Mudbath TRD Pro - Review at 600 miles and counting

[Bernie]

Okay, so break-in mileage is over. I'm totally delighted with my entire experience thus far. I worked on getting this 25 Pro in Mudbath for over a year. It may have helped that the GM at my dealership has been a friend for decades and I've bought several cars from him (mostly Mercedes.) When I read so many posts from buyers who seem to be in an adversarial crouch with their dealership, it makes me sad. My deal was definitely straight-up handshake -no deposit and everything MSRP on the hardest to get 25 Runner trim and color.

At 600 miles, no rattles, no brake squealing, no fender flare separation. Heck, I'm even happy with the JBL sound system. I've been asked about wind noise from the roof rack, but I can't really detect any signigicant sound that would be louder than the engine or tire noise or anything music wouldn't cover up.

Admittedly because this is just break-in mileage, I have not tried any of the off-road features, four-wheel drive, etc. All mileage is around town daily driving with some interstate, but not more than about 20 minutes at a stretch. Acceleration is good on the hybrid, even when running in Eco-mode. I do like Sport-mode best. I turned the Fox shocks to the middle setting because I felt I was getting too much sway on the softest setting, that has worked out fine for me. I'm running 93-octane and getting slightly above 20 mpg on the highway and between 14 and 18 around town. Hoping that mpg will go up over time.

I've been driving Mercedes sports cars for over 15 years and this is my first four-wheel drive vehicle –definitely, a big change to be sitting up so high. The creature comforts and fits on the Pro are great, which is a lot for someone used to Mercedes-quality. MY first sports car was a Toyota Celica and I had a great 165,000 mile experience, so I was comfortable with going Toyota again.

Mods so far:
Port-installed - ARB ¾ roof rack, OEM rock rails, cargo mat, cargo cover, Toyota red front recovery points

After market - Rigid ditch lights on Wescott Designs low-profile mounts, ARB traction boards, 10 mil XPEL PPF full front (including hood scoop) and fender flares, 7-year ceramic coating, Musology console organizer and cup holder liner.

Up next - Operation Mod-out puddle lights.

Also looking at ARB portable air compressors, The twin-brushless is out of stock and I'm thinking about just saving the money and going with the single brushless version -not sure how much of a compromise that would be for occasional use. Any insights would be appreciated.

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[4Runner4Fun]

Congrats on your new ride! I know you've been waiting a long time. and I'm glad you're having a good experience. I'm also a happy TRD Pro owner (white) with 700 miles right now. I also had a straightforward purchase at an msrp dealer in the Midwest. Based on the stories I'm glad to no longer be in California or be buying from the Gulf region. I'm sorry others have to deal with a poor experience.

My mods are full front and fenders PPF (I'm using Griot's 3 in 1 ceramic wax on the rest), professional rustproofing, screen protectors, greenlane sliders (on the way), redline hood struts, rally armor mudflaps, lasfit liners, and some interior organizers. I'll also be getting Yakima crossbars when they are back in stock. I have a Carista on order to do some electronics customization and I also plan on extending the rear differential breather up to the tail light soon (I decided the rear elocker is fine as it's a bit higher but more importantly won't get hot and potentially pull in water like the rear diff).

I've been getting about 22 mpg overall on 87 octane but I'm driving slow during break-in and lots of longer 55mph roads so this is ideal case. I expect to be around 20 mpg average in regular driving which I'm very happy with. Better than my old Gen 3 that got 16.5 mpg with a 183hp V6! Glad I didn't go the GX 550 route at 16pmg and premium gas which is over $1 more per gallon in the Midwest. I drive a lot at 20,000 miles per year so the GX would cost around $2000 more per year just in gas so while the purchase price isn't much difference, the TRD Pro is almost 50% cheaper in annual operating costs (gas & insurance). The GX rode a little softer on my test drive and had more body lean which I actually like but also had a lot more wind noise above 40 mph with the big mirrors and upright windshield. The 4Runner has plenty of pick-up for me and drives very nice. In the end I liked the 4Runner the best vs the Land Cruiser and GX 550 Overtrail and am happy I splurged for the TRD Pro since this might be my last really fun vehicle purchase.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying the new vehicle. I had high expectations and so far I'm enjoying it even more than expected. Toyota did a really good job with the new 4Runner.

 

[mcnuggs]

professional rustproofing,

Curious to know what the professional rust proofing entailed (and price if you’re willing to share!). I live in an area that uses a lot of road salt in the winter and have been toying with the idea of getting this done on my TRD Pro.

 

[4running]

Curious to know what the professional rust proofing entailed (and price if you’re willing to share!). I live in an area that uses a lot of road salt in the summer and have been toying with the idea of getting this done on my TRD Pro.

I'd also like to know what rustproofing you had done @4Runner4Fun and @Bernie

@ROBERT18452 had undercoat spray done called WOOLWAX undercoating which looked real good -

Link - https://www.4runner6g.com/forum/thr...dy-undercarriage-protection-application.5619/

 

[Bernie]

I'd also like to know what rustproofing you had done @Bernie

@ROBERT18452 had undercoat spray done called WOOLWAX undercoating which looked real good -

Link - https://www.4runner6g.com/forum/thr...dy-undercarriage-protection-application.5619/

We don’t get much snow, less every year, so I haven’t been thinking about rust-proofing. Should I? Is it a known issue for Toyota?

 

[4Runner4Fun]

Happy to give some details on the rustproofing. I'm using a local place called Henderson Bros. It's $850 for the initial application and they do touch-ups for $50 every three years or so. My gen 3 spent 21 years in Michigan and Pennsylvania and this rustproofing (and my own efforts including rinsing salt off after every snowstorm) kept the rust at bay. It was in really good condition when I sold it. Henderson has been using Texaco Compound L since the 60s and it's been used a lot in the military. It's a thick grease cut with mineral spirits and heated then applied all over the underside and in any accessible holes. It's messy and drips for several days and on really hot summer days but it really works and holds up really well. They take apart panels and drain plugs and use a thinner rustproofing oil on inside areas like door panels. I personally touch-up the underside once each fall with woolwax and will do periodic targeted touch ups with Surface Shield or Fluid Film. I wish we used more sand but instead the roads are heavily salted for several months a year and it really ruins vehicles if good rustproofing isn't done. I've had several mechanics say a 4Runner will keep going forever unless the rust kills it. A bit of an exaggeration but in salt areas, I would bet rust is the top cause of death.

 

[squawbum]

For the compressor I installed a single brushless. So far so good for airing up all 4 at once. Also air up trailer tires.
I also have Mudbath Pro. Here is my install video for the compressor if you’re interested.

 

[zgreen]

Congrats on finally getting yours! It's a beautiful rig. I have just about 5,000 miles on mine and love it more everyday. Enjoy it!

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