Road Rulers

GETTING REACQUAINTED WITH THE TOYOTA TACOMA AND 4RUNNER TRD PRO ON THE ROAD TO OURAY

- Brett T. Evans

In this cynical, electronically anonymous world, it seems like every time we mention Toyota, we’re met with snickers and snide remarks. And look, part of what those Facebook commenters say is valid—the Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner are some of the oldest vehicles in their respective classes, and they do suffer a bit for it. But with age comes wisdom and, typical of Toyota, reliability. And although the automaker rarely completely revamps its body-on-frame pickups and SUVs, it does invest nearly continuous small improvements into the lineup, making its trucklets far more competitive than their genealogy would suggest.

To wit: the 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and Tacoma TRD Pro. The former was updated for 2019 with a new suspension setup featuring Fox 2.5-inch internal-bypass shocks, and for 2020, the midsize SUV gets standard Toyota Safety Sense-P (TSS-P) across the trim lineup. And the Tacoma TRD Pro has been mildly retuned to take advantage of new, forged 16-inch wheels that lighten each corner by 4.2 pounds. And finally, the Taco gets a height-adjustable driver seat—at last, the lowest position offers enough thigh support (just barely) for this 6-foot driver, a vast improvement over the old helm.

Claiming notable convenience, comfort, and driveability advances over the 2019 midsize TRD Pro lineup, Toyota invited us to join in on a little off-road adventure spanning Utah and Colorado, terminating at FJ Summit. Surprisingly, the mild upgrades suit both vehicles very well.

Taking Revenge