[aigel]

My 2001 Sequoia is getting long in the tooth, so I have been jonesing a replacement for a while. There isn't much out there that I like - I had eyed an FJcruiser before because it can be had with a stick, but need more room nowadays. The new 4runner looks nice, so I went for a test drive.

I was pretty disappointed. While the outside is clean and well designed, the interior has a horrid Tupperware feel to it with many very hard surfaces and controls straight out of a comic movie and orange gauges from the 80s.

What really put me off was the engine. All was fine at very low throttle in town with the ECO light shining at me brightly, but going up the on ramp, accelerating into freeway traffic, nothing happened until i kicked the pedal in deeply. A screaming whine after a jerky shift and the rpm flew up and 3 seconds later it started going somewhere ...

Out the door price on a basic equipped SR5 with 4x4 is north of $40k. If I'd get a trail model with the KDSS, i'd be even above that ..

I got back into the Sequoia (Limited with leather and loaded for that year's model), fired up the V8 and drove home. Barely have to hit the pedal on the on-ramp to get going. I ordered a new set of all terrains for it and will pamper it another 100k. I can buy a lot of gas and do a few more repairs for the $35k I'll be saving.

Anyone else think the quality / workmanship on the Toyotas just isn't there any more compared to 10 years ago? Would i have to shop for another limited Sequoia ($60k?) to get the same?

Final note: WTF is up with console shifters on trucks that only come with an automatic?

Next test drive is a Suburban - in 2 years or so.

G