Should You Buy a 2023 Toyota 4Runner?

• Pricing for the 4Runner starts at $51,890 in Canada, $40,155 in the US.

• The Toyota 4Runner is a legend and will never die.

• The next one will be epic.

Hell YEAH!, is what I thought to myself when Toyota Canada offered me the opportunity to once more spend a week behind a 4Runner. As we all know and have known for a while, its days with a 4.0L V6 and 5-speed automatic transmission are numbered.

But I didn’t care, and still don’t care. Few, if no other vehicle, sold new in North America can so easily be forgiven for being old. The best way to put it is that the 4Runner doesn’t hide what it is, won’t pretend to save the world, or be something it isn’t. Honesty, in my opinion, is always the best policy if mostly because eventually, one gets caught in their lies.

The current 5^th generation truck launched in 2009 for the 2010 model year and in the 14 subsequent model years, Toyota introduced a few facelifts, new trims, colours, and extra kit and technologies. However, overall, it’s the same SUV we’ve come to love and appreciate.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely you have a 4Runner in your life or/and are thinking about adding another one. The easy answer to whether or not you should buy a new 4Runner is yes, absolutely. That said, there might be a few reasons to hold off though…

Why you should buy a 2023 Toyota 4Runner:

• The standard-for-all 4.0L V6 has plenty of power to get the rig up and over absolutely anything.

• Solar Octane.

• TRD Pro: Crawl control, 17-inch TRD wheels with big tires, hood scoop, skid plates, rock rails, basket-style roof rack, 9.6 inches of ground clearance, and so much more.

• Fox shocks. They not only provide the 4Runner with travel and incredible off-road abilities but offer the smoothest possible ride no matter the surface’s condition.

• TRD Pro: Because getting wherever you want to go and getting back is important.

• Despite its age, it’s still achingly attractive and cool.

• The cabin is humongous.

• In all likelihood, a 4Runner will outlast its owner with a minimal amount of attention from he or she.

Why you should not buy a 2023 Toyota 4Runner:

• Toyota’s got lots of stuff lined up for its legions of SUV and truck enthusiasts meaning that you might want to hold on to your $60k.

• The upcoming Tacoma is an indication of what we can expect from the next 4Runner and in short, it’s going to be epic.

• As well, rumour has it that Toyota might be working on an FJ Cruiser revival albeit a smaller one. If you already have a 5+-year old 4Runner, something new, a little more efficient and advanced would be a nice addition to the fleet.

• If we’re to be honest, fuel efficiency is abysmal, but you and we shouldn’t care.

Conclusion:

The Toyota 4Runner is a very rare vehicle against which there are no real arguments. Other such rare pieces of automotive wonder include the Porsche 911, Mazda MX-5, Subaru Outback, and that’s about it. It could be argued that the Jeep Wrangler is one such vehicle and that it can easily rival the 4Runner, and I’ll allow it. And that’s it.

The 4Runner will always have a special place in automotive lore, and for many reasons. One of them is that Toyota will honour the beloved SUV with an extraordinary new version sooner rather than later.

If you’re looking for an idea of what to expect, click on the story below.

Redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma Debuts And Is Ready For A Fight

Finally, and this is for Toyota Canada, here’s a suggestion for the 6^th generation 4Runner launch event: Have an example of all previous five generations of the truck for us to sample. Thanks.