Introduction


A few things to understand before diving into my review is simply that though I have driven many trucks and SUVs in my time I am a car guy and always will be. This shouldn't be seen as foreshadowing for a negative and slanted review. I really like this truck (I'm from Texas, we call SUVs trucks sometimes), it has a lot going for it. It is a very tight little package. It does not, however, drive anything like my heavily modified Accord, so keep in mind I have that in mind as I write this. I know its not a car and will never handle like one, but I am intimately familiar with a friends Nissan Pathfinder and another friends Honda Passport (Isuzu Rodeo), so I do have a base of real comparison.

I did not take this vehicle off-road save some mudding I did the first day I rented cause of all the rain. Needless to say that was fun, but hardly representative of its agility off road, so I will not be addressing this aspect of this vehicles performance. I did travel all the same roads I normally do at length so I have a good base of reference for its road handling ability. I was pleasantly surprised how tame this SUV really is. Let me tell you more.


Initial Impressions


The first thing I noticed stepping up a little to slide in. This SUV has a rather tall ride height, even compared to similar sport utes, I realized I was looking down on a quite a few other models in competition with the 4Runner. The ride was rather quiet, I was surprised by this, I just expected it to be louder. The interior seemed of average volume for this type of vehicle. The truck I was renting was white and the SR5 trim level. The paint seemed a little thin? cheap? I'm not sure. It was clean, just not a brilliant white.

The visibility was very good upon first inspection. I am one of those really annoying people that use their signals and always look before I change lanes or turn, so good visibility is key to me. I was stunned how good it was. My friends Passport has a rear mounted spare that blocks virtually everything. The tint (from the factory) was a nice touch, especially on the rear window. All controls are well placed and easy to see. The side mirrors are convex. This takes some getting used to, more later.


Fit and Finish


All the materials are of a high quality. The plastics, rubbers, fabrics, what have you, are all nicely textured and seem as if they'd last forever if cared for. Seams are tight and edges are smoothed. All the little things seem to be thought out. The controls have a soft but sure click to them, even the interior lamp seems well made and solid. The instrument cluster is easy to see and well laid out. The doors have a solid feel and clunk to them, but are light on the hinges nonetheless. The rear seats lock firmly and show a good amount of R&D in their ease of function. I was also surprised by the quality of the fabric and stitching of the seats, comfort is another story.


Drivetrain


This particular model is a 4x2. I am not sure if that helps or hinders the smoothness of the engine as whole, but I was relatively amazed at how smooth the transmission was at normal speeds. When you do get on it there seems to be quite a delay before the engine finally kicks in. It just seems to me that it could be a faster transition. It will get to 60 in a hurry though, but it makes a lot of noise doing it. Flooring it is about the only time you will ever hear the engine. For the most part, unless the stereo is off and nobody is talking, the engine is silent.

For your general city driving to highway, assuming you aren't a leadfoot, the shifting and overall feel is outstanding, very smooth. I would not go so far as to say seamless, but for a truck (I mean SUV!) it’s impressive. I never put it down into the lower gears for any serious climbing, I have no doubt they would be as smooth and compliant. In summary I would say that the drivetrain as whole gets a 5 from me. Though I never did, the SUV feels like it could tow anything. This model also features ECT control which is activated by a simple push switch on the center console. This feature could be considered a "sport" mode for a little more lively engine performance, but at the cost of slightly reduced mileage.


Brakes


The brakes on this vehicle are strong almost to the point where they grab, but effective anyway. This truck does have ABS, which actually came into use today unexpectedly (as if I could see a wreck coming!). I simply didn't see that the F-150 in front of me was right on the tail of a Taurus in front of him. I was expecting more braking distance, but when I finally got to the split second where my brain said "not enough room dude" I had to slam them on and skipped to a very short stop. To say the least ABS is a nice feature to have. This experience reinforces my resolve to retro-fit ABS to my Accord. For reference, the tires were Firestone Wilderness ATs. Yeah, I know, but I turn it in tomorrow. God knows, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen.


Controls and Instruments


Everything that is necessary or useful for general travel is easily and clearly available. The environmental controls are especially easy to use, even when not looking. Three dials and two buttons, simple. I have no doubt that if I had simply had the car longer I would have known the stereo better, but for realities sake, I would have replaced it anyhoo, so it’s irrelevant for me anyway. I have to admit, it was a really nice stereo for a rental. The door controls are straightforward and easy to use once familiar with them. I think the lock switch could have been bigger and better placed, but it does not detract from my appreciation of this vehicle. The dome light switch is simple and feels strong in addition to being easily fumbled on or off even if engaged in a conversation on a cell phone, eating and driving.

The instrument cluster is simple and easy to read and understand. Uncluttered by any excessive info or lights, it shows what you need to see, period. The tach and speedometer are large and easy to see. The only other dials are the temp and fuel indicators. During the day, overcast or not, everything is easy to see, the same is true for visibility at night. I am not particularly fond of the not-green-not-yellow-orangey type illumination, but that is a very minor quibble on the whole. I can see the panel, that’s all that is necessary.


