olharleyman

Maybe so about the sfa but atleast give us the 5 or even 6 speed option. I would not and do not own an auto trans.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

As 'Coug said, Toyota knows what they are doing, not enough to warrant a SFA in a rig that will be upon American shores.

However with the addition of the elocker and A trac in the new model 4Runner, it should do good.

Just check out Miss FJs stone stock FJ when it was stock, right down to the cheap factory rubber.

This is not some little molehill, it is Hells Gate at Moab.
Much steeper than it appears on video.

[YOUTUBE]A5KyVaeeW54[/YOUTUBE]

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

I agree they should have an option there, but again, it depends on the market they are trying to sell to. 95% of 4Runners will never see offroad, and be used by soccer moms. they dont want manual trannies, they want to get in and press the gas.

My 4Runner is a stick, but my Corolla is an auto. I love the auto as i can just push the gas, go, and forget about it. Since its just a commuter car, there is no reason for me to have any fun shifting. Just a point a to point b car. And as i said, most people use the 4runner for point a to point B, with minimal "utility" needed. Esentially, it doesn't make sense for toyota to develop the tooling and build the trucks with manuals to appease the 5%.

Alas, 2000 4Runner was the last really good 4Runner

X-AWDriver

Toyota makes manual trannys available for the Tacomas and FJs so I don't see why they can't offer it in the 4Runners. I'm sure it's the marketing thing.

2000t4r

I would consider a new 4runner only if they offered it in a manual. That is the reason I'm looking to trade in my old 4runner for a new Tacoma for the manual transmission.

Fo_SheeZy

I'm curious as to why everyone wants manual in the new 4Runner, really whats the point? I can see someone wanting manual over in automatic in like a lamborghini or some other very fast car, that makes sense, but a 4Runner... come on.

X-AWDriver

How many manual trannys have you driven in your short driving career? Mostly it's just preference and some people enjoy manual shifting.

Manual trannys have their place and it's sometimes preferred for less costly to maintain and fix and off road a manual is sometimes better and you generally get better MPGs with a manual.

2000t4r

Every car I have owned was a manual and then I bought the 4runner and have missed a manual since about day 4 of having it. I enjoying shifting either in traffic or just driving to the mountains.

Maintenance is a lot cheaper, 2 qrts vs the automatic which takes 16 qrts, do the math.

Will_4R

I miss the manual also, but am getting used to the auto. I find manual more fun, especially in cars, but the auto is just as good in most situations. Manual is nice for going down steep slippery hills and creeping forward (or backwards), but with low range, I find the auto is as good. It is also annoying the way the auto can''t decide which gear to stay in while cruising down the highway.

I wonder how easy ($$$) it is to get the rear e-locker installed in my '03 4Runner?

BT17R

Fog lights are standard throughout the '09 'Runner lineup, including the Trail Edition, or so my order sheet said.

They aren't visible in press pics either b/c it was a pre-production prototype or they're recessed within a black surround.

After much deliberation, I switched my new 'Runner order from a SE V-8 to a TE V-6 with the Extra Value Package in Shadow Mica. My first stop will be at Americas Tire Co for the biggest set of Nitto TG's that'll fit on the 16" rims without trimming. Should arrive early Jan '09.

BT17R

Fog lights are standard. With the combination of Multi-Mode, center and rear lockers and A-TRAC, this driveline is unique to this model alone.

I drove a V-8 Sport and V-6 SR5 back-to-back. IMO, the 250 lbs. weight saving of the V-6, most of that over the front axle, more than compensates in greatly improved handling and turn-in response even compared to the X-REAS option. No doubt the V-8 is stronger on the low end, but I thought they felt very close in the ¼. With the 2+ mpg and $1,500 savings over the V-8, economics ruled.

Oh, and if you've never had Alcantara upholstery, it's a bear to maintain. I much prefer the FJ-type water resistant upholstery in the TE.

Now to start planning mods to get more grunt out of the 1GR and I'll be happy.

BT17R

I'll miss a manual, too. But, the new Toyota A/T's are sealed and maintenance free though I think the book specs 120K for the first fluid change.

BT17R

I think MSRP for the TE package is about $2K but dealers are discounting deeply even for special orders so it came out to a $1,450 upgrade, not bad for the following:

Trail Edition Package [10] -- includes locking rear differential, Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Bilstein® shock absorbers, 16-in. 5-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with P265/70R16 tires, color-keyed grille, door handles and rear license plate garnish, black-painted tubular side steps and tubular roof rack, unique badging, water-resistant fabric seats, AM/FM CD player with six speakers and detachable TomTom® [11], Personal Navigation Device [3], MP3/WMA capability, iPod® [12] connectivity [13], Bluetooth® [5] capability, satellite radio capability [4], and perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls.

The icing was the Extra Value package discounted another $1,000, coming out to around $450 IIRC:

Trail Edition Extra Value Package [14] -- includes power tilt/slide moonroof with noise-reduction technology and sunshade, rear tonneau cover, HomeLink® [8] universal transceiver, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass, and color-keyed rear spoiler with center high-mount stop lamp (CHMSL).

BTW, FJ isn't going anywhere for awhile. 4Runner is the body-on-frame SUV headed for history.

nieuwendyk-25

You Mean It's Trail Rated!!

BT17R

English, please?

From specs, it will do at least as well as my FJ, maybe better with the A/T over boulders and proper 32" tires and rails. But I usually stick to intermediate runs (3-4) at Brown's Camp, dunes at the beach and exploring ghost towns in the desert far away from civilization where the 400 mile range will be useful. It certainly felt more powerful, stable and maneuverable than my last 3rd Gen Highlander, and the seat comfort and ergo is vastly improved.

Oh well, we'll see. I can always get a Gen 2 FJ if I get bored.

GenXr

I just want the kinda job where I can afford a brand new Toyota!

EvaMonky

Trail Rated.... as in Jeep's marketing campain?

Ok, so I was just on Toyota's site looking around trying to find out how much this thing costs. I can't find the cost anywhere. I tried building a 4Runner and it says it's based off the SR5 trim level, yet I didn't see any Trail Edition option anywhere.

I also noticed you said that it's possible to get the TE with the V-8? From browsing around Toyota's site the V-8 is only for the Limted 4Runners.

Naturally I'm interested, but confused on what you really can get with it.

So what's the deal with this TE? Is it an upgrade for any 4Runner? Or is it a special model?

BT17R

EM, thanks for the Trail Rated decipher.

The TE is only available as a package on the SR5 4X4 V-6 model, the entry level 'Runner but still loaded enough for me. The Toyota site could be easier to navigate. The "Packages" tab is next to the "Options" tab and easy to overlook.

My dealer said TE pricing just arrived along with his first '09 'Runner, a base SR5 V-6 I drove that felt like a limo after my FJ.

EvaMonky

Ahhhh gotcha. Ok that's why I couldn't find it.

I was never happy with the way Toyota did their website "Build Your Own" section.

You can choose "packages' and you don't always get whats different between 2 of them other than cost.

I need to get the G/F to trade in her Jeep for an '09 4Runner now heh.

Merlin

hmm... good info.

maybe toyota limited it to this package because they figured people would be replacing a bunch of stuff anyway, so no sense selling them stuff they're only going to take off anyway? this way you sorta get a barebones package to start building.