Visibility Issue created by Hood Scoop on TRD Sport

[ModernDay4Runner]

Could someone that has taken delivery of a TRD Sport please post a picture from the driver's seat viewpoint looking out through the windshield?

I want to see the visibility issue created by the hood scoop. I believe at least one reviewer mentioned this in their review and naturally, that is being repeated on this forum.

Please post pics so we can see for ourselves.

 

[Dead Horse]

Tacoma is pretty much the same. Go to a dealer and check it out yourself. I didn't find it to block enough for me to have a strong opinion on it (in the Taco). I like how it looks, but couldn't care less if it's on whatever I buy.

Only you will be able to determine whether or not it's irritating or limiting in your eyes. I bet you won't care, because you have a Mustang. The 4Runner is going to feel like it has a tiny nose compared to the long snoot on your car.

 

[ModernDay4Runner]

Tacoma is pretty much the same. Go to a dealer and check it out yourself. I didn't find it to block enough for me to have a strong opinion on it (in the Taco). I like how it looks, but couldn't care less if it's on whatever I buy.

Only you will be able to determine whether or not it's irritating or limiting in your eyes. I bet you won't care, because you have a Mustang. The 4Runner is going to feel like it has a tiny nose compared to the long snoot on your car.

Thanks. I already know that I will not care and soon enough, I will be sitting in my own TRD Sport Premium and see for myself. And you're right, on my last Mustang before the one I have now, I had a functional shaker hood scoop that did not impair my visibility at all, in fact, I looked at it more than I looked at the road when I was driving. LOL. Not really, but it was pretty cool to watch that shake a bit (I also had a performance camshaft on that car, so the shake was very visible.)

Anyways, since people are listing this hood scoop visibility issue as a thing on this forum, I was hoping someone could post a pic or two from the drivers seat.

No takers just yet.

 

[dirtwheeler]

I don't have a pic but I test drove a 2024 and 2025 (Sport Premium) the same day. I did notice a slight difference in visibility between the two, but nothing I would have noticed if I had not just driven the 2024. I'm about 5' 11" and I have no visibility concerns for this vehicle. I'm also ordering the Off-Road Premium which has the 360 degree camera views, which should help in situations where visibility might be an issue. My wife is a little shorter than me and test drove the 2025. She preferred the 2025 over the 2024 as well and didn't say anything about visibility issues.

As @Dead Horse mentioned, this is probably going to be a matter of individual preference. I thought the 2025 4Runner had overall good visibility, but I've also driven vehicles with much better visibility. The hood is more "prominent".

I didn't mess with the power seats too much, but there might be a vertical control that helps with this as well (just to get your eyes at the most comfortable angle looking forward). If I get my 4Runner soon, I'll try to remember to post some pics. Also, you might be able to find a demo model at a local dealership to test drive. You might find all sorts of quirks you like and dislike about the 2025 4Runner. For me, it was really helpful to compare the 5th gen and 6th gen in sequence (plus, I owned a 4th gen for years). I have my own list of pros and cons for my personal tastes, but I settled on getting a first year 6th gen versus a last year 5th gen. I think the 5th gen prices are a bit overinflated right now from other folks reaching a different conclusion. To each his own.

 

[ModernDay4Runner]

I don't have a pic but I test drove a 2024 and 2025 (Sport Premium) the same day. I did notice a slight difference in visibility between the two, but nothing I would have noticed if I had not just driven the 2024. I'm about 5' 11" and I have no visibility concerns for this vehicle. I'm also ordering the Off-Road Premium which has the 360 degree camera views, which should help in situations where visibility might be an issue. My wife is a little shorter than me and test drove the 2025. She preferred the 2025 over the 2024 as well and didn't say anything about visibility issues.

As @Dead Horse mentioned, this is probably going to be a matter of individual preference. I thought the 2025 4Runner had overall good visibility, but I've also driven vehicles with much better visibility. The hood is more "prominent".

I didn't mess with the power seats too much, but there might be a vertical control that helps with this as well (just to get your eyes at the most comfortable angle looking forward). If I get my 4Runner soon, I'll try to remember to post some pics. Also, you might be able to find a demo model at a local dealership to test drive. You might find all sorts of quirks you like and dislike about the 2025 4Runner. For me, it was really helpful to compare the 5th gen and 6th gen in sequence (plus, I owned a 4th gen for years). I have my own list of pros and cons for my personal tastes, but I settled on getting a first year 6th gen versus a last year 5th gen. I think the 5th gen prices are a bit overinflated right now from other folks reaching a different conclusion. To each his own.

