Tripitz

Well, I bought my 4Runner on December 30 and I just hit the 5500 mile mark, with a lot of driving in snow. All I can say is that this truck has exceeded expectations in every way. The most amazing part of the vehicle is how comfortable it is putting down some long mileage days. I recently drove down south from the NYC area in a bad snow storm and came back up in the aftermath of the monster this past weekend. Snow performance is predictable and very stable. The v8 is an amazing engine as it effortlessly hauled us around at 80mph (when the roads were dry!) with the cargo area packed to capacity at the roof line.

Anyway, all the good comments on this board helped me end up with the 4Runner as my choice. Just wanted to say that this is definitely a keeper.

RTdawgs

congrats

Bumpin' Yota

How is the 0 - 60 time and the 1/4 mile time? Also, how is the braking system on it? And the suspension's articulation and on road handling? Hell, give us a full write up!

JGage

I love my Limited V8 4WD... It has about 4500 miles on it. I did 625 miles today in 8hrs and 13min. Comfy ride, two stops for gas (I try to hot the pump a little under 1/4 tank) and one "personal" stop.
I am really pleased with it.

EDGE

0-60 I have read anywhere between 7 seconds and 8 1/2 the brakes are excellent the 1st few times I touched them to stop I almost gave myself wiplash

JGage

I think someone quoted Car&Driver as saying it was 7.7sec, but don't hold me to that. It does fly, though when you get sporty with it you pay in MPG.
I know the '03 V8 tops out at 110 (electroniclly locked) but it is capable of much MUCH faster... Not that I would want to/should go over a 110 in that vehic.

Funny side note... I got better MPG in centeral/south FL(16.8mpg) than I did in north.northwest FL (14.7) and this is driving the same way and same average speed on the Interstate. I actually think I was drving FASTER when I got better mpg.

BT17R

Only 1,200 miles so far, but the truck just keeps getting better. MSN Auto test reviewer got some eye-popping numbers from the V-8: 0-60 in 7.4, 1/4 mile in 15.7, top end of 124 mph. Outstanding SUV, comparable to a Land Cruiser in most ways.

http://autos.msn.com/vip/heraudspecs...=10653&src=vip

Tripitz

I've read that the 4Runner does anywhere between mid 7's to high 7's for 0-60 time. All I know is that if I need to get moving, I can usually outrun other suv's. I think the best part of the V8 is that it is not bothered very much by any load whatsoever. I had 4 people in the car and the cargo area stacked up to the ceiling and I never felt there was a want for extra power. I also did not notice any changes in gas mileage with the load. I was getting anywhere from 18 to 18.6 mpg with that load doing on average between 75 and 80mph. I don't think that is bad at all. I did 95% of my recent driving of 3500 miles in 12 days on regular gasoline as I didn't notice any different with premium. There was no knocking and fuel economy was pretty good. I seriously have to wonder why anyone would pick the more expensive to run (premium only) v6 and forgo the 5 speed as well for $800?

For those who asked, I find the suspension setup with the x-reas as best described as 'comfy'. Even with the full load, road joints and bumps just get sucked up byt he suspension. Cornering, of course, is very flat as long as I don't go too fast around a corner. I think this is what helps contribute to the overall comfortable feeling to the driver and passenger as it is very confidence inspiring and prevents people from feeling like they are leaning back and forth. The part I really like about the 03 vs the previous generation is that there is no 'jiggle' feeling when cruising. I find this makes the car feel less fussy and a lot easier to drive.

The only part of the car I don't really care too much for is the brake pedal system. I feel that there is just a bit of a lag between pressing and actually feeling the brakes engage. Its something I've gotten used to, but I still find it strange. It definitely should be setup in a more linear and direct fashion. I guess I can't expect the brakes to feel like my M3! The stopping power is clearly there though, so that alleviates some concerns.

Has anyone 'played' with their 4runner in the snow? I'm pretty suprised how easy it is to get the back end around. It takes almost no effort to get the car to rotate with the stock tires. It is pretty easy to get back under control though, but it does suprise me a bit! Of course, getting stuck in the snow isn't really a concern so far (I've gone through about 8-9 inches without any problems).

Overall, this vehicle is amazing. I used to be an suv hater along with my whole family and now we are all converts. Now I just have to find a place to take it offroading.....

sfrolich

Except for a few rattles and creaks (I still need to take it to the dealer for its first checkup) I love my 03.

It does great in the snow, especially after I put Bridgestone A/Ts on it. That helped a lot.

Sliding is very predictable. I locked the center diff to turn off the VSC and got the sucker sideways at almost full throdle until I corrected out of the slide. It was fun and NOT scarry.

One thing to note on MPG. I hope you are not relying on what the computer says. I've seen that anywhere from 1 - 4 mpg off (on the high side of course)

Scott

BT17R

Tripitz, welcome back! Sheesh, 3,500 miles in 12 days sounds like one of my driving vacations.

Good feedback on the regular fuel performance. The main reason I use premium is for the low sulphur content = less cylinder abrasion especially on cold start according to Toyota studies I've read.

