TRD Pro - Not So Pro Ride Quality!!!

[Chicane]

I responded early on and felt the OP had to be a troll. Very common these days. Funny how so many took the bait.

Whether we took the bait or not, the reality is reality. You don’t remember that one member who counted get rid of his vibration at HWY speed on his Pro. Was he a troll?

Whats the issue with many of us wanting to find a solution? I’m looking at installing some Fox 2.0 shocks as $2300 is well worth it if I can get rid of these horribly tuned factory shocks.

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[Scrappopatamus]

Whether we took the bait or not, the reality is reality. You don’t remember that one member who counted get rid of his vibration at HWY speed on his Pro. Was he a troll?

Whats the issue with many of us wanting to find a solution? I’m looking at installing some Fox 2.0 shocks as $2300 is well worth it if I can get rid of these horribly tuned factory shocks.

I actually own 2 new '25 4Runners, one being a TRD Pro and the other TRD Off Road P - I-Max. Prior to these, we had several 5th Gen 4Runners. The old 4Runners were amazing vehicles, but I'm guessing they weren't everyone's cup of tea, but there's a ton of them out there. Our new cars are amazing with no problems, just like our previous 4Runners. The new ones are more contemporary, plus the accruements are very refined and the seats comfortable. With this said, it's a better vehicle, but it's still a 4Runner. If it were a domestic feeling vehicle, they couldn't give them away in droves, and please don't school me on how your 4Runner should be. It's a 4Runner, body on frame sport utility vehicle / light truck. Since its inception it's been this type of vehicle, why in the world would they change it? Hopefully you'll grow to love your new 4Runner. If not, please try making a more informed purchase going forward. Google is your friend

 

[porkyfly]

OP's complaints are valid and recognized by several reputable sources. Unfortunate they had to sell and buy another truck.

Edmunds for example:
- "agonizingly stiff ride quality"

As a side note, @alldogsoffroad just released a video of installing the (purported) fix, aftermarket fox shocks:



as posted to https://www.4runner6g.com/forum/thr...shocks-installed-on-6th-gen-4runner-sr5.7344/

I'm honestly on the fence about doing this, as I don't have my own garage. If someone here installs these shocks for their 4runner, please let me know if it fixed the ride quality.

 

[6thGen1419]

Looking for insight / validation / others experience...
My new TRD Pro has what I would consider poor ride quality. There is little isolation of the road to the cabin/chassis, and of course the steering wheel. My 24 Corvette Z06 has better isolation than this 4Runner. Every little bump, expansion joint, just disrupts the vehicle. I'm surprised by this as my previous 5th Gen TRD Pro had a much nicer ride than this brand new one.

Now I get that none of us bought a Cadillac, and I'm not expecting luxury driving experience, but something doesn't sit right with me on the NVH front here. My shocks are set to the softest setting and my tires are inflated to 32psi. I have had my tires balance checked, and road force calculated (fronts are 8-11, rears are 20-31). The dealer of course told me it's normal...

What are you TRD Pro owners experiencing?

With these new 2025 4Runners, learn to embrace the road and get use to saying: "“Hold on—this 4WD’s in Rodeo Mode!”

 

[NotApplicable]

I have owned:

- 2016 Tacoma
- 2018 4Runner
- 2019 Wrangler
- 2021 Bronco
- 2023 R1T

My new 4Runner has among the better rides on-road in this BoF cohort in Normal suspension mode. The R1T maybe being the best, though it had its own quirks and the suspension itself had issues.

I live in a “rural resisdential” area so there are a variety of road qualities I frequent from private dirt to poorly-maintained county to fresh/well-maintained city. No aspect of the ride quality has registered as unusual in a negative way relative to other vehicles.

My 4Runner is a very late build 2025 Model Year. Who knows if there have been some sort of continuous improvements in this space or if there is some other explanation for the vastly different experiences people are having. But I feel that it’s never worth keeping a vehicle you’re unhappy with after exhausting the options to remedy your issue. So I wish OP exciting adventures in their next vehicle.

