we finally took delivery of our 4runner friday evening and so far we love it! we've already logged 250+ miles on it and are very impressed with how it drives and feels. i haven't really stepped on the gas yet, but i can already tell that this thing flies. just like the sequoia, going up hills is no problem. the looks of the exterior/interior are tops and we've already gotten compliments on both by friends and strangers. everything blends well. the HVAC controls are going to take a little getting used to, but all in all the interior is perfect. the kids love it as well, especially because of the rear remote audio controls. cargo room is a lot better than i had expected. i was able to fit a folding card table and four chairs with no problem and still had tons of room left. also, the self latching rear cargo door is sweet!
the only gripe that my wife had was that it didn't have power adjustable seats, but she got over that quickly. also, i had to change up my A/V plans because i wasn't expecting the rear remote audio control to be hooked up to the domelight, but i actually like it now and will work around it. again these gripes really aren't even that because we absolutely love this ride.
hopefully i'll be able to test everything else out (4WD, acceleration, etc.) in the coming weeks so that i can give a complete review on the 4runner.
the wife finally drove it this morning and she said she loved it. she stepped up from a 99 camry, so it's a huge difference. she's also been driving the sequoia lately, so she said that the 4runner is just right for her. she's already praising the ease of parking her ride over the sequoia and that's a huge plus for her because she hated parking the sequoia. also, at 5'2" she also likes how easy it is to get in/out of the 4runner over the camry & sequoia. btw, she LOVES the steering wheel audio controls too!
alright, next is the kids "extended drive" impressions. i'm pretty sure i'll be looking for some headrest screens & DVD player soon.
It took a lot of offering before I could finally get my wife behind the wheel of the 4-runner. She kept complaining about how big it was. That was until she finally drove it. She liked it so much she decided it was time to get rid of her accord. It worked out good for me because now I get to drive it and was able to pick up a Tundra.
Thanks for the review! I am planning to replace my Tundra with a new 4Runner in the next few months and was glad to hear that you and your wife are extremely pleased with yours. I've only been a passenger in the backseat of one, and I was really impressed with the room and comfort. I'm sure your kids will have you spending lots of $$$ on their entertainment system.
Thanks for the review! I am planning to replace my Tundra with a new 4Runner in the next few months and was glad to hear that you and your wife are extremely pleased with yours. I've only been a passenger in the backseat of one, and I was really impressed with the room and comfort. I'm sure your kids will have you spending lots of $$$ on their entertainment system.
~MS
you're welcome and thank you! yeah, we definitely love it and you will too once you get yours.
another little gripe (and i think someone had brought this up) was the placement of the window controls. the placement could've been a little higher up on the door, but again i'm already used to it.
I drove a SR5 V8 4wd, yesterday and was greatly impressed. That's a SMOOTH drive train. I'm not overwhelmed by the styling, but I think it will grow on me. The driving experience is so good, and lets face it, inside, driving it, is where you spend your time. The seats were excellent. The 4wd system has got to be nearly unstopable. I live in a heavy snow area (at times), and I can't imagine anything short of over 2 ft of snow, stopping the 4Runner. It reminded me a lot of the Land Cruiser I drove several years ago, and couldn't afford. In actual fact, I guess it's based on a version of the LC that's sold in other markets. It's probably what I will get to replace the ML430, this spring.
Cheers
Pat
Last edited by kullenberg; 01-20-2004 at 08:04 AM.
Reason: add signature
I'm not overwhelmed by the styling, but I think it will grow on me.
pat...it'll definitely grow on you. i also didn't like it at first because i loved the look of the 3rd gen 4runners, but i'm diggin' it now. i actually did a "drive around" when the wife (in her 4runner) and i (in the sequoia) were on the freeway yesterday. from all angles it looks pretty sweet.
pat...it'll definitely grow on you. i also didn't like it at first because i loved the look of the 3rd gen 4runners, but i'm diggin' it now. i actually did a "drive around" when the wife (in her 4runner) and i (in the sequoia) were on the freeway yesterday. from all angles it looks pretty sweet.
oh and the lights are BRIGHT on the 4runner.
Today I ordered a silver Sport, V8 4WD, with the air bag option at invoice + $650, from my local dealer. I probably could have gotten it a couple of hundred cheaper, but maintaining a good relationship with the local guy is important, here in these mountains. And he's a good guy, I've gotten 2 or 3 cars from him in the past. Now I wait, due here 10th of May.
Hi Sally! Oh my, I am so surprised you'll be getting rid of the green machine -- but it looks great! Reach me for the 4Runner, but there may be a lot of people here who'd appreciate having your truck offered to them!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MustangSally
Simias...
Thanks for the review! I am planning to replace my Tundra with a new 4Runner in the next few months and was glad to hear that you and your wife are extremely pleased with yours. I've only been a passenger in the backseat of one, and I was really impressed with the room and comfort. I'm sure your kids will have you spending lots of $$$ on their entertainment system.
~MS
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Dianne Whitmire
Fleet & Internet Manager
Manhattan Beach Toyota|Scion
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Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 dianne@earthlink.net
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We bought an 04 Titanium Metallic V8 Sport Saturday for my wife. It goes well with my 02 Tundra TRD. We absolutely love it so far. I will check back in later.
took my first long trip (approx 1000 miles round trip) in the 4runner a few weekends ago and it met all of my expections, actually exceeded some. it had enough power to haul 5 people and luggage for the weekend even through the hills. the power up the hills actually surprised me. didn't realize how fast i was going up the hill because i was on cruise control and there were no major drops in rpm. also, i was surprised at how comfortable the seats were even after a couple of hours in them. so yeah, i'm very happy with the 4runner!
04 4Runner V8 4X4 Sport: 1st Impressions
everything blends well. the HVAC controls are going to take a little getting used to, but all in all the interior is perfect. the kids love it as well, especially because of the rear remote audio controls. cargo room is a lot better than i had expected. i was able to fit a folding card table and four chairs with no problem and still had tons of room left. also, the self latching rear cargo door is sweet! 
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