2009 Toyota 4Runner Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the Toyota 4Runner:

The pre-production models we drove had the high-grade interiors Toyota is known for, with visually and tactically pleasing materials and logical, well-placed switchgear.

-- AutoWeek

Wheelbase has grown by 4 inches to provide for smoother, more car-like ride and handling in a sport-ute built on a pickup platform.

-- Cars.com

Front and rear legroom are up by 2 and 1 1/2 inches respectively, while shoulder and hiproom have increased between 4 and 5 inches front and rear.

-- Edmunds.com

It's loaded with the latest off-road electronic technology. Electronic traction control and Downhill Assist Control improve capability off road, while other features improve comfort and handling on the highway.

-- New Car Test Drive

A new Toyota V6 delivers more power than last year's engine for exceptionally good acceleration performance. And a V8 is also available for the 4Runner for the first time.

-- New Car Test Drive

While other SUVs are becoming more and more like cars, the 4Runner is, as Toyota says, the 'real deal.'

-- New Car Test Drive

...the Toyota 4Runner uses a compilation of bulging fender flares, blocky front and rear bumpers and a wide-slat grille to convey its message of stylish off-road capability.

-- Kelley Blue Book

What reviewers liked least about the Toyota 4Runner:

What 4Runner doesn't come with is three rows of seats or a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

-- Cars.com

Our only major complaint concerns the climate controls. Although they look like traditional dial controls, they work more like joysticks, requiring you to press the pad in the direction of your preferred vent location or temperature.

-- Edmunds.com

Toyota 4Runner Comparisons:

With a maximum cargo capacity of just 75.1 cubic feet, the 4Runner still lags behind the Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder and Dodge Durango which offer 88, 85 and 88 cubic feet respectively.

-- Edmunds.com

If you rarely venture off-road (and by 'off road' we don't mean dirt roads), then you'll find the Toyota Highlander smoother and more comfortable.

-- New Car Test Drive

Best one-liner about the Toyota 4Runner:

The new 4Runner's chassis boasts enough electronics to stock a Best Buy.

-- Automobile