The 4Runner is getting slammed by major car publications recently–coming in dead last in the midsize SUV category of US News Report. The reason? Because, unlike the other car manufacturers (Hyundai, Honda, even Jeep) have moved to a crossover model, combining features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback whereas the 4Runner has not. Basically, the Hyundai Sante Fe, the Honda Pilot, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee are tall cars and the 4Runner is still an enclosed truck.

This difference is important if the comfort of the drive is of utmost importance or, on the other hand, you’d like to be able to handle something besides the highway in your big auto. In the 2016 Toyota 4Runner, you compromise a bit of the cloud-like drive that you can get in a sedan in exchange for a highly-capable off-road experience.

My Requirements:

4-Wheel-Drive

I’ve owned two SUVs: a Mitsubishi Montero Sport and a Toyota FJ Cruiser and neither had 4-wheel-drive. I got stuck a couple times in each and it was humiliating and devastating to my manhood. I promised myself that would never happen again and it wasn’t because I wasn’t going to drive over any muddy medians anymore. I required 4×4 and I was surprised that most of the 4Runners weren’t equipped. I should say, if you’re not getting 4-wheel-drive, you probably aren’t going to need a  4Runner and would do much better with a cheaper tall car. The 2016 4Runner SR5 comes with a handy switch to change from high 2-wheel-drive for normal conditions, high 4-wheel-drive for fast speeds over wet or icy conditions, and a low 4-wheel-drive for digging yourself out of the pit.

Size

I’m planning on having many little ones so, I needed a 3rd row for people. Again this is an option and costs more but the seats are very efficient to drop or pull up and while it’s a little awkward to get back there for adults, it’s fairly roomy and my passengers said they were comfortable. When the seats are down, there’s a ton of space to haul things. I want to utilize the U in the SUV and not just sit up higher when I drive.

Reliability

Toyota is known for its reliability. The FJ Cruiser was great in that department and my father-in-law’s ancient 4Runner could perform circles around my equally ancient Montero Sport. You pay for it, but you can depend on the quality of any Toyota. It’s perhaps the best company in the world in this category and that goes a long way when you want a car to pass on to your kids, just imagine going from buying your kids a stroller from Baby Stroller Reviews, to buying them a car like this.

Comfort

I wasn’t really interested in a smooth drive. I was coming from my Montero sport, which feels pretty much like riding a horse when you get moving in it. The 4Runner is in another world compared to that, but it’s not like floating on a cloud or driving a boat either. There’s a small vibration when you get up to 70 MPH, but besides that it’s a very nice ride.

If your interests align with mine, they you will thoroughly enjoy the 2015/16 4Runner for a very long time.