Like all Toyotas, our 4Runner was attractively finished inside with high-quality cloth upholstery. Leather may be more luxurious, but many drivers prefer the breathability of cloth upholstery for extended driving.
The instrument panel design looks contemporary with major gauges well-located for easy reading and secondary controls within easy reach. There?s also adequate storage for small objects: door-panel map pockets, a small storage well in the high center console, a cubbyhole below the ashtray and a trio of coin slots just behind the shifter.
Of course cupholders are a must in any vehicle for the U.S. market today, and the 4Runner has a pair mounted in a pop-out slide just below the vents at the top of the dashboard. Unfortunately, if you're using the cupholders you can't? get to the climate controls.
The front bucket seats in our tester were very snug and supportive, with deep side bolsters to help keep you in place when you?re rattling around in the outback.. However, some drivers may find them a little too snug, and their padding may be a tad firm for some tastes.
Compared with best-sellers such as the Ford Explorer and the new Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy twins, the 4Runner?s rear-seat legroom doesn?t measure up very well. Adults riding in the back will feel distinctly cramped.
Climbing in or out of either set of seats is more of a chore, for several reasons, than it is in some competing sport/utilities. First, the distance between the tops of the doors and the sills isn?t very high. Second, the rear door opening is relatively narrow. Third, the 4Runner?s ground clearance, exaggerated by the 31-in. tires, makes for a high step-in. Passenger-assist handles at all doors make this maneuver easier, but it?s still a climb.
With no airbags, the 4Runner also lags its competition a bit in the area of passive safety, although we expect this to be corrected in the next generation. It does have side-impact door beams and an automatic locking seat belt feature for outboard seating positions.
Rear-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard on V6-powered 4 Runners and optional on the 4-cylinder models, with 4-wheel ABS available as an option only on V6 models.
Riding on its big tires that increase ground clearance to 10.1 in., our 4Runner provided a tall-in-the-saddle view of surrounding traffic, something most sport/utility owners enjoy. And all that ground clearance is great when you?re picking your way down a rock-strewn path in the boonies.
However, that high stance doesn?t improve the 4Runner?s handling at all. The higher a vehicle sits, the higher its center of gravity. Combine that with modest body roll and you?ve got a rig that isn?t very agile for street driving.
Ride quality is another story. Even without the tall tires, the 4Runner does a good job of isolating the driver and passengers from sharp bumps, and it sops up washboard sections of gravel roads with gusto.
Suspension systems with lots of travel are at their best when the going gets really rough, and the 4Runner?s on-demand 4WD system - Toyota calls it 4Wheel Demand - is a real asset for this kind of work because it can be engaged or disengaged while you?re rolling.
We like our 4Runner?s 5-speed manual transmission. The shift-throws are a little long, but gear selection is precise and the clutch action is smooth and forgiving - no lurches or stalls.
But we weren?t quite as impressed with the performance of the 3.0-liter V6. This engine is a proven quantity with an excellent service record behind it, and it?s generally smooth and quiet - until the driver starts making demands. After all, with 4WD the 4Runner gets to be a pretty heavy chunk, weighing in at more than 2 tons.
When we pushed the tachometer needle past 3500 rpm, the 4Runner V6 began sounding pretty busy, and above 4000 rpm it felt as if it were running out of oomph. It won?t pull itself up long grades in fifth gear and passing power is limited.
Toyota rates this vehicle?s towing capacity at 3500 lb. We don?t question this, but we do think that towing a 3500-lb. trailer would require some patience. If you have a log of medium-heavy towing planned for your new sport/ute - say, 2500 lb. or more - this may not be the right vehicle for you.