 

[TrdProGirl84]

My suspension is great! Even with my preload collar lift. Love it.

 

[TrdProGirl84]

My TRD Pro rides great. I did move the shocks to the middle setting because I’m used to stiffer handling from driving sports cars. No problem at all with the ride quality of my TRD Pro!

I’m still on the factory 1. I did change my wheels and tires (bigger tires) and I did a preload collar lift. Might change it to 2 to see what it’s like!

 

[porkyfly]

There seems to be a distinct lack of actual metrics with some people saying "the ride quality is fine" and others like me insisting that it absolutely isnt.

I drove a brand new 2025 trd orp (non hybrid) with a build date of 9/25 and it had the same poor ride quality. The service mechanic also took a test drive with me and said mine rode "great" and that there was nothing wrong with it.

What we know so far:
- The suspension handles smaller, sharper road imperfections like expansion joints and potholes exceptionally poorly. When actually given the time to compress (ie large gradual speedbump) they feel fine. This has been confirmed by professional reviewers like edmunds, automotivepress, car carenut etc.
- The car rides great over smooth roads, so owners living in areas with mostly smooth roads may just not notice the issue.
- AlldogsOffroad claims to have fixed the issue on his sr5 by replacing the shocks with fox 2.0 and also the rear coil springs. It is more likely the issue is caused by the shocks instead of the coil springs.
- pressing down on the back bumper yields essentially no movement on the trd offroad, it feels stiff as a board. This isnt really definitive proof or anything though.

I'm no expert on suspensions, but shouldn't shock compression be measurable by a shock dyno? I think the logical next steps should be:

1. More owners confirming that replacing the shocks has fixed the the ride quality
2. Measuring shock compression of the trd offroad bilsteins or trd pro fox to see if the numbers are exceptionally stiff in the first few inches of compression: https://www.digraceproducts.com/products/service-dyno-test-with-report
3. Attaching a "suspension cam" and recording video of the suspension working driving over road imperfections

 

[ModernDay4Runner]

Anyone who purchased a $50k - $70k vehicle without first testing it just needs to suck it up and deal with it and quit moaning...or sell the thing. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

 

[Scrappopatamus]

There seems to be a distinct lack of actual metrics with some people saying "the ride quality is fine" and others like me insisting that it absolutely isnt.

I drove a brand new 2025 trd orp (non hybrid) with a build date of 9/25 and it had the same poor ride quality. The service mechanic also took a test drive with me and said mine rode "great" and that there was nothing wrong with it.

What we know so far:
- The suspension handles smaller, sharper road imperfections like expansion joints and potholes exceptionally poorly. When actually given the time to compress (ie large gradual speedbump) they feel fine. This has been confirmed by professional reviewers like edmunds, automotivepress, car carenut etc.
- The car rides great over smooth roads, so owners living in areas with mostly smooth roads may just not notice the issue.
- AlldogsOffroad claims to have fixed the issue on his sr5 by replacing the shocks with fox 2.0 and also the rear coil springs. It is more likely the issue is caused by the shocks instead of the coil springs.
- pressing down on the back bumper yields essentially no movement on the trd offroad, it feels stiff as a board. This isnt really definitive proof or anything though.

I'm no expert on suspensions, but shouldn't shock compression be measurable by a shock dyno? I think the logical next steps should be:

1. More owners confirming that replacing the shocks has fixed the the ride quality
2. Measuring shock compression of the trd offroad bilsteins or trd pro fox to see if the numbers are exceptionally stiff in the first few inches of compression: https://www.digraceproducts.com/products/service-dyno-test-with-report
3. Attaching a "suspension cam" and recording video of the suspension working driving over road imperfections

You might consider trading for a highlander or Rav4. Don't think the ride quality has diminished since your original purchase considering you drove your vehicle prior to purchase. It's a body on frame design aka as a truck.

