2023 Toyota 4Runner

The 2023 4Runner is the tail end of the fifth generation (2010–2024) and carries the same naturally aspirated 4.0L V6 across every trim — 270 hp at 5,600 rpm. There is no engine option, so the volume SR5 and the range max are identical. A modest figure for the SUV band and unchanged for over a decade.

The 4.0L V6 makes 278 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm. Solid low- and mid-range grunt that suits low-speed off-road work, but a high-rpm peak and no forced induction leave it mid-pack against turbocharged and hybrid SUV rivals.

Toyota publishes no figure; instrumented tests of the fifth-gen 4Runner cluster around 7.5–7.7 s regardless of trim, held back by a ~4,800–5,000 lb body-on-frame curb weight and a 5-speed automatic. Adequate but unremarkable, landing in the slower half of the SUV band.

The naturally aspirated V6 is smooth off idle with linear, lag-free response and a proven reliability record, but it grows coarse and boomy when revved hard and its efficiency and outright refinement trail newer turbo and hybrid powertrains. Dependable rather than polished.

The 5-speed automatic is the 4Runner's biggest dynamic weak point — two to five ratios behind rivals' 8- and 10-speed units. It shifts smoothly and is bulletproof, but the tall gaps hurt both acceleration and highway efficiency, and reviewers consistently flag it as antiquated.

Rated at 5,000 lbs across the range — competitive for a mid-size body-on-frame SUV and well ahead of unibody crossovers and the Jeep Wrangler (3,500 lbs), though short of full-size SUVs and the newer sixth-gen 4Runner's 6,000 lbs.

Serious 4WD hardware is widely offered: part-time 4WD with a two-speed transfer case on SR5/TRD Sport/TRD Off-Road/TRD Pro, and full-time 4WD with a locking Torsen center differential on Limited, plus an available electronic locking rear diff and Multi-Terrain Select/CRAWL Control on off-road grades. Held below the top band only because SR5, TRD Sport and Limited are still sold in rear-wheel-drive form.

Genuine off-road credibility anchored by the TRD Pro halo grade — 2.5-inch Fox internal-bypass shocks, all-terrain tires, roof rack and skid plate — and the TRD Off-Road with KDSS sway-bar disconnect, Multi-Terrain Select, CRAWL Control and an electronic locking rear differential, all on a ladder frame with roughly 9.6 in of clearance. Among the most capable mid-size SUVs, a notch below the extreme Wrangler.

A single powertrain, take-it-or-leave-it: every 2023 4Runner is the 4.0L V6 with a 5-speed automatic. No turbo, hybrid, PHEV or EV option exists in the fifth generation — electrification did not arrive until the 2025 sixth-gen i-FORCE MAX. Firmly in the bottom band for breadth.

The 2023 4Runner is the tail end of the fifth generation (2010–2024), running a naturally aspirated 4.0L V6 with a dated 5-speed automatic and no electrification. Its 17 MPG combined sits below the SUV normalization floor and is among the worst of any midsize SUV still sold.

16 MPG city sits at the very bottom of the SUV band. The heavy body-on-frame construction, tall gearing gaps in the 5-speed automatic, and lack of any stop-start or hybrid assist make it especially thirsty in stop-and-go driving.

19 MPG highway is below the SUV band floor. The boxy, high-drag body and only five forward ratios leave the V6 spinning at highway speed, so even steady-state cruising is inefficient by class standards.

The large 23.0-gallon fuel tank offsets the poor economy to deliver a roughly 391-mile combined range — mid-pack for the SUV segment. Big tank plus low MPG is the classic trade for a truck-based SUV.

The EPA estimated annual fuel cost of about $3,500 sits above the top of the SUV cost band, reflecting the 17 MPG combined figure. Fuel is one of the 4Runner's biggest ownership drawbacks despite using cheaper regular gasoline.

The 4.0L V6 is designed for regular 87-octane gasoline with no premium requirement, keeping per-gallon cost low and refueling simple nationwide. The only knock is that it consumes a lot of that inexpensive fuel; grade flexibility itself is excellent.

NHTSA rates the 2023 4Runner 4 stars overall, pulled down by a 3-star rollover result typical of a tall, body-on-frame off-road SUV; the side test earns 5 stars and frontal 4 stars. These carry across the long-running fifth generation (2010-2024).

