2012 Toyota 4Runner

The 2012 Toyota 4Runner consists of 3 trims in the lineup. The base trim has a starting price of $31,090 and adds features such as manual tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cloth/fabric seats, day and night rearview mirror, hill start assist, cruise control, and 40/60 ration rear seats. Upgrade to the Trail trim, you get water-repelling upholstery on seats and a power tilt/slide moonroof with sunshade but the number of speakers remains the same as the base trim. The top of the range Limited trim has leather seats, standard heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and 20-inch alloy wheels.

SR5 has a number of packages available. The Convenience Package gives upgraded upholstery and power adjustment to the driver seat while the Premium Package includes a navigation system, heated front seats, and a power moonroof. The Premium Package with the Third Row gives leather seats just like the previous package and also adds a 50/50 ratio third row.

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The SR5 trim is our pick. Not only it has a generous list of features which is generally not in the case of many entry-level trims but it is blessed with many optional packages and also has two drivetrain options, unlike the Trail trim.

A 4.0-liter V6 engine is given on the 2012 Toyota 4Runner which is connected with a 5-speed automatic transmission. It churns out 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. RWD drivetrain comes as default on the base and top trim which can be replaced with the 4WD. With this system, 2012 4Runner can reach 60 mph from a standstill in 7.7 seconds. The towing capacity of the 2012 Toyota 4Runner is 5000 lbs.

The midrange Trail trim is different from the rest because it only has 4WD as a standard drivetrain. It also has an optional Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System which is not given on other trims. Other than the different suspension systems, Trail has a locking rear differential, off-road-oriented tires, and selectable electronic terrain-sensitive systems which makes it a trim more suited for off-roading.

The fastest SUV in the competition is Nissan Pathfinder which crosses the 60 mph mark from a standstill in 7.4 seconds. Jeep Grand Cherokee is the slowest of all despite having the highest engine output. Lastly, Ford Explorer which has nearly the same engine output as the Jeep Grand Cherokee does the 0-60 mph 9.2 seconds.

The 4Runner with the base engine and FWD will have a fuel economy of 17/23/19 mpg in the city/highway/combined respectively. On the other hand, if power is getting transferred by 4WD then there will be no change in the fuel economy except the 4Runner will return one mpg less on the highway. That said, 4Runner has a fuel tank capacity that is 1.6 gallons less than what is offered on Grand Cherokee.

Ford Explorer has the lowest fuel consumption of all and returns fuel economy of 18 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined. The Nissan Pathfinder is the one with the most fuel consumption and has 2/1/2 mpg in the city/highway/combined respectively as compared to the Toyota 4Runner. Finally, the Jeep Grand Cherokee shares the same fuel efficiency as the concerned car of this article.

The Toyota 4Runner’s cabin is filled with hard plastic. The design of the interior is pretty clean and simple. The seats have standard cloth upholstery which can be upgraded to leather upholstery or Sport cloth upholstery. However, seats have good back support and are comfortable to be in. The seating capacity of the 4Runner is limited to 5 people but it can be increased to 7 if an optional third row on the base or top trim is selected. The steering wheel is covered in leather in the top trim.

Heated seats are optional on base 4Runner. A standard 6-way manual adjustment with power lumbar support is given to the driver seats which can be replaced with an 8-way power adjustment. The passenger seat has a 4-way manual adjustment which can be replaced with a 4-way power adjustment. The second-row split reclining flat-folding seats have a 40/20/40 pattern whereas the optional third row has a 50/50 pattern. Manual air conditioning, remote keyless entry system, meLink 18 universal transceiver, two 12V outlets, and 12-cup holders are standard on the base 4Runner.

The Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder have the standard seating capacity of 7 but even if the third row is ignored Ford Explorer has the most spacious first and second row and overall if we include the third row it has the biggest cabin of all. Meanwhile, 4Runner has the least spacious first and second row. That said, 4Runner has the biggest cargo space in the competition. However, if instead of standard cargo capacity, space behind the second row is considered in the Ford and Nissan the 4Runner will still have lead. Major interior features include:

• Manual tilt and telescopic steering column
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Cloth/Fabric seats
• 40/20/40 reclining split flat-folding second-row seats 
• Rear liftgate window defogger
• Heated front seats (optional)
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror (optional)
• Power rear liftgate window

How intuitive is the 2012 Toyota 4Runner’s infotainment unit?

While an 8-speaker sound system, CD player, SiriusXM, USB port, Bluetooth, and aux are standard features on the 4Runner, a 6.1-inch touchscreen with a navigation system, HD radio, and advanced voice recognition is optional under Premium Package with the Third Row which is given on the base 4Runner. The sound system can be upgraded to 15-speakers JBL with a subwoofer on the topmost trim as an option. 

• Entune infotainment system with Bing and Pandora (optional)
• CD player with MP3 capability
• 8-speakers sound system
• Bluetooth
• 6.1-inch touchscreen with navigation (optional)
• SiriusXM satellite radio

The Toyota 4Runner is one of the few remaining SUVs which has body-on-frame construction. The exterior is designed in such a way that just one glance is enough for the masses to understand this powerful SUV has good off-road capabilities. Multi-reflector halogen headlamps and Integrated fog lamps along with a chrome-accented front grille insert can be seen on the front section. Body-colored front and rear bumpers have chrome inserts. 

Smoked headlamp and taillamp bezels are given only Trail trim whereas the Chrome door handles with touch-sensor lock/unlock feature are reserved for the topmost trim. Power tilt and slide moonroof with sunshade is optional on the base trim but standard on other trims. 17-in. 6-spoke alloy wheels are required for the 2012 Toyota 4Runner to run which can be replaced with 20-in. split 6-spoke alloy wheels between the top trim or 17-inch alloy wheels on the mid-range trim. 

By default because of the absence of the third row, 4Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee are not as long as the remaining two rivals which have the third row. As for other dimensions, Grand Cherokee is the widest, Pathfinder is the tallest. And the 4Runner has the highest ground clearance. Lastly, the Grand Cherokee has the biggest wheelbase whereas the 4Runner has the shortest one in the bunch. Major exterior features are:

• 17-inch 6-spoke alloy wheels
• Windshield wiper de-icer
• Integrated fog lamps
• Power tilt and slide moonroof with sunshade (optional)
• Privacy glass
• Windshield wiper de-icer
• Auto on and off daytime running lights
• Automatic running boards (optional)

The 2013 Toyota 4Runner has received an overall 4-star safety rating from the NHTSA. As for the IIHS, it has awarded not only ‘Good’ ratings in the crashworthiness tests but also with the ‘top safety pick award. That said, the 2013 4Runner is filled with ample safety features which include smart stop technology, cruise control, brake assist, hill start assist, engine immobilizer, and rear parking assist sonar. Major safety features are:

• Tire Pressure Monitor System
• Hill-start assist
• Cruise control
• Antitheft system (optional)
• Rear parking assist sonar

If you want a rugged SUV with decent off-road capabilities and fuel economy which also has an exhausting list of features then the Toyota 4Runner is your best fit. However, if you don’t mind a sluggish acceleration and high fuel economy plus a big cabin is your priority then Ford Explorer is your best alternative against the 4Runner.