Yeah, this thing squirts away from a stop. In impromptu stoplight sprints I've left everything behind by around 10 SUV lengths to 60. Very short 1-2-3 gears. The biggest challenge so far was from a TRD S/C Tacoma V-6, but I still walked him by 3-4 lengths to 60. No serious off-road time yet, I want to pull the running boards off first.

Agree with the brake pedal feel. There's a momentary lag between the first half-inch of pedal travel and brake force application. I think it could be related to the Brake Assist function, but it's easy to adjust and compensate. I noticed that it takes a lot of leg to activate ABS in wet or dry, but it does the job.

I posted that after chasing tire pressures 40 psi works best in the Dunlops for a balance between ride, handling, braking and cross-wind resistance.

I was actually jealous looking at all the snow back East, wishing we got enough to play in here. When you got yours to rotate, was the center diff unlocked = VSC/TRAC active? If so, that's behavior I didn't experience on my Land Cruiser with the same system. Good to know what to expect, thanks.

kaneman23

As an owner of both an 03' runner and a 99' s/c'ed tacoma, I'm going to have to disagree with you on walking the s/c'ed Tacoma. They are close 0-60 but the Taco is w/out a doubt slightly quicker. Either the other taco wasn't S/C'ed or he wasn't racing you..... Just remember our runners are almost a 1000lbs heavier then the Taco and the taco has a definate hp to weight ratio advantage.

Tripitz

Hey guys. Its great to be back! The trip was a lot of fun. I would say the only bad part of the trip was on the way south about 12 days ago where we were hit by a storm that dumped 6-8 inches on us. the 18 wheelers were driving like maniacs once they thought they could drive through to the rain/snow line. I saw some nasty accidents. The worst was that I could predict which cars were going to crash! A MB E430 flew by me on the slushy left lane and crashed 10 miles later. My 4Runner drove fine, but I really wasn't pushing it. I think the worst part about the car in the snow is that it has very wide tires (265) that like to catch the snow when changing lanes. I just took it out for another 'spin' again, and sure enough on the same corner the car rotated again. This was with VSC on and the locking differential not on. I played with teh locking differential driving on dry/snow (left wheels on pavement, right wheels on snow) and it seemed to help it out a bit. What do people here recommend? I'm a bit suprised how easy it is to wag the tail. This is the same experience that I had when I went to an unplowed parking lot and drove through 4-5 inches of snow. When turning, I feel the front grab and the back just swings around. Its very predictable though and I guess it is to be expected.

As for using regular gas, I assume that Toyota has the engine management system programmed in such a way as to mitigate any engine damage that could occur. My main understanding is that premium gas just burns slower, which helps prevent knocking when the engine is put under load. Other than that, isn't the gas pretty much the same? Also, a lot of cars that use regular apparently get build-up of carbon due to using premium as the gas burns slower in the cylinder, leaving more residue that it was designed to handle. My guess is that Toyota wants to say that the car can run on Regular, except when towing or loaded with heavy cargo., but its just easier to say 'premium is recommended'.

kaneman23

According to this link; http://autos.msn.com/vip/heraudspecs...=10653&src=vip the V8 runner finishes the 1/4 mi @15.7. I've seen 4x4 5spd Tacoma's hit the 14.7 mark w/only exhaust and charger. There are several S-runner's in the low to mid 13's as well. We won't count those because they are 2wd.. . I would estimate that my 4X4 S/C'd Tacoma(auto) would run very low 15's w/only s/c, exhaust, and intake. Either way the runner and the Taco are both beasts and a blast to drive!

BT17R

Well, we matched up twice. It was a double-cab (heavy) and I think those are all automatics. The first time I wasn't trying and he pulled away a couple lengths to the next light. That's when I saw the TRD S/C sticker on the tailgate. Lined up at the next light, I nodded and waved but got no response. At the green I could hear what I think was the S/C screaming until I pulled away while shifting "manually". Ah well, kinda silly to be talking about 1/4 mile times in an SUV anyway! That's what's so great about this board. The vets here are kind to us 4th Gener's. We post about creature comforts, handling, acceleration and other aspects that would be flame-bait on other boards!

rimpainter.com

I thought it was electronically limited at 110MPH?

Tripitz

I'd certainly hope so as the stock tires on the vehicle are only rated for 110mph!

Tripitz

Some interesting reading about fuel grades for those interested:

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caran...ne.xml?&page=1

kaneman23

haha, yeah your right. SUV's and trucks are slow. Especially when compared to sports cars. It is fun having the power in these huge beasts, silly or not... I don't know the specs on the D-cabs so maybe they are much heavier then my Ext. Cab. All I know is both my S/C'ed Taco and 4runner have a lot of get up and go for trucks...

JGage

I still cannot believe your getting 18mpg, please tell me that's not off your computer ?
Mine read 17.7, but doing it with a calculator I'm getting 14.8 on average. My MPG has actually gotten worse, it was in the mid 15's when I bought it.
Of course, I may just be getting a little more "sporty" with it.

Good Times

Ummm, any of ya 03 owners using their computer will be in for a rude awakening!!!

that thing is definitely WRONG!!! don't bother...
The only good thing for that is the clock next to it and possible the "how many miles left"... hehe

other than that, it's easier to just calculate the total miles driven divided by gallons pumped into your tank!

Mine said I was getting 17-18mpg but I know i was getting more like 15 or even less sometimes...