Full Test: 2014 Toyota 4Runner 4×4 Trail: It sure feels good to drive a truck again
When Toyota’s 4Runner was redesigned for 2010, I wasn’t
initially a huge fan. I loved the styling of the outgoing model, and viewed the new version as a less attractive evolution of the
4Runner DNA. While the basic silhouette was retained, the design details were
not as appealing. The projector headlights were gone. The LED taillights were
gone. The truck just didn’t look as sharp or desirable as before.Some updates for 2014
Toyota made some changes for the 2014 model year. The
projector headlights are back, and they work really well. I didn’t need the
high beams at all in the week that I had the truck, which is very telling. It
has a restyled front fascia. When I first saw it in pictures, I didn’t like it
that much. However, I grew to like the look of our tester as the week went on.
The magnetic gray metallic paint is definitely one of the best colors
available. Semicircle cut lines flank the fog lights. The headlights have a menacing
slant to them. The styling is certainly not to everyone’s taste, though. As I
went through the carwash, one of the attendants asked what year it was. I told
him, and he said “from further away, it looked like you had crushed the bumper”
or something to that effect. Personally, I like the look because it stands out
from the sea of me-too SUV styling and looks aggressive and sporty.
I spent this past week driving a 2014 Toyota 4Runner 4×4
Trail. The Trail spec comes equipped with off-road hardware such as a real,
mechanical transfer case, complete with a good old fashioned lever to the right
of the shifter. It also has skid plates, tall 265/70R17 tires, Kinetic Dynamic
Suspension Setting (KDSS), crawl control, hill-start assist, a locking rear
differential, and a multi-terrain selector. Got all that? Good.The joys of body-on-frame construction
I love body-on-frame trucks. When I got on the freeway for the first time
in the 4Runner, I immediately called our managing editor, Nick Fala, and said
“I just want you to know I’m driving a body-on-frame rig for the first time in
a while, and it feels TERRIFIC.” There is a solidness to the structure of the
vehicle that, in my mind, cannot be matched by many crossovers. As I set the
cruise near 70mph, the 4Runner was very quiet, smooth, and composed over our
less than stellar roads. The engine turned at a comfortable 2,000rpm. As I sped
up to 75, it felt as though I was driving perhaps 60. This was the perfect
vehicle for a long weekend road trip. Our destination was Boyne Mountain, in
Northern Michigan, over 200 miles north of Detroit. Interior exceeds
expectations
Once you hoist yourself into the cockpit (it sits up
significantly higher than some other SUVS), the cabin is a very comfortable
place to spend time. The driving position is excellent. From the driver’s seat,
outward visibility is very good. The upright windshield, squared-off hood, and
moderately-sized A-pillars contribute to this. Furthermore, the rear passenger
windows and tailgate glass are also generously sized, which is fortunate given
how high this rig sits. The cabin also boasts soft touch materials in the areas
where it actually matters: the center console, atop the doors, and the
armrests. While the dash is made of a more rigid material, you aren’t resting
your arms on it, so that doesn’t really matter. The seats were pretty
comfortable over a few hours of driving. I’d rate them an 8/10″very good, not
quite to Volvo level. I wished for a tad more lower thigh support. Anyone with
long legs knows what I’m talking about.
The interior functionality, fit, and finish are also very
good. The 4Runner’s infotainment system worked much better than the Camry’s
that I drove recently”also a 2014 model. In the Camry, my phone would not pair
with the system. I tried several different methods. In the 4Runner, it synced
right away, and my contacts and call log were downloaded within minutes.
Bluetooth call quality was good, as was Pandora streaming audio quality. XM radio
was a much appreciated plus during our long drive north. The stereo sounds good
for a stock unit, with 8 speakers and decent power. Impressive passenger/cargo
room and convenience features
Many people will tell you that body-on-frame trucks have
cramped, uncomfortable interiors compared to their unibody, or monocoque
chassis counterparts. The 4Runner seems to buck this trend/trait. Not only are
the front seats comfortable and the front footwells roomy, the back seats are
comfortable as well, have decent legroom, and the cargo area is quite generous.
