2016 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Review - Take Two

2016 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Review - Take Two - 2016 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro [! DOHC 4.0-liter V6, port injection (270 hors...

2016 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Review - Take Two -

2016 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro [!

DOHC 4.0-liter V6, port injection (270 horsepower @ 50 rpm, 278 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm) Automatic Five-speed 17 city / 21 highway / 18 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) 17.7 (observed MPG) Price base (SR5): $ 34.615 * As Tested :. $ 43,0 * * Prices include $ 960 destination charge

Since the introduction of the fifth generation Toyota 4Runner was sold in three flavors: the base SR5, the company in charge, and off road oriented Trail. But Toyota has a history of making small batches and special edition models for 2015, the automaker showed off the base of Trail-TRD Pro.

The TRD Pro feature unique suspension with reservoir remote Bilstein dampers and larger springs, black wheels TRD wrapped in Nitto Terra Grappler tires A / T, unique skid-plate, grille, badges, trim interior, and a special red color.

In 2016, the TRD Pro is back, and this time he is favorite color of everyone: Brown Quicksand

in recent months, I have read many reviews of Toyota body-on-frame sport utility vehicles and I could not help but notice the similar themes. Examiners (as they call themselves) say the SUV misbehaves, he is old school, too thirsty, do not tow enough and is generally underpowered. These are the same people who complain that modern crossovers are just great cars without real off-road capability.

Ugh.

4Runner can be considered a modern interpretation of an Industrial Land Cruiser before he went all glam-glam. It is a body-on-frame vehicle with a live rear axle designed with simplicity and off-road capability in mind. It does not handle like a sports sedan. It will not win any drag races. It will not tow a house because of its soft suspension, which is necessary for the articulation of the appropriate axle when the road stops being a road. These compromises are going over the heads of those who try to understand what the 4Runner is looking at a data sheet relative to its cars on stilts competitors.

Simplicity is evident throughout the 4Runner, its squared-off, two-box body and powertrain proven, in setting the soft suspension and its dashboard decorated with large buttons and knobs. The engine is designed to operate in the third world with wet gas candles and rare oil changes for hundreds of thousands of miles. It is a vehicle that can be driven in Chile and back without a hiccup, which is called the state of the art engines would be fired its engine lights more than its cylinders by the time it has through the Panama canal. And, good or bad, Toyota trucks have the Middle East. If this is not the greatest testimony to their durability, I do not know what is.

Those who are looking for more power, improved ride, handling, and increased towing capacity should look at the Lexus GX 460 and Toyota Sequoia. Both are body-on-frame SUVs with V-8 engines and third row of seats. The GX and the 4Runner are very similar, but the GX has all the characteristics of luxury Lexus and air suspension setup that allows a towing capacity of 6,500 pounds. The Sequoia is just a larger whole vehicle designed more for on-road use, with a towing capacity of 7400 pounds.

The TRD Pro takes the 4Runner Trail and already capable turns a little button. Improvements over the Trail trim are solely to enhance off-road prowess. There is more than one inch higher than others 4Runner, which allows a greater articulation of the wheels, and great looking black 17 × TRD 7 wheels give a wider stance, despite being a half inch narrower. Part-time 4WD system (same as on model Trail) is fortified by an electronic rear differential lock, sanitary control, and Multi-Terrain Select system that adjusts Toyota wheel slip via the stability control system.

However, the biggest change is the simplest of all: Pro ditches TRD typical road tires 4Runner for Nitto Terra Grappler G2 all-terrain rubber. Automakers do not correspond generally off-road tires on factory vehicles as they are more expensive and tend to be much stronger than the units on the road, which could discourage buyers during their test drives of Dealers five minutes. However, they made a world of difference when I am caught in a snowstorm; they entered as winters, a large improvement over the road tires supplied. When in 4WD High, the TRD Pro has no issue on hilly roads, unplowed New Hampshire. Yet I could not help thinking the braking performance of the 4Runner would be improved with BFGoodrich A / Ts instead of Nittos.

Foul-weather traction side, the TRD Pro Road issues are almost identical to every other 4Runner, stock or slightly modified. It rolls on the road irregularities with authority and exhibitions diving body during braking, which takes some getting used to. The biggest - if not the only - difference I noticed was crossing a very uneven dirt road; where my own kind of bounced SR5, TRD Pro absorbed with aplomb. However, it would take a course off road difficult to notice the additional features offered by the TRD Pro extra suspension travel and improving the angles of approach and departure.

The TRD Pro is available with very few factory options. The seats are covered with something called SOFTEX, which looks like leather, but are not, which is supposed to be more durable and easier to clean. The dashboard features Entune infotainment Toyota with a rather low resolution navigation screen and a multitude of audio input sources. Notably absent 2016 a sunroof, which is both good and bad. It is good because tall drivers gain some margin if necessary, which also contributes to the visibility, but it is bad because the car in the summer months with the sunroof and tailgate window down provides an airy, very unique breeze for the 4Runner.

many modern SUV buyers require three rows of seats. It is available on the SR5 and Limited 4Runner, but not on the trail and TRD Pro. This lack of seats, however, increases the rear loading capacity of the second row. Even more space is just like a seat folded second-row 40/20/40 split-folding falls to the ground, but these seats do not slide or tilt. Other disadvantages: weak headlights and a car sitting as with the driver's legs straight out through full-frame 4Runner eat in legs

Being an avid expedition off-road style, as opposed rock-crawling. or Muddin ', I find the TRD Pro be a perfect set. At the same time, it left me wondering: Why Toyota does not merely replace the Trail model with TRD Pro? The path is supposed to be off-road group.

The 2016 4Runner TRD Pro starts at $ 43,0. For the sake of comparison, a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is between $ 37,000 and $ 46,000, depending on options. A comparable Jeep Grand Cherokee equipment varies between $ 39,000 and $ 45,000.

For those who want one of the most capable off-road vehicles in the US market, and like the idea of ​​a stock factory vehicle with a warranty, the TRD Pro is easily the one of the best and worth putting on your shopping list.

Kamil Kaluski is the East Coast Editor for Hooniverse.com. His ramblings on Eastern European cars, $ 500 runners, and other various automotive things can be found there. The 4Runner gray images is his. It is modified with a slight rise of the suspension, which is why both 4Runner seems to be the same height TRD Pro despite being the highest in the factory, wheel spacers, which is why the wheels look larger, and rock / steps sliders.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. has provided the vehicle for the purposes of this review.