Slide out Deck Pros and Cons

What are the pros and cons to the rear slide out deck?

 

Off the top of my head:

Pros:

Folded seatbacks and cargo area is now flat
Teensy bit of storage under the tray
Slide out and access cargo from three sides

Cons:

Less vertical space
Cost?
Area under slid out tray is indeed teensy

 

My 4Runner is at the dealer getting ready for delivery. This is enough of a reason for me to keep it. Dog crate won’t tilt!

 

I'll have more pros than cons because I love it. This will be my 3rd 5th gen 4Runner with this option.

Pros: The storage underneath is great for my toolkit. With the back seats folded down, it creates a nice flat sleeping platform. You can slide it out and sit on it without kicking the bumper. If you need to load something like a heavy cooler or suitcase, you don't have to stretch in to place them in the car.

Cons: It added $350 to the sticker price as a factory-installed option. Dealers in my region don't option out 4Runners with this, and if they do, it's rare. Debris is hard to vacuum out under the tray.

 

Worth the penny to get it. Anything aftermarket is probably going to cost more, unless you a DIY’er. In my case money well spent

 

My hatchet and camp shovel fit under it.

 

I'm in TX, and I wanted this option for $350...
but Gulf States doesn't even offer it anymore, dealer says its discontinued.

But they load every other POS option like $549 for a tin can over the catalytic converter that they call a 'Shield'

 

Gulf States is the Balley Sports of the car industry. Don't provide you options for the stuff you'd like. "Force" you to buy stuff you don't. Business model is to dominate the distribution of a desired product and then package it with garbage and put the consumer in a pickle. You want a Supra -- you're going to get $1,000 carbon fiber mirror caps. You want to watch the Rangers? You're going to pay $100 a month to get the Balley Sports Southwest package.