Toyota 4Runner

I am taking this time to write about our experience in buying a 2005 Toyota. We owned a 2000 and LOVED it. I wanted to give my wife a new 4 Runner so I ordered a special made Sport Edition. I would of purchased a limited, but we do not care for leather seating. We ended up with a 2005. Same as 2007! SO READ THIS!! We were told that the only difference was in size, and model changes. I reviewed the new model on lot and liked it.We spend an extra 2800.00 and had heated seats installed and had a DVD overhead installed .I am a E-Bay searcher. I always look at how many models are for sale. Right now you can fine more newer Highlander and 4-Runners on E-Bay and other locations then ever. No one ever would give there Toyota up. Before I ordered our Toyota, I test drove a Jeep. My wife loved that vehicle. Nice options!! But when I compared mileaged, I went back to Toyota. Performance is great on the vehicle, except motor makes clicking noises and are louder in winter. Was told this is new top end design on motor.So truthfully performance is good, but turns are downfull in my mine in rating a 5. TOP heavy. In rating reliability I give a 1 because the vehicle has spent so much time back to the dealer for repairs they CAN"T fix and say nothing is wrong with it. Our four wheel drive does not work correct. New design is a problem!! The rear has spun around on us 4 times leaving (Driving) at times we were turning out. Complete lost of control occurs and you can not get vehicle back in lane. I had this happen to me after my wife did 3 times. Comfort is terrible! I state terrible, because you don't spend almost 40,000.00 on a vehicle that has wind noise. The drivers side windows have high noise level if your taller. The rear seating give off terrible noise. I feel this is in the rear door design. This is a another BIG problem area. The rear doors have the edge come into the tire wall opening. In doing this there is a rubber seal. BUT, the door is a different shape then the wheel wall on the main body.Here is a simple test to prove my point!! If you take your finger, place it at the bottom edge of the rear doors on either side of the inside of the wheel wall. START at the bottom. You can even look inside the bottom wheel wall and see the edge of the door is farther away from the main body then when you move up approx 15 inches. This is the problem. MUD-Dirt-RAIN-SNOW-ICE all can get by the seal and enter the door opening area. Yes Toyota has another seal on the inside so the elements do not come in vehicle. But the inside of your door fills with dirt. Have fun cleaning that out.And worst is the dirt stays on wheel curve inside of door and your cloths get dirt on them when you get in back seat. Light color clothes and dirt don't mix. The other issue is when the dirt gets on the seal edge. The seal is broken. WHEEL NOISE is generated to the back seat area and travels up the door making it hard to hear. Also the seal will break down from elements!!You need to sit in back and have someone else drive and you will hear this. Noise and insulation is a issue Toyota is leaving out of there SUV'S. Even the Highlander has terrible floor noise. Drive one of those in wet snow and try to hear someone talk. So I quess I feel the Quality of Toyota is going down hill. All the American car makers need to do is make a quiet smooth riding vehicle again and their sales would go up.Even Toyota cars are not rating 5's anymore. So I ask to prove me wrong!!

Aided in every sense of the word on this transaction. Description was very accurate on every part of the vehicle. Love the purchase! Thank you!

I love everything about this truck......it has 150k on it and it feels like a truck with 30k on it...
Bought for under 5k, not sure why anyone would pay over 8k for an suv..Take care of your vehicles and they will last well past 300k.
I will run this thing well past 300k, maybe a few hundred per yr in repairs and it is golden.

I love my new Toyota 4 Runner that I purchased. It is everything that I wanted in a vehicle.This vehicle is safe and reliable . This vehicle has plenty of room,its very comfortable,rides like a gem. It had a great radio and cd player.Heat and aircondition works great.It gives you great comfort to be able to take your children places knowing taht your in a reliable vehicle

There is a slight difference between what was good before and what's good today. It seems to me like the ten decade-old cars are more stronger and very firm from its structure. It is why i believe to be more long lasting and more worthy to buy one.

I have owned many different vehicles all over the vehicle spectrum from super-luxury (Porsche Cayenne S) to average (Honda Civic) and I can say with absolute conviction that next to the Cayenne, I LOVE THIS VEHICLE. I have a 2009 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4x4 and it is the perfect size, the interior cargo space is perfect (I don't have the third row seats) and it is an off-roading machine. It is extremely safe for my 2 year old, yet sporty and rugged enough for me not to feel relegated to mom-machines that look like SUV'S. My ONLY gripe is that the trims are not consistent among vehicles and the SR5 could use steering-wheel controls and bluetooth--my husband has an SR5 Tacoma and it comes with steering wheel control, while my 4Runner (sadly) doesn't have them. My husband, who is normally a truck kind of guy, is looking to steal my car because I am looking for a Limited 4Runner and am having problems tracking one down. Have not experienced any mechanical or electrical problems and not expecting since it is a Toyota.