 

[JR_Ontario]

There seems to be a distinct lack of actual metrics with some people saying "the ride quality is fine" and others like me insisting that it absolutely isnt.

I drove a brand new 2025 trd orp (non hybrid) with a build date of 9/25 and it had the same poor ride quality. The service mechanic also took a test drive with me and said mine rode "great" and that there was nothing wrong with it.

What we know so far:
- The suspension handles smaller, sharper road imperfections like expansion joints and potholes exceptionally poorly. When actually given the time to compress (ie large gradual speedbump) they feel fine. This has been confirmed by professional reviewers like edmunds, automotivepress, car carenut etc.
- The car rides great over smooth roads, so owners living in areas with mostly smooth roads may just not notice the issue.
- AlldogsOffroad claims to have fixed the issue on his sr5 by replacing the shocks with fox 2.0 and also the rear coil springs. It is more likely the issue is caused by the shocks instead of the coil springs.
- pressing down on the back bumper yields essentially no movement on the trd offroad, it feels stiff as a board. This isnt really definitive proof or anything though.

I'm no expert on suspensions, but shouldn't shock compression be measurable by a shock dyno? I think the logical next steps should be:

1. More owners confirming that replacing the shocks has fixed the the ride quality
2. Measuring shock compression of the trd offroad bilsteins or trd pro fox to see if the numbers are exceptionally stiff in the first few inches of compression: https://www.digraceproducts.com/products/service-dyno-test-with-report
3. Attaching a "suspension cam" and recording video of the suspension working driving over road imperfections

I think I have too much time on my hands, this topic has become my pet research project!

Like porkyfly, I think geographic area and road conditions are the main contributor to the varying opinions on ride quality.

I have now driven every possible model configuration except the Trailhunter.

None of the variants are perfect for me "as is", and have therefore narrowed down my choices to:

1) ORP + suspension change (e.g. Fox 2.0 or Radflo 2.0 or LC Shocks)

2) Limited + 18" Wheels and more agressive tires


I figure that both options will cost about the same by the time I am done....

Option #1 is risky; I could in theory purchase a vehicle, replace the shocks, and still not like it.....
Therefore leaning towards #2. Also, the full time AWD will be a benefit during the snow season.

I have not driven a Land Cruiser but people report a softer on-road ride. Curious to learn more about that setup also.

Porkyfly, check out this video as another data point:

J

 

[TrdProGirl84]

Anyone who purchased a $50k - $70k vehicle without first testing it just needs to suck it up and deal with it and quit moaning...or sell the thing. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

I agree with you whole heartedly but we all know that’s not likely to happen. Like I’ve said in other comments. People complain to complain sometimes. lol

 

[Desmolicious]

I agree with you whole heartedly but we all know that’s not likely to happen. Like I’ve said in other comments. People complain to complain sometimes. lol

I am a professional griper... but all my test drives literally were accompanied by a salesperson who 'guided' me a couple of blocks around the dealership. So it was very hard to get a real picture of how the truck would feel. However in that short time I did notice an SR5 rode better than an LTD set to comfort!
Pretty sure though that it will ride better than my 2 door Wrangler Rubicon!

 

[JR_Ontario]

I agree with you whole heartedly but we all know that’s not likely to happen. Like I’ve said in other comments. People complain to complain sometimes. lol

D

I am a professional griper... but all my test drives literally were accompanied by a salesperson who 'guided' me a couple of blocks around the dealership. So it was very hard to get a real picture of how the truck would feel. However in that short time I did notice an SR5 rode better than an LTD set to comfort!
Pretty sure though that it will ride better than my 2 door Wrangler Rubicon!

My experience exactly! Both on the "guided" test drives and the SR5. I have been trying to find one to rent so I can get a longer test.

 

[Desmolicious]

D


My experience exactly! Both on the "guided" test drives and the SR5. I have been trying to find one to rent so I can get a longer test.

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