The second row seat has a 40/20/40 split, which allows long items (like skis
and snowboards) to be hauled while still preserving room for 4 people. Each
door has pockets in it that can hold maps or water bottles.
In addition to two cupholders, the center console has several cubbies that are perfect for
wallets, cell phones, cameras, or toll booth change. At least, that’s how we
used them. All this, in spite of the fact that a traditional automatic shifter
lever and a transfer case take up a decent amount of room. The one ergonomic
oddity that I found? The window switches are all placed on top of the door
sill”on each door, and the door handles are in front of the grab handle, which
can make opening or closing the door awkward. Our favorite feature was one that’s a bit out-of-season: the
power-sliding tailgate glass. It’s terrific for warm summer days.
On the road
Even though the 4Runner sits up high, it handles quite
decently. One of my passengers described it as “nimble.” Highway onramps and
offramps were dispatched with poise and surefootedness. It’s a bit of a bear to
park in a tight lot, mostly due to the ride height, but the tight turning
circle and quick steering ratio helps with this, as does the backup camera.
The more I drove the 4Runner, I wondered to myself “Why
don’t I see more of these on the road?” I have a couple theories.
The first is advertising. When was the last time you saw a
4Runner ad, print or TV commercial? Exactly. Jeep markets the heck out of the
Grand Cherokee. Their robust sales reflect this (174,275 in the U.S. last year
versus 51,625 for the 4Runner).
For the second reason, let’s talk about the powertrain. The
4Runner has one engine for 2014: Toyota’s 4.0L V6, a “real truck motor” (more
on that later). A DOHC design boasting dual variable valve timing with
intelligence, it pumps out 270hp, and more importantly, 278lb-ft of torque.
Under the vast majority of driving conditions, it has more than enough power. I
rarely needed to rev it past 3,000rpm. It’s coupled to a 5 speed automatic. I
have a feeling that this transmission has a little bit to do with the fuel
economy we got during our week with the truck.Gas mileage
In suburban commuting, I was getting around 15mpg with a
light foot. The “eco” light on the IP was lit almost all the time. As I headed
from Cleveland to Michigan on the Ohio Turnpike, a road where traffic moves
from 74-79mph typically, I was averaging about 16mpg. On the way home, I slowed
it down a bit, driving 70-74. I averaged 19.7mpg between Detroit and Cleveland,
a significant improvement. I barely crested 20mpg during one slower stretch
through construction. Yikes, for a vehicle rated at 21mpg highway. All of these
measurements were taken in 2wd mode.
I was really surprised to learn that the 4Runner has not
been upgraded to a transmission with more ratios. While some 7 or 8 speeds are
clumsy, I think one more gear would be perfect for this truck. When you cruise
at over 2,300rpm, gas mileage falls off quickly. Perhaps there is some valve
timing or cam phasing that changes at roughly this engine speed. All that being
said, the transmission shifts smoothly and is rarely caught in the wrong gear. A serious competitor
The 4Runner vastly exceeded our expectations.
It felt both rugged and refined behind the wheel, and was quite comfortable over hundreds of
miles of driving. The Bridgestone Dueler tires, working alongside the
well-tuned suspension were unphased by some pretty beat-up roads. It really
seems like a serious competitor to vehicles like the Grand Cherokee, and also
stacks up well against more family-oriented vehicles such as the Ford Explorer,
Honda Pilot, and Nissan Pathfinder.
The one major drawback is fuel economy. Although we has not officially tested the aforementioned vehicles under
similar driving conditions, each are rated a couple miles per gallon better on
the highway. However, most of these vehicles have low-hanging, wind-cheating front
air dams, lack low-range gearing, and don’t have off-road hardware (the Jeep
and Dodge Durango are the exceptions). Given all of the equipment the 4Runner offers, the $41,825 sticker on our tester seems like a good value. It all depends what you’re looking for. we would
like to thank Toyota for providing the 4Runner, insurance, and one tank of gas
for this review.
