How to add some speed?

Trade in for a Rav4 Prime.

 

My wife and my vehicles since 2008...

2006 Tacoma (4 cylinder 4x4 regular cab stick shift)
2014 Subaru Outback (4 cylinder stick shift)
2008 Honda Fit (4 cylinder stick shift)

Our '21 SR5 feels like a veritable racecar in a straight line compared to what we've been driving for the last 14 yrs .

I had a '07 VW GTI before this and even though it was spirited, it turned me off of any European/German vehicle for the rest of my life. Too much engineering and way too many things to go wrong.

 

As a retired "Heavy Hauler" you hit the nail on the head. Most people have NO idea about driving strategy when it comes to merging onto an interstate with big trucks trying to get up to speed or maintaining speed. These clueless morons think that an 18 wheeler can stop like the 4000 lb car that they are operating. Then add 100,000 MORE lbs & 4 extra axles to the 80,000 lb 18 wheeler and braking distance has at least tripled, probably more. I am Thankfull for having no major accidents in the 42 years of driving heavy commercial vehicles. Life is good, rant over !

 

Seems like the quarter mile times for the 4R isn't much slower than a lot of the 60's muscle cars. I used to go to the drag strips a lot back then and have seen them run. The new cars are a lot quicker now so it's all relative. My friend's old V6 4R from the 90's with around 150 HP was really slow and so was my '82 Subaru with 73 HP but they worked just fine back then to drive up to the ski areas.

I've been driving a Forester for a few years and I think it's supposed to be a 10 second 0-60 car but it works just fine for me so I'm sure a new 4R would feel fast in comparison. LOL

 

Even worse the invertebrate child molesters that merge in front of semi-trucks without driving ahead first and then merging. I cant tell you how many times Ive seen people merge so close to the front of the truck that im sure the only thing the truck driver can see is the car hood.

 

What i see is vehicles getting on the freeway do not make use of on ramps, they get on and do 35mph until the last minute and then they think why won’t anyone let me in. They are supposed to be up to speed by the time they get to the traffic, then just merge right in. Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but when i get on I’m not trying to save gas.

 

When it comes to driving, sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

Timidity causes confusion, and confusion causes accidents.

 

Same thing can be said about off-roading. Love the quote. I see people off-roading and instead of continuing the momentum right when they are about over the obstacle they let go of the gas. This causing the vehicle to stop and sometimes even start going backwards. This can cause someone to flip or loose it. Granted I see some people that should let go of the gas and they keep it going. This also results in a flip over. There is a fine line (just like not entering the freeway at 35mph or 100mph).

 

Like Daniel Ricciardo says, "Sometimes you just have to lick the stamp and send it"

 

If you add something like a PEDAL COMMANDER, you can increase throttle response so it doesn't feel like such a slug from a complete stop. Does not add any real power, but the increase in throttle response is quite drastic - it makes it feel like you have more power when in reality it just increases throttle response sensitivity. Butt dyno ratings through the roof! Most who have it are usually quite impressed. Should be able to find reviews easily.

 

Buy a Lexus GX if you want a faster 4Runner.

The V8 makes it’s power 1000rpm lower than the 4Runner and is a night and day difference in the driving experience. Passing is now much easier at highway speeds.

 

I'll 2nd the comments on the Pedal Commander - it's a 300 hundred dollar bill I'll never regret spending on my 4runner. Yes, it does not increase the horsepower but it absolutely brings life to the throttle pedal. There are competitive products that due the same thing and they are cheaper - just do a little research on the web..

 

This thread has certainly gotten more responses than I expected, but I am happy to hear the different opinions. I am going to try the Pedal Commander PC27 (2010-2022) as it has great reviews. If anyone has used it or has a better suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

 

I have the Hikeit controller. It's about half the cost of the PC. I got it on Black Friday deal, and no complaints so far. One feature I really like is that it has an "Auto" feature, that adapts as you drive.

These make it feel quicker off the line, and depending on mode pretty much eliminates that resistance in the pedal. This brings on downshifts quicker, which depending on the situation will maintain speed better.

