4Runner TRD Pro ready for whatever comes its way
With its body-on-frame construction and just five forward gear ratios, Toyota’s venerable 4Runner may seem a little old school against a landscape that includes utility vehicles boasting direct injection, turbocharging and transmissions packing seven speeds or more.
But the 4Runner’s surviving — and thriving — more than three decades does sort of make you wonder if automotive Darwinism is in play.
And play is a big part of what the 2016 4Runner TRD Pro is about. (TRD is shorthand for Toyota Racing Development). Leaving little doubt that its mission is to go where the wild things are, the TRD Pro alone gets aggressive-looking 265/70R17 Nitto Terra Grappler all-terrain tires, lightweight matte-black TRD alloy wheels, 2.5-inch TRD Bilstein coil-over shocks and springs in front and at the rear, 2-inch Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs. Besides the one-inch higher ride height, TRD Pros can be spotted by their own grille, badges and quarter-inch aluminum TRD skid plate.
Under the hood, you’ll find Toyota’s ultimate offroad 4Runner has the same 4.0-liter V6 and five-speed automatic transmission found in every other 4Runner. Nothing fancy or cutting edge about this well-sorted out aluminum head and block engine. Its mild 10.4:1 compression ratio makes it 87-octane friendly.
The Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro also comes with multi-terrain select, crawl control and a electronic locking rear differential. The multi-terrain select system optimizes wheel slip for various conditions. The driver can dial in one of four settings: mud/sand/dirt, loose rock, mogul or rock. The mud/sand/dirt mode is available in 4 low or 4 high but the other three settings are used in low only. A simple push of the button disengages the system.
Crawl control is another nifty aid when tackling the roads less traveled. Crawl control takes over the speed on ascents and descents so the driver can concentrate on steering the correct line. This video of a Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro illustrates the concept in a few tense, but fascinating, moments: bit.ly/2fJTM6H
When the going gets tough, driver and occupants don’t necessarily have to rough it. The cabin of this almost $42,000 Toyota SUV has heated, eight-way power driver’s seat and four-way power seat for front passenger, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Homelink and an overhead console houses the multi-terrain select and crawl control switches.
The leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, with its Bluetooth hands-free phone and voice command integration and audio controls are just one example of the 4Runner TRD Pro’s practicality.
There are cup and bottle holders galore (10, if you must know), cubbies for coins, phones and pens and five 12-volt power outlets: two in front, two in the rear and one in the cargo compartment. There’s a 120-volt 100/400W AC outlet in the cargo area as well. Though a third-row seat that bumps seating to seven is offered on some 4Runners, it’s not available with the TRD Pro.
In addition to standard cruise control, remote keyless entry, and crisp “Optitron” instrumentation that trickled down from Lexus, power windows, mirrors and door locks, and backup camera, there’s one feature that the 4Runner faithful love: the power liftgate rear window. Being able to drop the window and reach in can prevent packages (a notebook computer or birthday cake, perhaps?) spilling out onto the roadway or driveway because they’ve slid around. The window also makes it easier to stow long items.
Whether it’s camping, hunting, tools or bicycles, there’s some serious hauling capacity.
With all seats up, there’s 46.3 cubic feet of cargo space awaits if the 4Runner has the optional clever slide-out cargo deck and 47.2 cubic feet without the deck. Need more? Folding the rear seats down yields 88 cubic feet.
Our tester was a creamy, beautifully practical beige that Toyota calls “quicksand.” The color not only fits in virtually anywhere but also does a great job hiding dirt, grime and dust. The 4Runner TRD Pro is also offered in white or black.
The 4Runner TRD Pro is equipped with Toyota’s part-time four-wheel-system, unlike the Limited version which has full-time four-wheel-drive.
“The kind of consumers that want these vehicles prefer a traditional-style part-time four-wheel-drive system because of its simplicity, and they actually prefer being in control of manually engaging the four-wheel-drive system,” said Toyota’s Sam Butto. “The traditionalist or enthusiast values the simplicity, control and familiarity of a traditional system plus the “locked” 50/50 torque split setup they are used to, as opposed to a continually variable torque split from a full-time system.”
Toyota’s market research also revealed that drivers wanted to be able to run in two-wheel-drive most of the time, Butto added. “The system is less complex, weighs less and can accomplish better fuel economy than the more complex, heavier … fulltime system that a 4Run- ner Limited or Land Cruiser consumer tends to prefer.”
Don’t let its aggressive appearance fool you — the 2016 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is easy to live with. Sure, we’d like to see more power and an eight-speed auto, but the 270-horse V6 always delivered sufficient get-upand-go, even at the higher altitudes of Colorado’s Front Range, where the 4Runner was our ride to the sounds and scenes of nature and breathtaking vistas.
When it comes to staying power and value, though, the 4Runner has few equals.
Cherished for its value (Kelley Blue Book proclaimed it the best in resale value among 2016 midsize SUVs and crossovers), the beast has a reputation for being bulletproof.
Toyota claims more than 90 percent of 4Runners sold in last 10 years are still out on the road.
The current generation, its fifth, was introduced at 2009’s Texas State Fair so we shouldn’t have to wait much longer to see where the next generation of 4Runner dares to tread.