Toyota 4Runner
Back in 1985 when the Toyota 4Runner debuted, it was a little more than a pick-up truck with a plastic gap and carpeted cargo box and a second row of seats, but times and taste have changed. So on this edition of Test Drive we take a look at the latest 4Runner.
While the 4Runner has never been underpowered, in most cases it was, to be polite, only just enough. The new vehicle gets plenty of grunt from either of its engines. The 4.7-litre V8 in the Limited is married to a slick 5-speed automatic transmission and develops 235 hp and a stump-pulling 320 lb-ft of torque at 3400 rpm. The result is a strong response to throttle input, especially when hauling up a steep hill or when the gas pedal is hammered to pass a slower car. In something of an irony, the base 4.0 V6 develops 10 more horsepower than the V8. However, the torque number drops to 283 lb-ft and it only gets 4 speeds in its gearbox. Regardless, the engines are more than up to the task of instilling peppy performance.
The 4Runner Limited employs a very sophisticated full-time four-wheel drive system that works equally well on road as it does off road. At the heart of the system is a torsion centre limited slip differential. It sends 60% of the power to the rear wheel and 40% to the front. Now, ever and above that it also employs something called atrack. This uses the anti-lock break system to send the power to the wheel that can use it the best. In accents, if the left front wheel is spinning it breaks that wheel and sends it to the right front. The result: even if one wheel has traction, the 4Runner keeps plodding on. The rework of the interior of the 4Runner has been done exceptionally well. Classy set of gauges, a radio that has been given prominence. It also gets 6 CD changer as well as a cassette player, which is unusual now a days. The climate controls; in spite of their rather unusual appears they are very easy to use. You also get everything else you want: power sunroof, locks, mirrors, windows, cruise control, as well as full leather seating. You also get one other item that sets the 4 runner apart. We had a slight mishap because the battery on our camcorder went down. With the 4 Runner thatÔø‡s not a problem. You simply plug it into the 115-volt outlet thatÔø‡s in the centre console, hit a button and weÔø‡re now back in the ball game.
The Limited tested also featured the optional X-REAS suspension. The design links the shock absorbers on the diagonally opposite corners: left front to right rear and right front to left rear through a reservoir. When a bump or hard braking compresses the front shocks, the fluid displaced is directed through the reservoir to the linked shock. This action pushes the normally light wheel down onto the road. Both on and off-road, the system works just fine, especially when combined with the optional air suspension. In the dirt the system helps traction, while through the pylons it minimized body roll. In either case the big 4Runner remains remarkably predictable, and this in spite of its tall centre of gravity.
In order to put the U in SUV youÔø‡ve got to have utility and in this regard the 4 Runner is very good. You get 70/30 split rear folding seats: with them up you got plenty of cargo space, fold them down and youÔø‡ve got tons of it. You get a privacy cover, a two tier loading system, which by dropping it down gives you a conventional flat load floor. You can also load the things through the tailgate, or by holding a button on the key fob and then loading them through the rear glass. That allows you to drop grocery bags in without opening the entire tailgate. But logic would dictate that having lowered it you could put it back up with the key fob, but in the case of the 4 Runner that is not the case. Sadly you either have to go around to the front and push the button on the dash or stand there like a doorknob with the key in the back. It really needs another button on that fob.
On the safety front, the Limited model gets a powerful set of brakes that come with anti-lock and a dynamic stability control package that keeps the 4 Runner honest as you approach the limit.
You know Toyota has done a bang-up job with the new 4 Runner. Not only is it very accomplished in an off-road environment: it is equally competent on-road. The bottom line: well this vehicle is now the leader and benchmark for the mid-size SUV category.
Toyota 4Runner PRICE AS TESTED $51,815
TireTally
Performance 4
Ride/ Handling 4
Interior 4
Touchy-feely/ Cargo 4
Safety 5
Bang for $$ 3
Immediate competition:
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Ford Explorer Limited
Honda Pilot
Jeep Grand Cherokee
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