![]() ![]() Matters are made worse by the 5-speed automatic, which not only restricts power delivery, but also reduces fuel efficiency while highway cruising. With only 270 horsepower on tap, the lumbering SUV feels like it can barely get out of its own way. The 4.0-litre V6 motivates the 4Runner like a school bus. I had to park my tester in a private lot with an entrance which cleared the 4Runner’s roof rack by what seemed like millimetres.īut admittedly, it’s an off-road vehicle in the city, so that aspect is somewhat forgivable.Ī more fundamental problem with the 4Runner is its dated drivetrain. It makes the vehicle just slightly taller than most full-size pickup trucks - and in fact would not fit into the parking garage at my condo building. However, the TRD Pro’s “basket style roof rack” made underground parking a very, very sweaty experience. And since Toronto roads are about as smooth and well maintained as a hormonal teenager’s face, you can actually appreciate the 4Runner’s off-road capability while battling traffic on Adelaide St. It’s even well-behaved while navigating the city. Surprisingly, even with its bulldozer tires and performance suspension, the TRD Pro is compliant and cushy on the highway. You’re also given extreme confidence that the undercarriage is safe from any nasty rocks or uneven roads thanks to the skid plates covering the transfer case, engine and front suspension.Ī front TRD-stamped aluminum skid plate lets the world know you’re really, really into UFC. The 4Runner’s massive P265/70R17 tires simply scythe through wet gravel, mud and thick dirt and even cling to slippery rock faces. The TRD Pro basically scoffed at my pitiful “challenge.” Suffice to say it seemed almost impossible for a TRD Pro to get upset or get stuck in any “rough terrain” situation. But I did take it down (and up, for that matter) some very nasty unpaved roads near Port Severn, Ont., on a rainy day. While “new school” off-roaders use electronically controlled components to adjust suspension, power delivery and gearing, the TRD PRO uses a lot of good ol’ fashioned mechanical tech - including a locking differential and low-range gearbox combined with electronically controlled active traction control, to enhance its variable Crawl Control and Multi-terrain settings.ĭid I take it up a mountain? No. If you’re someone who, for example, fancies off-roading, real off-roading, not just some cutesy “trail driving,” then the TRD Pro is probably at the top of your wish list. It’s a millennial vehicle living in a gen Z world.īut on the other hand, I’d wager that’s probably what a potential 4Runner TRD Pro customer would find most appealing about it. Truly, the 4Runner feels like driving a vehicle from a previous generation. The TRD Pro package was introduced in 2014 for the 2015 model year and upgraded the chassis with Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs, TRD-tuned front springs and a variety of off-road accessories.įlash ahead to 2021 and the only significant mechanical update has been a switch to Fox shock absorbers from the Bilstiens, which were first utilized for the 2019 model and have continued on. Which means, even at the high-end TRD Pro trim level, the 4Runner utilizes a positively ancient drivetrain - a massive and lazy 4.0-litre V6 matted to a 5-speed automatic transmission. The current 4Runner is still based on the fifth-generation chassis, first introduced in 2009 and built in Japan at Toyota’s plant in Tahara, Aichi. How outdated? Literally somewhere between smoking on an airplane and “Gangnam Style.” In the year 2021, the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is an absolutely oddity of a vehicle. ![]()
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