   2013 Toyota 4Runner Limited. Click image to enlarge |
Once I roll off the beaten path I quickly get to my required switching to prepare for a lack of traction. The odd looking rotary select knob for switching into low range and locking the centre differential is rather straightforward once you know to press the lockout in, and before I know it I’m off and crawling.
Through most of the drive the road surface was no more than loose gravel and dirt, and through steeper sections the Toyota A-TRAC active traction control did a fine job of keeping me moving. The 4Runner’s 4.0L V6 provided an adequate amount of grunt, although at times it seemed to struggle to haul its 2,111-kg curb weight. Granted, this was in rather awkward vertical climbs on a loose surface, and just about everywhere else the V6’s 278 lb-ft of torque did the trick just fine, and I wouldn’t be too quick to swap up to anything with a V8 if you’re climbing through the mountains. As much as I’d love to share an accurate example of my fuel consumption, I can’t really give a clear answer given the amount of time I spent crawling around at less than 30 km/h.
As an urban warrior, there’s no question that the 4Runner will be a tough sell. The Toyota Highlander, which is coming with all new bodywork for 2014, really has the bland soccer-mom angle covered for Toyota, and with its unibody construction makes for a more civilized, yet mind-numbingly boring ride as our friend Tom Sedens discovered last month. On the upside, having this additional step in the lineup helps the 4Runner set itself apart from the rest of the segment by not having to pander to too broad of an audience. If you want a soft urban SUV in which to do grocery runs and haul the kids around, the 4Runner isn’t for you, but if you still have that sense of adventure and want to go out camping in the back woods, haul your dirt toys around, or just bugger off into the wilderness until you run out of road, the 4Runner is right up your alley.
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Pricing: 2013 Toyota 4Runner Limited
Base price: $37,990
Options: $11,095 (Limited Package 5-passenger)
Freight & PDI: $1,635
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $51,045
Competitors
Ford Explorer
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Land Rover LR4
Nissan Pathfinder
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
