Yochdog

ok guys....

I just came back from driving a sport edition with the V8. MY GOD the power is amazing. The engine is silky smooth and accelerates incredibly well.

The ride had the air suspension, and it was very, very smooth. The rig is 110% better when it comes to ride, handling, and power.

BUT DAMN, it is so ugly! Why could they just not make all these improvements to the 3rd Gen body? The cladding looks cheap, and the interior doors look poorly made. It seems like they spent all their time on engine and ride refinement and dropped the ball on looks.

Incredible piece of machinery, they just packaged it as bad as possible. I told the salesman if he could drop the engine and suspension in my rig I would take it.

I would buy that rig in an instant if it looked like my ride.

Jason B

I agree. I test drove one 2 weeks ago. I walked away with no excitement in my body. I did like the inside, but that's about the only thing I care to mention.

From the DAY I first saw/drove the 3rd gen, I loved everything about it. Those are the types of cars I buy. This just seems like one that will have to grow on you.

Dr. Zhivago

Yeah, but it's like an unidentifiable growth growing on you kind of grow on you. In other words:

I would never want one of these.

IMHO
Dr. Z

loosehead

I had the chance this afternoon to sit in and walk around one that a guy here at work just picked up. It was a Sport Edition. He absolutely loved it. Had traded his '94 4Runner for it. I really didn't care for it much. Some things inside were nice and thought out, others were just junky and cheap looking. I really wasn't impressed. The gray 'rubbermaid' looking cladding is just awful on it, I thought. He also said he paid full MSRP for it, too, but they gave him a "good" deal on his trade-in. Yeah, I bet they did...:rolleyes:

Long live the 3rd Gens!!!

sleepy1405

I have not driven one, but I take your guys word for it when it comes to the ride and the power, I absolutely love mine I didn't even have to drive it before I bought it, so I don't know how they could possibly make the ride better, but I would love it if they did, too bad on the looks though, I wonder what toyota was thinking in that department, I guess they figured that all the new stuff they put in and improvements would out weigh the looks

Dandeman

Interesting how the greatness and umm, lows run in Toyota's product cycles.. In the long length of time we've been buying Toyotas (since 1971), I seen highs in the product designs, buy an incredible one and then see the well go dry in terms of building anything I like..

Before I got the 2000 4Runner which I really like, I was driving an 85 Toyota Cressida which really had nice clean lines and to me a timeless design..

Interesting how I ended up with it.. As the time I really had the hots for a turbo 300zx or a Supra, but wife wasn't inclined to go along with that kind of car..

So I bought the Cressida which at the time had the exact same drive train as the Supra with the 5M engine, IRS rear suspension and, after much debate, the first automatic trans I'd ever bought... The inline sixes with their supurb balance really sounded nice winding to the red line.

Then when they redesigned it, they made them look like Buicks with the 7M engine.. :pat: Shortly after that the Lexus line started and they stopped bringing the Cressidas in even though they were still built for the Japan market.

Kind of like the 4Runner, nice running works but the outside is enough to drive you to

BT17R

One small point, the rear air suspension with X-REAS is only available on the Limited. The Sport comes with X-REAS only as standard.

INsr5runner

THE NEW '03s look like pieces of ˟˟˟˟˟! I would never EVER drive one! I have waited sooo long to get my truck that I have now, and it's because I loved the rough and ruggedness that IS the 4Runner! The 03 is just a glorified minivan! Yeah so the V-8 is badass, but the body? C'mon that's like a chick's suv! UGH! but I'm not bitter... plus is this one push-button 4WD? c'mon leave that to ford explorers, real trucks have 4wd shifters

mhawker

My girlfriend and I went to look at a 2003, but they only had SR5's outside. Didn't like those fender flares at all. Today I saw a black limited with the body color flares and it looked much better.

Still seems a little chickish, but I think that's the market they are going for.... soccer moms. I'm witholding judgement until I see one with some upgraded wheels and tires to see how that looks.

