First Drive Review
Let’s take a look at the freshened-up 2014 Toyota 4Runner, beginning at the rear: Okay, not bad, lots of clear plastic in the taillights, not much new here. Now the profile, which is familiar, upright, and certainly says “Toyota,” for better or worse.
And on to the front. Oh, my! What happened here? It’s sort of a tribute to Japanese styling circa 1973. Toyota says the new look is “muscular” and “chiseled,” with “edgier smoked headlamps for a more forceful look.” Probably true, if you think bulldogs and Sir Winston Churchill are muscular and edgy. Approach from the rear or side, though, and you’ll be fine.
Old-School Rugged
This is, startlingly, the sixth generation for Toyota’s mid-size SUV, which began essentially as a pickup with a camper top and evolved into a rugged, useful sport-ute with little pretense. Thankfully for 4Runner fans, that hasn’t changed. As one of the few remaining body-on-frame SUVs, the 4Runner’s general goodness speaks to how refined that comparatively ancient architecture can be when properly conceived, sort of how some of the modern pushrod V-8 engines remind us that they were pretty solid technology, too.
Unfortunately, speaking of V-8s, there still isn’t one offered in the 4Runner. The 4.0-liter V-6 soldiers on mostly unchanged. It’s rated at 270 horsepower at 5600 rpm, with 278 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm. The ECT-i transmission is the same five-speed automatic Toyota has used for years in both rear- and four-wheel-drive models. The powertrain has a slightly dated, industrial feel, but it does the job reasonably well and manages decent fuel economy on regular gas. The EPA estimates come in at 17/23 mpg city/highway for rear-drive models and 17/22 mpg for the 4x4.
Climbing Aboard
The ride is surprisingly smooth and quiet, with a hint of chassis shake and shiver over big bumps and railroad crossings. The steering is more precise than you’d expect; the brakes are a tad touchy at the top of the pedal travel but offer linear response afterward. Without scrounging around underneath, you’d be hard pressed to testify that this is a body-on-frame vehicle from driving dynamics alone.
Inside, how nice you want your 4Runner to be depends on how much you’re interested in paying. There are three models: the base SR5, the Trail (it comes as a 4x4 only), and the upscale Limited.
The SR5 is utilitarian but hardly stripped, as many of the materials have been upgraded, including the quality of leather covering the steering wheel. The 2014 4Runner gets plenty of new interior tech even at this level, with the Entune Audio Plus system that has a 6.1-inch high-resolution screen with a backup camera, a good stereo with CD and SiriusXM capability and HD Radio and data, and improved voice recognition.
The Trail’s upholstery is either fabric or SofTex synthetic leather, the front seats are power-operated, and the Entune audio gets a few more features, including navigation and Gracenote. On the Limited, the upholstery turns to perforated leather, with heated and ventilated front seats. Entune is further upgraded by JBL with 15 speakers and an amplifier. In all three models, the instruments and the controls are well placed, and the seats are comfortable front and rear. Optional third-row seating is best for kids or adults who absolutely refuse to wait for the next bus. There are eight standard airbags.
The four-wheel-drive system still offers a transfer case, and you can get part-time four-wheel drive or a full-time mode with a locking center differential. The 4Runner is sure-footed off-road, and standard downhill assist control was helpful on muddy hills, and likely would be in the snow, too. Rear-drive models come with “Auto LSD,” which has no association with Timothy Leary and everything to do with an automatic limited-slip differential. Wheel sizes range from 17 inches on the SR5 to 20-inchers on the Limited.
Prices haven’t been announced but shouldn’t vary much from 2013 numbers, which started at $32,335 for a rear-drive SR5 and went up to $41,875 for a 4x4 Limited.
If you like your SUVs slightly old-school, it’s easy to recommend the 2014 4Runner, a comfortable, viceless, off-roadable, and, if history is properly suggestive, dependable vehicle. Winston Churchill might have driven one, even if it didn’t have his nose.