The fact that it does still downshift so often still makes me wish the 4.0 made better TQ around 2k RPM, but at least the controller allows easier access to what power you DO have.

Also, it has an ECO mode that deadens the pedal even further than stock, which I suspect could be helpful in icy winter conditions. I tried it off-road a few weeks back, and got a comment from a spotter that I made a particular obstacle the smoothest out of the group.

https://trail4runner.com/2020/09/07/hikeit-throttle-controller-5th-gen-4runner/

 

You might want to check this one out:

https://www.bankspower.com/c-119-pr...0L GAS||model=4RUNNER||make=TOYOTA||year=2022

 

I’ve been using and enjoying a Sprint Booster for 3+ years. It’s a smaller controller and easier to mount. Supposedly better reliability than other similar products. There’s a dealer on the other forum, Burtman Industries:

 

I've had a pedal commander installed for a couple years now. No issues. Best $300 investment for instant noticeable results.

TIP: Don't change settings while driving - only change settings while completely stopped

 

A sprint booster makes all the difference.

 

Yeah, I have one. Well not the sprint booster exactly but something similar.

I would definitely recommend the throttle controllers, they do help.

 

The Banks unit has Reverse lockout (no extra acceleration in reverse), and a tow mode to limit extra acceleration under 10mph. It does, however, occupy your OBD2 port. I like it better than the Pedal Commander.

 

+4 on the Sprint Booster. It is the size of your thumbnail and will give you the proper feedback in throttle response. It is programmable to match engine output (i.e. acceleration) with your gas pedal input. No more of this "Why do I have to step on the gas so hard to get up to speed" crap.

You can program it from factory dog, to mild, to "Holy S... what have I done." (That would be the "Race 7" setting)

It is absolutely the best mod I have done. Makes the brick a lot funner to drive. Well worth the money.

 

Lightweight wheels and tires. OEM 4 runner wheels are what 29lbs. You can find 17" wheels that are 19lbs... that can help

 

The OR wheels were 27lbs on a bathroom scale.

 

Yet, people in the wheels and tires threads constantly say that a 5lb decrease wont do anything for acceleration or drivability... On our vehicles, "how much of a weight difference" per wheel do we really need to see more performance? (i.e. better acceleration, mileage, etc...)

 

Add lightness. Wheels, tires, no armor, no stuff inside. And as others have said, a throttle controller of some kind is really helpful. The only downside to my SB I have found is the traction control kicks in more frequently in winter driving conditions. I could just set it to Sport 1, but it's fun where it's at (Sport 5).

 

Use the shifter more often. In drive it tends to prefer higher gears way too early. When overtaking someone on the highway, you need to almost floor it just to get it to drop to 4th. Making a turn, when it should be in 2nd or 3rd, it wants to lug itself in 4th or 5th. Most V6s make their power and torque at higher rpms. So use the shifter, pretend you have a semi manual, and keep the revs in the happy zone.

 

For each 100lbs of baggage added to a car that weighs around 3000lbs, the car would slow down about 0.1 seconds in the quarter mile. I've tested it at the drag strip before and it's pretty accurate. I don't know if you would be able to feel the difference on the road of adding just 100lbs though. I've never tested changing the unsprung weight on my cars since my wheels and tires were light to begin with and never though off getting heavier ones. I've read that the effects of unsprung weight is up to 10X more than just adding ballast to a car. So if this is true, adding 10lb heavier tires would be equivalent to adding 400lbs of extra ballast to a car. Someone would have to go to the track with 2 sets of tires/wheels to test this though. Any volunteers?

 

Good discussion. I just changed wheels and tires and think the total weight is quite close. But there's now more weight at the outer circumference of each wheel, since my change was from heavy 20" rims and medium weight tires to light 17" rims and heavier tires. I do feel some hit to acceleration from this, though not a lot. I noticed more of a hit when I also had the 300 pounds of old wheels and tires in the back of the truck. I definitely noticed that. All just anecdotal of course, but thought it worth mentioning.