![]() ![]() ![]() It's not enough to sink the 4Runner as an option, but its definition of 'lackluster' when compared against the current state of the art. Together, this makes for disappointing sub-20-mpg fuel economy in all situations, and while the vehicle's IFS might improve its handling on the highway its drivetrain package is shamed by both the V6 and the turbocharged four-cylinder currently available with the Wrangler. The truck's sluggishness is further compounded by an equally-dated five-speed automatic gearbox-truly a museum piece in a world where some transmissions offer double its ratios. Under the hood lurks an ancient V6 (similar to that found in the mid-size Tacoma pickup), and its 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque are begrudgingly extracted from its 4.0-liters of displacement in rough and noisy fashion. Unfortunately, the SUV is hamstrung by two important oversights that see it lagging the field. Seen from another perspective, that independent front setup and updated-for-2020 list of features (adaptive cruise control, improved safety systems, larger touchscreen, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay support, keyless entry, snazzier gauge cluster) might also have you thinking that the Toyota 4Runner is at the very least competitive with the crossover set when it comes to daily comfort. While the Toyota might not offer a solid front axle to match the one it boasts out back, you won't find another Wrangler rival with the same low-range four-wheel drive capability and legitimately capable suspension package at this price point anywhere outside a Jeep showroom. KDSS is notable for using hydraulics to actively adjust its stabilizer bars on pavement for better body control, while softening response on the trail in order to improve individual wheel articulation. My tester also came with the optional Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which surprisingly isn't available on the ostensibly more hardcore TRD Pro version of the 4Runner, as well as a Yakima cargo hauler basket to the roof. Positioned near the top of the 4Runner's trim hierarchy, the Venture combines the locking differential, A-TRAC traction control system, and terrain management and crawl control systems found on the TRD Off-Road Premium model with a host of comfort gear (heated leatherette seats, a moonroof, automatic climate control, upgraded infotainment) intended to smooth out the drive to work on Monday morning after a solid weekend collecting mud. For those who plan on leaving the pavement behind, but who can't justify owning a dedicated trail rig, there's a lot to like about the Venture Special Edition model that I drove. There are two ways to look at the Toyota 4Runner. While that may have once been true, a week spent bashing through the snow in the 2020 edition of Toyota's popular go-anywhere option reveals that the 4Runner's claim to modern manners has begun to wear thin. Perhaps the only true, similarly-sized competitor to the Wrangler in terms of capability and trail cred, the 4Runner has been coasting for nearly a decade on the perception that it's the more civilized of the two adventure-mobiles. ![]() The Toyota 4Runner, on the other hand, has seen no such evolution. And yet, with each passing year the Wrangler has made a significant effort to update where it can-particularly under the hood, and in the cabin-while retaining the aspects of its rugged past that make it most appealing to hardcore 4x4 fans. The Jeep Wrangler takes a lot of heat for being an anachronism, a body-on-frame off-roader in a world that's largely transitioned to car-based crossover platforms as the de facto choice for most new vehicle buyers.
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