The fifth-gen 4Runner (ratings apply to 2013-23 models) posts Good in moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints, but only Marginal in the driver-side small overlap front test and its headlights rate Poor. A Marginal in a key structural test plus Poor headlights keep it well off any Top Safety Pick and land it in the lower band.

Toyota Safety Sense P is standard on every 2023 trim (Pre-Collision System with pedestrian detection, Lane Departure Alert, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Automatic High Beams). Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, however, is standard only on SR5 Premium and above — the volume base SR5 does not get it standard (that change waited until 2024) — so BSM/RCTA is a trim gap and there is no lane-centering, keeping it just below the top band.

The standard Pre-Collision System with pedestrian detection earns Superior in IIHS vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention and includes daytime pedestrian braking, so straight-ahead avoidance is strong. It is the older TSS-P generation, without the intersection/turn-assist scenarios or the stronger night-pedestrian performance of Toyota's newer TSS 3.0, so it sits mid-band.

Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is standard on SR5 Premium, TRD Off-Road Premium, Limited and TRD Pro, but is not standard on the volume base SR5 (available in a package) or the TRD Sport — it only became standard across the whole lineup for 2024. Coverage is alert-only with no active cross-traffic braking, so it lands mid-band on availability rather than higher.

The 2023 4Runner's TSS-P provides only Lane Departure Alert with a sway-warning function — a warning system, not active lane keeping. There is no lane-centering or lane-tracing steering assist anywhere in the lineup, so the driver gets an alert but no corrective steering, which is crude relative to segment rivals that hold a lane.

The 4Runner uses high-speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (operates roughly above 25 mph), not the full-speed-range stop-and-go system, so it disengages in slow traffic and cannot bring the vehicle to a stop. With no lane-centering to pair with, there is no integrated highway assist — it is functional radar cruise with dated limits rather than a modern highway aid.

The 2023 4Runner offers no hands-free highway driving system. DRCC and Lane Departure Alert are hands-on features requiring the driver's hands on the wheel — there is no equivalent to Ford BlueCruise, GM Super Cruise, or Tesla FSD anywhere in the lineup.

IIHS rated the fifth-gen 4Runner's headlights Poor — low-beam visibility was fair on straightaways but inadequate in all four curve tests, with some glare. Even the better-equipped variants only reach Acceptable. Poor headlights on the volume trims are a primary reason the 4Runner cannot earn a Top Safety Pick.

The boxy, upright fifth-gen body gives a tall, commanding seating position, a large glasshouse and relatively thin pillars, so natural forward and side sightlines are good. A backup camera is standard; a 360-degree/Multi-Terrain Monitor is limited to upper trims, and the tailgate-mounted spare and thick rear pillars are the main compromise.

The 4Runner's tall, boxy cabin offers wide rear-door openings and a roomy second row that makes fitting rear-facing and convertible seats straightforward, but the lower LATCH anchors sit fairly deep in the seat bight and require some digging, and the optional third row is impractical for car seats. Workable rather than best-in-class LATCH access.

The 2023 4Runner is a five-passenger two-row SUV in its volume SR5/TRD configurations; a cramped third row was a factory option on SR5 and Limited that pushed capacity to seven, but it is rarely fitted and lands the volume trim in the low part of the SUV seating band.

The tall, boxy fifth-gen body gives good-but-not-class-leading front headroom, sitting mid-band for SUVs; the available moonroof trims it to 37.8 in.

Front legroom is merely adequate — mid-to-low in the SUV band and typical of the aging TGN body-on-frame architecture — though the upright, commanding seating position flatters day-to-day comfort.

Second-row headroom is a relative strength thanks to the square roofline, sitting in the upper part of the SUV band and among the better passenger-space specs on the car.

The defining passenger-space weakness: at 32.9 in the second row is tight for a mid-size SUV footprint, trailing the Bronco (36.3 in) and Wrangler (38.3 in) and leaving taller adults knees-up on longer trips.

The optional third row is token seating — a low, knees-up 50/50 bench suited only to small children on short trips, difficult to access and eating almost all cargo space when in use. Most 4Runners leave the factory without it, so the volume car is effectively two-row.

Usable, flat-floored space behind the second row that clears the off-road set it competes with (Bronco 35.6, Wrangler 31.7), but modest against unibody mid-size crossovers and mid-band overall.

With the rear seats folded the boxy body and near-vertical tailgate deliver a genuinely large, van-like hold — the strongest cargo spec on the car and ahead of the mechanically related Land Cruiser (82.1 cu ft).

