvious Toyota frames are not dipped. Pretty likely the body is as I’ve never seen one rust. Do other manufacturers dip frames? I have no idea but another poster had a good theory why not related to painting all the frame parts separately before weld up. It may also have to do with the grade of steel used in frames being less compatible with dipping- for example when I’m working on my wife’s Honda pilot there is not a spot of rust anywhere on the unibody but there IS surface rust in many places on the engine subframe and suspension parts underneath. And that car is only 7 years old.

im just talking from experience with the cars I’ve owned and worked on. I’ve been driving since I got my license in the early 90s and started wrenching with my dad as soon as I was old enough to walk. We have had a LOT of Toyotas and Hondas in my family (our first Honda was a 77 CVCC Civic), but have also owned Fords, Chevys, Dodge, Chrysler, Nissans, Volvos, and even a couple Peugeots. Add the stuff my dad owned after I moved out on my own and cars that my buddies let me drive about the only thing Ive never been behind the wheel of are exotics like Ferrari and Lamborghini.

all the above to say this is personal experience talking, not inside info.

 

They look like they do a pretty good job. Definitely better than I can do laying on my back in my driveway. There’s still areas that I doubt they can get access to. It would be much better if Toyota just spent a few bucks and gave the frames a better coating in the first place.

 

Back to the original topic of the Ranger Raptor. I think it’s a better truck and deal than the Pro. The only issue I have with it is the mpg. I don’t think I would want another truck that averages only 17 mpg. If I had to buy a new truck today it would be a Frontier Pro4X. You can get them for under $40K.

 

I get what you're saying, but you have to remember the 1995 Tacoma weighs in at 2,560lbs while the 2024 Tacoma weighs 4,485lbs. I have faith in the 2.4T, but you cannot deny that reliability will not be the same.

 

Turbos stink, but I think Toyota will still last longer than the competitiin.

 

What’s any of that have to do with a turbo 4 in a pickup truck or a heavy body on frame SUV?

 

He said Turbo's stink So I was taking his post out of context. I will try and delete my previous post.

 

And Dodge Demon has over 1000 horsepower. So what's your point?

 

My point exactly from Yota's post was Turbos in fact do not stink. Understanding also that Toyota don't rule the earth and there is no way in telling if they will outlive something else. The web is chalk full of examples of this or that car or truck going above it's expected longevity. I didn't read the posts above what was commented on. I read one line of " Turbo's Stink, Toyota will outlive others yada yada"

I immediately thought - More fan boy nonsense - Me personally only having owned my 4 Runner for 3/4 of a year I can tell you I'm still not sold on Toyota as a brand. I like my 4 Runner but I don't LOVE my 4 Runner. There is a difference. I loved my VW's, I have loved many of my previous cars. Time will tell with Toyota and how well it stacks up to other products coming to market.

 

Toyota probably sells more Rav4s than VW's entire lineup in America. You love VW but their quality is miles behind Toyota's

 

Meh, both will be a rounding error as far as Toyota is concerned. They're positioned as halo trims i.e. something for people to get emotionally attached while they put money down on quarter-million SR5s each year.

 

Why did you give me the weight of a 1995 2wd regular cab manual shift pickup and then compare it to a 2024 TRD Offroad 4door 4wd? Isnt there some sort of saying..... Apples to Oranges?
The 2002.5 Tacoma 2wd regular cab was the last one that was still relatively light. About 2600 pounds. In 2003 they got ABS which added over 200 pounds of extra crap. The 2005 got a bigger body and was over 3000lbs.
The 2024 tacoma 4door trd sport 2wd pre-runner is 4080lbs, i have one. I also had a 2003 that i ripped the ABS out of and had it somewhere around 2700 after some tasteful mods let me find the pix. Dont try to sell me that a new truck is double the weight of an old truck, you arent talking to a dummy.

