Toyota’s sales numbers for the first three months of 2024 showed that the 4Runner was still very popular. Over the same time last year, sales of the old SUV with the slow V6 engine and almost completely outdated five-speed automatic transmission went up by 60.2%. So, the rig’s ease is what makes so many people want it, even though the things I just said might turn some people off. Also, people are buying the first new 4Runner in fifteen years right before it comes out. Toyota only sold 21,116 4Runners in the first three months of 2023, but 33,823 were sold in the first three months of this year. So, the differences are clear, but it’s important to remember that the 4Runner had a rough start the year before. What we’re seeing now in 2024 is more like how often this type sells, so it was more of an exception. Still, we have to praise the current generation 4Runner for being persistent in achieving these results so far in its production cycle. Everything below is mostly the same as it was in 2009. It’s been changed more than the pocket T-shirt that’s been drying for three days. The Ford Bronco, a major competitor, has ten speeds, so this is the only model in the US that comes with a five-speed automatic gearbox. The Jeep Wrangler doesn’t just come with a normally aspirated V6 engine; it also has a small-volume turbo engine for those who like it. A new generation is coming, though, and it will all be built on the same TNGA-F base as Toyota’s body-on-frame cars. Take a look at the new Tundra, Tacoma, and Land Cruiser. It might have an eight-speed automatic transmission and the company’s 2.4-liter turbo-four engine, yet we have yet to determine for sure. It could also have hybrid help. That makes it the same as the Land Cruiser we talked about before, which has that engine and a hybrid drivetrain as normal. We still need to find out how Toyota will set itself apart from the two SUVs that have usually focused on off-road sports. For now, people are happy with the 4Runner as it is. We’ll see how they feel about a new model when the sixth-generation truck comes out later this year.
