SUV Review: 2023 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro

2023 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro

Fourteen years. That’s how long the Toyota 4Runner has been with us in its current form. Oh, sure, there was that small refresh in 2014, almost a decade ago. The truck is now so old, it is the Gandalf of the automotive world — long in beard, white in hair, yet still able to perform some wizardly tricks.

Foremost among them is the ability to ride better than any truck or SUV on the road today, whether it’s the beat up roads of Montreal or Middle Earth. It is truly remarkable how well this truck absorbs broken roads and off-road trails. Thanks to aluminum-bodied, 2.5-inch TRD Fox shocks, the TRD Pro 4R rides better than the new Tundra pickup even, which has an all-new frame that the upcoming 4Runner will also get when it arrives possibly next year as a 2025 model, or maybe even sooner now that the Lexus GX is revealed. Let’s hope the new 4R rides as good or better with that new chassis.

A serene drive and serious off-roader

Over rough terrain on these old bones, however, those shocks and the body-on-frame architecture of the 4R keep the truck serene while also being able to stand up to serious off-road use. Pro models also get a locking rear differential and a multi-terrain management system for picking the drive mode that best suits the condition, whether it’s sand, snow or swamps. Pros also get crawl-control that takes over throttle and braking duties to let the driver focus on steering if so desired. Towing is limited to 5,000 lbs but that’s plenty enough for a vehicle this size. 4WD is still manually activated via a lever to a part time transfer case. It’s a wonder we don’t have to get out and manually lock the front hubs.

We can also tell the 4Runner is in its sunset year, not just by the “Solar Octane” orange paint on the Pro, but by the long list of new equipment added for 2023: a heated steering wheel on all models. Still built in Tahara, Aichi, Japan — one reason why the quality and reliability remains so high on all 4Runners — the 4Runner delivers excellent feedback through the suspension and hydraulic steering. Brakes are firm and responsive, though nose dive up front under hard or sudden braking is still pronounced. Steering is easy and light. Wearing 31.5-inch Nitto Terra Grappler All-Terrain tires, which are fine for off-road, the TRD Pro did struggle to track well through winding roads, and there is some road noise.

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In fact, noise may well be the 4Runner’s biggest knock, although some say it gives the truck its character. On the highway, there’s noticeable engine and wind noise. The engine, the same 270-horsepower, 4.0-litre V6 used since 2010, has proven to be bullet proof even if it lacks low end torque. Peak torque of 278 lb-ft doesn’t arrive until 4,400 rpm, so it takes a lot of determination, noise and hullabaloo to extract anything resembling smile-inducing speed.

I hadn’t really noticed how slow the 4Runner feels until I spent time driving the twin-turbo V6 in the new Tundra. The 2025 4Runner is unlikely to get that V6, instead adopting the new engines that were just revealed in the 2024 Tacoma — a 2.4-litre turbo 4-cylinder and turbo-4 with hybrid battery assist. If that is the case, we’ll take it, since torque will increase to 317 lb-ft and as much as 465 lb-ft in the TRD Pro Tacoma. It should also mean an eight-speed transmission in the 4Runner instead of the current five speed that, despite its gear count, was actually well suited to the job of motivating this five-seater SUV. An eight speed, however, would help with fuel economy, which averaged 12.4 L/100 km on our drive into the Adirondacks. The official rating is 14.3 L/100km city, 12 highway and 13.3 average.

Comfortable cabin and lots of cargo space

Inside, black softex seats are comfortable. Dual auto climate control is nice, as are heated seats, although they don’t get quite hot enough. It can also be hard to read the temp setting when the dash lights dim with the headlights turned on. Premium JBL audio is OK and embedded navigation found all the trails we were hunting for. In the rear, adults might find the space a bit tight, but the 4R’s cargo room remains top of the class. The cargo area can even be accessed by a power window in the tailgate (the window also allows for great air flow when partially down with the sunroof open). A simple, manually-opening liftgate reveals 47.2 cubic feet of cargo behind the second row seats, and just shy of 90 cubic feet when the second row seats are folded. That is almost on par with the capacity of a GMC Yukon.

A Yukon, however, is substantially bigger in length, girth and price, although the TRD Pro is no longer the bargain it once was either. At $69,378 before tax, the TRD Pro builds on the $55,000 base price with TRD-tuned front springs, 17″ matte black TRD aluminum wheels, TRD-stamped aluminum front skid plate, TRD pro shift knob and TRD floor mats plus a basket style roof rack and rock rails and TRD badging, hood scoop and heritage grille. It also comes in that glorious shade of pumpkin.

Utilitarian, tough and able to tackle the most terrible of terrain, the TRD Pro has long been a stout and faithful truck. Yes it’s old. But it remains the last of a breed of simple, effective and durable machines that have consistently scored the best reliability and resale rankings. When it finally leaves the Shire, it will be sorely missed.