2017 Toyota 4Runner Review

If you're shopping 2017 4Runners, off-road capability is likely a priority or you would be (or should be) shopping station wagons or crossovers. In light of that, the sweet spot in the 4Runner lineup is the TRD Off-Road Premium. It's the most affordable way to gain access to a locking rear differ...

Throttle response is smooth and progressive, and the five-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly. It would be better with another gear to choose from.

The 4.0-liter V6 gets the 4Runner up to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds, which translates to easy freeway merging and decent climbing power up long grades. It's not the most powerful engine in the class, but it does the job.

The 4Runner's brakes have plenty of stopping power, especially in terms of initial bite. But this brings with it a notable amount of nosedive. Panic stops require a few extra feet compared to more modern crossovers.

A bit slow to respond but predictable. Offers reasonable feel in corners. Straight-ahead driving, on the other hand, feels murky and we sometimes found it necessary to make sizable corrections in response to road imperfections and side winds.

It's stable in corners but doesn't like to be rushed due to its weight and high center of gravity. The optional KDSS auto-disconnect stabilizer bars are larger and repel body lean better than the standard setup.

Throttle response is smooth and progressive, and the five-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly. It would be better with another gear to choose from.

The 4Runner has part-time four-wheel drive, crawl control, active traction control and a rear locking differential. The real gem is the optional KDSS technology that automatically disconnects both stabilizer bars when maximum articulation is needed. A top performer in this class.

The Toyota 4Runner provided a reasonable mix of comfort that isn't out of line with its overall mission or its truck-based roots. Not as comfy as the typical crossover, but no one looking for this kind of rugged capability should be surprised by that.

Seats have decent shape and range of adjustment, but the padding could stand to be more generous and seat bottoms are short. Overall comfort is good, but stops well short of what we'd call excellent.

The ride isn't necessarily firm, but there is a fair bit of shake and body movement. Instead of crashing over bumps, our 4Runner tended to jostle about lazily in response to road imperfections.

Good road noise isolation most of the time, but the squarish shape isn't particularly adept at quelling wind noise.

We like the nicely laid-out dash and instrument panel. The large cargo hold is quite functional, and the seating area is sufficiently roomy. Easy to climb in and out if you can deal with the step-up height.

Switchgear is logical and easy to use but the Entune navigation screen is small. Overhead off-road controls are a good use of space.

An extra 3 inches of step-up height relative to crossovers goes with the territory with an off-road-biased SUV such as this. Front and rear access are similar; the optional side step covers both. The doors open nice and wide.

There's plenty of front head- and legroom for tall folks, though we should note the 4Runner we tested did not have a sunroof. The rear seats offer similar headroom. There is a bit less legroom back there, but 6-footers still fit.

Easy to see over the hood and find the front corners. Rear visibility is surprisingly good straight out the back and is further enhanced by a backup camera, but the rear quarters have the usual SUV blind spots.

The new 4Runner has tight gaps outside and an attractive interior. The fabric seats are grippy, easy to clean and good-looking.

Great cargo area versatility especially with the optional sliding cargo tray, plus a variety of storage options in the cabin.

Plenty of little nooks in the dash plus a decent console bin, glovebox and door pockets.

The rear seatbacks fold flat, and it's easy to pack the sizable cargo hold (88.8 cubic feet seats down, 46.3 cubic feet seats up) because of its squarish shape. One staffer actually tossed a sleeping bag back there and spent the night.

There's 4,700 pounds of towing capacity, a useful figure that covers most boats and many small camping trailers. And you can believe it because Toyota is one of the few automakers that has adopted the SAE-standardized tow rating procedure.