Random thoughts 2.5 months into T4R ownership

So, after owning a 4Runner for 2.5 months now, a couple of things have occurred to me.

One, when I drove my wife’s RAV4 the other day, it was quite evident that the 4Runner’s build quality is on a whole different level than any other Toyota (except maybe the Land Cruiser). I noticed little things like plastic panels making normal pops and clicks when making turns and accelerating. The 4Runner doesn’t make these noises. Such a solid build.

Two, the ride feels so smooth and safe in the 4Runner. Again, not a knock on our RAV4, but the T4R just takes everything great about Toyota and elevates it!

 

Exactly! None of that annoying plastic cracking/creaking sound and slappy suspension/tire sound. It just feels like a hefty cushiness. Nothing like our 18 Highlander. I don’t understand when people say the interior feels cheap. It’s harsh interior sounds are what really make a car feel cheap.

 

When ya know, ya know!

 

I feel like the 4Runner is made of cheap materials that are put together really well. Honestly, every single interior plastic feels on the cheap side to me, but I agree that it's assembled very well and doesn't make a lot of noise. Mine's 10 years old with 150k, and it's virtually silent inside when it comes to creaks and panel noises.

 

Well, yes, being that we all drive one we know this.

 

Maybe the newer ones have better materials and finishing? I’m a sucker for a nice interior, but the newer 4runners dont seem to sub-par to me for the pricepoint/vehicle type. The fake carbon on the center console looks and feels very good (like actual carbon fiber) without it looking over the top. The texturing on the dash makes it look better than the actual hard plastic it actually is. I’d rather have a nicely textured hard dash than a soft touch dash, like the ones that were cracking in a bunch of lexus and toyota models in the mid 2000s

Everything else just looks and feels decent enough, at least on the newer ones.

edit: are there interior trim differences between models?

 

I felt the same with the Tesla Model S. I didn't like the $114,000 car (i think that's what my buddy said he paid out the door) and prefer the build quality of the $50,000 4runner.

 

One thing that stands out to me after two week of owning ours is how loud rocks are bouncing off the wheel wells. Would be nice to have some material to deaden that or have plastic liners.

 

My F150 at 8yr old and 160k had fewer creaks and panel noises than my 4Runner at 2 months and 2500 miles (and the 4runner only has one noise but it annoys me. passenger side windshield area, thinking it might be the plastic on the outside...)

 

I have a similar one on the drivers side, Worse when cold but it will easily test your sanity.

 

The pssenger side outside corner of the windshield has some plastic trim along the bottom. Where the corner piece joins…spray a tood amount of water into the area. If it stops, that’s the source. I tend to get a tapping noise in that are after dusty drives. Cleaning it with water has been enough to keep the noise away for a long time.

 

In addition to my 2021 TRD OR with 15k miles, I have a 2007 Honda Ridgeline with 161k miles.

When the Ridgeline was new, it was extremely quiet and I was quite impressed with the quality fit and finish of all of the interior plastic parts. It felt like a more expensive vehicle than it really is. Now, that it is 16 years old and has quite a few miles, it is not as quiet as it was when new although it is in good condition, it is noticeably noisier than the 4Runner. It's been my experience that vehicles develop suspension noise and interior noises as they age. You don't really notice it as the years go by until you get into a new one and then the old one sounds a lot louder than you remembered..

Love my 4Runner and it is so solid and quiet. Love my Ridgeline too but it is now an older, noiser version of it's original self. I suspect when the 4Runner is 16 years old like the Ridgeline, it will have a few noises too...

Cheers,
Bob

 

I hope the build quality of my ‘22 holds up over time. I will say, when you start to do your own mods you realize how cheap some of the materials are. But, it’s amazing how the design/engineering has it put together well. After taking apart the centre console, the dash left of drivers side and both side mirrors, this thing feels like one big Lego.

 

I have an 18’ rav4 xle and a 22’ 4Runner limited.

4runner makes the rav feel subpar. The rav drives a lot better than most cars.

a true Porsche (pre 2012) is a whole other build quality.

there are vehicles that are smoother and more balanced, but I can count them on one hand.

 

While I do agree a lot of the interior plastics feel cheap compared to soft touch materials used on a lot of new cars, it seems much better than what I’ve experienced in recent domestics I’ve rented. I did have a clicking noise on the right side of the dash on my ‘22 which drove me crazy, but I was able to solve it. The HVAC duct under the dash speaker was rubbing together at a joint. I also have a subtle clicking near the headline by the driver’s door, but so think it may have something to do with my aftermarket roof rack. Overall the build does seem very solid.

 

I got mine in December. Drove a Tacoma for 9 years before that. We have had other Toyotas in the past, plus a lot of Hondas and an Acura.

+1 the 4Runner feels put together more solid than any of them. Its essentially the same drivetrain as my old Gen 2 Taco but yet drivers so much smoother. The doors close with a soft but solid thunk that feels more like a German luxury car than a Japanse truck. So many subtle details they sort out that you don't see elsewhere like having a dipstick in the washer reservoir, defrost for the wipers, clearance in the rear seat cushion for the belts so you don't have to feel around and fish them though when you flip the seats up and down... etc... etc...

I love it!