2014 Toyota 4Runner a hard act to follow — off road

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(August 25, 2014) Why in the name of all that is holy would Toyota make the 4Runner look like an outtake from Mitsubishi’s design studio? The aggressively… interesting… front end could only have been stolen from Mitsubishi’s Raider pickup, which itself was built on the Dodge Dakota platform.

It wasn’t handsome then, it isn’t handsome now, but it is exactly the look Toyota wanted for its serious off-road mid-size SUV. This thing looks like a barking dog Transformer, ready to rip off your leg and feed it to you.

Which is sort of ironic when you consider that the 4Runner doesn’t drive like a rabid dog. I
n fact, at first blush it feels a bit too soft. The Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (a $1,750 option) can be bouncy; soft bushings allow the 4Runner to “hobby horse” under braking and acceleration, and the suspension has a tendency to dive and squat.

It feels a bit odd on road, but gives the truck the ability to soak up the big bumps when traveling off road, and put the power down when needed better than a more stiffly sprung vehicle. Its abilities off road make it worth the money, though the ride motions around town take a while to get used to.

For folks who are into the sporty utility image but not the off roading lifestyle, this isn’t your truck. You’re better off with a vehicle like the Highlander, which is based on the chassis and mechanicals of Toyota’s ubiquitous Camry sedan. It will travel through snow, on sandy trails, and should be great for traveling across open grassy fields as you look for the best place to tailgate during college football season.

The 4Runner, on the other hand, is meant for traveling over the river, through the woods, down the valley and up the rock-strew trail to that out of the way spot where you and the bears are the only ones who care if the salmon are running.

There’s plenty of room for cargo, especially if you aren’t five-up, and can fold at least one of the rear seat’s lower cushions forward and drop the corresponding setback. This gives a long load floor with access to chromed tie downs and 88 ft3 of cargo area. Though the load floor is not completely flat, there is ample width and length back there, and the small ramp between the cargo floor and reclining seat back is hardly worth mentioning.

The biggest concern is whether your cargo will stain the optional carpeted cargo mat or the carpet on the back of the seat, and scratch the plentiful plastic lining the rear compartment. (The rear wheel well covers are especially vulnerable.) However, in a vehicle like this, a few scars add character, and speak of a life lived.

It also is a life with fewer choices as manufacturers switch from body-on-frame to monocoque construction, and build SUVs that cater to fuel economy and comfort. Which is not to say that the 4Runner is uncomfortable. It isn’t.

Leather-like SofTex adorns the seats front and rear, the steering wheel tilts and telescopes, eight-way driver’s and four-way front passenger’s seat, tilt/slide moonroof, and heated front seats. (You have to order the SofTex in order to get the heated seats.) There’s even an AM/FM/XM/CD audio system with Bluetooth, navigation, and a 6.1-in. touch screen to keep you entertained. Even so, with a good set of all-weather floor mats (a $100 option versus the $225 the carpet set on our vehicle), you won’t feel guilty about slogging around the backwoods and depositing muddy boots and equipment inside your $41,825 (as tested) vehicle.

Especially when you look up and see the Multi Terrain Select, Crawl Control, locking rear differential and A-Trac (Active Traction Control) switches for the part-time 4wd system sitting just forward of those for the moonroof and HomeLink system. Then there’s the lever for the 4wd system. It sits just forward and to the right of the gear lever for the five-speed automatic transmission. You can almost hear Tim Allen grunting…

That gearbox is mated to a 4.0-liter V6 producing 270 hp at 5,600 rpm and 278 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400. This combination isn’t going to win many drag races, but has sufficient torque for towing (up to 4,700 lb.), and climbing hills and tough terrain, though it can get a bit loud and rough. Just don’t expect extreme frugality. The 4Runner is listed by the EPA at 17 city/21 highway/18 combined, and returned a solid 17 mpg in our testing. This isn’t the most aerodynamic vehicle on (or off) the road, which takes its toll on fuel economy, and the hood scoop (part of the Trail Limited package) is all show, no go. The silver front bumper trim, on the other hand, is a nice touch.

In many ways, the 4Runner is the SUV equivalent of Toyota’s Tacoma pickup. It’s not as large as the full-size Sequoia or Land Cruiser, gets better gas mileage, has a rugged image, and doesn’t demand that the buyer trade comfort for capability. It is, however, a vanishing breed in a world of tightening fuel economy standards, downsized engines and monocoque construction. Nissan shifted the Pathfinder, and Ford the Explorer, to a transverse front-drive chassis, and the Dodge Durango is rumored to be on its way out to make room for a similarly car-based model.

Should Toyota decide to take a similar path, the current 4Runner will be a hard act to follow.

The Virtual Driver