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Comments
The Bridgestones may do well for me out in the sand.
16+ MPG - 80% city, 20% highway
On a recent trip, I averaged @20MPG highway - It was nice not having to fill up until I reached 400 miles on the tank of gas.
A few questions please:
I noticed that the oil filter is accessible at the top of the engine on the 04. Can someone comment on the procedure to change oil on this truck?
Also, I decided on the SR5 versus the sport as I prefer the non-scoop hood, but realize that the XREAS suspension is lacking on the SR5.
Is this suspension primarily for people that want to do offroading, or is this a safety suspension that is something I should have considered?
Thanks in advance,
Dillon
These are actual, not the display. I do avoid fast starts and slow for red lights trying not to stop completely. The trick to getting better mileage is trying to drive smoothly with no fast starts or hard braking. Now to get those other drivers to cooperate with not having to stop quickly.
I have had enough "slow" with my previous 4Runners. They finally have some giddyup and I use it.
Pat84 - unless you tow, why did you buy a V8 if you are concerned about gas mileage?
I really got the V-8 for its low end torque off road. I've owned two CJ-5 Jeeps and realized that low end torque was what one needed off road.
BTW when I bought my Sport V-8, the 6 was just coming out. It came out about 6 months after the 8. My dealer didn't have a an 03 6 on his lot yet.
Congrats on your new 4Runner! You will be sure to love it
Mileage definitely suffers when applying "the lead foot." Smooth progressively harder presses on the accelerator help improve mileage a bit. I haven't noticed any appreciable difference when using an "off" brand of gasoline as compared to a name brand gasoline, although performance seems to be smoother when using Exxon (in my experience) as opposed to an "off" brand.
Has anyone used a product called "Tornado" that is supposed to improve mileage by 24%? I have seen it on television, but don't know of anyone who actually has used it. It is even sold through stylinaccessories.com, which is a reputable retailer.
I, for one, am in agreement here. In my humble opinion, one of the surest ways to prematurely wear out a vehicle (even a 4Runner) and/or its key components, is to routinely drive it in an aggressive or "abusive" manner. This would include frequent jackrabbit starts, hard accelerations, speed shifting/down-shifting, severe braking, hard turns, oversteering, etc. The routine practicing of such habits will more quickly wear out tires, brake components, suspensions, front-ends, etc.; as well as being very hard on the engine and drivetrain. If you wanna play, then be prepared to pay, big time-- especially once your vehicle's warranty expires.
I don't drive like an old woman, nor do I drive like a testosterone-crazed adolescent maniac. When the situation calls for it, I enjoy kicking my '03, V8 4Runner Limited into afterburner; but I don't routinely drive this way. In general, I prefer to employ smooth, gentle accelerations; as well as smooth and non-jarring braking and steering, because this improves fuel consumption, vehicle longevity, and ride comfort. The 4Runner is a truck, not a sports car.
Regarding the Dunlops, they aren't bad in the dry and rain, but they suck in snow. I'll probably get some dedicated snow tires before next winter.
Wondering if anyone has suggestions as to what mileage point is the best time to use synthetic oil. I have been told to start at 10k by a few, and others say right away at the first oil change?
Also, anyone have any thoughts on the quality of the napa gold oil filter and the green air filters?
Thanks in advance,
Dillon
I would stick with Toyota OEM oil and air filters. They are the highest quality and can be had inexpensively at Partznet.com
Don't forget the cabin air filter, that gets really dirty and is filtering the air you breath.
I've changed my oil @ 5000mi but can't seem to get the MAINT light to go off after following the manuals instructions. Will some please walk me through this? Thanks
I'm not sure if this has any relevance, but at each 5000 mile oil change/lube, I make it a point to remind the service shop to be sure to lubricate my 4Runner's propeller shafts, slip-yokes, and U-joints with lithium grease, etc. While they have always assured me that this is a routine part of their lubrication service, I still make it a point to have it in writing on the service invoice. (I also now use Quaker State Full Synthetic motor oil, and while it may be just my imagination, my 4Runner seems to run even smoother and to have more "effortless" power-on-demand.)
Cheers
Pat
Steve, Host
I have an 04 Limited 4X2, Pacific Blue / Taupe, NAV, XREAS, moonroof, side curtain air bags, and factory spoiler. The Pac blue color looks fantastic on a bright sunny day.
So far, after one week and 690 miles, no rattles, squeaks, vibrations, funny noises, nothing but quietness. I traded an Infiniti G35 for this truck, and the Infiniti was truly a POS - the driver's seat moved, popped and clicked, there were rattles and squeaks galore, and the body groaned and creaked. Incredibly annoying and disappointing. This truck, however, is solid so far. The 6 1/2 month wait for the special order was worth it.