Above the everyday norm on the strength of two signature features: the power roll-down rear window (a 4Runner hallmark unique in the class) and the available sliding rear cargo deck that doubles as a tailgate seat/load platform. A deep console, big door bins, and a flat fold-flat floor round it out; it stops short of the standout band without onboard power or an in-floor trunk.

Front seats are supportive with an upright, high-set driving position most owners like, and SofTex/leather trims cushion well; the flatter rear bench and limited rear legroom make longer stints less agreeable, keeping this comfortably mid-band rather than a long-haul leader.

A trucky, old-school body-on-frame ride: composed and pliant on the highway but floaty over undulations and busy on broken pavement, with noticeable secondary motion. Better tied-down than a Wrangler (40) but behind the newer coil-rear Land Cruiser (70) and any unibody crossover.

One of the noisier cabins in the segment: pronounced wind and road noise at highway speed from the boxy shape and (on TRD trims) all-terrain tires, plus a droning, coarse 4.0-liter V6 under load. The dated fifth-gen sound insulation shows against newer rivals.

Adequate for the class without being generous: dual-zone or optional auto climate, heated front seats on SR5 Premium and up, and heated steering wheel plus ventilated front seats on the Limited, but rear-climate provision and remote pre-conditioning are limited and much of the equipment lives on the pricier trims.

The 2023 4Runner is a late-fifth-generation (2010–2024) body-on-frame SUV, and its entry SR5 2WD opens at $38,805 plus a $1,335 delivery charge for roughly $40,140 delivered — mid-band for a mid-size SUV and a touch cheaper than the 2024 refresh year. The aging platform keeps the sticker in check versus newer rivals.

The TRD Off-Road 4WD (~$42,610 base + $1,335 destination ≈ $43,945 delivered) is the fifth-gen 4Runner's traditional volume sweet spot — the grade buyers pick for the locking rear differential, Multi-Terrain Select and CRAWL Control — with SR5 Premium close behind. That places the representative config mid-ladder in the mid-size SUV band.

The fifth-gen 4Runner's naturally aspirated 4.0L V6 and 5-speed automatic are simple, proven, low-maintenance hardware, and Toyota body-on-frame SUVs are consistently among the cheapest trucks to keep. Estimates cluster around $5,000–6,300 over five years — a touch above compact crossovers but well below the truck-based SUV average.

Resale is the 4Runner's signature strength. The fifth generation is one of the best value-retaining vehicles on the US market — scarcity, a devoted following and rugged-SUV demand keep it holding roughly two-thirds of MSRP at five years, dramatically better than the ~46% mid-size SUV average.

Toyota's 36-month/36,000-mile basic coverage is the industry floor — level with Honda and Nissan but far short of Hyundai/Kia's 5-year bumper-to-bumper terms.

The 2023 4Runner is gas-only (4.0L V6), so it carries Toyota's standard 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain coverage with no longer hybrid-component or battery terms — the segment floor against Hyundai/Kia's 10-year powertrain warranty.

ToyotaCare covers all factory-scheduled service for 2 years/25,000 miles plus 2 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance — real included maintenance where body-on-frame rivals like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco offer none. It falls short of top marks because the window is shorter than Hyundai/Kia's 3-year/36,000-mile plan and there are no fuel credits.

$43,945 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (63% retained, or about $27,685) leaves about $16,260 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,600 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $21,860 in total.

As a late-run year of the fully-matured fifth generation (2010-2024), the 2023 4Runner earns top-tier predicted reliability — Consumer Reports rates its predicted reliability well above average and it perennially tops longevity studies (iSeeCars consistently ranks the 4Runner #1 among vehicles most likely to reach 200,000+ miles).

Toyota consistently ranks at or near the top of Consumer Reports' brand reliability rankings and stays above average in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study, giving the 4Runner an exceptionally strong brand backbone.

By its 13th model year the fifth-gen 4Runner carried a clean, low-volume recall record with no systemic powertrain or structural defects; 2023 saw minimal recall activity on a design refined over more than a decade of production.

The 2023 4Runner uses the naturally-aspirated 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 (270 hp) paired with a simple 5-speed automatic — one of the most durable, high-mileage-proven powertrains Toyota has ever built, with no turbocharging or hybrid complexity and a track record of reaching very high odometer readings.

The 4Runner's cabin was among the most dated in its class by 2023 — reviewers routinely criticized the hard plastics, aging switchgear, and small 8-inch infotainment, materials that fall well short of similarly priced rivals despite durable, rugged execution.

