Impressions After One Week

[TMLifer]

In general, I really like the TRD OffRoad. The ride is slightly harsh on the highway, but it has wonderful manners, and handles quite nicely. My last new Toyota was a 1996 T100, so that was 30 years ago.

Where the shock comes in is setting up the dash display. With 3 views, a bunch of various functions, and options for gauge style, I’m somewhat overwhelmed. What button to press, when to press it, and in what direction was frustrating. I was considering digging out an old IBM flowcharting template to help document the process. Holy **** Batman, I’m getting close to 80, and technology has left me behind. My daughters, both in their 50s, have newer Toyotas and said they struggled as well. Maybe it’s not just me.

My impression is the dealers should take a couple of hours to walk buyers through the setup. After the sale, it seems things became a bit disinteresting for them.

Overall, it’s a very nice and capable vehicle that will take me into country I want to fish, hunt, camp, and explore.

I agree with you that most dealership sales associates' interest for the most part is making the sale and just enough for customer service / customer support. The time spent training a new buyer all of the functions of their new vehicle is less time to potentially make other sales. But there are so much different special functions in the new vehicles that I think you'll probably benefit more and retain everything you learn by watching YouTube and going through doing it on your own time than having a salesperson sit next to you in the vehicle to teach you every available function. It makes sense for the dealership to go through and teach some of most used or important basic functions of the new vehicle.

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[Joestac]

I was a C and C++ programmer before going into senior leadership. Moved into C in 1985. Just wish the flow would have been well documented in the operators manual, and the dealership would have been more interested in seeing me get a good start.

I get that. The dealer I got mine from had special non-sales staff that offered to help with any questions I had but I was already well on my way to setting everything up myself. They need to cater to both crowds without a doubt.

 

[lawn_wrangler]

I like PDA

I don't *hate* it. got somewhat used to Honda's version in my Odyssey. But there are times when it steers hard left for no apparent reason. Seems like that happens on unmarked back roads without a shoulder...

 

[6thGen1419]

I don't *hate* it. got somewhat used to Honda's version in my Odyssey. But there are times when it steers hard left for no apparent reason. Seems like that happens on unmarked back roads without a shoulder...

Of course, being able to turn it off and on depending on roads is still required. Overall, I like it. Very helpful in most driving situations.

 

[lawn_wrangler]

Of course, being able to turn it off and on depending on roads is still required. Overall, I like it. Very helpful in most driving situations.

fair but that would be a lot of keystrokes for me because by "unmarked back roads without a shoulder" I really mean "the road by which I access my neighborhood"

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I have had a long career in systems engineering, systems programming, user interface design, etc.

The owners manual is a fine car owners manual and the multimedia manual is also designed like a car owners manual. The documentation does not at all work as a user interface, users manual.

The user interface on the dash controls and settings is not at all intuitive, IMHO. The Multimedia display is a bit better, but not great.

YouTube videos were more helpful.

Professor Google and Dr YouTube are very helpful with helping understand the flow. I’m coming from a gen 5 Ranger and a recent F350, and find that a new set of acronyms is angst inducing.

i do agree that the operator manuals are great, but they’re not a good interface. A good systems/business analyst should sit with the tech writers to make life easier for we in the geezer set.

While I’m in whine mode, does anyone know if the emergency fuel door release is really accessed through the jack storage area. I haven’t dived in to check for myself?

 

[Joestac]

While I’m in whine mode, does anyone know if the emergency fuel door release is really accessed through the jack storage area. I haven’t dived in to check for myself?

It is indeed. Saw it when I was snagging my jack tools from in there.

 

[bakutheleo]

I have found I like all the driving safety features. There were a couple I had to get used to but that did not take long. They seem to all generally work well.

 

[OnePunchPan]

100%. I'm fairly young at 31 and it even took me time to get used to the interface/learn how to use all the toys at my disposal

 

[MikeD]

Fascinating thread.
I treated learning all the features like a game - and this forum helps a LOT.

It seems OP has found some of the YouTube sites but I'm surprised that no one has provided links - especially since they show up on this forum so often.

Here is something that was posted by BruceB just yesterday in this thread Tire Pressure Shows Dashes only:

"These YouTube videos should help you.​

Full Button Tutorial_TRD ORP_Brian Ruperti​

Guage Cluster Tutorial_Brian Ruperti​

Customizing Instrument Cluster_Steve Clifford​

And I posted this in the same thread:

In addition to what BruceB linked**, this forum is FILLED with info on how to use the MID (Multi Information Display) here are a couple of them:​

Full Tutorial - customizing gauges​

Reference Placard for MID settings​

It looks like all the videos posted above are also buried in this sticky thread Customizing Instrument Cluster

I found one viewing of the Steve Clifford video and experimenting on my own taught me all I need to know. Of course I never can remember what PDA and the other acronyms really do so I just leave them all on for daily driving and turn them all off when I go off road to avoid the incessant beeping on narrow trails. I also reference the manual a lot. But learning by doing is definitely the way.

 

[Joestac]

Since Mike took the time to post some helpful stuff, thought I'd post one that I have been using.

https://www.4runner6g.com/forum/thr...unner-try-notebooklm-with-owners-manual.9507/

Not my idea, so linked the thread to the person who gave me the spark of knowledge. You can add your manuals to Notebook LM and then just ask it natural questions and get answers much easier than searching through the manual.

I gave it these 4 PDFs so it has a fairly complete view off all my tech. It also will, only, use these sources and not hallucinate from crap out on the internet. All free too.

 

[thomasJ2352]

so I just rented a 2025 RAV4 and was seriously annoyed with how it was trying to steer the car, I couldn’t figure out how to turn the dang thing off after all I am the driver, not it! That said and ascertaining whether I should buy a sixth GEN or a fifth GEN do the latest fifth GEN 4runners have the same kind of “user helpful controls“ as the sixth GEN does?

 

[Joestac]

so I just rented a 2025 RAV4 and was seriously annoyed with how it was trying to steer the car, I couldn’t figure out how to turn the dang thing off after all I am the driver, not it! That said and ascertaining whether I should buy a sixth GEN or a fifth GEN do the latest fifth GEN 4runners have the same kind of “user helpful controls“ as the sixth GEN does?

I can't speak to the 5th gen anything, but you can 100% turn that feature off in the settings on the 6th gen. That is the PDA that was mentioned prior. It is the only thing I have turned off on mine. Proactive Driving Assist, is the longer term.

 

[HVLA]

so I just rented a 2025 RAV4 and was seriously annoyed with how it was trying to steer the car, I couldn’t figure out how to turn the dang thing off after all I am the driver, not it! That said and ascertaining whether I should buy a sixth GEN or a fifth GEN do the latest fifth GEN 4runners have the same kind of “user helpful controls“ as the sixth GEN does?

Just turn it off. I turned it off in the dealer parking lot. Easy.

 

[RunnerRocks]

Unless the road is fairly straight & level, Driving Assist often steers towards oncoming traffic. If you like to hug the outer edge of your lane near oncoming traffic, it's a constant struggle fighting the wheel.

Verdict = Useless & Dangerous

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