Toyota 4Runner reviews

1995 Toyota 4Runner Interior Features

Like all Toyotas, our 4Runner was attractively finished inside with high-quality cloth upholstery. Leather may be more luxurious, but many drivers prefer the breathability of cloth upholstery for extended driving.

The instrument panel design looks contemporary with major gauges well-located for easy reading and secondary controls within easy reach. There?s also adequate storage for small objects: door-panel map pockets, a small storage well in the high center console, a cubbyhole below the ashtray and a trio of coin slots just behind the shifter.

Of course cupholders are a must in any vehicle for the U.S. market today, and the 4Runner has a pair mounted in a pop-out slide just below the vents at the top of the dashboard. Unfortunately, if you're using the cupholders you can't? get to the climate controls.

The front bucket seats in our tester were very snug and supportive, with deep side bolsters to help keep you in place when you?re rattling around in the outback.. However, some drivers may find them a little too snug, and their padding may be a tad firm for some tastes.

Compared with best-sellers such as the Ford Explorer and the new Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy twins, the 4Runner?s rear-seat legroom doesn?t measure up very well. Adults riding in the back will feel distinctly cramped.

Climbing in or out of either set of seats is more of a chore, for several reasons, than it is in some competing sport/utilities. First, the distance between the tops of the doors and the sills isn?t very high. Second, the rear door opening is relatively narrow. Third, the 4Runner?s ground clearance, exaggerated by the 31-in. tires, makes for a high step-in. Passenger-assist handles at all doors make this maneuver easier, but it?s still a climb.

With no airbags, the 4Runner also lags its competition a bit in the area of passive safety, although we expect this to be corrected in the next generation. It does have side-impact door beams and an automatic locking seat belt feature for outboard seating positions.

Rear-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard on V6-powered 4 Runners and optional on the 4-cylinder models, with 4-wheel ABS available as an option only on V6 models.