The 2024 Toyota 4Runner Is One Of The Best Bargain Workhorse In 2024

In this article we will be reviewing the Toyota 4Runner SR5, and under the hood, we have a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter engine that goes through a 5-speed automatic transmission. The fuel economy of the 2024 4Runner stands at 16 mpg around town and then 19 on the highway, with power outputs of 270 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. 

Oldschool Looks, With Cool Approach

Starting with the hood, it's mostly flat in the center and kind of slowly falls off on either side, giving it a boxier look. Even on this SR5 package, the lights look really cool, obviously still a little bit more basic with the design. It has the fog light down below, and then you see a little bit of chrome accent in the middle with the badge. The SR5 does get the 4Runners high clearance front bumper, so it looks more like an off-roader! 

Around the side, the tire and wheel setup is 265-70 R17 in the front and over in the rear, and the wheels are done in silver. Then we love the body-pinned fender flares. We think those look really sharp! Plus, the mirror caps, the door handles, and all that are also body painted. 

Now, the key fob has the lock and unlock function, and then it has the Toyota logo on the back. Speaking of the back, even this SR5 has an automatic window, and there are buttons to raise and lower the window from the rear. Then you have the hatch, which has a ton of storage space in the back of the 4Runner and also has a little outlet in the back as well; overall, a nice flat loading floor, definitely great for doing practical stuff. 

At the back, it has the 4Runner badge and then a set of cool-looking tail lights, again a little bit more old school though obviously! 

Talking About Pricing

The one we have for review is a 2024 4Runner SR5, which has a window sticker of a base MSRP of $42,330. With a few options, the MSRP is $45,119. Let’s have a look at the trims of the 2024 Toyota 4Runner and how Toyota has priced it according to the variants. -

A Basic Yet Functional Cabin

The rear door panel is covered in soft touch till down below, and the window is actually automatic. On this SR5, we do have cloth seats that look like they're straight out of like the '90s, but it's cool; legroom in the back is really good, and then it has a little storage net and some vents in the center and USBs down below as usual, and it also has a cup holder armrest. Lastly, the headroom is good as well. 

Now, the front door panel again has the soft touch trim all around, and all the windows are automatic, which is nice. You get your door lock and unlock function and blind spot monitoring with the mirrors too! The front seat is similar with the cloth trim that goes down the center, but it's actually power-adjustable and has got lumbar with it too! 

The steering wheel has a nice perforated texture on either side, and it's got kind of like a rougher texture at the bottom and top, which we think is cool. This does come with adaptive cruise control as well as Lane Keep Assist. It also has controls for the center stack, volume and voice command controls, and phone controls as well! 

This does have a mostly analog gauge cluster, and it has a little screen in the center that you can use to see different bits of info about the vehicle itself. In reverse, we do have a backup camera; the resolution is definitely meh, but, you know, it gets the job done right.

Tech In Convenient, Not Showy

Talking about the sound system with the base 4Runner, it's decent, but as for the rest of the infotainment system, response time with this is solid. It's quick, and it's got nice analog controls on either side, so we think that makes it a bit more user-friendly overall. It has single-zone climate control alongside some USB action down below. Then after that, it has the control here for the two-speed transfer case, accompanied by the shifter for that 5-speed automatic transmission. 

It does have some storage here and a cupholder. And then you have this button that makes the window in the back go up and down, even in the SR5. The center console got decent storage, nice padding on the top, and the glove box is pretty dang big in the 4Runner.

Plus, even though this is more of like a base model 4Runner, we still have some off-road tech, such as hill descent control, the A track system, as well as the stability control. 

Drives Smooth And Silent!

We absolutely love how the SR5 4Runner drives, and it's for a number of reasons! First off, seat comfort is really good, seating positions are also solid, and you kind of have more of a King-of-the-Road type feel with this good torque out of that 4.0-liter. 

We've seen some people comment like the 5-speed automatic is not the most modern transmission; it's not the quickest to shift, but it's smooth, it gets the job done, and most importantly, it's very reliable! It's a very reliable transmission, and it's better than Toyota’s 6-speed transmission that they have in like the Tacoma, for example. They used to have it in the Tundra as well. 

Some other stuff, like cabinet insulation, is pretty good. Although again, this is a more old-school car, but it has a modern feel from a luxury perspective with the insulation and with the ride quality and all of that. Getting up and moving here in the 4Runner, it’s not quick by any means, but it's got enough power, and it's not fast, but it moves. 

How Does A Decade Old 4Runner Stay Relevant In 2024?

So here's the deal, the 4Runner is going to be redesigned for the 2025 model year, so 2024 is the last year of this version of the 4Runner. It’s not the quickest vehicle, not the most fuel-efficient, but super reliable. This is the vehicle that you can get in every single day, and you know it's going to start up no matter what. No matter how many miles you have on this thing, it's always going to start up. 

It's such a reliable vehicle; it's such a good vehicle; it's not the most modern; it's not the most exciting, but again, the reliability is so appealing! Plus, it's very reasonably priced compared to other vehicles on the market, as the average brand new car is almost 50 grand, so this is less expensive than the average brand new car, so just the value and everything else that this provides is rock-solid.