2010 Toyota 4runner
(Starting at $29,175)(4.0 liter V6 with 270 horsepower and 278 pound feet of torque17 city/23 highway)It took a car company with the size and cash reserves of Toyota Motor Company but someone finally had the cajones to do it. Instead of performing yet another act of earth unfriendly SUV contrition by releasing yet another monotonously absurd crossover, Toyota is instead serving up the tastiest bit of SUV hardcore as evidenced by the glorious body-on-frame 2010 4Runner.But in this crossover obsessed culture have we forgotten why we liked body-on-frame SUVs in the first place? As people with boats, jet-skis or campers have known for years you absolutely need a body-on-frame SUV for towing. While this may be bad news for Chevy Aveo drivers these SUVs are also incredibly sturdy and test well in crashes. Oh yeah, they can also go off-road.What, exactly, is the point of an SUV when it doesn't have the rugged body-on-frame architecture to handle heavy duty towing or even (gasp!) going off-road? And without that body-on-frame design the delicate car parts underneath your SUV are far more prone to damage from things like boulders or that steep driveway into Walgreens. Crossovers are, essentially, nothing but the conceptual equivalent of a 1973 Ford Pinto Station Wagon on big, knobby tires. Except without all of that messy exploding.The 4-Runner is also a stunning return to stylistic form for the world's largest manufacturer. While there are obvious design cues that reference the classic 1991 version (a time when Toyotas were cool), the whole exterior makes a cohesive and macho visual statement.The interior of the new 4Runner is also like nothing else in its class stylistically what with its surreal mix of circular and angular design elements. It is different but it definitely works. It is easy to imagine an owner of a 2010 4Runner still finding fascinating design aspects even after five years of owning this SUV. (Also note: this is the first SUV I have ever seen where the off-road knobs and switches are located above your head where the sunroof switch usually is. Very cool.)So is the 2010 4Runner a sign of good things to come from Toyota or just the work of some rogue engineers and stylists in Toyota City who stole all the creativity away from the latest Corolla? (Yes, there is such a place as Toyota City in Japan.) Well, thanks to the recent ouster of Katsuki Watenabe there is reason to be hopeful for the future of Toyota. Mr. Watenabe said his only goals for Toyota were expansion and quality. Apologies but didn't Adolf Hitler say something very similar to that before dragging a perfectly nice European country into the biggest war the world has ever seen?In a recent statement to the press newly installed President Akio Toyoda laid out plans for a stylish four person sports coupe and a sporty yet affordable mid engined two seater arriving as soon as 2011. Mr. Toyoda (yes, he is a relative) is a firm believer in fast tracking fast, dynamic and sexy vehicles thanks in large part to his love of design and really fast cars. I think we can safely say that Toyota, now safely free from the grasp of Dr. Evil, has finally got its mojo back.
(Starting at $29,175)
(4.0 liter V6 with 270 horsepower and 278 pound feet of torque17 city/23 highway)
It took a car company with the size and cash reserves of Toyota Motor Company but someone finally had the cajones to do it. Instead of performing yet another act of earth unfriendly SUV contrition by releasing yet another monotonously absurd crossover, Toyota is instead serving up the tastiest bit of SUV hardcore as evidenced by the glorious body-on-frame 2010 4Runner.
But in this crossover obsessed culture have we forgotten why we liked body-on-frame SUVs in the first place? As people with boats, jet-skis or campers have known for years you absolutely need a body-on-frame SUV for towing. While this may be bad news for Chevy Aveo drivers these SUVs are also incredibly sturdy and test well in crashes. Oh yeah, they can also go off-road.
What, exactly, is the point of an SUV when it doesn't have the rugged body-on-frame architecture to handle heavy duty towing or even (gasp!) going off-road? And without that body-on-frame design the delicate car parts underneath your SUV are far more prone to damage from things like boulders or that steep driveway into Walgreens. Crossovers are, essentially, nothing but the conceptual equivalent of a 1973 Ford Pinto Station Wagon on big, knobby tires. Except without all of that messy exploding.
The 4-Runner is also a stunning return to stylistic form for the world's largest manufacturer. While there are obvious design cues that reference the classic 1991 version (a time when Toyotas were cool), the whole exterior makes a cohesive and macho visual statement.
The interior of the new 4Runner is also like nothing else in its class stylistically what with its surreal mix of circular and angular design elements. It is different but it definitely works. It is easy to imagine an owner of a 2010 4Runner still finding fascinating design aspects even after five years of owning this SUV. (Also note: this is the first SUV I have ever seen where the off-road knobs and switches are located above your head where the sunroof switch usually is. Very cool.)
So is the 2010 4Runner a sign of good things to come from Toyota or just the work of some rogue engineers and stylists in Toyota City who stole all the creativity away from the latest Corolla? (Yes, there is such a place as Toyota City in Japan.) Well, thanks to the recent ouster of Katsuki Watenabe there is reason to be hopeful for the future of Toyota. Mr. Watenabe said his only goals for Toyota were expansion and quality. Apologies but didn't Adolf Hitler say something very similar to that before dragging a perfectly nice European country into the biggest war the world has ever seen?
In a recent statement to the press newly installed President Akio Toyoda laid out plans for a stylish four person sports coupe and a sporty yet affordable mid engined two seater arriving as soon as 2011. Mr. Toyoda (yes, he is a relative) is a firm believer in fast tracking fast, dynamic and sexy vehicles thanks in large part to his love of design and really fast cars. I think we can safely say that Toyota, now safely free from the grasp of Dr. Evil, has finally got its mojo back.
