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MM Retro-Write-Up: 1996-2002 Toyota 4Runner
IN A NUTSHELL: IMO the best version of a long line of excellent truck-based SUVs.
Those of you who have followed my reviews/posts/write-ups for some time will know that I have long-felt (and my opinion is not alone) that both Toyota and Honda, with a few exceptions in their line-ups, built many of their best products in the 1990s. And, yes, both me and my family put our money where our mouths were, and practiced what we preached. I personally owned a Iris-Blue 1995 Celica ST for almost six years, and Coral-Rose color two-door 1997 Tercel for a couple of years (mostly as was a cheap commuting-car, not for show, although I loved the color). My late mother (God rest her soul) owned a light baby blue 5-door 1994 Corolla DX Wagon, which, except for a slight bit of length over her previous 1988 Mercury Tracer, fit her daily-needs perfectly….SUV/crossovers back then had not quite completely taken over from conventional wagons. She drove the Corolla wagon up until her passing in 2000. And my brother, after being extremely satisfied with his previous two-tone gray/silver 1985 Honda Civic Si hatchback with a 5-speed manual and medium-blue 1990 Mazda 323 5-speed manual, got a bare-bones teal-green 1995 Civic CX Hatchback with a 5-speed manual. The CX, of course, was stark-basic and not anywhere near the car the previous Si was (at the time, he could not afford another new Si), but it was well-built and reliable. He kept it several years, until replacing it with a 2000 Subaru Impreza because he needed AWD for winter commuting.
I never owned a 90s-vintage Camry or Accord, but they were also superb products…I’ve long-felt that the 3rd-Generation 1992-1996 Camry and the 4th-Generation 1990-1993 Accord were the finest ones ever done. I was particularly impressed when I first sampled a new Accord of that vintage….it felt and drove like it was carved out of a block of granite.
So, that sums up my family’s experience back then, but we, of course, are not alone. Both Toyota and Honda sales continued to steadily increase in the 1990s, just as they had in the 1980s, as word and reputation of their reliability spread. And, by then, the previous (and well-known) tendency of Toyota and Honda dealerships to price-gouge and treat customers poorly was also starting to abate, as good competing vehicles from other manufacturers also appeared on the market.
Such was the case with the truck-based Toyota 4Runner SUV. Called a number of names in other countries, it was known as the 4Runner in the U.S., first appearing in 1983. Unlike crossovers and paved-road-oriented SUVs, the first-generation 4Runner was a truck to the core. Relatively crude and stark inside and out, it was essentially a two-door Toyota Hilux pickup, with a (then) Ford-Bronco /Chevy-Blazer style bolt-on fiberglass roof which was attached at the factory. The rear area was open behind the front seats, but some versions did not even have seats or accommodations in the rear for passengers…they were used more for cargo and hauling things. 4WD (4-wheel-drive), of course, was standard (hence the vehicles name)…the same part-time system, with a driver-operated transfer-case, used in the pickups. The drivetrain was iron-durable whether with the in-line 4 or V6, but this generation of Toyota trucks, for several reasons, tended to rust severely in the U.S., so not many samples of them remain in drivable contain today.
The Second-Generation 4Runner (1989-1995) was a vast improvement over the first, and became a real SUV with civilized accommodations for the rear passengers…which was important, as the competing Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee were blowing the rest of the family-SUV market away in sales. The previous body-rustling problems were generally over, and 4Runners were steadily increasing in popularity.
