2026 Toyota 4Runner 4WD TRD Premium - Review by David Colman

The rambunctious will love the TRD's unbridled ferocity

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

There's a bestial quality to the latest TRD 4Runner that will please rugged individualists. Those who abhor gentrification will love this SUV for its in-your-face honesty of purpose. Everything about its design looks mil-spec. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is huge, with perforated thumb grip indentations. The oversize dials for the HVAC system and 4WD are knurled and designed for gloved operation. Even the volume control knob is twice the size you'll find in any other SUV. All interior surfaces are finely textured with ribbing strategically placed to keep stowed items from flopping free. The multi-layered door pockets are so well segmented they'd keep a filing clerk happy.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that the TRD is a grocery getter dressed up to look like a safari tool. Because it's not, and the proof of the pudding lies beneath that finely chiseled outer shell. That's where you'll find the TNGA-F chassis which Toyota introduced last year as the cornerstone of its brand new 6th generation 4Runner. That chassis, the first all-new one for this model in 12 years, still depends on the ruggedness of a body-on frame design. Toyota boxes the frame rails for added rigidity and enhances the suspension with adjustable FOX QS3 monotube shocks with internal bypass and rear piggyback reservoirs. They also give you a sway bar disconnect switch. Set this system up to your personal preference and you're good for a week climbing rocks at Moab.

These days, as you will notice in almost every shopping center parking lot, the bad boy look pioneered by 4Runner and TRD is very popular in SUV-land. You will see it slavishly repeated across the board in competitors' SUV showrooms. Although it's relatively easy to camouflage more prosaic SUVs with TRD-like bits and pieces, just one brief ride in the real 4Runner TRD will convince you that Toyota has cornered the market on the wilderness niche.

For starters, the cab stands tall enough off the ground that you'll have to use the grippy running board and handhold to hoist yourself into the driver's seat. Trimmed in SofTex, the bucket-shaped front seats are heated, ventilated, comfortable, and supportive. The second row seats fall short of row one on two counts: they're not very comfortable and they offer precious little leg room. If you don't need them, they are easily converted to flat storage via oversize release arms. Doing so also gets the 2 headrests out of your rear field of vision. And from the driver's seat, you'll need every extra slice of vision you can muster, because you can't see any of your 4Runner's 4Corners without craning your neck, checking all mirrors, and consulting the images displayed on the 14-inch infotainment screen. Parking this mega-truck will not be the high point of your day.

You also need to acclimatize yourself to the TRD's patented buckboard ride. On less sportive versions of the 4Runner, like the base model SR5, Drive Mode Select (DMS) offers you a choice of Eco, Normal, and Sport modes. On the upscale Limited model, DMS adds Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+, and Custom Modes. The off-road oriented TRD model we tested eliminates the Comfort Mode altogether in favor of such specific terrain applications as snow, mud, and sand. As a result, there is nothing particularly comfortable about the pounding the TRD dishes out over paved road imperfections. Part of the buckboard ride is attributable to its ultra-stiff 265/70R18 Falken Wildpeak A/T radials (TW 500). Potholes act as butt launchers, while lane markers ping off your Falkens like buckshot. So make sure you're buckled up and cinched down for a bumpy ride.

Under the hood of this latest incarnation of 4Runner, you may be slightly dismayed to discover that a turbocharged 4 (278hp) has replaced the sturdy 3.5 liter V6 that has long been the hallmark of this truck's engine compartment. While the turbo 4 is no slouch (0-60mph in 7 seconds) it lacks the immediate torque punch of the departed V6. On several occasions, we were distressed to find the four-banger asleep at the switch when we nailed the throttle from a standing start. If you want to boost performance, Toyota now offers a hybrid 4Runner that jumps output by 48hp to 326hp.

Those of you who enjoy such rambunctious behavior will love the TRD's unbridled ferocity. You will yearn for the opportunity to unleash its off-road capabilities in a proper wilderness environment. You will gladly put up with its comfort drawbacks in exchange for its unmatched trail expertise. In TRD trim, the 2026 4Runner promises to free you from the mundane. Not many vehicles can do that.

2026 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4WD TRD PREMIUM

ENGINE: 2.4 liter inline-4, turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve aluminum block and head, direct and port fuel injection
HORSEPOWER: 278hp@6000rpm
TORQUE: 317lb.-ft.@ 1700rpm
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 19MPG City/25MPG Highway
PRICE AS TESTED: $58,440

HYPES: Brutal but Handsome Restyling, Real Dials and Switches Everywhere

GRIPES: 34 inch tall Hatchback Loading Height

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

©2026 David E Colman

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