First Trip in the Trailhunter 4Runner -- Shawnee National Forest

[Cloudblazer]

Our family did some hiking in Shawnee National Forest this past week and had a blast. We spent most of our time hiking the state parks, but we took some easy - moderate off road trails while there. No mods yet, the Trailhunter comes pretty loaded from the factory. I'm using a Thule Apex XT bike rack in the photos.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Power train was awesome.
• Rocks, holes, dips, mud, dirt, and creek crossing were a breeze.
• cruise control was smoother than 5th gen.
• I realized that it could self drive (for a very short time) but didn't know it could do that.
• ventilated seats and ac worked great... it was hot.

Cons:

• mpg not great, not terrible either. we barely got 20 mpg on the highway. thought it'd be a little better.
• ran out of storage room quickly. But I didn't utilize the roof rack on this trip... so only sort of a con.
• back seats seem more cramped than the 5th gen. could be because they don't scoot.

it really was an awesome trip and we had a blast. here's some photos and video for ya.

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[Wolfbox]

Looks like great fun! Time with family is always memorable

 

[AtomicSushi]

When I saw your license plate I didn't read "IV" as 4. I read it as IV and was gonna ask if you're a phlebotomist or did something in the medical field. LOL.

Great writeup. I just drove mine from Georgetown, TX to Stillwater OK and back and don't wanna hijack your thread but rather give my impression of your observations.

Pros:

• Power train was awesome but busy. Lots of shifting especially on hills, but it made power whenever I needed, albeit with some quirks and noises.
• I haven't taken it off road but ran over a massive retread on the highway around 80 mph and it felt barely more than a speed bump.
• This is the first time I've had adaptive CC. I thought it would be stupid but I like it a LOT.
• I realized that it could self drive, and I wasn't aware of that when I bought it. I had thought that the nannies and "features" in these newer vehicles were stupid and I would never use them. Once I realized all I had to do was keep a hand on the wheel and the truck did the rest, I used it extensively. It's SO cool.
• ventilated seats and ac are the worst I've seen in a vehicle in over 20 years. The blower is week at full blast and the air is cool, not cold. I felt like I had to move my seat forward just to feel the air. Even on the highway it took about 45 mins to get comfortable. My phone was in the passenger seat and it over heated. I'm glad yours works well. Maybe I need to take it back to the stealership.

Cons:

• mpg, frankly, is ass. I had never taken it on the highway so it had hovered around 9 in town. On the highway it started ticking up all the way to 18.1, but then started going down on the return trip and ended up at 17. I was even trying to be conservative and see if I could do better. I was using premium fuel the whole time. This doesn't concern me too much cause I didn't buy the vehicle for fuel economy. I do wish the gas tank were bigger though.
• I had plenty of room but was traveling alone. I can see it getting tight, fast, especially if you're traveling with kids.
• I haven't tested the back seat.

I know I may sound negative but overall I love the truck. I've got just over 900 miles on it now and am going to do my 1st oil change next week. Maybe my mpg will improve. I'm really looking forward to taking it off road soon.

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