If you’re willing to move up to something larger, heavier and even more expensive, the full-size Nissan Armada is certainly trail-ready thanks to being nearly identical to the legendary world-market Patrol. Jeep’s much more refined Grand Cherokee is also respected off the beaten path, but it’s larger, more upscale and therefore pricier than the SUVs just mentioned, while Dodge and Ford provide their Durango and Explorer utilities in this upper class respectively, albeit with limited 4×4 capability. The 4Runner is long and therefore fully capable of hauling loads of cargo and passengers. Toyota and Nissan have opted out of this compact segment, however, so their respective FJ Cruiser and Xterra SUVs can only be purchased on the pre-owned market. Jeep is the go-to-choice for many, its regular-wheelbase Wrangler, four-door Wrangler Unlimited and new Gladiator pickup truck being favourites within the go-anywhere crowd, while Ford has finally anted up with the long-awaited Bronco in regular and lite Sport flavours. If you’re the adventurous type and therefore require something to get you as far into (and out of) the wilderness as possible, there might be more options than you think amongst mainstream volume brands. The difference between the two cars felt like I entered a time machine (and, it should be noted, the Gladiator uses a similarly-aged V6 yet does much more with it).Toyota’s new Venture Edition is one of the most 4×4-focused versions of its 2020 4Runner. Want more proof? I drove a Jeep Gladiator right after the 4Runner, and that Toyota glow melted away very quickly. It achieves an unpleasant 19 mpg on the highway, and suffers from other annoying, old-school SUV issues as well, like taking an inordinate amount of time to warm up. The SUV still uses a big 4.0-liter V6, connected to an automatic transmission with just five gears. Trucks and SUVs have evolved by great leaps since then…yet the 4Runner hasn’t. But the 4Runner is still ancient.Ģ009 was a long time ago in car terms. In fact, my wife and I found the 4Runner endearing enough to half-heartedly run the numbers on a purchase…and to try to rationalize the fuel consumption. There’s a comfort in being prepared for anything (barring a gasoline shortage), and this rig leaves you feeling ready to take on whatever hell the world throws at you. Indeed, it’s easy to get sucked in by this Toyota’s off-road-ready charm. It’s not hard to look at the portly, pricey Land Cruiser and think it should be about 1,000 pounds lighter, $40,000 less expensive and place more emphasis on off-road ability than luxury - ideally while retaining its cool appearance and the sense of security offered by its capability and reliability. This generation of the iconic Land Cruiser has been around a while, and the flaws are apparent. The 4Runner is what we want the Land Cruiser to be. It also includes some cargo accessories there’s a Yakima MegaWarrior roof rack - pro tip: don’t forget that it’s on the roof before you enter a parking garage - and an available sliding cargo deck. It gives the 4Runner black mirrors, black door handles and a black rear spoiler. The Venture Special Edition blacks out the Toyota and 4Runner badging on the exterior, and deletes the TRD Off-Road badge from the C-pillar for a cleaner look. For a $1,815 price over the TRD Premium, the Venture hits two of the automotive industry’s biggest trends: blacked-out detailing and overlanding. The Venture Special Edition is an extension of the 4Runner’s TRD Premium Off-Road trim, which rests in the mid-range on the luxury between the standard TRD Off-Road and the top-level TRD Pro and packs the model’s most advanced off-road tech. Learn More: Here The Venture Special Edition is on-trend. It also is incredibly old, consumes fuel inefficiently, and doesn’t offer much car for an initial outlay of cash that’s close to $50,000 in this spec.Īll that said, my wife and I still kind of wanted a 4Runner after living with it for a while. Like the Land Cruiser, it delivers the off-roader feels the way few modern crossovers do. The 4Runner is well-built, capable, and exceptionally cool-looking. Recently, I drove the new-for-2020 Toyota 4Runner Venture Special Edition, a trim designed for venturing out into the world…and, yes, looking cool and trendy while doing so. Still, that doesn’t mean Toyota has given up on keeping this aging SUV fresh. Toyota last overhauled the 4Runner for the 2010 model year, which means this off-roader’s bones date back more than a decade - making it ancient in car years. ![]() It’s also among the most venerable SUVs on the market.
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