Features


The factory remote is of average size and easy to use. Its transmission distance seems limited, but that’s not too important, I only ever used it close to the truck. It is a rather quiet beep or two accompanied by flash of the runners. With two separate buttons, one for lock another for unlock, it hard to hit the wrong one. There is also a button for the rear window, but this can also be done by the key as well in the rear door. There is also a panic button on the back for emergencies, though I'm not sure how useful that is these days.

The interior toggle switch for the rear window located on the center consoles easy to reach and use and is raised on the edges so looking isn't necessary. The rear defrost is close by as is the ECT control. One little nice benefit I found was the little headliner compartment that I thought was intended for glasses but serves as a garage door clicker box. It comes with velcro and little actuators of different size that push the clicker buttons when you push on the housing. Not bad! The gas door lever is well located too residing on the knee bolster not the floor. This model didn't feature a sunroof, which is essential for me.


The Interior

I would say that the room in back is superior to many competitors in this class. With the rear seats folded flat one could potentially move the contents of an entire house, in several trips of course. My point is that far beyond beer case or grocery bag packing extimates, you could fit virtually anything back there from bikes, to mattresses to, small pianos, to Dom Deluise! Its simply cavenous back there.

Even with the seats up, there is a fair Amount of room. I didn't check the actual cubic footage compared to the competitors, but I would say its on par for the rest of the Japanese entries as far as size. The fact that the spare is underneath the frame and not in back is a big help and frees up quite a bit of room. There is a small compartment in back for a first aid kit/road hazard kit that, because it is insid ethe rear body panel, robs no cargo room at all. Ingenious!


The Ride


It is amazing what is possible with a vehicle of this size and stance. The ride is smooth and refined only quietly hinting of its true potential. This SUV gobbles up road imperfections, oddities, swells, and bumps with great aplomb. Even rough roads are a joy in the 4Runner. It gives a very flat ride in a straight line even on gravel or crushed stone roads with with few jarring if even noticeable roughness. I have to say honestly that I am very surprised by how smooth the ride was overall. As I said, I travel all the same areas, areas I know so well I could identify every pothole or crack or seam in a 15 mile radius. I could care less now. Granted, I have gone from a sidewall that is 1.8" high to one 6" high, but Nothing fazes this truck!

Highway travel is a breeze. This truck does very well on the highways at any speed. A tribute to the damping in this vehicle, I have looked down more than once to see I'm going 80mph when I figured it was much less. You simply don't feel the speed. Its super smooth at speed, good roads or not. Considering how tactile and connected the ride of my Accord is, it’s really nice to be numb for a while!


What I Don't Like


I do have a few dislikes with this vehicle. Some of you may feel I am nit-picking, but that is really what loving your car is about, the least amount of nit-picks. There are a few minor points, but one major issue that keeps me from giving this truck a 5 star rating. That one thing is the seats. They are medieval in construction. Let me put it this way, if the Inquisition had known about these seats…well, you see where I am going. Yeah, I’m a big guy, but it was really interesting that the headrest did in fact meet my head properly, i.e. it was truly tall enough to be effective, something not seen in all vehicle, even today. The problem I have is with the side bolsters. I believe they are to intrusive and too low to be useful. They are quite literally painful for me, but I don’t want to shell out for a bigger car, insurance only covers so much. For me, they seem to be too closely spaced, leaving my lumbars illin. The seatback itself is too wide at the top too, but that’s just me I guess. I have had several passengers that seemed thrilled with the seats, but they were all at least 4” shorter across the board, but I digress on the seat issue…

I don’t like the door lock switch. It is not unique enough for me, not big enough, not wide enough. It, in my opinion, should be the same size as the rest of the switches available to the driver. I am not saying it has to be the same type of switch, just easy to use. The side mirrors are convex. This is a problem, but not one that can’t be overcome. It does take some getting used to, but at that point you start to appreciate the mirrors for what they offer a better view. What am I talking about? The mirrors are apparently intentionally not optically correct. Being convex means they bulge, if you will, towards you, not unlike a truckers mirrors, but far more slight. I have not verified this via the internet, but I know what I see. By the way, the mirrors are huge, so they offer truly superior vision in every direction needed.

Lastly, the price asked for this vehicle is exorbitant, period. It is not a $27,000 truck, just isn't folks. For less money I believe the Pasport is equally or better outfitted for less money. I really dig this SUV, but not so much that I would pay what is presently being requested, there is simply better products out there, even American (the Honda owner says grudgingly) for less dollars. This is the other reason that this vehicle gets three stars, rediculous price, even after the last "reduction", $1500 in some cases, its still pricey for the end product.


The Bottom Line


I really like this truck, I really do. I wanted very badly to give it a 5 star rating, but the simple fact that the seats were so uncomfortable for me just doesn't make it possible. This truck does everything it is supposed to very well, though mileage was disappointing at roughly 15mpg during my usage. It’s a quiet supple ride without too much diving and rolling as evidence by my accidental excessive speed more than once. The ride height and visibility are excellent and overall comfort, myself excepted, appears to be good. I gave this truck a 5 for reliability even though it was a rental and I'll tell you why, I know too many people with Toyotas that love their trouble free cars. I have no doubt, though lemons there will be, the vast majority of 4Runner owners are very, very happy.

Amount Paid (US$): 37.99/day
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: SR5