But, as the old saying goes, the third time is the charm, and, sure enough, that was the case with the 4Runner. Introduced in 1996, the Third-Generation model, IMO, was the version that Toyota really aced. Although I did not own one (I did not need that type of vehicle back then, several protective buyers had asked me about it, plus my own natural curiosity. I remember my first test-drive in one….although the on-pavement ride was a little stiff and truck-like for my tastes, almost everything else about it thoroughly impressed me, more-so than in any subsequent versions. Passenger accommodations, both front and rear, were quite nice and civil by truck standards, instrumentation and controls were easy to read and use, high-quality materials were used inside and out, and the drivetrain/underpinnings had the same iron-like durability as in previous versions. Many of these vehicles routinely went over 200,000 miles, and in some cases, 300,000….an old colleague from my church (who works for the press), the last time I saw him, had over 200,000 miles on his. My local Toyota dealership routinely sold them, with 175,000 miles on them, as still-perfectly-usable Previously-Owned vehicles, although, of course, with too many miles to be considered Certified-Used-Vehicles. The Third-Generation version also offered an interesting body-color I liked (Desert-Dune Metallic)…a very light Beige/Sandy color that went very well with either a Beige/Taupe or black interior.
On this Third-generation model, 4WD, of course, was standard, as with all 4Runners. Depending on trim-level (my favorite trim-level version was the SR5) a 2.7L four or 3.4L V6 was offered, along with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual. Diesel versions were offered in Japan, but not here in the U.S. After 2000, only the automatic was offered in the U.S.….there would be no more 5-speed versions, as it was increasingly becoming a family-oriented SUV in the U.S. However, family-vehicle or not, it still retained its rugged, go-anywhere, off-road truck-underpinnings, and, to an extent, still does today, in 2023.
Though, as with other Toyotas, I lost some of my endearment to the Third-generation 4Runner with succeeding fourth and newer-generations, I still maintain a basic respect for this vehicle, even today. The interiors and styling today, IMO, are not up to the very nice Third-Generation standard, but it is still a non-nonsense, truck-based, body-on-frame SUV in an age when many, if not most, SUVs have switched to different unibody platforms and have become basically crossovers. 4Runners can still carry and tow a fairly hefty amount, and the ride, while still truck-like, is not as firm as in past versions, as the suspension has become more refined. And, even in an age when hybrids and full-electric vehicles are literally taking over the American new-vehicle market, Toyota shows no sign of dropping this on/off-road classic anytime soon. It will likely be around for a while, even brand-new in the showroom.
And, as Always, Happy Vehicle-Memories.
MM
__________________
DRIVING IS BELIEVING
IN A NUTSHELL: IMO the best version of a long line of excellent truck-based SUVs.
Those of you who have followed my reviews/posts/write-ups for some time will know that I have long-felt (and my opinion is not alone) that both Toyota and Honda, with a few exceptions in their line-ups, built many of their best products in the 1990s. And, yes, both me and my family put our money where our mouths were, and practiced what we preached. I personally owned a Iris-Blue 1995 Celica ST for almost six years, and Coral-Rose color two-door 1997 Tercel for a couple of years (mostly as was a cheap commuting-car, not for show, although I loved the color). My late mother (God rest her soul) owned a light baby blue 5-door 1994 Corolla DX Wagon, which, except for a slight bit of length over her previous 1988 Mercury Tracer, fit her daily-needs perfectly….SUV/crossovers back then had not quite completely taken over from conventional wagons. She drove the Corolla wagon up until her passing in 2000. And my brother, after being extremely satisfied with his previous two-tone gray/silver 1985 Honda Civic Si hatchback with a 5-speed manual and medium-blue 1990 Mazda 323 5-speed manual, got a bare-bones teal-green 1995 Civic CX Hatchback with a 5-speed manual. The CX, of course, was stark-basic and not anywhere near the car the previous Si was (at the time, he could not afford another new Si), but it was well-built and reliable. He kept it several years, until replacing it with a 2000 Subaru Impreza because he needed AWD for winter commuting.
I never owned a 90s-vintage Camry or Accord, but they were also superb products…I’ve long-felt that the 3rd-Generation 1992-1996 Camry and the 4th-Generation 1990-1993 Accord were the finest ones ever done. I was particularly impressed when I first sampled a new Accord of that vintage….it felt and drove like it was carved out of a block of granite.
So, that sums up my family’s experience back then, but we, of course, are not alone. Both Toyota and Honda sales continued to steadily increase in the 1990s, just as they had in the 1980s, as word and reputation of their reliability spread. And, by then, the previous (and well-known) tendency of Toyota and Honda dealerships to price-gouge and treat customers poorly was also starting to abate, as good competing vehicles from other manufacturers also appeared on the market.
