Loosey Goosey Vol.1
Buckle your figurative seatbelts because this is a chonker. I love my 4Runner, Goose, more than some people. But of course in addition to my goofy opinions, I always strive to offer an objective viewpoint as well. This is the first part in a series of reviews about my good buddy, with new parts coming out anytime I encounter something new.
Those of you that knew me in high school knew how against lifted trucks I was. To me, all those guys gave it a really bad rap. I wanted nothing other than a fast car. I never really got one. My first car, a Dodge Avenger, wasn’t terribly quick and handled like a boat. I really enjoyed how it looked, but performance wise, it wasn’t anything wild. By the end of my time at College of the Sequoias, I had come down with a bad case of growing a few inches. I was always tall, but at that point I was head-in-the-sunroof tall. That was when sunroofs became enemy number one in all of my future vehicles.
Eventually, as a going to Fresno State/ Saving our son from a lifetime of neck issues gift, I moved into a Challenger. For a 2 -door car, it was spacious (for me and definitely not the person behind me) and for a V6, it was pretty fun. I couldn’t really take another with me anywhere, but one other full sized person (plus any child or child sized adult in the backseat) and I could really have some fun. But as my income increased and I had a little spending money, I began to question if I wanted to put money into a V6. Most people on forums said something along the lines of “its cheaper to trade in instead to do a swap” and so my focus instead was to eventually get something totally different. But what?
A couple years after my Challenger, my mom’s Dodge Journey kicked rocks and she ended up in the new (at the time) Rav4 (the year after they dropped the cool rear tire). I had never been an SUV guy, but that thing was so cool. I felt like I could take it anywhere and when it was time to go on longer trips, I did. While my Challenger wasn’t terribly hard to drive day to day- pulling out of parking spots was a guessing game since I had no vision and long freeway slogs resulted in a lot of checking blind spots (and muffler drone).
The decision-making-cherry on top of my mind-sundae was Youtube (which if you read my Benchmade video, is dangerous for me). I was getting into Coyote Peterson and so my suggestions turned into a ton of outdoorsy channels, one being “Expedition Overland.” For their South America season, they outfit a pair of 4Runner’s to go ripping across any terrain. Suddenly the dream of going anywhere was attainable. I could look at a mountain in the distance and truthfully (though probably not legally) say “I’m going up that hill.”
So for the next few years, I had a dream. I did enough research to write a paper. I knew that car inside and out without even seeing one up close. When I was finally making big-boy money, I started seriously considering one. I really was enthralled by the colors offered in the TRD Pro model and I think its a little weird they don’t offer them the next year on the Offroad model like they do for the trucks.
The options initially were either a rad colored Pro that I wouldn’t have to do much to or a boring colored Offroad that I would eventually lift and modify. I was really steering toward a Voodoo Blue 2019 until I found out that they only came with my mortal enemy- the sunroof (if this is untrue please do not tell me, I am happy with Goose, but I swear all sources said this was standard). “Hey Tyler, its an SUV. You totally fit in your mom’s Rav4 with a sunroof and isn’t a 4Runner bigger? Yes, Yes, and Yes*! The outside is bigger, it may even be wider, and if my girlfriend was any shorter, she would need a ladder to get in. You know what’s not bigger? The headroom. And we’re talking real headroom here, since I’m sure someone can give me some stats on cabin height that says its bigger than the Rav4. The 4Runner’s seat must just sit higher than the Rav4 and thus if the vehicle is adorned with villainous sunroof, my up-do tickles the roof. I’m not about to deal with that daily. What if I grow another inch in my 30’s? What if I want to wear a funny hat?
Plus I got really in depth with my plans for the whip. I wasn’t going to just let it be how it was stock. The blacked out rims were nice and so was the exhaust (still on the fence about getting one, it kinda drones) but the lift was just alright and for the upcharge I could get an Offroad and still tack that stuff on later for a lower price. So instead of getting the maxed out model and still playing with it, I would just get the model that’s missing the stuff I would replace. And sorry blue, but the 2020’s got radar cruise and Carplay.
