Minor changes will likely lead to major payoffs...
Written: Nov 05 '03 (Updated May 22 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Engine power, handling, cargo space, new 3rd row seating, minor styling improvements
Cons: Nothing major
The Bottom Line: The 2004 4Runner remains a great vehicle, but the few changes that were made will certainly attract a broader market.
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| tch7's Full Review: 2004 Toyota 4Runner 4WD |
In December of '02 we purchased a "newly engineered" V6 4Runner with the Sport package. Nearly 26 000 kilometers have passed, and it has proven itself to be a great vehicle in conditions ranging from mud pits to long ice roads (ice roads are what petroleum companies make in desolate areas in winter, where the trees are logged and then the ground is covered with layers of water that turn to ice and thus form a road). Most of the peeves I had with it eventually wore off as I got used to the vehicle, but I still dislike that it beeps when you skid, when the doors automatically lock, and other minor things along those lines. At a recent oil change, I took it upon myself to check out the 2004 model to see what had been changed. Please note that information provided below is based on information from Toyota Canada, which may have slight deviations from south of the border. I also suggest you read my review of the 2003 4Runner, as this review talks a lot about the changes that have been made, and the things that have not changed have greater detail in my other review.
You don't typically see huge changes the year after a complete redesign, and that was the case with the 4Runner. Most of the changes were esthetic, with the introduction of two new exterior colours (Stratospheric Mica & Natural White) and the complete loss of the plastic bodyside cladding, which was only an option on last year's Limited models. Basically, the '04 SR5 models will look like the '03 Limited models on the outside, which is a good change if you ask me. However, unnoticeable changes were made to the engine, with 245hp (was 240hp) with 283lb. ft. torque for the V6 and 235hp (was 230hp) with 320lb. ft. for the V8. The biggest change though was the introduction of 3rd row seating, something many people have said they wanted, but nothing I'd ever need.
The 50/50 split 3rd row seating adds two seats that can be completely removed or folded up to the sidewall; however, it is not available with the Sport package. They are fairly typical for third row seats, so only smaller people will be overly comfortable with them. Although I have no use for a 3rd row, I do like the 50/50 split so that you can actually keep a fair sized area open for cargo. The cargo area is large, not huge, but a decent size that I would say is just right. The 2nd row seats easily fold up (60/40 split) to give a larger flat area if you ever need that extra space. The 3rd row seats do eat up a fair chunk of space, and it would be nice if they folded down into the floor - like the Honda Odyssey does - but luckily they can also be taken out without too much of a hassle. The seats all remain comfortable, with the back two providing decent proportions - 3 average-sized people can fit relatively comfortably in the 2nd row.
The interior is otherwise the same, with slight modifications to the climate & audio controls, but it's still basically the same. The climate controls are confusing at first, but can quickly be picked up. The audio system is also easy to use and of great quality for a factory-direct system. My only qualm is that unless you have the 10-speaker system, the 2nd row has poor sound quality as there are no speakers that are very close. The front seats are the best for a surround-sound feel, and the speakers in the back pillars can be adjusted to be good for the 3rd row. Steering wheel audio controls I find to be very helpful, but the rear audio controls are of little/no use.
The wiper settings and such remain complex, with the occasional glance required to figure out just what is going on. Cruise control is easy to deal with, as is the exterior light settings.
The gauges are very sporty looking, but they are rather deep and it can be difficult to find certain items in all the clutter. However, I drive a fairly basic '87 Accord when in town (which is most of the time), and it's a very simple gauge layout, so it's just such a clash that I think causes my problems with it.
There are a number of little storage places, with a nice center console, a fair sized glove box, and a hidden compartment in the glove box. The smaller compartments wouldn't be fun to clean though, as they are awkward shapes. The 2nd row seating has a center console that can be pulled down and has a tray that can be pulled out that offers even more cup holders. All the doors have good sized cup holders, and the ones in the front center can be adjusted to various sizes, but they don't work well with most mugs.
Overall it is a very comfortable interior with nice visibility and a great setup.
