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4Running in Florida. Image by Toyota.

4Running in Florida
Ponce de Leon was ahead of his time. He found Florida during a thirsty quest for the fountain of youth. The actual fountain showed up 400 years later disguised as a gasoline-powered margarita blender in the parking lot at a Jimmy Buffet concert...

   



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Ponce de Leon was ahead of his time. He found Florida during a thirsty quest for the fountain of youth. The actual fountain showed up 400 years later disguised as a gasoline-powered margarita blender in the parking lot at a Jimmy Buffet concert... No such fun for me. I was off to Florida for a drive that would take me from Miami to the tip of the panhandle and back over the course of two weeks, that's almost 2,000 miles of driving. Our test vehicle for the trip was the 2006 Toyota 4Runner in the Sport Edition with a V8. OK, so maybe this could be fun.

I like the look of this truck. This model sports a hood scoop, 265/65 R17 raised white letter tires, smoked chrome grille and headlamp bezels, black tubular roof rack, black tube steps, fog lamps and a tow hitch.

Let's get the subject of fuel economy out of the way right now. The EPA says that this SUV will get 17mpg in the city and 20mpg on the highway (note to our European readers: these are US gallons; 1 UK gallon = 1.2 US gallons). I have no reason to doubt them. What they don't take into account is the temptation of the 260bhp V8 and the actual vs. posted speed of Florida's highways. If you drive at the posted 70mph, you're likely to be struck from behind by somebody pulling a large boat. On a two-lane highway, the V8 gives you enough power to pass the same boat with confidence.

The handling and performance of the Toyota 4Runner was much better than I expected from a platform with such a stellar off-road reputation. Toyota has tamed the body-on-frame structure with some impressive technology. The X-REAS Sport Enhancement Suspension diagonally links the compression chambers of the shock absorbers (front left shock linked to rear right and front right linked to rear left) by a center control absorber.

The system improves on-road handling and dampens body roll and pitch by passing small body motions from front to rear to increase overall vertical shock damping. On the Limited Edition, you can also opt for a rear auto-leveling air suspension for improved ride and performance when towing or carrying heavy loads.

It works. The 4Runner is responsive and nimble on the highway and on the streets. The extra power from the V8 came in handy on more then one occasion as I tried to negotiate into the correct lanes demanded by the cool-as-a-cucumber female voice of the GPS Navigation unit.

As with most navigation units, this one took some getting used to. This guidance system was quite flexible compared to others I've used. Although it would always keep the destination in mind, it seemed to sense when I was just driving around randomly and kept to itself until I started heading back to the main route. After about the first 700 miles, we seemed to come to some kind of man-machine understanding. I actually miss the pseudo-companionship. I especially miss how it would politely yield up its maps to a rear-view camera whenever I put the car in reverse.

The electric seats are nice on a long drive. It's good to be able to adjust the lumbar or tilt into a slightly different position after the first 200 miles of the day. Those seats are new this year for the SR5 V8 and Sport Edition models. The Limited Edition offers power seats with memory settings.

Although the premium JBL sound system is said to have a remote input, I couldn't find it. I had to resort to playing Margaritaville through my iPod through my FM transmitter gadget, and it's almost impossible to find an open radio frequency in Florida. It would be nice to just have the auxiliary audio input plug prominently placed on the dash or in the console so people would just know what to do. I suppose I could have just read the manual...

Along the same lines, there is only one 12-volt outlet. It would be worth opting for the ashtray just to get another power point. I'd much rather just plug my phone and iPod in their own plugs and forget them instead of jockeying cords and cables.

One cool feature was the rear window. Walking back to the 4Runner with groceries and beverages to stock the condominium, it was a simple matter to press the button on the remote and roll down the back window so we could drop everything into the cargo area without opening the hatch.

Regrettably, I never had the 4Runner in a situation where four-wheel drive would be needed - Florida is a flat as a pancake. The only steep hills I could find were boat ramps. All four-wheel drive 4Runners are equipped with a two-speed transfer case with low range for handling steep off-highway inclines or descents.

Downhill Assist Control (DAC) is designed to augment the low-speed descending ability of low-range by holding the vehicle to a target speed with no intervention from the driver. The Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) system, standard on all models, provides additional control for off-road driving by helping to keep the vehicle stationary while starting on a steep incline or slippery surface. I like these systems. There's nothing scarier than facing down a steep, rocky descent and having to rely on brakes, wits and the weak compression of an engine that's seen better days. (Ask me about my own car sometime!)

Safety features on this Toyota 4Runner included driver and front passenger advanced airbags plus seat side mounted airbags and curtain airbags for the rear. It was also equipped with Toyota's Star Safe System including Vehicle Stability Control with Traction Control.

I could easily make this my daily driver, although I'd probably opt for the V6 just to get a little bit better mileage. However, if you own a boat or other light towable, you'll want the extra torque of the V8. The Toyota 4Runner in either of the three available flavors should live up to its reputation off-road, and is rapidly establishing a new, more refined side on the pavement.
Toyota 4Runner US range overview

- Toyota 4Runner SR5 2WD Automatic (V6) : $27,635
- Toyota 4Runner Sport Edition 2WD Automatic (V6) : $29,975
- Toyota 4Runner Limited 2WD Automatic (V6) : $34,350
- Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD Automatic (V6) : $29,910
- Toyota 4Runner Sport Edition 4WD Automatic (V6) : $32,250
- Toyota 4Runner Limited 4WD Automatic (V6) : $36,625
- Toyota 4Runner SR5 2WD Automatic (V8) : $29,650
- Toyota 4Runner Sport Edition 2WD Automatic (V8) : $31,355
- Toyota 4Runner Limited 2WD Automatic (V8) : $36,110
- Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD Automatic (V8) : $31,925
- Toyota 4Runner Sport Edition 4WD Automatic (V8) : $33,630
- Toyota 4Runner Limited 4WD Automatic (V8) : $38,385

Dave Young - 28 Jul 2006



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2006 Toyota 4Runner specifications: (Sport Edition 4WD Automatic (V8))
Price: $33,630 (other charges may apply and test vehicle was equipped with optional extras).
2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.



2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 

2006 Toyota 4Runner. Image by Toyota.
 






 

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