I have been looking at the 4Runner TE for a while and love the look of them but cant come to pay 40k for a new one or 30k for a used one. Since you test drove both of them...what were the reasons other than price and what you mentioned for not going with the TE?
I have been meaning to test drive both for my own opinion but havent had the time. Enjoy it!
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I didn't test drive a TE, but I did have a '13 4Runner SR5 for a rental. There were things I loved about it and things I hated. Here is a quick run down from what I can remember
Good:
-Rear window goes up and down
-Pretty comfy seats (it was ~18 hours of driving in one day and I didn't complain until about 16 hours in)
-Stereo functionality and sound - I really liked the programming of the favorites. It wasn't set to things like FM1, FM2, AM1, AM2, XM1, XM2. There were just favorites, so I could program a XM stations in all the slots since I was travelings so far.
- Ergonomics - Everything was pretty laid out and easy to learn
Bad:
- The rear wheels liked to hop over expansion joints and train tracks. It was very noticeable
- Interior wasn't up to snuff for the price tag. Yeah, it was a rental, but the Xterra was far less expensive for a marginally "worse" interior (the dash is a bit plasticky, but sold). It was nice, but not 10k+ nicer than the Xterra.
- Loud
- Numb steering that was super light
- The price tag
Shortly after that I test drove a Xterra. The Xterra had a 10x better ride and was much cheaper for a lot more features. The only things the Xterra does worse I would say are getting in and out of the back seats (the doors are a bit narrow on the bottom), the back window doesn't open, the center armrest up front is a bit of a joke, and the dashboard is hard plastic. Also, the Xterra felt a bit more peppy.
With the Pro-4X package, you get a locking rear diff, Rockford Fosgate stereo system, navigation, bluetooth and other goodies for a price that won't even get you in a base model 2WD 4Runner.
