2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition

The sum ‘n’ substance

Picture this, there are two ways of reaching your destination, one is the fresh and smooth piece of road that will take you there and the other one is the kind of terrain that you’d find on Mars, laden with deep crests and huge boulders. Which one would you choose? Obviously, the straight road, why would you want to break you back, right? But the 4Runner is such a mad, mad vehicle that it just makes you want to ditch the straight road, and attack the mountains head- on.

Based on the Land Cruiser Prado, the body on frame constructed 4Runner is fitted with meatier teeth and the angular head and tail lights add to the angry look. With all the chunky bits it is equipped with, the overall size of the car is much, much bigger than the Prado. Under the massive bonnet lies a 4.0 liter 24-valve DOHC V-6 engine that blurts out 270 horses and a torque of 278lb/ft. this assembly is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The body on frame kind of construction is very rugged and gives the 4Runner a ground clearance of 9.6 inches. It is fitted with a live rear axle and features a default A-TRAC active traction control. The Crawl Control system helps in maneuvering steep slopes. It also has a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) for better wheel execution and ride comfort. A new Multi-Terrain System offers default off-road settings that are pre installed. The 4Runner rolls on massive 265/70R17 Bridgestone Dueler H/T tires.

The insides of the 4Runner were good too. It featured the same broad windshield and the comfortable water- proofed seats. The much of the centre console’s controls were similar with big knobs and buttons. One of the buttons on the dashboard is meant to direct all the stereo output to the back and cargo area with optimum performance. The cabin was roomy, well-equipped and decently designed. The safety of the $runner has been beefed up too, with side curtain airbags running all the way through the third row of passenger seating and a default knee airbags for the front row passenger and driver. The seating arrangement can be adjusted to carry huge tons of equipment.

The performance of the 4Runner, was impressive too, it could do a 0-60mph in just 7.8 seconds. Now you might wonder that the made-in Japan truck does extremely well in off-road conditions, but how does it fare on the road? Answer, outstanding. It offers a very comfortable ride and although the cars around you might get an inferiority complex it makes you feel right at home.  There is, however, some slight amount of stammer when downshifting. The braking was very responsive and the steering was very accurate, for point and shoot, kind of driving. The 4runner weighs in at 4762 pounds and has an ok-ok mileage of 17 mpg in city roads and 22mpg on the high way. The mileage recorded may differ a little from the company’s stats.

The overall look and performance of the 4Runner is simply fantastic. But if you are very keen on rock climbing with this, then I’d suggest change your shoes from the standard Bridgestone to the A/T or M/T rubber. All I can say now is that, Toyota has really stormed the market with launches like the Tundra, the Tacoma and now this, the 4Runner Trail. There are not many reasons why you shouldn’t treat yourself to one of these. The Toyota 4runner Trial will retail for around $36,000.