So my eyes were glued to the internet. I could never find a release date beyond “Fall 2019” but that didn’t stop me looking as early as mid-summer. Many searches for 2020’s surfaces results of 2019’s but I kept up the hunt. One fateful 2am Friday search dropped 3 2020 results right at my feet. One was specifically a white 2020 4Runner Offroad Premium, with KDSS (the suspension addition to make on-road driving less trucky and off-road more trucky) in Vallejo. My family, as usual, was awake at 2am, watching tv like it was prime time. I didn’t have to say much, because by this point they too were likely able to write a scholarly paper on it from how much I talked about my future vehicle. As soon as they opened in the morning, I called to see if it was true. Just before giving up the search in a sea of 2019’s, he sees it in the back corner of the lot. So all four of us load into my challenger and take off… The rest is history…
How it goes
Design
I had always liked how the 4Runners looked, minus the abomination that was Gen 4 (its the front end). The narrow body with flared fender-hips takes me back to the 90’s FJ80 Land Cruisers (I will own one someday). The taillights are bulgy and and the headlights are squinty but on the otherwise sleek and sometimes angular modern body, they fit right in. The face (every vehicle has one) of a 5th Gen looks like an anime character charging their attack (or the more I look at it, a really surprised bear).
The interior is pretty straightforward, with Toyota’s seemingly indestructible black pleather seats and a slightly more modern gage cluster (this one has a screen with a 4Runner that pulls a Greased Lightning into the stars when I start him up). The dash has some random materials on it, like they just rolled a die to choose, but they all seem to work (and none are fake wood). The Offroad models have a rad differential lever and almost all black interior as opposed to the electric differential knob and plasticy silver and grey interior on the SR5, which makes the non premium Offroad’s (no leather) feel still pretty premium. The knobs an such are all plastic, but are all huge for big hands or gloves.
Comfort
Memory foam seats are absolutely magical. Once your buns are drift compatible with the cushion, you will be hugged by a supple pleather. It is a weird experience when you first sit in a fresh untouched model, but after a few hours, you’ll sink in. It was like my gaming chair- an hour or so of “Omg is it going to be like this forever” then its all “if you make me get up, I’ll fight you.” Any surface of the interior that can be caressed by your elbow is a soft padded pleather as well. Its getting a little picky, but there aren’t any dashboard edges that dig into my legs when I lean on them (I’m looking at you Honda). Actual breathing human beings can fit behind me. I think even I could fit behind myself, and that’s saying something.
Technology
The technology upgrades were the reason I waited for a 2020, but even before that, the 4Runners had a ton of futuristic off road tech. There is a terrain select knob, crawl control, hill assist, and of course a fat retro differential lever (which I guess is more old school, but hey, time is a flat circle). It still has halogen headlights and they’re manual, but let’s just say they’re going retro with those too. The steering wheel is pretty intuitive and after years with horrible face buttons, I feel back at home with the little cruise control trigger. The only thing that bothers me (read: absolutely kills me) is the volume control and next/previous directional pad. YOU TURN MUSIC UP AND DOWN. YOU SCROLL FORWARD AND BACK THROUGH TRACKS. I don’t know, maybe my brain is just wired weird, but up and down seems correct for volume while left and right seems right for moving through songs. But on the good ol’ 4Runner, up and down cycles tracks while left and right is volume. I mean, they’re labeled, but still its hard to change something so hard wired in my head. If by reading this you are now ruined, welcome to the club.
