Toyota 4Runner Driving Impression

Recently I had the opportunity to drive a 2008 Toyota 4Runner for a few days while my daily driver was being repaired due to running over debris. While familiar in some respects from previous ownership of three Toyotas ('95 Camry XLE V-6, '94 Supra Twin Turbo, '99 Solara SLE V-6), I also found some aspects objectionable even compared to a 14 year-old model. First the circumstances of the accident which is another lesson I learned that I can add to previous articles, "Accidents - what I've learned" and "What Traffic School should teach - lessons for all of us".

While in heavy traffic I was changing lanes from right to left to avoid the slower traffic from merging lanes. I ran over some debris left in the road by a landscaping company pick-up truck. I chose to swerve back into my lane rather than have my momentum carry me too far, possibly into the other lane. Regardless it probably wouldn't have mattered. Obscured by the cars in front of me, I caught a brief glimpse of green leaves and the handle of a wooden tool and yelled an expletive as I ran over some items.

I called CHP and saw that the suspect truck and another vehicle were on the side of the road. Lessons for recourse: Pull over too and inspect the damage before it's too late. Don't believe CHP will make it to the scene on time prior to the offending vehicle leaving. Don't count on fellow motorists to report items falling off of vehicles.

Anyway, the initial impression was one of familiarity with the interior. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But the seats were the big objection. Being cloth covered was okay, but they were very shallow and when the seat bottom tilt was adjusted all the way, it still didn't seem to enough. The material and design seemed as if they came from a Corolla from the early eighties. Totally unacceptable in any vehicle that costs over ten grand. The problem with the support only in the small of your back is the bumpy ride. The swaying motions meant your upper moves around while your lower back stays supported. Not very comfortable if you have back pain or even if it's tender or sore. The floor is also very close to the bottom of the seat so your feet are out in front of you, instead of down. However, this seemed to be a result of the high floor height for increased ground clearance. Truly truck-like.

Speaking of truck-like, the ride definitely gave the impression of off-road capability. More "jiggly" than harsh, the driver is acutely aware of what each each corner is doing. Impacts are absorbed well, you just know they are there. It wants to go off-road.

The interior has similar designs from Toyotas of the past. Another example of sticking with what works. The climate controls were unique 5-spoke buttons which worked fine and were intuitive. But what I did notice is the text on the buttons was too dark and combined with a dark interior, didn't stand out enough. Sunglasses just made it worse. Despite the good feel of the controls, the dashboard is too far from the driver. Keep in mind, with you legs out in front of you, it creates a greater distance than if they go down a bit. So reaching for the dash controls requires leaning forward if have long legs. Even if you have long monkey-arms like me.

Acceleration however is effortless. Seemingly aggressively geared and with a lightly sprung pedal, speeding seemed easily, even in inappropriate places like parking lots. It was fairly fast with WOT (wide open throttle) to 60mph being quite satisfactory. In fact, it was downright quick and effortless. Gas mileage suffers as a result, however. Alright, did I open the hood? No I didn't. I acted like my non car- DNA brother and didn't even bother. I'll take an educated guess that it was the V-8 because it scooted!

The 5-speed automatic responded well but I am not sure I'm sold on the multiple detent shifter gate. I did get used to it after a while but the first few times shifting to and from reverse I would look down to see why it seemed jammed only to find it was a matter of moving it side to side.
The rear hatch offered spacious cargo capacity which doesn't hide anything from prying eyes. However the door was excessively hard to close, basically requiring both hands. I doubt "they are all like that" - as in all SUVs. When you've got your laptop and lunch bag in one hand, your keys and whatever else in another, even a tall male who spends time in the gym will frown, or get frustrated, with the effort.

Consider the daily usage when buying any used car. Every car has it's quirks, and for my use, sitting high up isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes.
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