I LOVE THIS TRUCK!
This may end up sounding silly/pathetic - but here goes anyway (and besides, this might be less embarrassing than my calling up my Toyota Dealer service dept on Monday!).
I just bought and drove home a new 2004 SR5 V8 3rd row backseat 4Runner yesterday (hurray!). I've been driving a 1992 SR5 4Runner for the last 12 years since buying it new back in 1992. I absolutely love the 2004 so far (as I did and still do the 1992!)...
The 2004 is an incredibly impressive vehicle. The V8 is truly inspiring. Trust me, if you had been driving a 1992 V6 with 150hp, you would be dancing/prancing in the streets as well with the V8. Though I do desperately miss not having a manual transmission anymore... that's one of the biggest things I'll miss from my '92.
OK, here's my question...
I've been pouring over this new one in my garage (besides also driving it around of course!) becoming familiar with all the controls, adjustments, checking the tire inflation, etc, etc - and yes, even reading thru the owner's manual - all 407 pages! This baby is a LOT more complicated/complex than my '92!
Late this afternoon, I decided to spot check the oil level just to be thorough - but here's the deal - I went to pull out the doggone oil dipstick and this thing wouldn't budge. I started to get ready to really yank/pull on it - but thought better about doing that and started wondering if there might be some sort of trick to it - like twisting it or something then pulling the dipstick out (???). I really did feel like I was already pulling way too hard on it as it was (to no effect) and deciding to back off a little bit and think this thru...
I did go back and triple check the owner's manual and it simply says to just pull the dipstick out...
Sooo, I suppose I'm just asking if it's really supposed to be that difficult to pull out the doggone oil dipstick on these V8 iForce engines?? Or am I just being overly sensitive/careful with the new one. (I've certainly never had this on my '92. With the oil cap yes! But not with just pulling the dipstick out!) The engine wasn't hot or even warm at all when I tried this on the new one so perhaps that might have had something to do with it (??) [and I do know to normally check the oil only when the engine is warm], but I would appreciate any feedback on if this dipstick can be that stubborn to pull out - or if there are any "tricks" to it.
Just when it dawned on me to try calling my Dealer's Service Dept, I realized they had closed a couple hours earlier. So, any input/feedback on this would be sincerely/honestly appreciated!!
Tom from KC
PS And thank you again to everyone that has made this board such a wonderfully rich, fun, and helpful source of valuable information!
Can someone recommend the frequency to change the cabin air filter and where is it located.
Is there an aftermarket(green)that is of better quality? I have bad asthma and could use the best.
Also, does anyone know the correct torque on the lug nuts for the sr5?
Thanks
It's working fine today/now - the oil dipstick that is! I drove the 4Runner around quite a bit today and tried the dipstick when I got back (with the engine nice and warm). It came out without too much difficulty or inordinate amount of pulling. It was a little bit of a bear getting it all the way back down/in - but that eventually worked fine as well... new owner jitters I suppose!
PS This new 4Runner is taking a little getting used to - I keep wanting to push in the clutch with my left foot (like my old '92)! But all is very well and I am very impressed/happy with it!
This is just another feature that has me extremely pleased with this outstanding vehicle. 6200 miles and NO PROBLEMS, this truck is near perfect.
[And, twice I opened the rear window without realizing it and came back to the truck and found it open.]
Otherwise, at 3100 miles, my 04 V8 sport (with side air bags) is just wonderful.
Hope they soon improve it so less people are killed and put in wheel chairs, and have the faces damaged, the necks snapped, their kids hurt, and so on from these roll-overs.
Rotten milage, to boot. You would think if Ford has a hybrid SUV comming out Toyota would (Lexus doesn't count since thats a luxery item). Bravo Ford for bringing an inexpensive SUV with great mileage to market.
Let most or all the air out of the tires. If you let all the air out, you won't be able to drive it and roll it over. This will keep you from using all that gas, and getting such rotton mileage, too.
None of this applies to Lexus since it's a luxury item.
I think you deserve a Ford.
:coughtrollcough:
tidester, host
Toyota will be selling the hybrid Highlander soon. BTW, the Ford hybrid has been delayed for two years. Ford promised a hybrid, but could not produce it in time. Meanwhile, Toyota has it's second generation hybrid car in production and the Lexus hybrid is in its first year of production. To my knowledge, the Lexus hybrid is the first production hybrid SUV.
The 4Runner's mileage is about average with other SUVs in it's class. How can you say that it is Rotten? Considering the rotten reliability of most FORD products in general, I am pretty sure that first year reliability of the FORD hybrid will be marginal at best.
