2009 Toyota 4Runner

Review

The 2009 Toyota 4 Runner lives up to its history as one of the original SUVs. Designed to scale mountains, take on logging roads, and, if you must, get around town as well, the 4Runner was a novelty back in 1984 with its introduction.

Today, the 4Runner has changed somewhat since the original, and you can expect that there will be a significant platform change for the 2010 model according to rumors leaked by Toyota.

The 4Runner is great as an off-road vehicle, but consumers may want to think twice about choosing this SUV for normal city driving as better pricing, gas mileage and room or comfort can be found in comparable vehicles made by the competition. When it comes to the power of the off-road vehicle, however, the 4Runner has pulled ahead of the pack by staying true to its roots.

Performance

The performance of the Toyota 4Runner depends largely on whether you are driving on the city streets or out on the rugged trails. For off-roading, there is nothing out there that beats the Toyota 4Runner due to the crossover conversion being made by most other SUV manufacturers. Its design is still built for those drivers and families who still appreciate a good trip off the beaten path. The fuel-guzzling V6 has more power than the former V8, though there has been a sacrifice of torque.

For city driving, the Toyota Highlander, Dodge Durango or Nissan Pathfinder would probably be a better pick in terms of the smoother city ride, pricing or interior features. The EPA estimate for fuel economy has the rear-wheel drive 4Runner at 16 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway for the V6. The V8 model gets significantly less.

Exterior Features

The Toyota 4Runner comes in the SR5, Sport Edition and Limited trim levels for consumers to choose from. The SR5 has 16-inch alloy wheels, remote keyless entry and a power rear window in its standard exterior package. Upgrades and features available on the Sport Edition include 17 or 18-inch wheels and a height-adjustable rear suspension allowing drivers to choose their type of ride for either the city of the country roads.

The 4Runner has a standard 4.0 liter V6 or an optional 4.7 liter V8 engine allowing the choice of either a rear or four-wheel drive on either engine. The V6 boasts 236hp and 266 lb-ft of torque while the V8 ups the ante to 260hp and 306 lb-ft of torque which delivers all that is ever required of it in road tests.

Interior Features

Spacious seating for up to five passengers and possibly two more in the optional third-row seating make the Toyota 4Runner positively roomy when needed, though the third row seating has been described as "cramped" in car reviews. One of the biggest complaints in the 2009 4Runner is that the third row seats do not automatically fold flat which is severely limiting on the amount of cargo space available. Even if the optional 3rd row seating is not installed, the best one could hope for as far as cargo space goes is an unimpressive 75 cubic feet.

For the rest of the 4Runner's interior, the quality materials are handsomely put together. Auto reviews compare the accommodations to those of a Lexus for the Limited versions of the SUV with intuitive dials and switches that are well organized and placed.

Safety & Specifications

When it comes to car safety, the 2009 Toyota 4Runner was built with the occupant very much in mind and comes standard with antilock brakes, brake assist, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags that have roll sensing ability. The 4Runner gets a four out of five stars in government ratings, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awards it the highest rating of "Good".

Upgrade Options

The 4Runner has great upgrade options that are both ornamental and which improve the specs of the vehicle along with the invoice. Buyers can pay for a tilt and telescoping steering wheel with cruise and audio controls, illuminated running boards, 18-inch wheels, dual-climate control, power outlets leather interior, a six-CD changer, and heated front seats.

The list of options continues including an upgraded 10-speaker sound system, detachable personal navigation, sunroof, Bluetooth, satellite radio and iPod connectivity as well. A fully-loaded 4Runner makes excellent photos and adds plenty of sparkle to any new or used car guide whose reviewer had the chance to drive it.

How the 4Runner Compares to Other SUVs

The 4Runner is a forerunner (pun intended) when it comes to standard-sized SUVs, primarily because genuine SUVs with an equal capacity to off-road the same way it handles city streets are rare. The Volkswagen Tiguan is a decent off-road competitor, but the price tag for the Tiguan is significantly higher.

When it comes to luxury, BMW and Lexus create SUVs that are on-par with the 4Runner if it is fully-loaded including the GX10 by Lexus.

Conclusion: Is the 4Runner a Smart Buy?

The 4Runner has impressed the Auto Press for decades now and fortunately shows no signs of slowing down. Instead of compromising on a signature SUV, Toyota has instead made available smaller SUVs in its line such as the Highlander and the RAV4 for those more interested in the SUV look and appeal without truly having the SUV off-roading power.

Toyota's standard 3 year/36,000 mile warranty on the 4Runner is what you can expect from most SUV manufacturers and includes standard maintenance during that period of time. The impressive power of a 4Runner also tends to have a "impressive" effect on car insurance ratings, so buyers will want to keep that in mind as they are shopping for affordable car insurance.

The pricing for the 4Runner starts in the $28,000 range but can quickly top $40,000 for the Limited editions with options. Fortunately the Intellichoice 5 year cost of ownership is impressed with the 4Runner – you can expect to get your money's worth over time without having to invest too much money in repairs, though watch out for that fuel bill.