This is my third 4-Runner and it is as enjoyable as the first two. They are very smooth-running with excellent transmissions. I have to look at the tachometer occasionally to verify that the engine is running. It is SOOOO quiet.
In addition to be a very comfortable riding car it is very spacious and has a very good carrying capacity.

I owned a 2006 Sport Edition 4WD and recently traded it for a '09 after the '06 was damaged. I get unsolicited comments about the vehicle's looks - especially the Sport Ed. Wheels and the hood scoop (even though it's not functional).

Things I liked:
The Double Decker cargo system, built in hitch, JBL sound system (with controls on the steering wheel) and the outstanding fit/finish throughout. The materials used in the interior are very good, including the seat fabrics - much better than my Explorer. I could not find a flaw in either unit's paint. I can't say that about numerous Fords I've owned. Get yourself a set of Toyota rubber floor mats if you live in northern/wet climates - they'll save your carpets and are worth every penny of the $100 or so they cost at the dealer. The V-6 has plenty of power for normal driving - skip the V8 unless you pull a trailer or just like to push yourself back in the seat. The V6 saves about 2mpg and if "cap and trade" passes ($5 to 6 gas!), it will matter. The V6 also has selectable 4X4 whereas the V8 has full time AWD - personal preference. The transmission and brakes on this car are wonderful. The shifts are crisp and positive. The shifter also is a joy to use. The Sport Ed. has the cross linked shocks that the LTD and SR5 do not - makes it really handle - even for a car. You won't think you're driving an SUV. The SE with a V8 would be a blast. You'll look forward to cloverleafs. Passengers have commented to me on how well the Sport Ed. rides and handles. The brakes have lots of boost and will really bring it to a stop - right now. I owned my '06 for 3 years and did nothing more than change the oil. My '98 Explorer dinosaur was in the shop 6 times for warranty work (and had the crappy Firestone tires as the final insult). The T4R dealer only saw me the day I bought mine.

Things I don't like:
The seats. They have excessive side bolstering -if you're over 5'8", you'll be uncomfortable. They're too narrow for someone larger. I bought some high density foam and used an electric knife to trim it to fit the seat and wrapped it in a black pillow case. Works great. I'm 6'3", 200 lbs and could not have kept this car if not for the foam. My legs ache after about an hour without it.

The V6 sound. On the 4.0 V6, Toyota uses thin walled steel headers rather than cast iron exhaust manifolds. When pulling a hill or load at high throttle settings, you hear the exhaust noise through them. It sounds like a "chugging" sound, though it's also described as a "ticking". Toyota will do absolutely nothing about it. There's nothing mechanically wrong with the engine - just poor sound engineering on Toyota's part. You'll hardly hear it with the windows up. If it might bug you, drive a V6 first with the windows down. If it does, get the V8. Despite the sound, I did not find it objectionable enough to get the V8 the second time around. If it's raining or if you have the sound system on, you don't hear it. If you have the windows down and are driving next to a wall or concrete barrier at low speed, you'll hear it. It's just the nature of this V6 and is Toyota's price for saving some gas $. Rumor is no V8 in 2010 so get one now if you want it.

One annoyance is the customization features. Example: to change the door locks from unlocking when shifted to "Park" to unlocking when the door is opened requires a service visit. The owner s/b able to do this.
I've been very pleased with both T4R's.

Fully loaded Limited has eveything a Lexus, Jaguar or Mercedes has and more. V8 is smooth and poweful.360 watt stereo is amazing. Rather be in the car than the house. The paint job should have been better and I wish it could be easily retrofitted for Blue Tooth and ipod. Got 120,000 miles and seems brand new. Looks are growing on me too.

Body integrity of this vehicle is similiar to Tacoma. Looks great on top but the frame and back end of the vehicle have disintegrated. The frame has a hole in it and the stabilizer bars have cracked in half and can not be repaired. My 1999 must be sold for junk. Vehicle was used for commuting and never used off road.