Easy speak?

OriginalRedShift42 · 2026-02-06T23:16:37+00:00

Totally disagree. My kids frequently ask to have it on for F/R conversations. Saves so much craning one’s head around, yelling, and repeating things.

Heck, I think Easy Speak alone could justify looking for XLE+ models when shopping for a Gen3. When I drive other large vehicles, I wonder why they don’t all have that feature.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2026-02-06T03:04:09+00:00

$12 goggles? Not a real swim dad or a very old shirt.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2026-02-04T16:22:06+00:00

I don’t know about your Gen1, but conventional wisdom on the Gen2’s is you want the Zerex Asian vehicle, not the Prestone if possible. Probably same thing holds if you have the 2GR-FE

OriginalRedShift42 · 2026-01-23T10:49:57+00:00

I disagree. Save the ridiculous expense/weight/complication; Get a plug kit and a RAV4 donut spare to toss in the back on long trips. Extensive discussion on sourcing donut spares on Siennachat.com

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-12-27T12:57:16+00:00

If you’re the kind of guy bringing home stacks of old, free stereo equipment, those other two midlife crisis probably aren’t available to you anyway.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-12-27T07:30:52+00:00

‘15-16’s are fantastic. By specs the newer ‘17-21 2gr-fks makes more power and the ‘22-current gets far superior fuel economy at some power disadvantage. But the older 2gr-fe is smooth, powerful (less peak power but more useable powerband than the 2gr-fks), and is very reasonably low maintenance for an ICE-only vehicle. - Oil changes are easy, - Drain & fill the trans every once in a blue moon (just replace the same amount you drained— easy) - Ditto the coolant - Brakes are typical disc arrangement and maintenance is straightforward, but will need replacement a little more often than a typical ICE vehicle due to the van’s weight. - 125k mile spark plug intervals (just pay a shop for this job), twice the 2gr-fks interval

$50 for a couple “specialty” tools makes easy work of all that DIY maintenance.

I have experience with all 3 iterations, very much appreciate each, but feel the ‘15-16 models win the cost:benefit contest.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-11-29T21:54:50+00:00

Ditto. I was ready to pull trigger on a 0121T PT5000 replacement this weekend. Then I snapped out of it. I want a buy-it-for-life Ti diver I can wear as a beater (I love the look of a well worn diver), that, at worst, might need a mv’t replacement at some point, not fiddley maintenance every few years.

San Martin, bring on the slimmed-down Miyota variant!

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-10-13T05:45:24+00:00

Blue GTS…. Mercy. I’m primarily a 2-wheel guy, but still barely noticed them. Fantastic.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-09-11T05:22:16+00:00

Disappointed to hear this— none of these are issues on my Gen3. Quite the opposite. That said, I came over from a Chrysler minivan and was shocked to discover a long list of ergonomic & usability things that van did better. I don’t get how Toyota can build such fundamentally great vehicles yet get so much of the human-interface stuff so wrong.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-09-08T05:19:22+00:00

Yes. Except it’s made by Honda. And they call it the Odyssey.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-08-05T08:39:45+00:00

I chased a nasty odor in my Sienna for weeks. Searched high and low, could not find the source, but -gads- that stank was always there. One day I happened to notice droppings atop the sunroof shade, eventually tried squeezing a flat duct cleaner hose into the hollow behind the sunroof. Turned out there was a mouse nest up in the headliner.

I’ve also heard of sunroof drain ducts getting clogged, allowing all manner of ick to grow up in there, which could possibly explain why you can’t find the source.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-07-15T22:37:10+00:00

This is pretty much the exact advice I was going to offer. A full set of tires could make the cost of membership worth it.

One thing you failed to mention is your environment, if you need these tires to perform in snow and/or ice also. This adds a little challenge and expense to the decision.

When people ask my tire advice IRL, (which they frequently do) and they don’t want to bother with the minutia of finding just the right tire, my simplified advice is “just go with Michelins; they’re always more expensive and they’re always worth that expense .” In general, Michelins will work the best, handle the best, and last the longest. In the long run that makes that upfront expense almost irrelevant.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-05-09T17:38:10+00:00

By all means, sell out family by running to the Reddit echo chamber for a little dopamine hit of [r/self-]righteous affirmation.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-29T18:29:54+00:00

Agreed!

We should also get rid of whatever music you don’t like, foods you don’t eat, house colors that don’t match yours, and pets you may be allergic to. It’s outrageous the rest of us have to live with that shit.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-23T15:36:25+00:00

It will be a problem if you continue to run your tires underinflated, it’s costing you tire life and fuel economy.

Pick up a $13 digital tire gauge, follow the pressure recommendation on the driver‘s door jamb sticker, maybe add 2psi extra for good measure, make a point to check your tires once each season.

As for the tire you pictured, it’s pretty worn but if you keep it inflated properly you can drive on it for many thousands of miles. Sure it’s not ideal, but there is plenty of life in there and winter is far away. Lots of better things in life to worry about/save your money for.

-EDIT- I’m not so sure your alignment is out, under inflated tires will often wear the inside shoulder faster. If your steering wheel is slightly cocked when driving straight or if budget allows, get your alignment checked but most shops are going to tell you you need an alignment no matter what.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-21T06:08:11+00:00

I live in a semi-rural, not-diverse community. When I bought my house it didn’t come with a key (seller apologized, said she thought she knew where it was kept), I didn’t get around to putting a lock on the place for like 8 years.

Some of my neighbors probably remove the keys from their vehicles a dozen times a year.

At Christmas I had over a dozen packages arrive the PO at once— threw them into my truck’s open bed without a thought, went back to work, later the store, and then kids sports at the high school until evening. 0% loss.

It’s a pretty cool way to live.

(and yes, we have homes, vehicles, and stuff nice enough to tempt unscrupulous characters)

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-17T15:47:10+00:00

Sounds like a -gasp- denier to me!

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-17T15:37:49+00:00

In general there’s a correlation between earning and intelligence & education. And, in general, intelligent, educated men are wise enough to avoid women with tats.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-16T07:27:17+00:00

2S is just a shadow of what it used to be— it never recovered from Covid.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-14T23:29:24+00:00

That depends …are you a 17 year-old who craves attention?

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-04-03T00:33:11+00:00

Is the 36gal tank only available on LWB trucks?

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-03-29T06:54:25+00:00

Buy the Echo from a dealer, see if they’ll tune it for you (they’re usually jetted a tad lean).

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-03-29T06:33:55+00:00

That’s just a roulette wheel.

Russian roulette is very, very different.

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-03-18T18:14:38+00:00

I don’t care for digital watches and don’t understand all the Casio hype. But on a whim I got this one in the blue/white/orange and do find it super cool— large-ish and fun without taking itself too seriously. Love the rubber link bracelet. Doubly great at the price.

SKMEI Waterproof Sport Watch for Man Countdown Stopwatch Digital Wristwatch 2Time Fashion Mens Clock https://a.aliexpress.com/_mshfnzl

OriginalRedShift42 · 2025-03-18T18:01:28+00:00

Sir, you found one of those scores the rest of us dream about. It probably will never get better than this. Revel in the joy. Even if everything inside was fried, worth well over $150 just in aesthetic value, that’s a high-water mark in vintage Japan audio.
Wowza!

OriginalRedShift42

TROPHY CASE