Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro | Review & Road Test
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Except for the shocking color, this truck should look very familiar.
That’s because short of a few refreshes and zhuzzes over the years, the fifth generation Toyota 4Runner hasn’t changed in, well, there aren’t enough fingers on both my hands to show you.
That doesn’t mean that the 4Runner isn’t worth talking about. It still is. And Toyota is clearly still making money on it or it would have aged out years ago.
So, let’s talk about the basics before we get into what’s new on this grand dame of the SUV segment.
First and foremost, the 4Runner remains one of, if not the last, SUVs that sports body on frame construction. It rides like a truck because it’s built like a truck. Polarizing yes, but also as the last hold out differentiates itself nicely.
The interior remains the same. It crosses off the essentials, touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Amazon Alexa, but it’s looking pretty dated, and given the Tundra’s new interior, we know Toyota’s got it in them.
Among some new things, in addition to Toyota’s Safety Sense, a standard suite of safety features, some of the higher trim levels gets extras like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts.
The big news for Toyota is the addition of a TRD Sport trim, which this one is not.
The Sport trim is really more of a performance-minded street driving or On Road trim level. It gets some exterior differentiating features on the grille, rocker panels and body molding. In the dynamics department it gets an enhanced suspension for improved on-road handling, automatically adjusted dampers to better absorb bumps and a center control absorber that’s shaped like an X to link the shocks on opposite sides of the truck to help with stability.
I can’t speak to how it drives as we’ve got the TRD Pro here, which as we all know is the off-road juggernaut version of the 4Runner. But all 4Runners still get the 4-liter V6 that makes 270 horsepower and is still mated to that same 5-speed automatic transmission.
You can get the TRD Pro with an extended travel package for a more comfortable and capable ride off-road over big time stuff. That system also hydraulically adjusts lean of the 4Runner for more stability.
In spite of the 4Runners shortcomings there is still a lot to love about this vehicle.
Great interior space, proven capability and it’s finally catching up in the tech department.
But Toyota should be looking over their shoulder a bit better, because there is a big horse breathing down their neck. Yes, I mean the Ford Bronco.
You might know by now that our own Micah Muzio has one, and since it’s here, well, we thought it would be a smart idea to see how these two stack up.
The Bronco has a base 2.3L engine and before you complain, the turbocharged 4-cylinder is much more powerful than the 4Runner’s V6 (Bronco 2.3L Turbo: 300 hp / 325 lb-ft) (4Runner 4.0L V6: 270 hp / 278 lb-ft). The Bronco’s 2.3L is punchy with strong pull off the line, aided by a smooth and modern 10-speed automatic transmission that literally doubles the ratios found in the 4Runner. With the Sasquatch Package the Bronco also has a slight lift, big ol’ 35-inch tires, plus front and rear electronic locking differentials, and a 4.70:1 final drive ratio. It does not suck off-road.
While it does have its truck-like tendencies, I’m still a fan of the 4Runner. As long as you close your eyes to the dated styling this truck still eats up a variety of difficult terrain, especially the TRD Pro. on road it’s not as refined as a newer SUV feels. The gearing is ancient and the ride quality is just not where is should be for a modern vehicle. But There is little doubt that the 4Runner remains an uber-capable off-road option.
But the Bronco is also adept off-road, while offering the benefits of a truly modern vehicle.
Power delivery is the big advantage with the Bronco. With more power and more ratios to work with it feels much snappier than the 4Runner. And that’s versus the base engine.
Choose the Bronco’s 2.7L V6 and the 4Runner’s dated engine really trails in terms of performance. That said, the 4Runner still has proved reliability on its side and thought its platform is old, off-road the 4Runner still feels perfectly relevant. As for asthetics, say what you will about its many production delays or Ford reliability, the Bronco’s styling is undeniable. It channels the previous generations with classic rugged proportions that I think will age well.
00:00 2021 Toyota 4Runner
0:40 Trim levels
1:05 Interior
2:14 Engine
3:07 Competitors
4:05 Driving Impressions
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