In the department of "get it while you can," you might want to get a '24 Toyota 4Runner with a V6 (and without a turbocharged four) while you still can.
Toyota has already dropped the V6 you used to be able to get in the Tacoma, which is the midsize pickup the 4Runner shares its platform with. The just-updated '24 Taco comes only with a turbocharged four — and only with an automatic transmission.
It is likely that the '25 4Runner will follow suit next year, when it gets an update based on the just-updated Taco.
What It Is
The 4Runner is a midsize, five-door SUV that (cue "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones) has been around for a long, long time — since 2010, largely unchanged.
Largely because change hasn't been necessary. Because the 4Runner has never had any trouble selling — probably because it hasn't changed much for the past 14 years.
People like that.
Prices start at $40,705 for the base SR5 trim with two-wheel drive; four-wheel drive is available as a stand-alone option that brings the MSRP up to $42,580.
There are also TRD Sport ($43,565), SR5 Premium ($43,765), TRD Off-Road ($44,550), TRD Off-Road Premium ($47,130), Limited ($49,940) and top-of-the-line TRD Pro ($55,170) trims.
All come standard with skid plates and a 5,000-pound standard towing capacity.
The TRD Sport gets 20-inch wheels, a hood scoop and firmer suspension tuning. TRD trims come standard with 4WD as well as a locking rear differential and additional driver-selectable modes for off-road driving. TRD Pro trims add a lifted suspension with Fox off-road shocks, all-terrain tires and a TRD exhaust system.
All trims come standard with seating for five, but you can get a third row and seven-passenger seating optionally.
What's New for 2024
There are no changes for what will likely be the final year for the 4Runner in its current form.
What's Good
— Standard V6 doesn't need a turbo to make 270 horsepower.
— 14-year track record of reliability.
— Holds value (see above).
What's Not So Good
— Last call means a rush to get what will soon be gone — and less likelihood of a haggled-down price.
— All trims come standard with "advanced driver assistance technologies" that people who don't need assistance driving may not want.
— No optional V8 in the higher trims. (The Lexus version of the 4Runner, the GX460, comes standard with one — for now.)
Under the Hood
The 4Runner comes standard with a 4.0-liter V6 that makes 270 horsepower, paired with a five-speed automatic and rear-drive or (optionally) a part-time 4WD system with a two-speed transfer case and 4WD low-range gearing.
This combo gets the 4Runner to 60 in just over 7 seconds and returns 16 mpg in city driving and 19 mpg on the highway. That's not terrible for a 4,400-pound body-on-frame SUV with a 270-horsepower V6.
To underscore the point, consider the 18-23 mpg achieved by the just-redesigned 2024 Tacoma, which comes only with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic. That's three more gears — and two fewer cylinders — and nearly the same mileage.
On the Road
This is a real SUV — not one that looks the part. The 4Runner has a full-perimeter frame, so it's very hard to hurt this one. If you dent a panel, it's cosmetic, and it's also usually easier to fix because when you are dealing with a body-on-frame SUV, most of the body panels bolt on (and off) and are not structural parts of the vehicle.
The 4Runner is still wonderfully mechanical in a way that the new stuff no longer is. You feel more in direct control because you are. There's a gear selector lever, not a button or a rotary knob controller. And another lever for the optional 4WD.
The V6 sounds right, too. And the five-speed transmission doesn't shift too much — or too often. It has the right number of gears.
Not too many gears.
At The Curb
The 4Runner is one of the smaller vehicles in the class — once again because it is the oldest vehicle in the class and so was made before the super-sizing of SUVs (and the trucks they're based on) got going.
This is by no means a bad thing.
At 190.2 inches long, the 4Runner is about 2 inches shorter overall than a Camry sedan — and about 8 inches shorter, bumper-to-bumper, than the Nissan Pathfinder, which looks like an SUV but is in fact a FWD-based crossover.
So the 4Runner will fit in a Camry-sized parking spot.
Room for five is standard, but you can upgrade to seven by opting for the available third row. This gives you seven-passenger capability in a Camry-sized SUV that can also pull a 5,000-pound trailer.
It also doesn't look like it's trying to squeeze something out of its tailpipe, as many of the newer SUVs do.
The Rest
You may welcome the absence of a huge LCD touch screen, which SUVs made 14 years ago didn't have and neither does this one.
You can also get some unique and useful features such as the optional sliding rear cargo deck, which can serve as a worktable or just a place to sit while tailgating. It supports 440 pounds, the weight of two large adults. In addition to that, there's an available integrated 40-quart beverage chiller and a locking console safe (a great place to keep your pistol).
And these options are available in the base SR trim. You do not have to move up to the more expensive trims to be able to order them.
The Bottom Line
The main detraction here is the cost. At just over $40,000 to start (and just under $43,000 with 4WD), the 4Runner isn't inexpensive.
But then, priceless things often aren't.
Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
View Comments