You did notice a difference in visibility, but you don't recall if the hood scoop had anything to do with that?

 

[dirtwheeler]

You did notice a difference in visibility, but you don't recall if the hood scoop had anything to do with that?

There was a slight difference but not enough that I would have noticed if I was not looking for things like that. FWIW, I definitely noticed the "hood bulge". It does not bother me but I could see how others might care. Best to just test drive one.

 

[ModernDay4Runner]

LOL. I will surely drive the one I am buying. Thanks but you are kind of missing my point.

Either it impaired visibility or it did not. I can't wrap my head around the reviewer saying it impaired visibility and then others on this forum began repeating that as a reason to NOT buy a Sport.

I think it is funny, that's all. In my mind, one would have to have their chin on their dashboard for the hood scoop to cause a visibility issue. Maybe it's just me, maybe I am just misunderstanding what the reviewer meant and those that are repeating him.

All good. Someone will post a picture sooner or later. Thanks again.

 

[dirtwheeler]

Either it impaired visibility or it did not.

Of course the hood impairs visibility in some way. If you drive a 2025 4Runner you will be able to see the hood and not whatever is between you and the hood. This will impair your visibility, just like any other vehicle with a hood that you can see from the driver seat. Therefore, it will be helpful to have something to compare to. I was comparing my personal observations with the 2025 4Runner Sport Premium that I test drove to other vehicles that I have test driven or owned.

I think the only cases where this is not true, or close to not true is driving a motorcycle or one of those old minivans where you feel like you would fall out onto the street in front of the vehicle if the windshield wasn't there.

I will surely drive the one I am buying.

Glad you cleared that up! But you can also drive one ahead of time if you can find a nearby Toyota dealership with a demonstration model. Hopefully you can find one with a similar trim to the one you want. I was fully prepared to not like the 2025 when I went in (and buy a 2024 instead). I walked out with a different impression after the test drive and I'm buying a 2025 now, and I'll be $60K poorer soon! Your post caught my attention because I felt the hood bulge was a little high and obstructed visibility "a little more" compared to other vehicles I have driven. But that's just my opinion and it's not enough for "me" to not buy a 2025.

Hopefully others post some pics for you, but I'm not sure a pic would be enough for "me". I would rather just see it in person and test drive, plus get some perspectives from people with experience across a wide range of vehicles and driving conditions. My concern with front visibility has more to do with off-roading which is why I mention the 360 degree cameras in some trims (which is a pretty amazing system in the 2025 4Runner Premium trims if you haven't seen it). I suspect most people are more concerned about forward visibility for more normal driving conditions and for general safety and comfort. I'm concerned with this as well.

I'm also not sure what other reviews you are seeing. I saw a few comments in other places about the hood bulge and visibility, but I don't remember seeing where that was a dealbreaker for anyone (probably a factor for some people). I believe you though. A lot of people are claiming to not want a 2025 due to looks alone, or the fact that it has a 4 cylinder engine, despite performance improvements over the previous generation's 6 cylinder and track record of this 4 cylinder in other Toyota models. But to each his own. I like the way the 2025 looks and I'm comfortable with everything else based on my limited research and experience so far. Every vehicle purchase is a gamble.

 

[ModernDay4Runner]

Of course the hood impairs visibility in some way. If you drive a 2025 4Runner you will be able to see the hood and not whatever is between you and the hood. This will impair your visibility, just like any other vehicle with a hood that you can see from the driver seat. Therefore, it will be helpful to have something to compare to. I was comparing my personal observations with the 2025 4Runner Sport Premium that I test drove to other vehicles that I have test driven or owned.

I think the only cases where this is not true, or close to not true is driving a motorcycle or one of those old minivans where you feel like you would fall out onto the street in front of the vehicle if the windshield wasn't there.



Glad you cleared that up! But you can also drive one ahead of time if you can find a nearby Toyota dealership with a demonstration model. Hopefully you can find one with a similar trim to the one you want. I was fully prepared to not like the 2025 when I went in (and buy a 2024 instead). I walked out with a different impression after the test drive and I'm buying a 2025 now, and I'll be $60K poorer soon! Your post caught my attention because I felt the hood bulge was a little high and obstructed visibility "a little more" compared to other vehicles I have driven. But that's just my opinion and it's not enough for "me" to not buy a 2025.

Hopefully others post some pics for you, but I'm not sure a pic would be enough for "me". I would rather just see it in person and test drive, plus get some perspectives from people with experience across a wide range of vehicles and driving conditions. My concern with front visibility has more to do with off-roading which is why I mention the 360 degree cameras in some trims (which is a pretty amazing system in the 2025 4Runner Premium trims if you haven't seen it). I suspect most people are more concerned about forward visibility for more normal driving conditions and for general safety and comfort. I'm concerned with this as well.

