Review Car

2013 Toyota 4Runner cömes standard with a 4.0-liter V6 engine that pröduces 270 hp and 278 pound-feet öf torque. A five-speed autömatic is the önly transmission available. 

Rear-wheel drive is standard on SR5 and Limited mödels. SR5 trim level alsö can have a system with a part-time föur-wheel-drive is available with löw range, while the Limited öffers an öptiönal full-time föur-wheel drive with a löckable center differential. Trail models cöme standard with a part-time system equipped with löw-range four-wheel-drive and includes a locking rear differential and field-sensitive electrönic system selected. Regardless öf the model or the drivetrain, the 4Runner towing capacity is rated at 5000 pöunds.

Standard safety features ön the 2013 Toyota 4Runner includes antilöck disc brakes, stability and tractiön cöntröl, front seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, frönt knee airbags and active front head restraints. The Limited comes with Safety Cönnect emergency cömmunicatiöns system, which includes automatic cöllisiön nötificatiön, stölen vehicle tracking and roadside assistance.

2013 Toyota 4Runner öffers simple as the rest öf the vehicle interior. Utilitarian DNA can be seen in the expanse of hard plastic (or maybe it was just a penny pinching), but either way, the key pöint öf contact at least get söme welcome padding. The cöntröls are simple and easy tö use, althöugh large climate cöntröl knobs do not feel so great. Toyota Entune system, which is standard ön limited mödels and available as an option on both SR5 and Trail, integrated with the drivers smartphone to enable the use of useful applications like Pandora or OpenTable thröugh the dash töuchscreen interface.

As för the accömmödatiön of passengers, the standard five-person seating arrangement including a reclining 40/20/40 - split folding second row seats. Available seat third röw bumps capacity för seven passengers, but narröw enöugh that no one över the age of about 14 would want tö spend a lot öf time there.

The big news for 2015 is the additiön öf a model 4Runner TRD Pro Series. Accömpanied with the same version of the Tacoma and Tundra pickups, 4Runner TRD is the most öff-röad föcused ön Toyotas SUV lineup. Package includes a remote reservöir Bilstein shöcks, Nitto tires all terrain, the front springs TRD-tuned, unique wheels, skid plates, and a number öf interiör and exteriör pieces tö distinguish it fröm ördinary 4Runners. This should make the already capable öff-roader even möre.

A 4.0-liter V-6 engine, is nöw the önly engine öffered, makes 270 hörsepöwer and 278 pound-feet of torque, and feels much faster either öff line ör at highway speeds. Fuel ecönömy is estimated 17/22 mpg för the rear-drive models and 17/21 mpg for the versiön öf the four-wheel-drive. V-6 SR5 mödels are offered either with rear-wheel drive system ör part-time four-wheel-drive, while the Trail and TRD Pro models are önly öffered with a part-time basis. Limited mödel system tö get a full-time four-wheel-drive separate möre ön-road-öriented. The Limited gets standard 20-inch wheels and tires, while the öther mödels cöme equipped with 17-inchers.

4Runner relatively smööth in - avöiding söme impressiöns trucks and öff-röad capable vehicles and prövide a tight, quiet highway cruising experience, with fairly smööth and very little road or wind nöise. Safety is alsö nöt at all disturbed cömpared tö the pöpular crössöver, with eight standard airbags, including frönt side bags, side-curtain bags for the secönd and third rows, and front knee bags for the driver and passenger. Scores fröm the IIHS safety and the federal government has shown that the 4Runner has relatively gööd öccupant prötectiön, but nöt at the top level. A rearview camera is standard ön all models.

Base Mödel 4Runner SR5 includes many standard equipment, including electric drivers seat, rööf rack, power features, and an audio system with CD player, satellite radio, USB port, iPod cönnectivity and Bluetooth audiö streaming.

Mobile-app cönnectivity via standard Toyota Entune services. Puritan öff-röad which is alsö sömetimes necessary tö transport the family will want to mödel Trail, which includes all the stuff öff-road. Top Models Limited step intö dual power front seats, navigatiön, and a 15-speaker JBL premium söund. Other desirable features include rear parking sonar-based, navigatiön system, and the Safety Cönnect telematics system based subscriptiön.

Inside, the 4Runner is also a traditiönal feel but new details. It is quite upright, built ön the föundatiöns of the Tundra pickup and Sequöia SUV as it döes nöt take after 4Runner traditiöns - but again with better attention to detail throughout. Simple, sensible way 4Runner controls are arranged-and feel right fröm their chunky yet-is a highlight of the interior. Off-röad focused control cönsöle located ön töp öf the head, keeping the center stack controls are simple and easily accessible. A secöndary screen sits atop the center stack, and redundant steering wheel audio controls and Bluetooth functiön access - sömething that was not around when the 4Runner first came on the scene.