Jeep’s technology compared to Toyota is stellar

[In3briatedPanda]

toyota/lexus as a whole has always been behind on technology for the interior. the new TX base is so bland and i feel the new landcruiser is the same.

Ive been at Lexus 16 years and the interior tech has always lagged 3-5 years behind. infuriating for a 'luxury' brand.

my wifes 2022 RX350 is MUCH nicer on the inside and nicer tech wise compared to my 7.4" screen.

comparing a 2020 GX to my Jeep, my Jeep has better tech. Lexus does some weird stuff.

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[jav_eee]

It's a T-Harness that cuts out the license plate lights when you put the vehicle in reverse so it cuts off the glare on the backup camera.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235318811216?hash=item36ca181a50:g:M6MAAOSwp~RgOk~p

I use my tazer for this but when i tried the dark car mode (for creeping around the ranch at night) I found that it stopped cutting out the LP lights. I'd have to do a full reboot to get that feature to work again until i activated dark car again.

This will allow me to use both. Thanks for the link.

 

[Koolcarguy]

That beeping on lock is customizable for most modern cars. And I bet that Highlander will keep motoring for 100k miles more than any of our new Jeeps. But apples to oranges. I have no inkling to buy any Toyota.

Not sure in the 100k more miles.....every highlander we get over 150k is junk and always 2 to 3k in recon ....

 

[ShadowsPapa]

To some degree, I understand why they do it. The Japanese brands are slow to jump on new tech and trends and tend to let other vehicle makers run out the gate first and learn their mistakes before moving forward. They were one of the last major automakers to integrate Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

This is part of the reason Toyota has been resistant to going full EV and push Hybrid or Hydrogen as a better alternative

And what do the outfits like consumer reports and JD Powers say are the largest complaints about new vehicles?
Tech, infotainment is at or near #1.
So sitting back a bit means Lexus and Toyota enjoy a bit better ratings as they don't have the bleeding edge tech that consumers are complaining the loudest about.
Smart.

what is this product

Like Hootbro said - it's a simple harness - a connector for the tail light harness (unplug your tail light, put a harness in between original connector and tail light.
At the left frame rail, top, near the spare, unplug the license plate harness, and plug another harness between the parts you disconnected. There's a relay involved.

Two ways to go - buy his or if you love to tinker, buy the shells and pins and a simple compact relay and make one.

What it does is that the license plate lights go through normally closed contacts of the relay (NC) and when the truck is put in reverse, then there's a feed from the back up lights that powers the relay coil opening the relay contacts cutting power to the license plate lights.
Take it out of reverse, power to relay cut, contacts close, license plate lamps come back on.

You can make it, it's not rocket science or even a little bit complex - but by the time you go through ordering the connector shells (making sure you get the correct ones), pins, wiring, getting a small low amperage relay (it can be really small because the draw of the LP lamps is miniscule) and then with the correct crimp tool make the harnesses up and so on........ his prices and guarantee it will work make it a wash if you count your time as anything at all.

 

[jav_eee]

Two ways to go - buy his or if you love to tinker, buy the shells and pins and a simple compact relay and make one.

I DO love to tinker and I’m always modifying light operation with relays. Like bumper mounted reverse lights that only come on at night (when the headlights or park lamps are also on) and stuff like that.

thank you for the explanation of how the LP lights operate, I think you just found something for me to do on my upcoming vacation!

 

[BAT]

Yes indeed my wife has a Toyota Highlander and the tech in that thing is pitiful. ITs shocking that a car in today's market that can cost what Highlanders cost could have such unfriendly user tech. I've told her to look into something else but she just hates dealing with car dealerships.

