Recently, Nissan has come up with an official announcement that their Nissan Xterra will be canceled. Although this may be bad news for someone who loves SUVs from this carmaker, we have never been fond of the Xterra model. One of the vehicles that remarkably manages to keep its popularity is the Toyota 4Runner, and this is going to be a topic of this article.
Where to begin? Well, we don’t want to be rude, but Xterra is a bit outdated, and it lacks some of the features that are regular on almost all of the other models. Although Xterra is equipped with a forward collision warning, blind spot detection and lane keep assist, it lacks a height-adjustable driver’s seat, for example. In addition, this SUV looks more like a truck than an SUV, which may be appealing to some, but we find this a bit repulsive, while for the price of Xterra you can buy yourself a better vehicle.
We don’t want to be all negative because Nissan Xterra has been on the market for 15 years, making its customers happy and it is a sad thing that it is canceled. The other off-roaders that faced the same problem are the Toyota FJ Cruiser, the Suzuki Vitara and Sidekick, the Ford Bronco and the K5 Blazer. These vehicles are not offered anymore, and the only respectable off-road vehicle that is on the market is the Jeep Wrangler.
But is this really true? Oh, we almost forgot to mention the Toyota 4Runner which wheels are still turning, and it is ready for 2017. The 4Runner remained true to its body-on-frame construction, and it retained that old-fashioned truck-like design it has offered for years. Many competitors decided to cancel their body-on-frame SUVs, change it into a crossover like Ford did with the Explorer or Nissan with the Pathfinder or produce upscale models such as Toyota Land Cruiser and the Range Rover.
Toyota 4Runner Price
But, who is buying the Toyota 4Runner? First of all, the starting price for the 4Runner is $34,500 including shipping costs and compared to the Highlander that starts at $30,500 with shipping we need to say that the difference is not drastic. Secondly, the standard equipment that can be found in the 4Runner includes cloth seats, a manual passenger seat, and manual dimming mirrors. The Highlander is more of a family-oriented SUV which is smooth and easy to drive, and more people would choose this option over the rugged, truck-based 4Runner. Plus with the Highlander, you would save $4,000.
We concluded that the Toyota 4Runner is not the best family car, so it must be the off-road enthusiasts who buy it. Now we need to compare the 4Runner with the Jeep Wrangler that is priced at $27,700. The logical question arises here – Why would somebody buy an SUV that is around seven grand more expensive than the amazing Wrangler? The base model of the 4Runner is $34,500 as we have already said, but we also assume that you would add some additional equipment which would increase the price.
So, can the Toyota 4Runner go head-to-head with Nissan Murano or the Jeep Grand Cherokee? Both Nissan Murano and the Jeep Grand Cherokee are equipped with more advanced technology such as forward collision warning and blind spot monitoring, while the greatest features in the 4Runner are a backup camera and a push-button starter, and the latter is only available on the range-topping Limited that would set you back $44,900 with shipping.
Besides the 4Runner, Toyota also offers Sequoia, RAV4, Highlander, and Land Cruiser. They offer all of these SUVs and somehow, people still opt for the 4Runner, and we cannot find out why it is like that. The Highlander is a better family vehicle, while the Wrangler is a less expensive off-road variant. The Grand Cherokee and Murano sport offer far better equipment and yet, the 4Runner name achieved cult status. What is so special about the Toyota 4Runner? We don’t know, do you?
