The 4Runner is unofficially the meanest trim in Toyota’s lineup – in a good way – and in this, the Trailhunter, it elbows ahead of all comers to present the most ballsy, savage and pleasurable version of itself.
The Trailhunter shares its wider stance, 33-inch tires and lifted suspension with the TRD Pro, and it costs about the same, but it’s built for the slower, older-school interpretation of off-road rather than daredevilin’. It looks serious about it, too — metal roof rack, bronze wheels exclusive to this trim, and a raised air intake climbing the passenger-side A-pillar. When the zombie apocalypse comes down, this is the ride you’ll want.
Looks
It weighs a hefty 5,586 pounds – that’s before any gear – and looks it. The bulk’s due to its standard hybrid system, the ARB rack (rated to hold 700 pounds when parked), and all its armor. But the chassis tuning is dramatically better than the old truck and you don’t need to be told that – you feel it when you set off.
The Trailhunter sits on Old Man Emu dampers with rear remote reservoirs, model-specific springs with a 1.5-inch lift up front and 2.0 in back, a front anti-roll bar disconnect, and 33-inch Toyo Open Country all-terrains. Track width is 3.2 inches at both ends, and the tires stick out past the fenders. Oddly, payload is a weak spot — 1,005 pounds, the lowest of any 4Runner trim. Some lighter models can handle up to 1,550.
Inside
The seating position is higher and the off-road controls are grouped conveniently in a horizontal bank behind the drive selector. The second row fits full-sized adults fine, and the roof-mounted air vents allow them to keep their cool. Hybrid models like this one get a raised cargo floor to make room for the battery, which takes up 2.2 cubic feet of space and raises the lift-over height. There’s 42.6 cubic feet behind row two. A third row isn’t available on the Trailhunter.
Engine
Power comes from Toyota’s i-Force MAX hybrid — a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder paired with a 48-hp electric motor in place of the torque converter. Output is 323 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Some other i-Force MAX models squeak out three extra horsepower, but those don’t have the Trailhunter’s snorkel, which emits an out-of-this-world suck-sound. It doesn’t help with water fording, though – it just feeds cleaner air in dusty terrain. The Tacoma Trailhunter is louder — but this one is still pretty loud. When you think of it as your Darth Vadar pal on dark nights if you’re flying solo, you’l get along. No kidding, it sounds like something alive.
Mileage is about 23 MPG city/highway combined.
How’s the drive?
Performance is palpably improved from the 4Runner I had for a week in August, not that the summer trim was a slouch. The wider stance gives the Trailhunter a planted feel you don’t expect from something this tall and heavy. Braking from 60 mph takes 121 feet — respectable for the weight, though the pedal is a tad numb and the regen-to-physical brake handoff is clumsy in city driving. Still, thanks to the electric assist, this is the quickest modern 4Runner yet – 0–60 in 7.4 seconds. Turbo lag is noticeable.
Price
“Bam!” as Emeril says. It’s close to $70,000 as tested. That’s not mainstream territory. But it shows up ready to fly. Crappy terrain is a pleasure to ford – the Old Man Emu setup takes everything you throw at it, and it’s the proverbial “barrel of monkeys” over dirt and rocks and lite water.
Room for improvement
The front camera quality is ever-so flip phonish, and low-speed throttle lag shouldn’t exist with instant electric torque available.
Conclusion: The complaints are few, the pleasures many and if you’ve got the coin, this is a great ride.