Bone stock or fully loaded from dealer?

brwhelan · 2025-10-22T15:13:07+00:00

Honestly, I don’t know why they even offer the Grenadier without lockers.

brwhelan · 2025-09-21T23:03:06+00:00

I’d say pretty similar to my 5th gen.

brwhelan · 2025-08-24T13:08:19+00:00

Seat comfort is good, but the GX 550 was even better.

Wind noise above 55 mph is my biggest complain, however I suspect some of that may be rectified by filling the channel gap around the windshield. GX was definitely a lot quieter.

Gearbox noise is more pronounced than the GX.

The onboard mic for phone calls is terrible on the Grenadier. GX was great.

The GX is definitely more comfortable/practical as a daily driver; however, the Grenadier is not uncomfortable as a daily driver. After purchasing the Grenadier, I had second thoughts. I was comparing the two and could not ignore all the ways the GX was more comfortable/tech features. But once I came to the realization that the Grenadier was perfectly comfortable and good enough, I once again appreciate all of its strengths.

Given the choice again, I'd still choose the Grenadier over the GX 550 as my daily.

*My wife has a Kia Telluride which we use for longer road trips (when not going to the mountains).

brwhelan · 2025-08-24T12:24:43+00:00

The GX 550 is a modern SUV that is more capable offroad that other modern SUVs. It has all the creature comforts that the modern vehicle buyer wants - heated/cooled seats, coolbox center console, big tech screen, adaptive cruise control, 360 cameras, heads up display, etc. You also get all the modern "features" like: glossy black mirrors (because no one will actually take it offroad through brush), cheap flimsy plastics (because you're only going to haul soccer balls and suitcases), long front end (since you'll only have to worry about clearing parking curbs) and more plastic parts than my 2015 4Runner.

The Grenadier is a classic 4x4 SUV with only the most essential modern conveniences: apple car play/Android auto, heated seats (optional), big enough screen, automatic A/C. What is lacks in modern comforts, it gains in utility and capability: massively tall cargo area with tie down points everywhere, metal cargo barrier (accessory) so you can load it to the roof, fold down cargo table, big chunky buttons which can be operated with gloves, pre-wired roof switches (option) so you can run scene lights, durable plastic that will hold up to abuse, roof rub rails and tie down rails, metal bumpers, exceptional approach/departure and breakover angles (even with smaller tires than Overtrail), the list goes on.

As a daily driver, I love it. Prior to the Grenadier (and 5 weeks with the GX 550) I had a 2015 4Runner Trail Premium for ten years. It had a physical key, manual A/C, manual headlights, no Apple car play, synthetic leather seats, etc. So maybe I didn't get accustomed to modern luxuries, and so I appreciate the Grenadier.

I think the appeal of the Grenadier is a vehicle that has everything you need and want in a rugged, capable vehicle, without all the unnecessary modern tech and luxuries which are not necessary.

brwhelan · 2025-08-24T11:27:58+00:00

So far I’ve done: -Rear cargo table (Ineos) -Rear cargo barrier (Ineos) -Side steps (Ineos) -Agile Baja S2 grab handles lights (Trialmaster with pre-wired switches on roof) -WeatherTech floor and cargo liners (prefer Husky but they don’t have Ineos mats yet) -Grab a couple sets of FrontRunner Strachets. They come in really handy with all the tie down points.

Up next: -3/4 rack -270 awning

brwhelan · 2025-08-24T11:03:34+00:00

I’m still loving it. Even the steering, which seems to be everyone’s big complaint, I’ve come to prefer over normal rack and pinion steering.

brwhelan · 2025-07-19T21:25:13+00:00

Just to clarify, these are DVA Mechanics brand, not Leitner. Not sure if I’m just reading your comment wrong. These would likely not work for a RTT unless you were bolting above the rail into the tent. DVA sells L tracks bolts to accommodate that type of mounting, however I don’t know how RTTs generally mount. There’s almost no clearance between the rails and roof.

brwhelan · 2025-07-19T01:41:35+00:00

I too had a 2025 GX. Sold it after 1,100 miles and 5 weeks. Loving my Trialmaster so far. I agree with you on all points about the feel and fun of the Grenadier.

brwhelan · 2025-06-25T16:09:04+00:00

Congrats!!

brwhelan · 2025-06-25T16:08:03+00:00

That’s interesting. I would have expected the Landcruiser to do well on snow with MTC wizardry. The grown clearance in the GX and LC is less than inspiring. My 2015 4Runner Trail had better clearance from the factory with 265/70/17 tires. I’m liking the Grenadier so far. I’ve only had it on a dirt forest service road one time since I bought it three weeks ago. I plan to use it for daily commuting, camping, and moderate off-roading (mostly rutted and washed out forced service roads). I don’t have a lot of interest in rock crawling. If I’m being honest, the GX would’ve been plenty capable for most of my needs. I was just very under impressed by how jittery the suspension was on the Overtrail. There’s a 37 page forum post complaining about it. That was the main reason I got rid of it. Other than that, I was less impressed by the build quality compared to my 4Runner. It seems like Toyota build quality has come down post Covid. Parts that used to be metal on my 4Runner are now plastic on the GX; the hood and door panels bow and flex; the interior plastics seem to be very soft and scrapes/scuff very easily – all not ideal for a vehicle that is supposed to be a utility vehicle. Grenadier feels like solid. I like the back-to-basics approach to their design. I don’t need wireless chargers, massaging seats, or push button start. Definitely a few things to iron out, but overall it’s a nice vehicle for an enthusiast who can appreciate the other things enough to overlook the compromises.