Built on a long-proven body-on-frame platform, assembly is solid, tight, and rugged with Toyota's consistent initial quality and no widespread rattle or misalignment complaints — old-school truck build integrity even if the design is dated.

Toyota operates one of the densest nationwide US dealer/service networks (~1,200 dealers) with consistently strong service-satisfaction scores, giving 4Runner owners broad, well-supported coverage.

The 4Runner carries one of the largest off-road/enthusiast aftermarkets of any SUV, and the simple naturally-aspirated V6 and 5-speed automatic are cheap to service with abundant, competitively priced parts — repair economics are a genuine strength.

The 2023 4Runner is a late-run year of the fifth-generation (N280) platform and carries the 8.0-inch touchscreen that became standard on all grades in the MY2020 refresh — there is no larger screen option anywhere in the range, so it sits at the floor of the SUV band.

The 2023 4Runner runs Toyota's pre-Audio-Multimedia head unit — a dated system with low-resolution graphics, aging menus and modest responsiveness that reviewers routinely flagged as the vehicle's weakest area, though it keeps a full set of physical HVAC and off-road hard controls. It sits in the middle-to-lower band: functional and physically easy to use, but visibly a generation behind rivals.

Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa are standard on every 2023 trim including the base SR5 — but wired only. The fifth-generation 4Runner never offered wireless phone projection on any grade, so it lands in the wired-standard band with no wireless path.

The 4Runner offers command-word voice recognition and available Dynamic Navigation (connected nav with a multi-year trial, then subscription) rather than a natural-language cloud assistant. It is functional but dated — most owners default to CarPlay/Android Auto maps — placing it squarely mid-band.

The available JBL Premium system is a genuine strength — 15 speakers with subwoofer and amplifier, tuned to the cabin — while the standard eight-speaker system on the volume SR5 is merely adequate. Strong optional ceiling, ordinary floor, so it lands in the mid-upper band.

Every 2023 trim uses analog gauges flanking a small 4.2-inch color multi-information display — there is no full-digital configurable cluster on any grade, not even TRD Pro. That analog-dominant setup falls in the low band.

The fifth-generation head unit has no meaningful over-the-air software capability; the only remote-refreshable content is Dynamic Navigation map data via the connected-services subscription. There are no whole-vehicle, feature-adding OTA updates, keeping it near the floor.

The Toyota app with Remote Connect covers the core set — remote start and climate, lock/unlock, vehicle status and finder — but the 4Runner has no Digital Key phone-as-key, and Remote Connect is subscription-gated once the factory trial lapses. Core functions present, no premium features, paywalled: mid-band.

The 4Runner provides multiple USB ports (older USB-A charge/data, not USB-C) plus an available 120V AC outlet in the cargo area handy for overlanding, but there is no Qi wireless charging on any trim. Adequate but dated provisioning lands it mid-band.

Smart Key proximity entry with push-button start is standard from the SR5 up, and remote start works through both the fob and the Remote Connect app; the signature power roll-down rear window is retained. It stays mid-band because there is no hands-free power liftgate (the tailgate is manual) and no phone-as-key.

A rear backup camera is standard, and the available Multi-Terrain Monitor / Panoramic View Monitor adds a 360-degree stitched view on the upper trims (Limited, TRD Pro) — useful off-road — but the imagery is low-resolution on the 8-inch screen and surround view is confined to top grades. Rear-standard, 360 top-trim-only, dated image quality: solid mid-band.

No head-up display is offered on any 2023 4Runner trim, including TRD Pro and the 40th Anniversary Special Edition. The item scores at the floor.

The tall, boxy body helps daily logistics: wide, square rear door apertures and a high roofline make lowering a child into a convertible seat straightforward, and 47.2 cu ft behind the second row swallows strollers and gear with room to spare. Working against it, the 32.9 in second-row legroom is the defining space weakness of this generation and genuinely constrains a rear-facing convertible seat, the body-on-frame step-in means lifting a toddler up rather than across, the LATCH anchors sit deep in the seat bight, and the volume car is five-seat two-row only (the rare optional third row is kids-only).

