Thus, what started as simply putting a camper shell over the bed of a pickup truck, ultimately proliferated into the addition of another set of seats and doors. This basically turned the pickup truck into a heavy duty, go almost anywhere car.
Benefiting from being but one of several SUV-like vehicles the company offers, the 4Runner can be a bit more narrowly focused than most of its competition. Thus, where other vehicles like the 4Runner need to appeal equally to people who spend most of their time on the street, the 4Runner can come down a bit more solidly on the rugged side of the equation.
There have been five generations of the Toyota 4Runner offered since the model was introduced in 1984. This article will focus on Toyota’s 4Runner models built between 1995 and 2011.
Toyota 4Runner: 1995 – 2002By the mid-nineties, the SUV boom was in full swing and competition was fierce. With the third generation of the 4Runner, Toyota moved the SUV more upmarket to compete with the likes of Chevrolet’s Tahoe and Jeep’s Grand Cherokee. However, Toyota’s engineers also worked to improve the 4Runner’s offroad capability, with suspension revisions and wider tires.
Two engines were available; a 150-horsepower, 2.7-liter inline four-cylinder, producing 177 ft-lbs of torque; and a 183-horsepower, 3.4-liter V-6, capable of 217 ft-lbs of torque. Transmissions were trim dependent. The base (four-cylinder) and the SR5 (V-6) trim packages got five-speed manual transmissions as standard equipment. The Limited trim package paired the V-6 with a four-speed automatic.
Expanding the wheelbase over the previous model gave the GEN3 4Runner more interior space. Meanwhile, lowering the floor and enlarging the doors made ingress and egress easier. Other key features included rack and pinion steering and ABS as standard equipment for V-6-powered 4Runners (ABS was optional with the four-cylinder engine).
For 1997, Toyota introduced a rear-drive only version of the 4Runner with the Limited trim package. In ’98, a new steering wheel was specified, along with revised controls for the climate and audio systems.
Model year 1999 was one of more significant changes. Leading the list of improvements, the four-wheel drive system was re-engineered. Enhancements to it included a new center differential and the ability to operate as a full-time four-wheel drive setup. Additionally, cosmetic changes were applied to the 4Runner’s front bumper and headlights. The SR5 trim package sprouted fender flares and a hood scoop. The center console of the interior was redesigned while Limited trim models got automatic climate control.
Going into model year 2000, 4Runner’s improvements included new body color fender flares for the SR5, daytime running lights—if you got a model with ABS, and an upgraded audio system as standard equipment for base and SR5 trim packages. Going into 2001, the base model was killed—along with the four-cylinder engine, which was no longer competitive for the segment the 4Runner ran in. The standard transmission offering for the SR5 model became the automatic as well.
With the goal of making the 4Runner even more upscale, Toyota offered power door locks as standard for 2001, while a new, premium audio system with a CD changer became available. Bowing to the pressure of making SUVs more street-oriented, the center differential lock was dropped as well. However, a universal remote system was added for opening garage doors as an option on SR5 and as standard equipment for Limited.
Changes for 2002 were largely cosmetic, with the exception of the fitment of an optional skidplate for the SR5, along with step-up bars.
Toyota 4Runner: 2003 – 2009The 2003 model year 4Runner was sufficiently revised to be classified an all-new vehicle. The V-6 was upgraded to 4.0 liters, 245 horsepower and 282 ft-lbs of torque. The “big” engine was a 4.7-liter V-8, producing 275 horsepower and 320 ft-lbs of torque. The V6 carried over the four-speed automatic from the previous 4Runner, while the V-8 rated a five-speed automatic.
Trim packages were SR5, Sport and Limited. Automatic climate control, cruise control, power windows door locks and mirrors were standard equipment. While all 4Runners are biased more toward the trail than the street, the Sport model was the most dirt-oriented of all 4Runners of the time, with features like a roof rack, side steps and foglights—in addition to bigger wheels, front brakes, and Toyota's X-Relative Absorber System (X-REAS) suspension for reducing body roll. X-REAS links the shocks diagonally with hydraulic hoses and fluid, using a mechanical center valve to reduce body roll during hard cornering.
