If there's one thing that Toyota has always been good at doing, it's making pickup trucks and SUVs. Perhaps their most well-known pickup truck to date is the Hilux, which they unfortunately don't offer in North America anymore. They did back in the 1980s, however, and they simply called it the Toyota Pickup. It was a successful model across a global scale, but during the 1980s, something interesting happened to the Hilux.

Toyota began offering a version with a covered bed, which they dubbed the Hilux Surf. Due to the popularity of the Chevy K5 Blazer and the Ford Bronco, which were essentially trucks with fiberglass covers over the bed, they brought the Hilux Surf to North America, and called it the 4Runner. Fast-forward to today, and even though the 4Runner is ancient by modern standards, it's still going strong.

The 2023 4Runner Is Still One Of The Best Off-Road SUVs In The World

The 2023 Toyota 4Runner is Toyota's rugged SUV offering, which has been going strong for 13 years. That's completely unheard of in the automotive industry, but with the advent of more complex cars and the rise in popularity of off-roading, people have been flocking to the 4Runner even more so than ever. In fact, Toyota started seeing extremely high sales number for the 4Runner years after its original debut, and there are a few good reasons why. Mostly, it boils down to the truck's simplicity and proven reliability.

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The styling has remained basically the same since the 4Runner's launch back in 2010. The front end features a big grille, which depending on the trim level, includes either a Toyota badge or the word TOYOTA spelled out, hearkening back to Toyota's classic pickup trucks and SUVs. It's simple, boxy, but very rugged-looking, from just about every angle. New for 2023 is the rather special 40th Anniversary edition, which includes unique gold alloy wheels, and some graphics taking inspiration from Toyota's race trucks from back in the day. Other than that, the same trim levels carry over, and they include the SR5, TRD Sport, SR5 Premium, TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, the Limited, and the TRD Pro. The 4Runner's main competitors are the Ford Bronco, which we recently reviewed, and the Jeep Wrangler, which now has a plug-in hybrid version.

The 4Runner Continues To Use The 1GR-FE 4.0-Liter V6 Engine

While everyone is switching to more efficient powertrains, hybrid power, or even full-on battery power, the 4Runner isn't ready to give up its powertrain just yet. Under the hood is still the same, familiar, tried and true 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated V6, code-named 1GR-FE. In this application, it makes 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. The 4Runner also doesn't use any newfangled, overly complex transmission. Just a simple five-speed automatic, which sends power to either the rear wheels, or all four wheels through a part-time 4WD system. Most of the higher end trim levels come standard with 4WD, and some of them, like the TRD Pro, include uprated suspension for even better capability.

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One of, or perhaps the strong suit of this powertrain is its reliability. Toyota's 1GR-FE engine has proven itself to be an unstoppable machine, and it will keep going pretty much forever, which is why it's still doing service in the 4Runner. It's a lot simpler than most modern powertrains, and because it's been around for so long, it should be relatively easy to maintain, as far as parts availability goes. However, fuel economy does suffer. The EPA estimates the 4Runner's gas mileage at 16 MPG in the city, and 19 MPG on the highway.

The 2023 4Runner Sports A Simple And Comfortable Cabin

The 4Runner's simplicity is especially noticeable on the inside. While most modern cars have five different screens to control just about every aspect, the 4Runner keeps it simple and functional. There isn't even a full-screen gauge cluster, just a couple of essential analog gauges and a small color display right in the middle. The infotainment system is a slightly older iteration, but it still has everything you need, including smartphone mirroring. You also get a wireless charging pad, and as of recently, keyless entry and start, which Toyota didn't offer previously.

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A couple of years ago, every 4Runner received Toyota's Safety Sense suite of driver assistance systems, and as of the 2022 model year, the 4Runner is finally available with adaptive cruise control. It also comes standard with lane departure warning and lane keep assist, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, rear cross traffic alert and more. The 4Runner seats five passengers, and its cargo area boasts 47.2 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up, and 89.7 cubic feet with the rear seats down.

The 2023 4Runner Starts At $38,805 With The 40th Anniversary Edition Available

The 2023 Toyota 4Runner is available to order as of October 2022. Prices start at $38,805 for the base SR5 trim level. The new-for-2023 40th Anniversary Edition comes in at $46,370, along with a proviso that only 4,040 units of that particular model are available for 2023. The bells-and-whistles TRD Pro, meanwhile, comes in at $53,270. That's quite a bit of money, especially considering the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco start at a lot less. However, if you just want an old-school SUV that can just about do it all off-road, while being basically indestructible, this is a good place to go.