The credentials are middling for a family argument: NHTSA gives 4 stars overall (dragged down by a 3-star rollover), IIHS rates the fifth-gen only Marginal in the driver-side small-overlap front test with Poor base headlights, so it earns no Top Safety Pick. Toyota Safety Sense P is standard on every trim, but it is the older generation — no lane-centering, only high-speed radar cruise without stop-and-go — and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is not standard on the volume base SR5 (SR5 Premium and up only until 2024), leaving safety gaps at the price points families actually shop.

Luggage is the strong suit — 47.2 cu ft behind the second row means a family of four never chooses between the cooler and the suitcases — and the signature power roll-down rear window plus available dual-zone climate cover the basics. The trip-length limiters are real: a tight 32.9 in second row tires adults over several hours, the cabin is one of the noisiest in the class, the dated V6/5-speed is thirsty enough to force frequent fuel stops, and there is no rear entertainment, third-zone climate or rear sunshades.

The upright commanding driving position, good outward visibility and a smooth, lag-free V6 off idle make the 4Runner easy to place and undemanding at low speed. But daily refinement is dated: a ~4,800–5,000 lb body-on-frame chassis feels heavy in traffic, the aging 5-speed automatic has tall ratio gaps, the ride is floaty over undulations, the cabin is noisy, and the radar cruise is high-speed-only with no stop-and-go for congested commutes — fine manners with a running list of annoyances.

Per-mile running cost is a genuine weakness. At 17 MPG combined the 2023 4Runner is among the thirstiest midsize SUVs still sold, with an EPA-estimated ~$3,500/yr fuel bill — expensive to commute in. It is kept off the floor by three real offsets: it runs cheap regular 87-octane, its simple naturally-aspirated V6 and 5-speed are inexpensive to service, and class-leading resale means the money is recovered at trade-in rather than burned in depreciation.

The upright greenhouse, low beltline and large glass area give good natural sightlines and the driver can see the hood corners, so the 4Runner is easier to place in town than its bluff looks suggest, and a backup camera is standard. It is still a wide, tall body-on-frame truck with a roughly 37–38 ft turning circle, a tailgate-mounted spare blocking the rear view, and the 360-degree Multi-Terrain/Panoramic monitor that rescues tight spaces is confined to the upper trims — manageable with care.

A 5,000 lb tow rating covers a boat, a pair of sleds or a small equipment trailer and comfortably clears the unibody crossovers and the Wrangler/Bronco (3,500 lb), while 89.7 cu ft of enclosed lockable space with the seats folded substitutes for a bed on many jobs. Against a real work brief it is only light-to-moderate duty: there is no bed, 5,000 lb trails full-size SUVs and the newer sixth-gen 4Runner's 6,000 lb, and the tall-geared 5-speed hunts under a heavy load.

This is the 4Runner's single strongest use-case argument. The naturally-aspirated 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 and A750F 5-speed automatic are among the most durable, high-mileage-proven powertrains Toyota has ever built — no turbo or hybrid complexity to age — on a body-on-frame chassis refined over a 14-year production run. iSeeCars perennially ranks the 4Runner the SUV most likely to pass 200,000 miles, parts are cheap and everywhere, and the aftermarket for hard-use armor and recovery gear is the deepest in the class.

The upfit ecosystem is a genuine strength — drawers, racks, bumpers, armor and suspension are abundant from an enormous 4Runner aftermarket — and factory provisions cover the basics: an available 120V AC cargo outlet handy for tools and overlanding, roof rails, cargo tie-downs, factory hitch availability, the signature power roll-down rear window, and an available sliding rear cargo deck (~440 lb) that doubles as a load/work platform. It stops short of a work truck: no bed, no high-output inverter, and no washable rubber-floor work package.

A competent rather than commanding mile-eater. The upright, supportive front seats and a large 23-gallon tank giving ~391 miles between fills make the miles pass, and high-speed radar cruise takes some strain out of the interstate. Holding it back: one of the noisiest cabins in the segment, a floaty body-on-frame ride, a tight second row for rear passengers, only high-speed cruise with no stop-and-go or lane-centering, Poor-rated headlights that hurt night touring, and a coarse V6 that drones on grades.

Genuine adventure hardware is the 4Runner's other headline strength. The TRD Off-Road adds KDSS sway-bar disconnect, Multi-Terrain Select, CRAWL Control and an electronic locking rear differential, the TRD Pro halo layers 2.5-inch Fox internal-bypass shocks and all-terrain tires, and every 4x4 has a two-speed transfer case and roughly 9.6 in of ground clearance on a ladder frame. Add roof rails, a 5,000 lb rating for toys, a 120V cargo outlet and a flat-folding load floor for camping and it is a true trail-and-basecamp enabler — a step below only the extreme Wrangler/Bronco factory halos.