In addition to all that jazz, the 2020 adds radar cruise (with collision prevention called TSS), a fat Apple Carplay/ Android Auto worthy screen, and a push start button that allows me to leave my keys in the pockets of my unnecessarily tight pants. The screen is very responsive but sometimes I run into glitches where phone calls linger on the screen or the music doesn’t play, but that’s usually a connection thing between my phone and likely not a head unit issue. Radar cruise works about as well as I’d like it to, but if I have the speed too high and the car I’m following moves, Goose will vigorously accelerate up to the speed I had him set to. I’ve yet to find a happy medium, because on the other end of the spectrum, whenever I resumed cruise on my Challenger, its like it was bothered to do so. Talking about pep…
Performance
So many reviews talk about the 4Runner as slow, and with 500 or so extra pounds of gear bolted on, I can imagine they do have some issues. But just with my lardy self (and about 50lbs of steel skid plates), Goose seems to still blast off. His 4.0 liter engine is strong and what it lacks in outright power, it makes up for in torque. Its not going to win any races, but its much better than the “0-60 in yes” image I had in my head from reviews. Sure crossovers (CUV’s) and sedans may be super fast nowadays, but that’s not what I’m comparing my 4Runner to. The engine itself is the same supposedly bulletproof engine they have used for years in the 4Runner, which many say is better than the new 3.5L they put in the Tacoma. Gas mileage is pretty rough around town (part of why the 3.5 exists and may be a future offering in the 4Runner), but long distance range is pretty comparable to anything in its class, only to of course get worse with every mod you bolt on.
The KDSS seems to really help the nose dive that the unequipped 4Runners have when braking (I drove one and it was almost bad enough to turn me off). It isn’t terribly nimble, but it handles much closer to a CUV than a big ol’ truck or Suburban. KDSS also keeps the body roll to a minimum around corners, but this isn’t a sports car we’re talking about- its just flat enough to keep drinks mostly in their cups. Ride comfort isn’t bad- its not super stiff performance nor floaty comfort- its the baby bear of SUV offerings.
Off Road Capabilities
I practically drove Goose off the lot and onto rocks. I don’t feel bad thrashing $40,000 off road because that is what he was made for. In the few trails I have done since his purchase, I have proved to myself that I made the correct purchase. There isn’t a trail I’ve been on that has made me say “I wish I didn’t do that.” On my last trail, the Dusy-Ershim, the rocks absolutely manhandled my front skid plate, put a threatening dent in my gas tank skid, and then a huge stump caused me to get my rear differential stuck on the way out. After I took those off, I realized that not a hair on Goose’s frame was harmed. Then I replaced them with a monster aftermarket skid plate set from RCI Offroad (Gas skid from Victory 4×4, it had better protection).
When I hit the dunes, I just slowly add more features in from to 4 wheel drive to terrain select and 4 low if I’m really bogged down. The stock tires are hot garbage for grip, but I’ve yet to get stuck beyond getting out on my own accord. Chunky tires and a 3 inch lift are next up to give me the optimal specs for hitting the trails. There are definitely trails I am not comfortable now (or with like a half inch less clearance due to my beefier armor) without a lift, but as I build him up, I’ll only shy from the hard rock crawling trails.
The Final Verdict
Do you want a quality SUV to fit your family (without settling for a van)? The Toyota 4Runner probably isn’t for you. It is not a people carrier first like many CUV’s are. It is a quality SUV that is a little rough around the edges. I have manual headlights in a $40,000 vehicle and the engine is from the late 2000’s. But that simplicity keeps me confident that I can find anyone to wrench on this engine in a pinch. In addition, the storied reliability of these drivetrains make me sure that Goose will be collecting those high mileage badges in years to come.
He’s not going to win a race, be best of show at a car meet, or be comfortable enough to help my grandma forget about the length of the trip (even a trip to Visalia makes her ask “my God, are we going to San Francisco?) but he is tailor made for someone who wants to drive to work on weekdays and ford a river on Saturday. If you want a deeper off road experience from Toyota, pick up an FJ. If you want a more family oriented offering, aim for a Highlander or Sequoia (I’m not sponsored, but hey, if they want me to be). If you want the best of both worlds though, and to you its practicality outweighs its impracticality, you can’t go wrong with a 4Runner (plus I need a wheeling buddy)! Until we meet on the trails, keep it #looseygoosey.
Goose Reviews Everything 