 

[Orange01z28]

Toyota might be behind in tech, and the engines may not have screaming power, but they do this better than any other manufacturer

My 4Runner runs the same at 233k miles as it did at 43k when I bought it

 

[Puch]

I have 23 rubicon and she has a 23 Highlander. The electronics and the overall tech in the Highlander is pure garbage. While it’s a tad comfier I can’t stand to drive it compared to my jeep.
Highlander doesnt beep when you lock it it only flashes lights
Jeep I can leave it running and step out and still lock my car while keys are outside and it’s running
Highlander has remote start but as soon as you unlock the door it just shuts off
The dash is clunky and not user friendly
Especially switching stations on satellite radio

If the 4Runner is similar then my view of Toyota just went to crap

“stellar” might be a bit much IMO. Stellar to me also implies reliable.
If I had a choice of lots of tech that has flashy blinky things with lots of options and adjustments but was not reliable vs less tech that was rock solid reliable, I know which one I’m going with.
When I had my Tacoma, Toyota would send me surveys once in awhile for a year asking what I wanted, didn’t like, and what my opinion was for options and updates. Everyone that participated was overwhelmingly anti tech. Keep it simple seemed to be the most repeated request. That was 2017-2018. Maybe opinions have changed, but not mine. More tech = less reliability = headaches.
Unfortunately more tech is what will get crammed down our throats from now on.

 

[Beungood]

Boss just got me a TRD Offroad 4x4 2023 Tacoma. Need it for work on the railroad. ( sand, mud etc ). The infotainment is straight ancient garbage. 6 speed auto is lethargic as hell. The Jeep 8 speed spoiled me.

I am sure the new 2024 will address some of these complaints.

What railroad ,sounds like a nice place to work!

 

[Chunky White]

I drove a new Platinum Tundra recently and did not like the infotainment system. The size was nice but I wasn't impressed

 

[JeepCode4]

Toyota isn’t what it used to be. When I bought my gladiator I had “ordered” a Tacoma TRD pro. After many allocations they finally got one, I was appalled at the build quality, not to mention knowing that the interior was the same rattling plastic it was 10 years ago and so was the infotainment.

Walked and bought the gladiator. Fast forward, when the tundra came out I went to take a look, sure nicer screen, the truck is just oddly low, and it didn’t drive as good as my OG v8 tundra I used to own. I wanted to like the sequoia also, 3rd row is pathetically useless, and it had the same interior plastic the new tundra has because it’s the same chassis mostly.

My wife’s rav4 is built really well, but I’ve noticed the paint is terribly thin. I had a 4Runner for years and other than it being slow it was a great truck. The brand just isn’t what it used to be, and the Lexus tax isn’t worth it imo.

I’m not a Chevy guy, but the new Colorado is excellent. They actually did some quality design there.

 

[Kevin_D]

Two ways to go - buy his or if you love to tinker, buy the shells and pins and a simple compact relay and make one.

And where would one find these?

Kevin

 

[jwilson2899]

That beeping on lock is customizable for most modern cars. And I bet that Highlander will keep motoring for 100k miles more than any of our new Jeeps. But apples to oranges. I have no inkling to buy any Toyota.

Everybody keeps saying they will last longer and are more reliable, but that definitely wasn’t my experience with the 2017 Tacoma I had. In 2 1/2 years and 45k miles I had a rear axle noise, cam sensor recall, peeling paint on the whole cab, and a frame rust recall. Same amount of time with my Gladiator I had the rear window leak and that’s it. I’ve had similar experiences with almost every Jeep I’ve owned.

 

[Timoleon]

I hear ya on the tech side of things. I have owned Toyotas since my 1979 FJ-40. Technology lags yes. So, when I bought a 24 Tundra Off Road, I expected at least Home Link rear view mirrors. I didn't think to check until I got to the house to program the garage remote, there was no button. I found out that the truck doesn't have that mirror so that is missing.

And, since I have been driving nothing but Jeeps for the last 3 years, I have gotten used to the simple controls of the infotainment system. Finding XM radio on the Tundra is a task.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

And where would one find these?

Kevin

Mouser, Digikey, among a number of other sellers of such parts online
You need the correct tool to crimp various pins and terminals as well (that's where the real money comes in)

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