Base price: $28,005; 4wd, $32,080
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-, rear/4-, or 4-wheel-drive; 5-door 5–8-passenger wagon
Interior volume, F/M/R (cu ft) 56–57/49/30
Cargo volume, seats up/maximum (cu ft) 13/78
Wheelbase 109.8 in
Length/width/height 189.0/73.8/69.1–71.6 in
Turning circle 36.7 ft
Curb weight 4700 lb
EPA city/highway mpg 15–18/19–21
Fuel-tank capacity/range 23.0 gal/345–414 mi
Passive restraints driver and passenger front, side, and head (opt) airbags; rear head airbags (opt)
POWERTRAIN
4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve V-6, 245 hp, 4.7-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, 235 hp; 4- or 5-sp auto
SUSPENSION
F ind, unequal-length control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar;
R rigid axle, coil or air (opt) springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
F/R vented disc/vented disc
ABS standard
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TOYOTA 4RUNNER
Toyota’s 4Runner, a stalwart, mid-size SUV designed for serious off-road use, is brand-new for 2003. This fourth-generation 4Runner is bigger, heavier, and more powerful than before. And, under the more-spacious bodywork, there’s a new frame with full-length box-section rails and nine fully welded crossmembers.
Gone is the previous model’s 183-horsepower V-6. In its stead is a new V-6 with considerably more punch—245 horsepower at 5200 rpm and a hefty 283 pound-feet of torque at 3400 rpm. It’s all-aluminum, has Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i), and a variable-intake manifold.
This year there’s also an optional 4.7-liter iForce V-8 whose previous nesting place was under the hood of the Sequoia, Tundra, and Land Cruiser. In the new 4Runner it produces 235 horsepower at 4800 rpm and 320 pound-feet of torque at 3400 rpm. The V-6 has more horsepower but the V-8 has more torque, and it’s delivered across a very broad rev range.
Vehicles available early in the model year will all be V-8s. The V-6s arrive in after the start of calender-year 2003.
The transmission that comes with the V-6 engine is a carry-over—a four-speed automatic—while the V-8 is paired with an all-new, smooth and elegant five-speed automatic. The transfer case with both engines uses a lockable Torsen center differential and in normal operating circumstances has a rear-wheel torque bias. When necessary, it can increase rearward torque distribution up to 70 percent or forward torque up to 53 percent.
Stability is further optimized by Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), which applies brakes and manages torque during precarious uphill launches, and Downhill Assist Control (DAC), a driver-selectable system that works only in low range at an initial speed less than 18 mph when the driver’s feet are off the pedals. It maintains a target forward speed of 2 to 4 mph. As usual in Toyotas, there’s also a Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) system.
There are three trim levels, all with either engine. Optional four-wheel drive is part-time on V-6 vehicles, full-time on V-8–powered 4Runners. The lowest grade is the SR5; then the Sport, which has a decorative hood scoop, fog lamps, and 17-inch alloy wheels with 65-series rubber; and the top-of-the-line Limited, with illuminated running boards and a novel double-decker shelf in the cargo compartment.
Though its 350-pound weight gain may be regrettable and make it a little heavy for the most serious off-roading, the new 4Runner is nonetheless better than its predecessor in every way. It’s solidly built, refined, and has plenty of power.
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