Mike

BT17R

I guess driving is believing! The V-8 with the new 5 speed tranny with AI is something to experience. The Limited color coordination seems to make looks a bit easier to swallow especially in Titanium, the only color with matching roof rack and running boards. If it's any consolation, the salesman (and they know all, right? ) said the headlights are more effective than even L/C headlights. If true, that would be worth the "raised eyebrow" look of the new design. I've owned FJ100's in 98/99/00 and can vouch that the headlights are very effective. If the BT (4Runner) headlights are even better, maybe that'll become one way to justify the front end design! :rolleyes:

Hannerhan

What do you mean, just a glorified minivan? If you're just talking about looks, that's purely subjective, but when you say something is a glorified minivan, you're implying that it's off-road ability is suspect. Look at Corey's review, and I think you'll find that the 4th gen will be very capable off-road.

So if you hate the looks, that's fine. But except for the inch or so it gives up in ground clearance, a stock 4th gen will be as good or better off-road than any of the stock previous models.

Toyota is unfortunately trying to make this a "model for the masses," but I'd rather them go that direction than decide to just drop the 4Runner altogether. Think about it, what if they made the new model really hardcore, and sales were bad, and then they dropped it. With the way the economy is going these days, something like that happening is not far-fetched. Personally, I'll take what they give me, and work on the look with some bigger tires and other mods...

JSB

I've had both 2nd and 3rd Gens, and I have to agree the 3rd Gen has the more rugged look, but the Limited 03 doesn't look as bad. I didn't say it looked good, just not as bad. I think the others look like some kind of pontiac Aztec or something. What's with this plastic? Anyway has anyone figured out what that plastic interior piece is behind the console. It pulls up but what is it for? I'm sure some one will buy a Limited put a bunch of offroad gear on it, and some will change their minds on the looks. It always happens. I thought when I bought my 96 in 96 that it was too pretty to take off road. I thought my 95 was more of a truck than my 96, but looked what happened. Now everyone thinks the 03 is too much of a pretty little soccer moms car. But people will build them up, and people will change. Mark my words. I still agree with the consenses though. Thumbs Down!

Jason B

It's a garbage bag holder.

SteveO

I wouldn't even put this 4th gen in the history of the 4Runners. The 1st gen 4Runners had an aggressive stance, and with the pop top was IMHO the most versatile of the bunch. The 2nd gen was the testing phase for the 3rd gen suspension. With the 3rd gen suspension doing pretty good and giving the best ride, I'm happy to have the 3rd gen. However, the solid axle would really compliment the rugged ability of any vehicle.

Have you all looked at the Initial Exteriro Sketches of the 4th gen 4Runner. These are very, very cool. You can see the progression of the Initial Exterior Sketches to the Intermediate Exterior Model to the final version. The Initial sketches are very cool. I would buy one of these in a heartbeat. Go to the web site:
http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/4runner/
click on the Interactive Minisite for the 2003 4Runner. There you can see the Initial sketches for the 03 4Runner. Then click on the Designed 4Adventure, and see what the 03 started out as and what it has progressed to. Its pretty sad.....

Beowulf

I was thinking more like Soccer Ball Holder

Whitey

And how about those 03 commercials? Whoop dee doo! It shows it running rather quickly over a dirt road. Wow! Are they trying to pretend that it made it up Mt. Everest? I think it would have been awesome had they made all these improvements to the 3rd Gen instead of doing a total remake. I mean sheesh, Toyota offers more SUV Models than any other manufacturer. Why screw with the looks of the Runner? Mess with thtese instead ---Sequoia, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Rav4.

Jason B

One little thing I noticed is the EMBLEMS on the '03 don't even use the same FONT as the orignial "4Runner" logos. This really makes it feel non 4Runner like. They need to keep some of the roots.

sleepy1405

I dunno but I absolutely hate the way the back looks.....one of the ugliest in my book, although it can't beat out the aztek.... the sides aren't so bad and the front I don't like either, i've only seen two here in hawaii but the strange this is that instead of DRL they have like their parking lights on but the lights aren't yellow or white they are reddish on the bottom, what are those for?

naksukow

2003 4Runner = Pontiac Aztek + Chevy Trailblazer

What a horrible looking car. Just saw it for the first time tonight at the dealership. The only person I can see driving that "suv" is a person who thinks the aztek or that stupid transformer chevy truck wasn't ˟˟˟˟ty looking enough for him or herself. I would rather drive a rusted out 85 bronco II than that pos.

yea I didn't like it.

BT17R

No, it didn't make it up Mt. Everest. The commercial was shot at "only" 17,262 ft. ('03 4Runner brochure)