Steve, Host
Toyota did the one effective thing (that I can think of) to mitigate the problem by adding stability control. In this forum somewhere there is a link to a story that mentions the difference between older and newer 4Runners in terms of potential rollovers. Body lean is also pretty mild on this vehicle, compared to the competition.
Rotten mileage? For mixed city/highway driving alone (my old commute) I got about 20 MPG. For my current commute of almost all city, often with several passengers I get abut 16 MPG. For a recent short highway trip at 65-70 MPH on level ground with 2 passengers I got about 22.5 MPG. All actual numbers; not from the trip computer, V6 engine.
I wish Ford good luck, but we've got to see their vehicle first. Anybody can make claims, but I want to see several thousand on real roads for a couple of years first. Also, the Escape is a compact, on-road SUV, and a different animal than a 4Runner. Most equivalent to a RAV4, I suppose.
I drive several hundreds of miles per week, and I regularly see reckless SUV, minivan, and pickup truck drivers (not to mention many car drivers) engaging in the usual high-risk and dangerous driving behaviors. These would include tailgating; aggressive lane changes; road rage; a reckless sense of ENTITLEMENT and a disregard for rules and safety; talking on cell phones; reading while driving; eating a full course meal (including hot coffee) spread across their laps, center console, etc. while driving; reaching around into the backseat of their vehicle while driving; dancing and bobbing to blaring music; sitting in and blocking the passing lane; failure to use turn signals; failure to constantly be aware of local traffic patterns and oncoming road hazards; failure to always check mirrors and double check blind spots prior to changing lanes; driving with an overloaded roof pod making the vehicle even more top-heavy, not to mention the rack of bicycles hanging off the back of the vehicle, along with so much luggage and pillows stacked up in the rear cargo area as to completely obscure rear visibility (and let's not forget the "baby on board" signs and baby's window shades in the rear, side windows), etc., etc.
Intelligence is measured by a bell-curved IQ score, and the average IQ is 100. This means that nearly half of the population have an IQ of LESS THAN 100, and nowhere is this more evident than when driving on our nation's roads and highways.
I dread having to drive on our nation's highways during the summer vacation season. At these times, the freeways and turnpikes are typically clogged with overloaded SUVs and minivans, often being driven by oblivious morons who see nothing wrong with their driving behaviors. Again, examples here would include driving 55 mph in the passing lane while simultaneously eating, talking on the phone, reading, changing diapers; and then slowing to a crawl whenever they see a state trooper, or perhaps just to gawk at a dead deer along the side of the highway. And all the while, we patiently follow a safe distance behind these vehicles, watching the spoaked wheels of their lashed-on bicycles slowly and mindlessly rotating in the wind, until we can safely get around them, only to find more ahead.
Accidents by Rollover still make up a minority of SUV accidents. The 4Runner is well protected in most types of accidents with such safety features as traction control, VSC, seat belt pretensioners, up to 8 airbags, and others. It is my understanding that the pretensioners also do work in rollover accidents (at least for the latest gen 4Runner) and the side airbags will still provide protection. Rollovers still increase the liklihood of death or serious injury, but these instances are reduced by both lowering the chances of them occurring in the first place and by minimizing impact once a rollover occurs.
Being a physician, I realize that many vehicle accidents are due in part not to a driver's lack of driving ability, but to poor vision. There are many older persons out there that refuse to have frequent eye exams. Having poor vision causes many accidents as well.
In this country, obtaining a drivers' license is extremely easy. Unfortunately, too many of us allow our busy lives to intrude into our driving. What did people do before the advent of cellphones? What could be so important that needs to be discussed while driving? Even in states such as NY that have a "hands free" cell phone law, few people actually obey the law even though there is a $100 fine. There are still many people that STILL don't wear safety belts. Road-rage is an increasingly prevalent problem, especially in the north-east.
In Germany, on the autobahn, drivers can drive at any speed while in the passing lane. In addition, it is very hard and costly to obtain a driver's license there. Far too many drivers in this country drive in the passing lane, but don't actually actively pass anyone.
SUVs EPA mileage ratings have been improving steadily over the years. The current generation 4Runner V8, for example, gets 19mph on the highway, about the same as the last generation, but with a significantly greater horsepower displacement. Toyota has been aggressively pursuing alternative forms of fuel for their vehicles and the proof is in their commitment and in the products that they actually produce.
I drive nearly 100 miles/day and I dread driving on the highways, especially during rush hours, when most drivers are preoccupied on driving to work on time, drinking a coffee, having cellphone conversations, and performing other tasks, such as shaving, putting on makeup, and partaking of a breakfast sandwich.
Technology can't be the cure-all for everything.