A square, near-vertical-tailgate box that holds 47.2 cu ft behind the second row and a van-like 89.7 cu ft folded — all enclosed, lockable and weatherproof — backed by standard roof rails, the unique power roll-down rear window for loading long items, an available sliding cargo deck, an underfloor bin and factory hitch availability. The deep 4Runner accessory catalogue for rooftop tents, drawers and racks makes it one of the most flexible gear-haulers in the class; the flat but non-sliding 60/40 second row is the only real limit.

The 2023 4Runner is the outgoing fifth-generation (2010–2024) body-on-frame truck-SUV, and it drives like one: soft, wallowy suspension, pronounced body roll, floaty vertical motions and low cornering limits. Genuinely capable off-road but clumsy and dated on pavement, near the bottom of the segment for on-road composure.

Old-school hydraulically-assisted rack that is slow, light and vague, with noticeable dead space on-center and little genuine feedback — you steer it in broad corrections rather than with precision. Fine for trail crawling, numb and imprecise on the highway.

Adequate but unremarkable: a soft pedal, noticeable nose-dive under hard braking, and long-ish stopping distances for a ~4,750-lb body-on-frame SUV. Consistent and drama-free in normal use but well short of confident.

The 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 (270 hp / 278 lb-ft) is smooth and unburstable, but it is paired with an ancient 5-speed automatic that leaves big gaps between ratios — response is lazy off the line and the transmission hunts and downshifts reluctantly. Dependable and adequate rather than well-calibrated.

The V6 itself is fairly refined and vibration-free, but with only five gears it spins at elevated revs on the highway and drones under load, and it sounds coarse when worked hard. Combined with high wind and road noise from the boxy body, refinement is middling.

At 37.4 ft the fifth-gen 4Runner sits in the middle of the SUV band — its relatively compact 109.8-in wheelbase keeps low-speed maneuverability reasonable despite the truck underpinnings.

Commanding, upright seating with an excellent tall sightline and simple, chunky physical controls that are easy to use with gloves — but the step-in is high (running boards help), the low-set 8-inch touchscreen and dated dash show their age, and the driver's seat lacks much adjustability. Comfortable in the ways that matter for its buyer, dated in others.

On pavement it is no fun — slow, soft and trucky — but the 4Runner earns real enthusiast affection for its rugged character, go-anywhere off-road ability (especially TRD Off-Road/Pro), classic looks and bulletproof reputation. Buyers love it for what it is, not how it corners.

For a ~$40k base SR5, content is only adequate: Toyota Safety Sense P, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and cloth seats are standard, but the aged interior lacks the larger screens, digital gauges, and standard driver-assist breadth rivals like the Bronco and newer crossovers bundle at similar prices.

On raw content-for-price the 4Runner is weak — you pay premium money for a 13-year-old platform, a dated 5-speed automatic, and ~17 mpg combined — but class-leading resale (64.4% retention after 5 years) claws much of that back, so real cost-of-ownership value is far better than the window sticker suggests.

Eight trims span mainstream (SR5, SR5 Premium, Limited) to hardcore off-road (TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, TRD Pro) plus the 40th Anniversary special edition, with RWD or 4WD on most and an optional third row — a wide, well-spaced ladder.

Despite being the oldest design in its class, the 4Runner remained a strong six-figure annual seller with a devoted, self-renewing buyer base — remarkable market acceptance for a vehicle over a decade into its generation.

The 4Runner carries a genuine cult following built on off-road credibility and bulletproof reputation, amplified by Toyota's brand strength; the 2023 40th-anniversary milestone underscores an aspirational, beloved nameplate.

Scored on buyer benefit: strong demand and tight supply meant the 4Runner routinely transacted at or near MSRP with minimal factory incentives or negotiability in 2023 — good for resale, but little upfront discount for the buyer.

The fifth generation launched for 2010, making the 2023 model roughly 13 years old on an ancient platform (5-speed automatic, dated infotainment) with an all-new sixth generation already looming for 2025 — the freshness of a vehicle at the very end of its life.

Reviews were sharply split: critics praised genuine off-road ability, reliability, and resale (KBB Best Resale Value recognition) but repeatedly panned the unsettled ride, cheap dated interior, poor fuel economy, and old drivetrain, and it rarely won on-road comparison tests.