The Toyota 4Runner cabin is a good place to be in rugged terrain or nasty weather. For starters, it's roomy and comfortable, and it's highly functional. The quality of materials and the way they fit together is good, and loaded models are quite luxurious. Overall, the cabin looks traditional SUV.
The cloth upholstery that comes standard is nice. And the cloth seats in the 4Runner SR5 and Sport are comfortable, with side bolsters to keep the driver in place when cornering or driving off road. All seats offer adjustable headrests and the driver's seat adjusts ten ways, manually on the SR5 V6 and powered on all others. The driver and front passenger sit up high, as one expects in an SUV, yet flatter to the floor, as in some low cars like a Toyota Highlander. The driver's legs stretch out, rather than down, toward the pedals. It's a feeling we've noticed in some Jeeps, going back quite some years, and is a result of the high floor, low roofline design for off-road use.
A two-tone dashboard houses the instruments. Gauges illuminate in orange, set in three deep binnacles that prevent the front-seat passenger from reading them, and aiding legibility for the driver in bright sunlight. The fuel gauge uses an inclinometer for accurate readouts when the 4Runner is tilted in the rough.
Automatic climate control is standard on all models, while the Toyota 4Runner Limited comes with dual-zone temperature controls. The fan, airflow, and temperature controls are big and easy to locate; they are long on style and a little awkward at first, but become easy to use with familiarity.
The stereo buttons are easy operate. The auto-down button for the power windows is illuminated, but the central lock button is not and can be difficult and awkward to find in the dark, leaving impatient, would-be passengers tapping on your window as you fumble around for the switch, an annoyance. A display located just above the climate controls reveals time, ambient temperature, and trip data. A 115-volt AC power outlet is available, a real bonus in the backcountry.
An unusual feature is a pair of small convex mirrors at the rear corners of the interior, designed to help the driver see approaching vehicles when backing out of a parking space. The mirrors work on the same principal as those big convex mirrors mounted at the corners of large parking garages. In the 4Runner, they help the driver detect motion in a busy parking lot. Using them effectively, however, takes some practice, as it's hard to distinguish details. We're guessing most owners don't use them and may not even know they're there.
The rearview video camera works incredibly well and we highly recommend this option. Hidden in the rear bumper, it projects its image onto the seven-inch navigation screen on the center dash whenever the 4Runner is in reverse. The pictures are sharp, even in complete darkness (with the backup lights on), and cover the area directly behind and a couple of feet on either side of the vehicle. The extreme fish-eye view of the lens makes distances difficult to judge, but skilled drivers quickly learn how to use it to their advantage. When parallel parking the camera allows the driver to back up to within an inch of the car behind. The camera adds safety by giving the driver an opportunity to see what's immediately behind the 4Runner, whether it's a short metal pole or a child on a tricycle or someone pushing a grocery cart.
The navigation system is among the best, intuitive and relatively easy to use. It features a touch-screen monitor, voice guidance, and Bluetooth capability. Map data for the contiguous United States and major cities in Canada is stored on one DVD. The integrated Bluetooth feature provides a hands-free communication system using a cellular phone. The system is integrated into an eight-speaker JBL AM/FM/CD stereo, which is automatically muted when a call is received. The stereo speakers then act as the phone receiver and transmitter.
The Urban Runner package includes a new audio system with an integrated, yet portable, Tom Tom personal navigation device. Tom Tom offers real-time traffic and weather updates as part of a paid subscription. An optional Tom Tom power kit and mounting device makes it easy to transfer the unit to other vehicles.
The ultimate stereo system is a 360-watt JBL Synthesis setup with 10 speakers and controls integrated into the steering-wheel. It is standard on the Toyota 4Runner Limited and available on other models. Standard on 4Runner SR5 and Sport models is a six-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with MP3 and WMA capability. A universal mini-jack port connects to most portable music players, such as the Apple iPod. An optional rear-seat DVD entertainment system with a nine-inch screen and wireless headphones is available on all three trim levels.
Getting into the back seats is a little more challenging than in a sedan. The rear doors provide a relatively narrow opening, and you have to duck your head to get in and out. Once in, however, the second-row bench seat is roomy for two. The seat is raised slightly in the center position, so the middle passenger sits on this uncomfortable hump. Better to fold down the wide center armrest and enjoy its two cupholders and its tray for French fries or whatever. An unusual feature, but perhaps a good idea, is a small trash bag holder for rear passengers. The rear ventilation ducts that bring comfort in the form of warm or cool air are more easily appreciated.
The optional third-row seat adds an element of flexibility. It's actually two separate seats that fold up to the sides of the cargo compartment, parallel to the rear side windows. These seats are easy to stow, and access from the curbside rear door, via a spring-loaded sliding mechanism on the second seat, isn't too difficult. But even large children, like a healthy 11-year-old, will sit in these rear seats with knees pressed up toward the chest and hair brushing the headliner. A downside of the third-row seats is that they take up cargo space, even when folded. Fortunately, it's not too difficult to remove them for maximum cargo volume. But drivers who need to seat seven on a regular basis would be better off with a Sequoia, a Highlander, or, best of all, a Sienna minivan.
Cargo space is designed well. The second-row seats can be folded down with the headrests in place, though we sometimes found it easier to pull them off before flipping the seat bottoms up and the seatbacks down. The seat folds nearly flat, flatter than a Ford Explorer's, and the seatbacks are reinforced to support heavy loads. The cargo area includes structurally attached steel tie-down hooks in the floor, with additional hooks on the sides. On Limited models, a clever double-decker rear storage shelf helps organize cargo in two levels. Using just one hand, the collapsible shelf can be folded flat or lifted up easily. When deployed, it's rated a sturdy 66 pounds. A large storage box is provided on the right side of the cargo compartment. Storage bins are provided in all four doors, and every seat gets a cupholder. However, something we've noticed with the Toyota 4Runner is the tendency of groceries or other loose items to roll around underway, eventually ending up against the rear hatch; then when you raise the hatch, the rearward-sloping lip of the cargo floor helps your items roll out and hit the pavement, to the distinct detriment of glass bottles, eggs, and melons. Also, the load height of the cargo floor is relatively high, making for a tall jump up or down for a dog and more work when loading something heavy.
The rear hatch comes standard with a power rear window that can be operated from the key fob. If it senses a small hand in the way, the window reverses directions and opens. The hatch itself also has a power opener, which is great when running up with an armload in nasty weather. An electric power-close function sucks the hatch shut and ensures secure sealing without slamming.
An overriding impression when we climbed out of the Toyota 4Runner was its quietude. Rugged it may be, but the lack of road, driveline or ambient noise in the cabin is impressive, given its off-road capability. Wind noise is all you'll hear if you turn the stereo off.
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