Such was the case with the truck-based Toyota 4Runner SUV. Called a number of names in other countries, it was known as the 4Runner in the U.S., first appearing in 1983. Unlike crossovers and paved-road-oriented SUVs, the first-generation 4Runner was a truck to the core. Relatively crude and stark inside and out, it was essentially a two-door Toyota Hilux pickup, with a (then) Ford-Bronco /Chevy-Blazer style bolt-on fiberglass roof which was attached at the factory. The rear area was open behind the front seats, but some versions did not even have seats or accommodations in the rear for passengers…they were used more for cargo and hauling things. 4WD (4-wheel-drive), of course, was standard (hence the vehicles name)…the same part-time system, with a driver-operated transfer-case, used in the pickups. The drivetrain was iron-durable whether with the in-line 4 or V6, but this generation of Toyota trucks, for several reasons, tended to rust severely in the U.S., so not many samples of them remain in drivable contain today.
The Second-Generation 4Runner (1989-1995) was a vast improvement over the first, and became a real SUV with civilized accommodations for the rear passengers…which was important, as the competing Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee were blowing the rest of the family-SUV market away in sales. The previous body-rustling problems were generally over, and 4Runners were steadily increasing in popularity.
But, as the old saying goes, the third time is the charm, and, sure enough, that was the case with the 4Runner. Introduced in 1996, the Third-Generation model, IMO, was the version that Toyota really aced. Although I did not own one (I did not need that type of vehicle back then, several protective buyers had asked me about it, plus my own natural curiosity. I remember my first test-drive in one….although the on-pavement ride was a little stiff and truck-like for my tastes, almost everything else about it thoroughly impressed me, more-so than in any subsequent versions. Passenger accommodations, both front and rear, were quite nice and civil by truck standards, instrumentation and controls were easy to read and use, high-quality materials were used inside and out, and the drivetrain/underpinnings had the same iron-like durability as in previous versions. Many of these vehicles routinely went over 200,000 miles, and in some cases, 300,000….an old colleague from my church (who works for the press), the last time I saw him, had over 200,000 miles on his. My local Toyota dealership routinely sold them, with 175,000 miles on them, as still-perfectly-usable Previously-Owned vehicles, although, of course, with too many miles to be considered Certified-Used-Vehicles. The Third-Generation version also offered an interesting body-color I liked (Desert-Dune Metallic)…a very light Beige/Sandy color that went very well with either a Beige/Taupe or black interior.
On this Third-generation model, 4WD, of course, was standard, as with all 4Runners. Depending on trim-level (my favorite trim-level version was the SR5) a 2.7L four or 3.4L V6 was offered, along with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual. Diesel versions were offered in Japan, but not here in the U.S. After 2000, only the automatic was offered in the U.S.….there would be no more 5-speed versions, as it was increasingly becoming a family-oriented SUV in the U.S. However, family-vehicle or not, it still retained its rugged, go-anywhere, off-road truck-underpinnings, and, to an extent, still does today, in 2023.
Though, as with other Toyotas, I lost some of my endearment to the Third-generation 4Runner with succeeding fourth and newer-generations, I still maintain a basic respect for this vehicle, even today. The interiors and styling today, IMO, are not up to the very nice Third-Generation standard, but it is still a non-nonsense, truck-based, body-on-frame SUV in an age when many, if not most, SUVs have switched to different unibody platforms and have become basically crossovers. 4Runners can still carry and tow a fairly hefty amount, and the ride, while still truck-like, is not as firm as in past versions, as the suspension has become more refined. And, even in an age when hybrids and full-electric vehicles are literally taking over the American new-vehicle market, Toyota shows no sign of dropping this on/off-road classic anytime soon. It will likely be around for a while, even brand-new in the showroom.
And, as Always, Happy Vehicle-Memories.
MM
__________________
DRIVING IS BELIEVING
