2022 Toyota 4Runner Review

Midsize SUVs are generally targeted toward families. They are spacious, well-equipped, and have roomy cargo to meet the requirements of a small to medium size family. 4Runner is no exception, but it also brings along off-roading capabilities. However, it fails to excel on the performance front with a not-so-great engine and incredibly low fuel economy. The suspension is above average, so you can expect to avoid road shocks. But again, the steering disappoints heavily. 

Engine 

Toyota 4Runner’s 4-liter engine DOHC 24-valve V-6, equipped with aluminum block and heads, uses a port fuel injection system. Most models get rear-wheel drive as standard and four-wheel drive as optional. And if you pick the off-road focused trims, 4WD comes as standard. Overall, the engine is capable enough for off-roading, but it doesn’t stand out in its segment. 

Transmission 

The engine comes with five-speed automatic transmission. The transmission can feel stubborn at times, especially when you’re trying to shift power. 

Suspension

The 4Runner’s suspension comes with front control arms and rear live axles. If you’re more inclined towards off-roading, Toyota offers the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension. The trims in this lineup have adequately enhanced suspension to absorb road shocks while driving through bumpy terrains. 

Steering 

Don’t expect any sporty experience with the 4Runner’s steering. But even if it’s lightweight, it’s great for off-roading. 

The lineup has received a reliability rating of 81/100 by JD Power. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave it a 4-star safety rating. 

Brakes

The vehicle comes with 13.3-inch vented disc front brakes and 12.3-inch vented disc rear brakes. It gets automated emergency braking as standard. 

Airbags

For maximum safety, the 4runner comes with Advanced Airbag System. It consists of eight new and innovative airbags, including knee airbags for the driver and front passenger, curtain airbags, and front-seat airbags. 

Electronics

Toyota Safety Sense P, a high-tech bunch of safety features, comes as standard in the vehicle. It includes automated emergency braking, pre-collision detection with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and lane-keep assist, among others.

Lights

The 2022 lineup gets newly added LED low and high beams. All models in the 4Runner lineup come equipped with LED headlights as standard. Along with this, fog light and daytime running lights are also offered as standard. 

Traction control

Traction control is an important safety feature of the 4Runner. The two-wheel drive models come with something called the Automatic Limited Slip Differential as standard as part of the traction control system. It helps the vehicle to quickly recover if it’s stuck in snow, sand, or mud. The models with part-time four-wheel drive get the Active Traction Control or A-TRAC, helping the vehicle maintain good traction while driving in slippery road conditions. 

Engine size 

Toyota 4runner is powered by a 4-liter V6 engine generating 270 hp of power @ 5600 rpm and torque of 278 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm. This engine is powerful enough, but the acceleration is not chartbuster. It goes from 0-60 mph in 7.7 seconds. 

Gas per mileage consumption

4Runner has one of the poorest fuel economy ratings among competitors. The models deliver 16 mpg city and 19 mpg highway; combined 17 mpg. 

Seats 

The front and second row seats are quite comfortable. Headroom and legroom are often an issue with tall passengers, but the 4Runner is designed in a thoughtful manner. For families with children the optional third row is a practical choice, but remember that it’s suitable only for kids, as it’s too cramped for grown adults. There are LATCH anchors to connect child seats, but they are complicated to use. 

Design 

Toyota’s design language makes it visible that this is an outdoor-focused model. The exterior looks almost the same as its predecessors, but the bold and rugged image still remains untarnished. Thanks to its elongated shape, passengers can enjoy a capacious interior and cargo. However, the interior quality is subpar, to say the least– from material to design, everything screams for renovation.  

Infotainment 

Despite its apparent lack of contemporary touch, the infotainment system has very little to complain about. The dashboard is well-designed and easy to use, with an 8-inch touchscreen display. Toyota offers a pre-installed navigation system to make things extra convenient. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa, an eight-speaker stereo, and USB ports. You can choose to add a luxurious touch with dual-zone climate control and a moonroof. 

Overall height and space

This midsize SUV is 71.5 inches in height, 75.8 inches in width, and 191.3 inches long. In terms of overall dimension, the 4Runner is at par with the top midsize vehicles. The wheelbase is 109.8 inches, with an overall passenger volume of 96 cubic feet. 

Trunk space

The cargo space is ideal in the 4Runner. If you pick a two-row model, you’ll get a base cargo area of 47.2 cubic feet located behind the rear seats. You can maximize it up to 89.7 cubic feet by folding the rear seats down. The cargo space is comparatively low in 3-row models. They have 9 cubic feet behind the third row, and when you fold down the third row it expands to 46.3 cubic feet. If you still need an additional storage area, folding both the second and third row will give you 88.8 cubic feet of space. 

We cannot call the 2022 Toyota 4runner a value-for-money vehicle. Even though the list of features is impressive, it fails to offer high-level comfort or good fuel economy. Recent midsize SUVs like Kia Telluride, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Volkswagen Tiguan have set a benchmark that the 4Runner fails to meet, let alone exceed. 

Toyota offers 6 trim levels for the 4Runner lineup, namely SR5, Trail Special Edition, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro.
 

Among these, the SR5 is too basic to satisfy anyone. The TRD Sports offers the most value among the six, as it has good (only good, not amazing) off-roading ability, standard four-wheel drive, and a well-equipped interior. To make the model suitable for different driving conditions, there are two modes called Crawl Control and Multi Terrain Select. 

AWD/FWD

Rear-wheel drive is the basic setup. Depending on which trim you buy, you’ll get access to part-time or full-time four-wheel drive.

Warranty

Expecting a class-leading warranty would be too much to ask for, but Toyota doesn’t entirely disappoint. The 4Runner is backed by a three-year or 36,000 miles limited warranty coverage, along with a 5-year or 60,000 miles of powertrain warranty. The automaker also offers complimentary maintenance for 2 years or the first 25,000 miles, which is a very good deal.

Towing

You definitely cannot expect this midsize model to tow as much as a pickup truck, but Toyota 4Runner is quite capable in this arena. It has a maximum towing capacity of 5000 pounds.