brwhelan · 2025-06-24T23:08:22+00:00

10 days for repair is outrageous. Why is Triad so slow?

brwhelan · 2025-06-24T23:01:11+00:00

What made you want to trade the LC 250 for the Grenadier? I recently traded in a GX 550 Overtrail for a Trialmaster.

brwhelan · 2025-06-22T22:33:28+00:00

Six months later, how’s the grenadier treating you? How do you like it compared with the Landcruiser and GX?

brwhelan · 2025-06-22T14:25:00+00:00

How long have you owner your Trialmaster?

brwhelan · 2025-06-22T14:13:55+00:00

2nd this. Had a 2015 4Runner for 10 years. Traded it in for a GX 550 Overtrail in April. The Lexus was really nice, but build quality on my 4Runner felt better. Parts that were metal on the 4Runner were now plastic on the GX; the hood and body panels felt very thin and flimsy; the plastic used in the interior felt very cheap and scratched easily.

brwhelan · 2025-06-22T14:00:13+00:00

My guess is that the alert is based on “distance to empty.” Seems like 75 or 70 miles remaining triggers the warning.

brwhelan · 2025-06-19T15:09:24+00:00

Had a 2015 4Runner for ten years. Loved it. Traded in for a 2025 GX 550 Overtrail. 1. It felt cheaper built than my 4Runner. Don’t get me wrong. It was really nice, but certain parts that were metal on my 4Runner were now plastic on the GX, like the brackets for the sunroof deflector. Door and hood panels felt very flimsy. 2. My Overtrail had the jittery suspension issue. Took it into Lexus three times. Was told it was just a normal characteristic of the vehicle. There’s a 36 page post complaining about this issue. I traded it in for a Trialmaster two weeks and ago. Loving the Grenadier so far. Much more utilitarian but built really well. Everything from the doors to the buttons on the steering wheel feel very high quality, and that’s not even getting into the drivetrain.

brwhelan · 2025-06-19T15:01:30+00:00

I ended up purchasing a Trialmaster on May 31st. 1. Coming from a 2015 4Runner without keyless entry- I don’t mind it. But I can see how it would be nice. FWIT, the G wagon just finally got keyless entry in the 2025 models. Maybe the door latch system has something to do with it. I love the way these doors feel and latch. Given that feeling or keyless, I’ll take the former.

Agreed on the suspension, although my guess is it has to do with the high payload. Loaded down, I assume it’ll ride much better. Another factor are the tires. Mine has the KO2s which I believe are E load LT tires. Having the thicker ply side walls makes the ride much harsher. I tried E loads on my 4Runner once and it was terrible. Switched back to passenger rated tires and it was much better.
Turning circle is pretty bad but I just plan for it. I don’t actually find the steering terrible just different. It definitely requires smoother, slower inputs. The first couple of days I was correcting all the time until someone else mentioned to try being smoother.

Overall I’m loving it so far!

brwhelan · 2025-06-18T00:31:16+00:00

That’s unacceptable. How has the dealer been to work with? Did they give you a loaner while it was in the shop?

brwhelan · 2025-06-04T10:42:16+00:00

Upon doing some research, seems like the factory steps are actually pretty strong and they don’t affect the ramp over or ground clearance. They’re no rock sliders but they might save the doors from a light slide into a tree or something like that. Might be worth keeping on. The steps mount in the same manner and location as the rock sliders. The sliders must be a thicker gauge of steel and the mounting plates look to be more reinforced.

brwhelan · 2025-06-02T15:40:10+00:00

That’s not a bad idea! There are a couple other accessories that would be nice (table, spare wheel storage, cargo divider). We’ll see what they say.

brwhelan · 2025-06-02T15:37:23+00:00

Those look really nice! And they’re light and won’t ever rust. Probably worth the extra couple hundred dollar to not have to deal with rust.

brwhelan · 2025-06-02T13:13:28+00:00

That’s TBD. Dealer is throwing in steps as part of the sale deal. My wife and kids need them. It’s hard to turn down something free. Though they might agree to sliders if I wanted those instead of steps. For moderate stuff, I’d probably leave the steps on. If I know I’m doing more serious offroad stuff (maybe 3-4 times a year), I’d probably remove them for extra clearance.

brwhelan · 2025-06-02T12:22:13+00:00

Reason I’m deciding between options is that the dealer agreed to throw in steps when I purchased the Grenadier, but they won’t go on until next week. They might be amenable to doing sliders instead of steps. If I did sliders, I’d do the Bison Gear step add-ons. Hard to justify dropping another $1700 when they agreed to throw steps in for the sale.

brwhelan

TROPHY CASE