AN OFF-ROAD RUNNER IN AN URBAN JUNGLE

By John-Fredrik Wright Some cars make you want to drive fast. Some slow. Some make you feel like taking a road-trip (some make you feel like parking and walking instead). Some, like the Toyota 4Runner, beg you to go off-road. Sitting in the driver’s seat of the 4Runner, there are so many options pertaining to rough driving conditions that it is mind boggling. Alas, most 4Runner owners never use them. Most use this off-roader strictly as an on-road daily driver. Accordingly, that’s how we tested this vehicle—as a daily driver on the streets of Southern California. The downside of being made for the rugged environment is the lack of some of the luxuries found in cars more dedicated to staying on the road. This particular SUV, a 4Runner Trail 4x4 V6, came equipped with a warmer/colder air knob, instead of an automatic climate control system. Maybe this is a subtle reminder that this vehicle is made for doing things other than going to the local mall.

Oftentimes, SUV’s have numerous cup-holders, sometimes ridiculously so (the record I have seen is 8 cup-holders for two seats). The 4Runner has a civilized number of places to put your drinks. All together, there are 10 cupholders throughout the vehicle. Speaking of civilized, another feature that is somewhat contradictory to the 4Runner’s nature and that adds to the civilized on-road feel are comfortable seats with motorized, reclining backs. To reinforce the sense of beefy capabilities, Toyota has placed a brutish-looking scoop on the hood. So, how does the 4Runner ride and drive on the streets of So. Cal.? Well, it’s great for a SUV, but not so as a car. In corners, it certainly doesn’t resemble a sporty close-to-the-ground car. It rolls a little, but not too much (the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System—or KDSS—doing its thing). When braking, however, the 4Runner leans forward as if to say “check this asphalt out!” Any vehicle tips a little forward when braking, but this is beyond that. A pick-up truck usually gives the occupants a bouncy ride (especially if the back is empty), but the 4Runner is better than that—allowing for a relatively smooth freeway ride.

One quirky thing kept happening while we were driving the 4Runner. Often while stopped at stoplights, the vehicle would slowly start to move forward. How is that? Well, it took us a while to figure out, but the brake pedal is placed in such a way that one’s foot relaxes a little too much, allowing the vehicle to slowly start to inch forward. Weird. Even after realizing that this could be a problem if we didn’t catch the car’s attempt to escape, it still happened. The 4Runner has a multitude of interesting features. What does the button by the drivers right knee do, one might ask, the one marked “Party Mode”? I’ll get to what it does in a second, but let’s just giggle a little at the name first. If you search the Internet about this Party Mode, it has triggered a lot of discussions in the 4Runner forums. Some think that a disco-ball should be installed and lowered at the touch of this button. According to Toyota, however, the Party Mode setting is supposed to “provide excellent outside audio for tailgating.” It does this by raising the level of bass and moving more of the sound to the rear speakers.

Exterior-wise, the 4Runner features an interesting display of protruding lights. The plastic case for the brake-lights are actually visible in the outside rear-view mirrors. They stick out that far! Up front, you’re greeted with the same theme—the headlight casings are farther apart than the norm. This is both an interesting design element and it helps you see where your car begins and ends (even if that probably is not the main reason for having them there). Assisting you further on this is the back-up camera, which is a great feature for a vehicle of any size, and even greater when the vehicle is large, as in this case. The Toyota 4Runner is meant to do a lot off road, but (as previously discussed) Toyota has managed to incorporate a couple of luxurious touches. Interestingly, all windows have the auto-up/down function, which sometimes goes missing in average-class sedans. This is something that can’t be very costly to implement, but is very appreciated. Thanks, Toyota!

The manual shifting experience leaves a lot to be desired. It’s here that the true beast comes forth. When the option of shifting gears “manually” in an automatic first became available, it was sold as a sporty option. The 4Runner is not sporty as you have understood by now (nor is it supposed to be), yet it has this option. If it worked more like a manual, in the sense that it kept the desired gear regardless of what your foot does, we could agree with the function. But, in this case, the chosen gear merely acts as a “don’t-shift-higher-than-this” gear. When we push the accelerator a little too much, it will still shift down. We would rather, in these cases, go back to the old version where you had the option of “Drive” and then a couple of lower gears (D2, D3) where the car would not shift above. The rear space offers hooks for all kinds of hauling as well as a power outlet (for that tailgate party we suppose?). The tailgate is a little heavy to open and close, but hey, you do want to show off your new 4Runner’s Party Mode. All in all, we are not blown away with this latest generation 4Runner. Then again, the urban testing grounds are not its design element. Take the 4Runner out for trip in the bush country, and it should feel and handle as if that is what it is meant to do. We will note, however, that the vehicle performed well overall. There was just nothing that stood out about the vehicle as an everyday driver (not counting the bulging headlight eyes and the Party Mode).

SUMMARY JUDGMENT Owning a 4Runner is sort of like taking martial arts—you’ll probably never need to exercise the combat skills, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there.

SPECIFICATIONS Name of vehicle: 2011 Toyota 4Runner Trail 4x4 V6 Price: $35,805 (base) $40,989 (and as tested) EPA fuel economy rating: 17 mpg (city) 22 mpg (highway) Engine size and type: 4.0-Liter DOHC 24-Valve V6 with Dual Independent Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i) Horsepower: 270 hp @ 5600 rpm Torque: 278 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm Transmission type: 5-speed Electronically Controlled automatic Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and sequential shift mode Drive configuration: Part-time 4WD system with Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) Steering (type): Engine speed-sensing Variable Flow Control (VFC) power-assisted rack-and-pinion Suspension (front and rear): Coil-spring independent double-wishbone front suspension with stabilizer bar; coil-spring 4-link with lateral rod rear suspension with stabilizer bar. Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) Brakes and tires: Power-assisted 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) (Multi-terrain ABS on 4Runner Trail), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA) Dimensions Length: 189.9 in Width: 75.8 in Height: 74.2 in Curb weight: 4750 lbs