Disclosure: I was given a Toyota 4Runner to test drive for a week in exchange for a review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.
A few weekends ago we headed up to our favorite Colorado getaway spot for our kids – Snow Mountain Ranch in Winter Park Colorado. This place has been a highlight of our summer vacation staycations for the last 4 years. Every year school lets out, the kids immediately ask when we are heading up to Snow Mountain Ranch. I love that it is a place we call all enjoy.
As we started our preparations for this yearly tradition I got our scheduled figured out, lodging set up and then had the exciting opportunity to upgrade our transportation for our trip! Yes!! When we got word that we would be driving up the mountain in a beautiful Toyota 4Runner we were so excited!
See, she is beautiful right? And what kind of car screams MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE more than this stylin’ 4 Runner? When Drive Shop pulled this car into our driveway Teagan actually said “WOW, I love the red”. I did too. Such a change from our black or blue cars that are usually in our driveway. ha! We currently both drive SUV’s with third rows – we bought Jeremy’s Toyota Highlander in January and we are now big Toyota fans. It has been a great upgrade for us so trying yet another Toyota for our Winter Park trip was so much fun.
Mountain Fun With The Toyota 4Runner
This 4Runner is a bit different than my SUV and Jeremy’s Highlander – even with the lack of a third row there is a TON of space for luggage for trips. When we go on our road trips in true over packer fashion, I go a bit crazy. I do not want to forget anything! This means we need a lot of room in the back of the car we take. I love that all of our bags fit perfectly and we did not have to have any of the bags in the front with us. Makes for a way more comfortable trip up to the mountains.
I think what I loved most about this car was how pretty it was. But not girly pretty – it was classy pretty! I got a lot of great reactions when we were driving the 4Runner – people loved it!
General Specs of the Toyota 4 Runner
Projector-beam headlights with smoked trim
LED taillights with smoked sport trim
Integrated fog lights
Color-keyed front and rear bumpers, door handles, heated power outside mirrors, overfenders, side rocker panels and rear spoiler; and silver-painted roof rails with silver endcaps
17-in. 6-spoke alloy wheels with P265/70R17 tires
Aerodynamic variable intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle
Windshield wiper de-icer
Privacy glass on rear side, quarter and rear liftgate windows
Color-keyed rear spoiler with LED center high-mount stop light and integrated concealed rear wiper with mist cycle
Skid plates — on engine/front suspension, fuel tank and transfer case (transfer case on 4×4 models only)
Front and rear mudguards
Air conditioning with air filter and second-row vents
Multi-Information Display with outside temperature, clock, average fuel economy and distance to empty
Leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio, Bluetooth® hands-free phone and voice-command controls
Power rear liftgate window with auto up/down and jam protection
Rear liftgate window defogger with timer and UV protection
Power door locks with programmable auto door lock logic
Backup camera with projected path
The Toyota 4Runner’s standard V6 can tow up to 5,000 pounds, and the optional 3rd-row seat expands the 4Runner’s passenger complement to seven. 4Runner’s proven body-on-frame construction has helped it conquer the off-road for over 30 years and counting.
Our Favorite Features Of The Toyota 4 Runner
Okay, my first favorite feature was this amazing sliding rear cargo deck! Because the 4Runner has so much room for cargo in the back it can be difficult to pack it all in and then unload it. But with this very smart feature you simply slide it out and put your bags on it and slide it back into the car! HELLO!! So cool!!
We also loved the roomy feeling in the 4Runner. Plenty of room for the 4 of us. We did not go off-roading on our trip but it was a great car to get us around Winter Park and the YMCA camp area. We did not have to worry about where to park because this car could park on the side of a mountain! So fun!
Something that I did notice was that the 4Runner certainly rides and drives more like a truck. And I actually felt weird having to step UP into the car to get in. Even though the 4Runner is a very similar size to my SUV it certainly sits up higher. My kids missed the in car DVD and entertainment but they did like the giant sunroof.
Honestly, I loved taking the Toyota 4Runner up to Winter Park and driving it around town for a week. It was a fun car and perfect for anyone who loves going on mountain adventures. It would not be my favorite family car from Toyota however but if someone is wanting a car that they feel free and adventurous this should be their new car for sure!
Would you love to try the Toyota 4 Runner for your next mountain adventure?
