5 Best Toyota 4Runners Ever Made (One From Each Generation)

Going through each of the five generations, let’s have a look at some of our favorite 4Runners from past to present!

The Toyota 4Runner has been around in one form or another since October 1983. It’s largely a result of the infamous chicken tax, which imposes a 25 percent tariff on imported light-duty trucks. This law, however, doesn’t extend to SUVs based on light trucks, or even pickups with rear jump seats (See: Subaru BRAT). As such, to remain profitable as a light truck exporter to the US, Toyota developed the 4Runner based on its Hilux chassis. The idea originally sprung out of Wisconsin from a man named Jack Safro, owner of a Toyota dealer. He approached Winnebago with the proposal to convert Hiluxes into four-passenger SUVs in the style of a K5 Blazer, creating the Toyota Trekker. Only ~2000 were sold between ‘81 to ‘84. But Toyota took the idea and ran with it, creating a bespoke design to accompany the new N60 Hilux: the 4Runner.

Toyota produced five generations of 4Runner between 1983 to today, each featuring a wide variety of powertrains, body styles, and trim levels. Here are our top picks — one-per-generation — of our favorite 4Runner models, from the good to the bad to the bizarrely interesting.

First Generation: 1989 JDM Hilux Surf Turbo Diesel

The original 4Runner was essentially just a Hilux with a fiberglass bed cover, basic upholstery, and some rear seats. In short, the absolute bare essentials to be considered an SUV as opposed to a light-duty truck. But this configuration offered way more versatility than the truck platform for a simple reason: you could take the rear canopy off. In the same way as a Bronco or Blazer, this allowed you to more or less have an open-air cabin with the functionality of a short-bed pickup. And it’s an absolute riot with a few friends to boot. Our top pick for this generation, therefore, is the basic 4Runner with the top down and rear seats. Couple that with the frankly ridiculously reliable 2.4L 2L-T turbo diesel and 5-speed transmission and it’s an absolutely sublime little truck. Unfortunately, Toyota didn’t equip US export 4Runners with diesel enginess, so you’ll have to import this one. But once you have it, you’ll never want to let it go.

M.C. Cuccio

I've been an automotive aficionado since I had baby teeth. My path was set when I first leaned on my grandfather's classic Porsche as I learned how to walk. One of my first memories was my mother sitting me behind the wheel of her Pontiac and talking me through the instrumentation and controls. Even though I was a mere three or four years old, I was instantly sold, and filled notebooks with technical drawings, sketches, and collections of manuals of all sorts of cars. I've actively tracked developments in automotive and motorsport technology for well over 20 years, and pride myself on being intimately familiar with the functions and history of a wide range of vehicles.

My primary goal as a writer and enthusiast is to equally learn and share what I've learned in a constructive and interesting way. I maintain connections with people from around the world and can read technical manuals in Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, granting me access to a wide array of resources. My primary focuses are deep-dives into historical topics, motorsport discussion, and learning about the complex mechanical elements of such vehicles. As such, my research is never perfect; as anyone into cars will attest, the more you learn about cars, the more you realize how little you actually know. Therefore, I always welcome fresh knowledge and corrections to help me better my work in the future.