We’ve always been fans of the Toyota 4Runner, ever since we drove one from Atlanta to Albany in 2016. We’ve praised its combination of rugged looks, off-road chops, and truck-like drive. More recently, we drove a Limited trim around hometown for a week last year as part of our Toyota SUV rundown. But now we’ve finally gotten behind the wheel of the TRD Pro model for a week. Our Army Green tester came to us hot off a week with the 2020 Sequoia TRD Pro and we couldn’t be more excited.

Other than the excellent color, the TRD Pro also gets the same upgrades as the rest of the 4Runner lineup for 2020. The addition of Toyota Safety Sense is standard. Bundling in adaptive cruise control, pre-collision with pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning along with the larger 8″ center screen, it brings the 4Runner more up to date than it’s been since its introduction. Apple Car Play and Android Auto as well as keyless entry and go round out the changes for the year.

The TRD Pro trim is the top-priced model in the 4Runner lineup for all of its off-road equipment and capability. Last year saw the introduction of new Fox bypass shocks, which we put through a thorough test this week both on and off road. We were amazed by the excellent on-road compliance and lack of tire noise. The TRD roof rack even had very little wind noise. The only demerit we could find in day-to-day life was the rather boomy TRD exhaust. The 5 speed automatic seems to always be in a ratio when cruising that makes the drone permeate into the cabin. The archaic 4.0L V6 has 270 horsepower and 278lb-ft of torque, but provides enough grunt that allows you to merge onto the highway with no problem. Despite being short a gear, we love this 4.0L over the 3.5L found in the Tacoma lineup.

The total amount of seat time we have with the 4Runner is probably greater than any other model here at Limited Slip Blog. This Army Green TRD Pro model was the first one that we did not want to give back. An incredibly capable off-road presence and super solid on-road manners means this 2020 4Runner has aged like a fine wine. Now I just need to convince Toyota to let me keep one for a year for some more adventures and contribute to their Let’s Go Places moniker.

-Scott Villeneuve