Toyota 4Runner Interior: The Full Rundown (2024)
Source: Pixabay
As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
That mantra has undoubtedly worked with Toyota (and took it to heart a bit much), especially with its 4Runner SUV that has been kicking around for 40 years. The old 4Runner is known for its legendary reliability and off-road capabilities. If you’re in the market for a relatively inexpensive and highly capable SUV that can take you off the beaten path, the 4Runner is more than a solid option.
It’s also clear that the 4Runner is clearly showing its age with its truck-based chassis, underpowered guts (compared to the competition), and essentially unchanged exterior design, considering how popular the 4Runner is to this day, maybe people just like their simple but capable vehicles.
However, we’re not here to review the Toyota 4Runner but to highlight its latest model’s interior. Today, we give a rundown of the Toyota 4Runner interior and its features. Let’s get to it.
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Cabin Design and Layout
While the 4Runner may have gotten away with not changing its exterior design and what’s under the hood, we can’t say the same with its cabin. We are all for retro stylings and classic design cues; we believe that the cabin should match the times we’re living in. Unfortunately, the Toyota 4Runner interior looks and feels antiquated in terms of cabin design and layout. Its old blocky design and outdated layout would probably feel right at home two U.S. presidents ago when everyone was rocking an old-gen- iPod touch.
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Furthermore, the infotainment system hasn’t changed much over the years. While it does have some modern connectivity features like Apple CarPlay support, you can’t help but expect more from a midsize SUV that easily pushes $40,000 and tops up at $50,000. The lack of updates also reared its ugly head regarding cabin materials. The abundance of hard plastic, rubbery faux leather, and dash materials further reinforce one’s feeling of being inside an old-fashioned vehicle.
Adding to the outdated feel are the various storage and small cubbies that seem too small for the modern iPhones and Androids. It was clearly designed for storing flip phones.
While we sound very pessimistic about the 4Runner’s interior, some cabin elements are done relatively well. For instance, the control layouts are logically placed and are a breeze to operate. Please take it as you will, but some people will likely appreciate the ruggedness of the interior. Moreover, the standard 8-inch touchscreen is a typical size with acceptable amounts of content features. Unfortunately, the system has this jankiness that’s hard to ignore (more on this later).
Tech and Infotainment Features
As mentioned, the 2023 Toyota 4Runner comes with an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The base audio is an 8-speaker system with several USB ports. Other standard connectivity features include Amazon Alexa, Bluetooth, satellite radio, voice recognition, and Wi-Fi hotspot.
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For optional features, buyers may upgrade to a 15-speaker JBL audio system, HD Radio, navigation, a moonroof, and dual-zone automatic climate control. On the tech features aspect, the 2023 4Runner offers something modern and functional.
However, similar to the Toyota 4Runner interior design, many critics knocked down the dated technology. As mentioned earlier, operating the infotainment system is inquisitive, but its responsiveness leaves much to be desired. Navigating the menus feels clunky and slow, yet another harsh reminder that the 4Runner is playing catch up.
If you’re in the market for an SUV with an advanced tech package, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere.
Seating, Comfort, and Cargo
The 2023 4Runner comes in standard five-seat seating, which is expandable to seven passengers with the addition of a two-seat third row. While the third row is available, it’s not the most spacious or elegant of seating solutions.
Front headroom and legroom are reasonably good, at 39.3 inches and 41.7 inches, respectively. The standard power driver seat provides plenty of adjustment options. On the rear seats, the headroom is acceptable at 38.6 inches, but it could use more legroom space at 32.9 inches. If you get the optional sunroof, expect to have a bit tighter fit. As for the third-row seats, they’re constrained and are best reserved for younger passengers – not to mention having a third row sacrifices some of the precious cargo space.
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The cargo space is where the 4Runner knocks it out of the park. You can access a paltry 9 cu-ft of space if you have the third row. However, without the third-row seats or folded, there’s a respectable 47.2 cu-ft of space, which is better than the Kia Sorento (45 cu-ft) and Ford Bronco (35.6 cu-ft). With that said, the 4Runner has a maximum cargo capacity of 89.7 cu-ft with all the rear seats folded, rivaling many three-row crossover SUVs and beating many of its two-row competitors.
Overall, the 2023 Toyota 4Runner interior offers a spacious and practical cargo area. There are also various innovative cargo area features like the slide-out cargo floor, which makes loading and unloading simple. On a side note, you may want to skip the third row unless you need it. In that case, you’re better off with a true third-row SUV like the Telluride or Grand Cherokee L.
Safety and Driver Assistance Features
For the 2023 4Runner, several standard safety features were introduced on all trims, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear-seat occupant reminder. On top of ABS braking and eight airbags, every 4Runner includes the following standard safety features:
- Forward collision warning with pedestrian detection
- Automatic emergency braking
- Lane-departure warning
- Adaptive cruise control
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Rearview camera
You have a surround-view parking camera system and front/rear parking sensors for optional features.
Unfortunately, neither the IIHS nor NHTSA haven’t assigned a safety rating for the 2023 4Runner. However, based on previous models, the 4Runner received a 4-star rating from the NHTSA and a best-possible rating of “Good” from the IIHS crashworthiness tests.
According to some rumors, Toyota is set to redesign the 4Runner for its 2024 model. Here’s hoping the company delivers.
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