 

That is your opinion. I've owned some great VW's. Never something over 200k miles but it certainly wasn't because it died on me or was about to. If someones only basis of a brand wars argument is ENGINE reliability, then that's a very poor argument. The only ones who really care about reliability and longevity are those who don't buy new. We could argue all day long on brand innovations. I will tell you that sales don't make a brand. Do you see Ferrari's or Lamborghini's arguing about sales or reliability? No because they know that what matters is what cool engine tech they bring to the table now. Go to an open track day, you won't find any Corolla's Rav 4's or other Toyota's models for that matter. I guarantee that you will see a stage 2-3 VW Golf GTI or R among others. The kids that drive them do so because they are fun. Also because they know that VW has made some great 4 cylinder turbo'd engines with bullet proof reliability even under heavier turbo loads. Do they care if their car lasts them 200k miles? Lets throw reliability out as an argument. It's not relevant.

 

I love

Where are the high mileage VW's on the roads? Haven't seen any recently.

 

Again who do you assume cares about that? Please for the love of god someone other than a fan boy give us something else to argue about.



Toyota sucks there ya go I said it. Hate me. I bought it because it was cheap even new.

 

If fun is your thing, get a Dodge Challenger, you will know what fun really is.

And their entire lineup still can't outsell the RAV4. I think if they increase the warranty to 500,000 miles that should help

 

Hmm for small SUV's which one would you chose? IMO the VW is hands down a sexier machine. Toyota couldn't even get the colors right. That color looks terrible. Toyota will never be better than VW. More reliable maybe but who cares about that.

 

How to double the value of a
Volkswagen? Fill up the gas tank

 

In all seriousness, you have to be a VW fan to go and buy that SUV. Most people won't even know if there is a VW dealership in their area

 

yeah I never owned a tiguan but I probably wouldn't even buy that for my kids. It's practically the same interior space as a Golf or Passat. It just sits higher and has the same engine. But that VW still looks nicer than the Rav 4. If VW hadn't removed the Toureg from the US lineup because of Diesel emissions I wouldn't even be driving my 4 runner. I would rather have had 7,700 lbs towing standard. SOOoo here I am stuck, with Toyota.... YUCK !

 

Absolutely true

 

Yet you bought a toyota? Wtf for buddy?

 

No thanks. I like my vehicles to get me where I need to go not spend their lives getting repaired.

 

Well last summer when I was weighing my options. I started off with Jeeps. Wranglers and Gladiators. I didn’t mind the outsides so much but it was the cheap interior that threw me off. Plus I’ve had buddies with jeeps and there are little quirks that they say you never get used to. Wind noise etc coming from removable panels. Looked at Audi’s and Dodges Durangos with the v8s. VW only SUV right now is the Atlas and my wife has one. It’s ok but nothing spectacular. So wouldn’t own two of the same car. I looked and test drove some trucks. Asked my wife if we were ready for a new truck we are holding off a bit longer. So it came down to a 4 Runner as a new toy possibly with some 4x4 thrown in when traveling. Other than that it really didn’t grab me at first. I have always liked to look at them sure. I think one with all the bells and whistles looks nice but never considered owning one myself tilll last summer. I don’t do much 4x4ing when I travel anymore. I’ve owned dirt bikes before so I thought why would I want to trade that fun for my daily driver being the fun? I considered a 6 man side by side since there are 5 in my family. There really wasn’t another brand that equaled in towing of 5k lbs and our current trailer is 3,700lbs. If our tow vehicle should be down at least I know my wife’s Atlas or my 4 Runner could barely squeak by. I looked briefly even at the new Broncos but again it lacked in towing what it made up for in style. So I settled on the 4 runner. Since it was less expensive than other options the plus side it allows me to save more for my Factory Five fund as a over the hill project with the Fam. I don’t have many complaints for it so far. The camera system for sure. The paint and rust issues another if I kept it longer than 5 years. Time will tell. It’s comfortable for a daily but I haven’t done much off road with it yet. If VW succeeds in creating an off road SUV like a 4 Runner with their new scout. I might as you say be on that like white on rice. I’d say thanks 4 runner for being my one and only Toyota and being good to me which I hope it does.

 

My recommendation, don't keep a vehicle you hate

 

oh I don’t hate it for sure. I would never buy a car I don’t like the looks of. I just don’t LOVE it yet. There is a difference between like and love for sure.