2023 Toyota 4RunnerTRD PRO - Old but it's AMAZING OFF-ROAD!

The Drive Wire
The Drive Wire
19.6 هزار بار بازدید - 2 سال پیش - The 2023 Toyota 4RunnerTRD PRO
The 2023 Toyota 4RunnerTRD PRO may be getting on a bit but it's still amazing off-road as we find out on one of our regular courses.

The 2023 Toyota 4runner TRD PRO is almost as old as my grandmother but it’s still a huge seller for Toyota, in fact, they moved 140,000 4Runners in 2021 despite the tail end of a pandemic. The current version has been going strong since 2009 with only minor changes and its 4.0-liter V-6 engine has been around since the early 2000s. body so it really only has a couple of competitors these days, The Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler.

The Toyota 4runner TRD PRO oozes character and has a host of additional items to give it a rugged outdoorsy look.  For starters, there's a solid steel front skid plate with TRD emblazed across it, a set of black 17-inch wheels wearing Nitto Terra Grappler All-Terrain tires, a chunky roof rack, and a different more aggressive front grille.

The front suspension has been upgraded and the TRD PRO has Fox shocks front and rear and an upgraded exhaust which is somewhat annoying and boomy at highway speeds.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:46 What's a TRD PRO?
2:38 Cargo Space
3:11 Under the Hood
3:46 Rear Seat
4:24 Interior and Tech
5:24 Off-Road tools
7:02 Driving
15:24 Verdict

Under the Hood

The only engine available in the 4Runner is a 4.0-liter V-6 with 270 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque that is perfectly adequate for on-road driving and very capable if you ask it to crawl up to the top of a rocky hill or navigate a muddy path. The only downside is it's mated to an antiquated 5-speed transmission which is its biggest letdown for on-road driving.  

0-60 takes around 7.7 seconds and don’t expect very good fuel economy with an EPA combined of only 17 mpg.  I achieved 15.7 mpg for the week and that included both on and off-road driving. The good news is it has a 23-gallon fuel tank so based on our numbers you should be able to get 360+ miles from one tank.

MTS V ATRAC

A-TRAC works essentially as a faux differential locker. As a wheel starts spinning freely because it has come off the ground or is in loose dirt, torque wants to take the path of least resistance and will shift power to the free-spinning wheel, thus robbing the opposite wheel of torque and traction. A-TRAC uses the braking system to apply the brakes on the free-spinning wheel or wheels. This forces the power and torque to the opposing wheel which has contact with the ground to give it traction and get you out of a sticky situation.

MTS uses the computer braking system to optimize traction, MTS primarily uses throttle control to do this but it will also engage A-TRAC if needed. Also, in some off-road situations, wheel slipping can be helpful and MTS allows limited slipping depending on the terrain selected.  

ATRAC can only be engaged in 4LO but MTS can be engaged in 4HI when in mud and sand but 4LO for the rest of the settings. Confused? So was I.

It definitely feels old on road, and its 5-speed transmission is something of a ball and chain but people are still willing to open their wallets and buy this car. Off-road the TRD PRO makes up for this, it’s a ton of fun and will go almost anywhere.  

A redesigned 4Runner is likely to arrive within the next few years to right some of these wrongs, but in the meantime, the same old 4Runner just keeps on going and I personally love it.

2023 Toyota 4Runner TRD PRO numbers

BASE PRICE:  $53,270
PRICE AS TESTED:  $55,030
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-engine, RWD/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door SUV
ENGINE: 4.0 liter DOHC 24-valve V-6
POWER: 270 hp @ 5,600 rpm
TORQUE: 278 ft-lb @ 4,400 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
0-60 MPH:  7.8 seconds
CURB WEIGHT:  4,789 lbs
CARGO VOLUME: 47.2 ft³, 89.7 ft³ with seat area
WHEELS: 17-inch Alloy
TIRES: Nitto™ Terra Grappler
FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 17/19/38 mpg
OUR OBSERVED: 15.7 mpg
PROS: Terrific off-road, decent ride quality on road, ready to go on safari looks
CONS: Dated interior, not very fuel efficient, transmission could use more gears
2 سال پیش در تاریخ 1401/09/29 منتشر شده است.
19,689 بـار بازدید شده
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