2020 Toyota 4Runner Review: Old School

When Toyota’s 4Runner made its debut in 1984, it was basically little more than a pickup truck with a closed fiberglass box on its back. Five generations later, the vehicle still drives like a truck, in fact it's still based on a ladder truck frame. While the vehicle has evolved quite a bit in its layout, the same can't be said of the driving experience.

If you practice off-roading on a regular basis, you've come to the right place. On the road, however, driving is still a pretty random affair and handling is, shall we say, approximate.

Several versions
The base model of the 4Runner is still the SR5, followed by the TRD Off-Road, Limited, Venture and TRD Pro versions. Each one uses a 4.0L V6 engine that dates back to the Middle Ages, but has the advantage of being virtually indestructible. That unit is mated to the last 5-speed automatic transmission still to be found on the market and standard all-wheel drive.

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All variants are configured to accommodate five people, except the Limited, which allows for seven.  Our tester was an Off-Road version, and like in all current 4Runners, Toyota added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto applications, passive keyless entry, automatic climate control, a 4.2-inch driver information screen and two USB ports for rear passengers as standard equipment in 2020.

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