If so, you have something in common with a popular Youtuber who thinks the ultimate factory 4Runner is ‘badass.’
Jacob and Yuri at TheStraightPipes, a Youtube channel with more than 100,000 subscribers, recently got their hands on the 2018 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro. Although they don’t truly take it off-road in the video above, they do the next best thing: Drive it during winter in Canada.
The empty roads give them plenty of time to break down the top 4Runner’s strengths and weaknesses. From its stamped, welded front skid plate to its heritage “TOYOTA” bar grille to its blacked-out 17-inch wheels, the TRD Pro looks as cool as its surroundings. Plus, it keeps its signature roll-down rear window.
There are TRD springs up front and TRD shocks all around, although only the rear units come with remote reservoirs. For a body-on-frame vehicle, the TRD Pro rides as well as you could expect a vehicle with such an old-school, rough-and-tumble setup to ride. It’s too bad the hood scoop is fake, though. That covers a 4.0-liter V6 with 270 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque that goes back…a while.
Inside, the 4Runner scores points for having comfortable seats, plenty of space behind the second row, and large, grip-and-rip volume, tuning, and HVAC knobs. According to the duo, the audio knobs flank an out-of-style infotainment system. The shifter is enormous and connected to an ancient five-speed automatic gearbox.
As neat as the TRD Pro’s Crawl Control feature is, it doesn’t get an overwhelmingly positive response. However, Jacob can’t help but praise the A-TRAC system and locking differential. He even goes so far as to say he’d rather have the 4Runner TRD Pro instead of a Range Rover. That’s quite a statement, especially considering that the Range Rover is lovable in so many of its own ways.
We have a feeling we know what the answer is going to be, considering this is a Toyota enthusiast site, but would you agree with Jacob? If someone offered you your pick for absolutely no cost to you, would you choose a 2018 4Runner TRD Pro or a 2018 Range Rover?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