Other key features included: skid plates for the engine, transfer case, and fuel tank, to prevent damage during off-roading. The 4Runner’s Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) system prevented rolling backwards on inclines, while the Downhill Assist Control (DAC) for four-wheel drive models modulated the brakes and throttle automatically to ease the 4Runner down very steep inclines at slow speeds. HAC and DAC were standard on 4WD models.
Keeping an eye on the upmarket offerings of the competition, Toyota specified a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, remote keyless entry, dual zone automatic climate control, power driver's lumbar support, a power rear tailgate window, and a tow hitch receiver bolted directly to the rear frame cross member on V-8 models.
Options included HomeLink, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a power moonroof, third row seating, DVD-based nav, a 10-speaker JBL Synthesis stereo, and rear seat audio. The backup camera system—optional on Limited models—used two cameras mounted on the interior’s D-pillars to give a wider view when backing up.
For 2004, a third-row seat for SR5 and Limited was offered as an option. Black running boards were made standard equipment, and a rear-view monitor was integrated into the nav system’s monitor. Model year 2005, saw the four-speed automatic discontinued (until 2010). The V-8’s output was bumped to 270 horsepower and 330 ft-lbs of torque.
New bumpers, headlights and lower cladding updated the 4Runner’s look for 2006. In an effort to quiet the vehicle, engineers specified a thicker windshield, as well as thicker glass for the front windows.
The Limited got a six-disc CD changer as part of its standard offerings and an auxiliary audio jack was added to take advantage of all the new portable audio solutions coming into popularity. Toyota 4Runner’s 2007 models rode the benefits of the 2006 refresh with no changes, while side curtain airbags were added to the standard equipment roster for 2008. Just to make sure the 4Runner was not mistaken for a road queen once crossovers came heavily into Vogue, a trail edition package was offered for 2009.
Toyota 4Runner: 2010 – CurrentA complete redesign for 2010, managed to keep the 4Runner’s trail-ability intact while offering yet more luxury. A four-cylinder engine was returned to the lineup after being discontinued in 2001. However, to get the four, you have to pretty much give up all of the 4Runner’s offroad capability—as it is offered only with rear-wheel drive and a four-speed automatic transmission. The 2.7-liter powerplant makes 157 horsepower and 178 ft-lbs of torque. The V8 option was dropped for 2010, leaving only the 270-horsepower V6 as the other engine choice.
And while the engine choices are somewhat limited, the interior accoutrements are decidedly not so. Cruise control, full power accessories (including a power rear window), a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a trip computer and a CD/MP3 audio system with an auxiliary audio jack just gets things started in the base SR5 trim package.
The next rung up the ladder, the Trail model, delivers an upgraded audio system with satellite radio, a USB port with iPod connectivity and Bluetooth phone and audio functions. Go Limited, you’ll find keyless entry and ignition, automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control, an upgraded audio system with a six-CD changer and 15 speakers, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and power lumbar support for the driver’s seat.
Options for all models include a sunroof, a voice-activated nav system and a third-row seat.
SummaryOver the years, even while growing ever larger and more luxurious, Toyota’s 4Runner has not strayed away from its original mission of being a go anywhere, do anything vehicle.
In fact, in many parts of the world, the Toyota 4Runner is considered a smaller version of Toyota’s venerable Land Cruiser SUV—a vehicle itself often considered in the same breath as the highly vaunted Range Rover line of SUVs.
In addition to the floor mat recall all Toyota models experienced recently, a few mechanical maladies have caused Toyota to bring the tough guy in for a specific going over through the years. To learn which recall notices could affect a 4Runner you might be interested in, run an Internet search for “Toyota 4Runner recall”, incorporating the model year of your interest.
Similarly, always make it a point to subject any used vehicle you’re seriously considering to a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted professional mechanic proficient in the workings of the auto of your choice.
