#LUNAR ROCK TRD PRO 4RUNNER UPDATE#
#LUNAR ROCK TRD PRO 4RUNNER MANUAL#

It’s a millennial vehicle living in a gen Z world.īut on the other hand, I’d wager that’s probably what a potential 4Runner TRD Pro customer would find most appealing about it. Truly, the 4Runner feels like driving a vehicle from a previous generation.

#LUNAR ROCK TRD PRO 4RUNNER UPDATE#

The TRD Pro package was introduced in 2014 for the 2015 model year and upgraded the chassis with Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs, TRD-tuned front springs and a variety of off-road accessories.įlash ahead to 2021 and the only significant mechanical update has been a switch to Fox shock absorbers from the Bilstiens, which were first utilized for the 2019 model and have continued on. Which means, even at the high-end TRD Pro trim level, the 4Runner utilizes a positively ancient drivetrain - a massive and lazy 4.0-litre V6 matted to a 5-speed automatic transmission. The current 4Runner is still based on the fifth-generation chassis, first introduced in 2009 and built in Japan at Toyota’s plant in Tahara, Aichi. How outdated? Literally somewhere between smoking on an airplane and “Gangnam Style.” Overall, it's not at all the embarrassment I thought it would be, or fish out of water.' At least in this sense, the 'off-road SUV for the street' thing made more sense than we thought.In the year 2021, the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is an absolutely oddity of a vehicle. The steering, too, is remarkably alive and communicative. It has surprisingly effective brakes with a very talkative pedal. With the transmission in Sport, it was reasonably intelligent about holding a gear and then kicking down for the exit. Road test editor Chis Walton commented, 'I'm surprised ESC can be shut off completely, and there's a lot more grip and outright balance on the skidpad than I imagined from this off-roader. On the bright side, on our figure-eight course-which evaluates acceleration, handling, braking and the transitions in between those elements-the 2022 Toyota 4Runner was a better performer than expected.

#LUNAR ROCK TRD PRO 4RUNNER MANUAL#

Manual shifting barely improves the situation. From a stop, our TRD Sport test vehicle was labored and slow to rev its engine, lugging itself around in a way that makes it feel slower than it is. As is, it equates to the worst of all worlds: V-8 economy to go with sluggish performance. The 4Runner TRD Sport's fuel economy of 16/19/17 mpg city/highway/combined is also no great shakes. It tends to make a lot of noise without the attendant thrust you'd expect, and the body-on-frame architecture that makes it so tough translates to a rough, bounding on-road ride and more body roll in corners that in most competitors. In addition, one of our testers noted the 'gear ratios seem a bit wide, and shifts are a tad slow,' and we've previously gone on record that the 4Runner really should be zippier given its torquey V-6. Still, that it falls to the back of the pack in terms of acceleration isn't surprising: Blame the antiquated five-speed transmission in an era when most vehicles have six, eight, or more forward gears.

The 4Runner is again the slowest, but not by much. The Bronco turned in a 15.8-second time, the Tacoma 16.0, and the Lexus 15.8. As for quarter-mile times? The 4Runner TRD Sport registered 16.1 seconds at 87.0 mph, a tad better than the 4Runner TRD Pro's 16.1 at 85.8. The 4Runner TRD Pro came in at 8.0 seconds. The Tacoma clocked 7.7, too, while the porkier GX460 took 7.5. The manual Bronco sprinted to 60 mph in as quick as 7.7 seconds. The 2022 Toyota 4Runner TRD Sport we tested accelerated to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds.

Lunar rock trd pro 4runner