Toyota introduced its fifth-generation 4Runner four years ago, a length of time that usually indicates a full redesign is just around the corner. But a full redesign isn’t headed the 4Runner’s way—at least not yet—but it is getting a mild update for 2014 with a fresh face, a spiffed-up interior, and more standard equipment. The 4Runner’s three trim levels—base SR5, luxury-oriented Limited, and off-road-ready Trail—carry over, as does the truck’s 4.0-liter V-6 engine.
Thanks For Nothing, FJ and Tacoma
For an explanation for why the aging 4Runner isn’t getting a clean-sheet overhaul, one needs only to look at the FJ Cruiser and the Tacoma. The 4Runner shares its rugged, old-school-SUV boxed-frame underpinnings with those trucks, neither of which are expected to get replaced any time soon. So for 2014, the 4Runner soldiers on with only minor cosmetic upgrades to its carry-over body structure. The front fascia is new, and features a gaping lower grille and aggressive-looking vertical intake elements that jut from beneath sharper headlights. The taillights also are reshaped and now are lit by LEDs. The changes are minimal in number, but manage to comfortably keep the 4Runner from looking like some sissy crossover.
Alterations to the 4Runner’s cabin are equally reserved. The SR5 and Trail models now get soft-touch door trim and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter as standard. Toyota’s Entune infotainment setup is included across the 4Runner lineup, and the touch-screen interface incorporates a standard backup camera, as well. The dashboard lighting is a white and blue affair, as opposed to last year’s red treatment.
More Features, Shrinking Competition
The 2014 4Runner SR5 adds quite a few standard features over last year’s model, including an eight-way power driver’s seat and a roof rack, in addition to the aforementioned leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter and Entune. The Limited gets new projector-beam headlights, and, like before, brings standard leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, hydraulic cross-car damping system, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. Both the SR5 and Limited come with rear-wheel-drive, while the tough Trail model returns with part-time four-wheel-drive. The part-time system is available on the SR5, while the Limited can be had with a full-time four-wheel-drive setup. Rugged and trail-ready, the Trail includes an electronic locking rear differential, a Multi-Terrain Select drive-mode selector, and a front skid-plate bumper garnish. Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System—essentially an anti-roll-bar decoupling system—is available on Trail models to maximize suspension travel and articulation off-road.
All 2014 4Runners are powered by the same 4.0-liter V-6 making 270 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. Regardless of drive configuration, the big-displacement V-6 does its thing through a five-speed automatic. This setup might not be particularly modern or sexy—the V-6’s lack of direct injection and too few gears in the transmission prohibit the drivetrain from being either—but the combo worked well enough off-road in a September 2010 comparison test in which the 4Runner finished second. The then-new Jeep Grand Cherokee finished first, with spots three and four taken by the since-redesigned Nissan Pathfinder and the now-defunct Kia Borrego. Fuel economy carries over unchanged from the 2013 4Runner, with EPA ratings of 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway for two-wheel-drive models and 17/22 for four-wheel-drive 4Runners.
Pricing for the 2014 4Runner hasn’t been announced, but we don’t expect it to change much. For buyers looking for a truly off-road capable mid-size SUV, the 4Runner is one of the few choices left in the segment. Unfortunately for Toyota, that segment also includes the equally capable and fresher Jeep Grand Cherokee.