I'm also not sure what other reviews you are seeing. I saw a few comments in other places about the hood bulge and visibility, but I don't remember seeing where that was a dealbreaker for anyone (probably a factor for some people). I believe you though. A lot of people are claiming to not want a 2025 due to looks alone, or the fact that it has a 4 cylinder engine, despite performance improvements over the previous generation's 6 cylinder and track record of this 4 cylinder in other Toyota models. But to each his own. I like the way the 2025 looks and I'm comfortable with everything else based on my limited research and experience so far. Every vehicle purchase is a gamble.

Appreciate your input. There is another thread where a potential buyer asked for opinions about the ORP vs. Sport Premium. One person listed many reasons for one trim over the other. His first point was related to the hood scoop, so I was hoping to see what he was talking about.

 

[dirtwheeler]

 

[dirtwheeler]

 

[dirtwheeler]

Honestly, I didn't even notice until now that the ORP doesn't have the same hood. The last two images I posted show the difference. I just used the build tool on the Toyota website and overlayed into an animated gif for the first image, then side-by-side in the second. I guess it's a non issue for me, but I was still curious to see the difference since I test drove a 4Runner with additional hood scoop, but it's not something I will have on my ORP. It's still hard to tell from the images if/how this affects driver visibility, but it does look like it adds enough elevation to the hood that if you were looking down from the driver seat across the hood, your visual "angle of elevation" would be slightly reduced. This tracks with my experience and I suppose I'm glad I'm not getting the hood scoop. But it would still be a non-issue for me. Even though it's non-functional, it is a little cooler looking (not something I care about, but I understand the reason why Toyota added it for the Sport edition).

For apples-to-apples comparison I used the color "Underground" on both images (mainly because that is what I have on order). It's kind of an interesting comparison I think.

 

[dirtwheeler]

FWIW, I stared at the two images for a while and the images on the Toyota website appear to have different "lighting" qualities even though they are the same color, Underground. I was trying to figure out if there are other differences between these two trims from this angle besides the hood scoop. I "think" the color differences that are visible in these two images are just due to light quality. I'm 99% sure the images are CAD/"not real", but it's really hard to know for sure nowadays (and Toyota is damn good about getting perfect vehicle and camera placement if these are not CAD). I'm pretty sure this is a CAD render based on the perfect angles and unnatural shadows, perhaps with slightly different light quality/angles applied. Otherwise, the ORP looks slightly lighter than the Sport on the front bumper at least. The rear-view mirrors also look darker on the ORP.

I also never noticed the "vents" (holes) in the front fender flares where you can see the tires through them from this angle. Now I want to see one in person again to see if this is just something I missed, or if there's really holes in the front of the fender flares. I'm sure it's just something I missed.

The tires are also wider on the ORP, but I knew they come with different wheels and tires.

 

[Dead Horse]

FWIW, I stared at the two images for a while and the images on the Toyota website appear to have different "lighting" qualities even though they are the same color, Underground. I was trying to figure out if there are other differences between these two trims from this angle besides the hood scoop. I "think" the color differences that are visible in these two images are just due to light quality. I'm 99% sure the images are CAD/"not real", but it's really hard to know for sure nowadays (and Toyota is damn good about getting perfect vehicle and camera placement if these are not CAD). I'm pretty sure this is a CAD render based on the perfect angles and unnatural shadows, perhaps with slightly different light quality/angles applied. Otherwise, the ORP looks slightly lighter than the Sport on the front bumper at least. The rear-view mirrors also look darker on the ORP.

I also never noticed the "vents" (holes) in the front fender flares where you can see the tires through them from this angle. Now I want to see one in person again to see if this is just something I missed, or if there's really holes in the front of the fender flares. I'm sure it's just something I missed.

The tires are also wider on the ORP, but I knew they come with different wheels and tires.

You can 100% see the tires through the vents in the fender flares. They're functional.

 

[Lotzof4Runners]

I drove both the ORP and TRD Sport. I ended up ordering the TRD Sport (It arrive at port on Friday). As someone who's had (4) 5th gens and a 4th gen Sport Edition, I did not notice any visibility issues with the scoop. I think what will bother you the more is the fact that the windshield is noticeably different. I've currently got a TRD Pro Model and the windshield on the incoming 2025 feels much more narrow. The safety features really block some of your full field of vision. This also said, I'm 6'2" and I have the seat as low and as far back as possible to get the best view. My advice, drive one.. drive both and figure out what works for you.