The Toyoya 4Runner is a truck-based SUV that suits the Chattanooga market.
The Toyota 4Runner embodies the best virtues of traditional SUVs: pleasantly conservative styling, rugged truck-based construction and serious off-road chops.
Maybe that's why the 4Runner, and its close cousin the Toyota Tacoma midsized truck, are still treasured in heartland markets such as Chattanooga. Toyota's tag line for 4Runner promotions is "Keep it wild," a reminder that this isn't just some cookie-cutter mall-mobile.
If you're shopping for a 1- or 2-year-old 4Runner or Tacoma, you'll notice that they've barely slipped from their original invoice prices, a good indicator of market supply and demand. This means that, if you so choose, you can trade vehicles every three or four years without being walloped by depreciation.
While many of today's top-selling crossovers are just butched-up minivans, with their uni-body construction and marshmallowy suspensions, the body-on-frame 4Runner is still a truck at heart. Our tester this week is a top-of-the-line 4Runner in Limited trim provided by Ed Emerson of Capital Toyota on Lee Highway. It carries a sticker price of $46,950.
The 4Runner line ranges from $33,210 for the basic SR5 to $41,585 for the top-shelf Limited, before adding options.
STYLING AND COMFORT
From its beefy tires to its bulldog-blunt nose, the 4Runner is a collection of masculine styling cues that distinguish it from softer-featured Toyota SUVs such as the car-based Highlander and RAV-4.
Climbing up into the 4Runner (with its 9.6 inches of ground clearance) is made easier by automated running boards ($1,500) that deploy and retract when you open and close the doors. Flared wheel arches and a high belt-line remind you of the 4Runner's truck DNA.
Our tester has a Magnetic Gray exterior and black leather interior, a color combination that fits the no-nonsense vibe of the 4Runner. Other color choices include Nautical Blue Metallic, Super White, Classic Silver Metallic, Black Metallic and Barcelona Red Metallic.
Inside, the cabin is handsome without any flourishes that would be considered froufrou. Second-row seating is comfortable for adults, and our tester also has an optional third-row seat ($1,365) that's serviceable for small people when seven-passenger carpooling is required.
The dash design is simple and intuitive with lots of flat surfaces and stern right angles. An analog tachometer and speedometer bracket the instrument cluster, and the thick four-spoke steering wheel fills your hands nicely.
Fast facts
* Model: 2015 Toyota 4Runner Limited * Exterior color: Magnetic Gray * Interior color: Black * Engine: 4.0-liter V-6 * Horsepower: 270 * Transmission: Five-speed automatic * Fuel economy: 21 mpg highway, 17 mpg city * Dealer: Capital Toyota * Price (as tested): $46,970
A 6.1-inch touchscreen is the showcase for Toyota's Entune suite of communication and entertainment apps, one of the more user-friendly interfaces on the market.
Audio is piped through a premium JBL head unit. A dual zone climate system is controlled by two large dials on the center stack.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
On our short test drive in midday city traffic, we weren't able to climb boulders or spray dirt, but the 4Runner is clearly at home as a daily driver. The command seating position and elevated cabin inspire confidence, and yet the 4Runner isn't so bulky that you worry about scraping the finish in a mall parking lot.
The 4.0-liter engine has plenty of grunt and makes 270 horsepower. The center stack includes a dial for locking in maximum low-range power if you plan to take your 4Runner off-roading. The five-speed automatic transmission is a more than adequate gear-box for this vehicle.
Some of the car magazines have clocked the 4Runner's zero-to-60 mph time in the mid-seven-second range, which sounds about right. The truck is capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds, and there is an available TRD Pro model for hard-core off-roaders.
The body-on-frame construction means that the 4Runner is built with a truck's purposeful toughness. Skid plates protect the engine, front suspension and fuel tank. The suspension is double-wishbone in the front and coil-springs in the rear.
Toyota says to expect about 21 miles per gallon in highway driving and 17 mpg in the city.
BOTTOM LINE
If you're looking for an honest SUV that hasn't been too citified, the 4Runner is a good choice. With a redesigned Tacoma truck now in the Toyota pipeline, look for a similarly revamped 4Runner down the way.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.