The handling seems to be quite good and very much the same as the '03. I'm always changing between vehicles that I drive, so unless it's a huge difference I typically don't really notice anything about changes in handling. The XREAS suspension that was introduced last year definitely aids in the handling and safety. On the news a while back I saw some footage from the NHTSA that was comparing the roll of SUVs, and the 4Runner was among the top if I do recall correctly. The ride is relatively smooth, definitely better than the pre-2003 models, and it handles quite well offroad like they always have. Our 2003 model has never gotten stuck, and the only major loss of control was when it turned sideways going downhill on an ice road, but it was easily corrected. Living & working mainly in the prairies has caused us to never need to utilize the hill-start assist or downhill assist features. Unless you do serious offroading, I can't imagine you'd need those features either. Given that I live in the middle of a large city, I didn't have time to truly put the offroad abilities to the test, but the minor offroading that I could find was as comfortable as offroading gets. A new feature this year is a Tire Pressure Monitor System which informs you there is a problem with the tire pressure, which I suppose could be helpful. I'd say the handling hasn't changed, but it had no need to as it was already great.
Both engines have ample power, and unless you plan on doing a lot of heavy towing you don't need the extra torque & higher gas consumption of the V8. Just like the '03, the V6 has ten more horsepower, so it has its advantages over the V8. Most of the 4Runners I see are used for the daily commute downtown, which hardly requires a V8, or even a 4Runner for that matter. The 4Runner isn't exactly a great vehicle for doing lots of towing, especially when you compare it to some of the other SUVs & trucks. If you want a good SUV for in town, get something like the Highlander, which now offers 3rd row seating and has much better gas consumption (26 city/36 highway mpg or 22 city/31 highway mpg). Gas consumption for the V6 is 21/26 (city/highway) mpg, and the V8 is 18/25 mpg - values which are slightly above average. Acceleration is excellent, and the automatic transmission doesn't seem to hold you back. Passing at high speeds was easy, with no shortage of power. I found that around 140km/h things were beginning to get uneasy, but it still had some power available. It handled hills well, but given that the thing was practically empty, it's hard to say just how well it would do when loaded down. The automatic transmission was very good and shifted smoothly, although I'd still prefer if they offered a manual transmission. The engine noise is the type of power, not that of an engine struggling to reach 60km/h. Other than the engine noise, it is a quiet and relaxing ride.
A common complaint I have seen in other reviews is about the price of the 4Runner compared to the competition. I was once of the same mind, and the first SUV we looked at was almost half the price. However, if you were to get the competition to be almost identical to what the 4Runner provides, the prices would not be much better. I'd like a lower price too, but I don't feel even remotely ripped off with the $44 000 price tag on ours. I feel that getting a Limited 4Runner is better than getting an official luxury SUV. The 04's pricing ranges from $39 200 - $51 000 CAD ($27 700 - $34 000 USD).
There has only been one recall on the 2003 models, which had something to do with the fuel pump and possible fires. One problem we have with our 4Runner is that the back doors collect dirt and junk on the lip of the door and it can only be cleaned by hand, otherwise rust would develop. We saw our dealer about the problem, and they didn't know much about what to do, but we made an appointment to put on a different foam bar that might help the situation. However, we got busy and had to cancel the appointment and never had anything done about it. I don't know if this problem still exists on the new models, but it may. We also had running boards put on, and what a waste that was. Unless you have people under 5'5 regularly getting in, they are more a pain than anything as far as I can tell. All in all the 4Runner has done exceptionally well and my only gripes are very minor, so I'd expect that the '04 will have very few problems since little was changed. The removal of the plastic cladding gives me the feel of a higher quality product over the '03, and the quality of our '03 has been spectacular, plus Toyota has a reputation of producing very high quality and long lasting vehicles.
Given that the '03 and '04 models are very similar with only a few changes, I suggest you read some reviews of the '03 4Runner to give you a basic idea of what to expect of the '04 4Runner. I realize that much of what I have said is practically a repeat of my review of last year’s 4Runner, but there are noticeable differences that are difficult to describe, but they do make it a better vehicle.
Toyota has made intelligent refinements over last years model, and I still feel that it is one of the best vehicles in its class. Although I wasn't able to uncover whether it still beeped when you go into a skid, which is the most annoying thing about the 4Runner, I'd imagine it remains though. If you were waiting to see how the first year of the new design went, it has gone quite well and gives further incentive to look at the '04 models. I'm perfectly happy with my '03 and have no reason to really look at the '04, but I highly suggest you make a point of doing so if in the market for an SUV.
A few vehicles to look at for comparison, in no particular order, include:
Nissan Pathfinder
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Mitsubishi Montero Sport (2003)
Infiniti QX4
Honda Pilot
Dodge Durango
Chevy Trailblazer
GMC Envoy
Volkswagen Touareg
Ford Explorer
Acura MDX
Toyota Highlander
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 32 000
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Epinions.com ID:
tch7
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