Upgraded interior, visibility is impressive
From the Redwood leather seats of the Toyota 4Runner Limited I am testing this winter, visibility to the front and sides is excellent. The wide sunroof lets in lots of light. The dash is close and shallow, making for an ideal driving position.
New for 2014, the wood trim on the Limited is part of a larger interior upgrade for all 4Runner models, including the SR5 and Trail, which all receive the same new instrument cluster. The panel houses the speedometer, tach, voltage, fuel and coolant temperature gauges, plus a multi-information display showing outside temperature, average or instant fuel economy, plus a readout for trip info. It’s colourful, attractive and clear.
The biggest star of the interior, however, is the JBL 550-watt sound system. Acoustics are accurate, sharp and have plenty of bass, mid-range and treble, delivering sound as powerful and deep as any system I’ve come across. This alone makes the Limited’s $47,245 MSRP seem worth it.
Sound can be pulled via Bluetooth from your phone, MP3 player, CD, or from satellite or terrestrial radio stations.
The Bluetooth phone reception is good, but my phone’s directory can’t be accessed while in motion, except by voice command, which I give a 70 per cent accuracy rate. At least the “most recently” made calls can be dialed from the 6.1-inch touch screen while in motion.
The touch screen control is marvellously accurate and sensitive to the touch.
Another issue I’m having in these cold winter days, which only see highs of -15 C, is keeping the rear passenger windows from fogging, especially when there’s a passenger or two in back.
The heated (and cooled) front seats get warm enough to consider turning them down. I wish the Limited came with a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats. A power tailgate might be another wish.
The power front seats, which gain a memory function for 2014, are firm but comfortable. The seatbacks have been sculpted more deeply — giving more room to rear-seat passengers. The 40-20-40 rear seats also recline slightly. A third row of seating is available for SR5 and Limited models.
Two 12V outlets give power to back-seat passengers, and a 120V outlet in the cargo area can power a small fridge or other small appliance.
The 2014 model also brings some contrasting-colour stitching on the seats and trim, plus a wider mix of materials, though there’s an absence of real aluminum or carbon fibre.
Thankfully, there are no squeaks or rattles yet, making for an interior that would be just as fitting in an SUV costing much more.