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1994
Toyota 4Runner

Starts at:
$20,308
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New 1994 Toyota 4Runner
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Available trims

See the differences side-by-side to compare trims.
  • 4dr 5-Spd 4WDemand
    Starts at
    $20,308
    See all specs
  • 4dr V6 Auto 2WD
    Starts at
    $21,348
    See all specs
  • 4dr 5-Spd V6 4WDemand
    Starts at
    $22,278
    See all specs
  • 4dr Auto V6 4WD
    Starts at
    $23,328
    See all specs

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Expert 1994 Toyota 4Runner review

our expert's take
Our expert's take
By
Full article
our expert's take

A phrenologist is one who reads the bumps on your noggin to determine whether your future holds wealth, fame, fortune or more lumps on the head.

Owners of the Toyota 4Runner are the phrenologist’s best customer, or at least they should be based on the weak . . . er, week we spent banging the dome on the Japanese-built sport-utility vehicle.

In just seven days with the machine, we have enough dents and assorted bumps on the noggin to keep a dozen phrenologists employed.

The dimpled dome is a result of the 4Runner standing rather high off the pavement to allow ample clearance for those two or three times in any owner’s lifetime when he or she navigates the machine off the road.

Step on the running board, grab the steering wheel, lift your torso into the air and-“Bong!”-one more point of interest for the phrenologist. Stars appear. Birds start to chatter. Tough way to start your drive to work.

Once seated and the medication takes effect, there are a few other problems with the 4Runner. For one, though most Japanese have adopted the strategy that if you are going to sell here, you should design and build here, 4Runner obviously is the exception to the rule.

It’s traditionally narrow to accommodate the smaller Japanese frame as well as the smaller roadways in the home country. So you suffer a shortage of leg and hip room.

Worse, when your vision clears and you peer at the steering wheel hub there’s no “SRS” advisory staring back at you to inform the driver that a supplemental restraint system, or air bag, is housed there. One is needed.

4Runner has one other annoyance that can prove costly in terms of cleaning bills. It’s easy to rub your legs against the door lip and running board when leaving the front seat. In back you sit over the axle and the door opening exposes the wheel well, which you can rub against when making an exit. You have to wash the vehicle often in the winter when salt and scum cakes up on the body, or wash your clothes a lot if you don’t.

But 4Runner does have its good points, such as a responsive 3-liter, 150-horsepower, V-6 engine that comes alive without too much pedal pressure. The price you pay for above-average performance is a 14 mile-per-gallon city/16 m.p.g. highway fuel economy rating. If only our test vehicle got that good mileage.

Anti-lock brakes as standard, although it is rear-wheel ABS only. But two wheels with ABS are better than none. Think the phrenologist said that.

No qualms with the suspension system, which minimized road harshness. Ride and handling were decent despite having oversized W/31-by-10.5 tires, which on many vehicles only serve to provide a gyroscope ride as you lean and sway in each turn or when stepping out to pass.

Though the vehicle had oversized tires and a high center of gravity, it had more than respectable road manners.

4Runner prov ed especially functional when Ma Nature left many inches of the white stuff on the roadway. While those around us were slipping and sliding and using the ditch for valet parking, 4Runner cruised unimpeded. The only drawback is that when four-wheel-drive is engaged using the floor-mounted transfer case, the ride gets a bit bumpy-especially in the back seat.

That’s the price you pay for the added security. And speaking of price, when you see other cars skating into the ditch ahead of you, you find that the 14/16 mileage rating is a bit more tolerable. You can buy a lot of gas for what it costs to be extracted from a culvert-even if you have to buy it more often.

Our test vehicle was the four-door, four-wheel-drive 4Runner LE, which has a base price of $22,988. Standard equipment included a four-speed automatic, power steering, power brakes, rear window defogger and wiper (a slightly larger and faster sweeping wiper would be nice for a vehicle tha will spend a great deal of time on the road in bad weather), power rear window, AM-FM stereo radio, side door impact beams and cupholders.

Options included a radio upgrade to include cassette, six speakers and power antenna for $675, rear seat heater at $160, power glass moonroof at $810, cloth seats with seven-way driver’s adjustment at $290, bronze privacy glass at $160, chrome running boards at $435, roof rack/towing hitch, cargo mat and rear wind deflector at $625, security system at $695, and a value package consisting of air conditioning, cruise control, power windows/door locks/outside mirrors, carpeted floor mats, chrome wheels and the oversized tires at $3,281. With a $1,000 option package discount, the vehicle stickered at just about $30,000. Add $385 for freight.

Changes we’d like to see on future 4Runners would be more cabin width, lower vehicle stance, redesign of the door lips and openings to keep clothes clean, push-button four-wheel-drive rather than the space-robbing transfer case, and an engine that gets 4 more miles per gallon city and highway.

Oh, and if the engineers and designers can’t come up with a more manageable way to enter the 4Runner as well as making the door opening bigger and/or the roof line taller if not softer, we’d like to see one more standard feature-a helmet.

1994 Toyota 4Runner review: Our expert's take
By

A phrenologist is one who reads the bumps on your noggin to determine whether your future holds wealth, fame, fortune or more lumps on the head.

Owners of the Toyota 4Runner are the phrenologist’s best customer, or at least they should be based on the weak . . . er, week we spent banging the dome on the Japanese-built sport-utility vehicle.

In just seven days with the machine, we have enough dents and assorted bumps on the noggin to keep a dozen phrenologists employed.

The dimpled dome is a result of the 4Runner standing rather high off the pavement to allow ample clearance for those two or three times in any owner’s lifetime when he or she navigates the machine off the road.

Step on the running board, grab the steering wheel, lift your torso into the air and-“Bong!”-one more point of interest for the phrenologist. Stars appear. Birds start to chatter. Tough way to start your drive to work.

Once seated and the medication takes effect, there are a few other problems with the 4Runner. For one, though most Japanese have adopted the strategy that if you are going to sell here, you should design and build here, 4Runner obviously is the exception to the rule.

It’s traditionally narrow to accommodate the smaller Japanese frame as well as the smaller roadways in the home country. So you suffer a shortage of leg and hip room.

Worse, when your vision clears and you peer at the steering wheel hub there’s no “SRS” advisory staring back at you to inform the driver that a supplemental restraint system, or air bag, is housed there. One is needed.

4Runner has one other annoyance that can prove costly in terms of cleaning bills. It’s easy to rub your legs against the door lip and running board when leaving the front seat. In back you sit over the axle and the door opening exposes the wheel well, which you can rub against when making an exit. You have to wash the vehicle often in the winter when salt and scum cakes up on the body, or wash your clothes a lot if you don’t.

But 4Runner does have its good points, such as a responsive 3-liter, 150-horsepower, V-6 engine that comes alive without too much pedal pressure. The price you pay for above-average performance is a 14 mile-per-gallon city/16 m.p.g. highway fuel economy rating. If only our test vehicle got that good mileage.

Anti-lock brakes as standard, although it is rear-wheel ABS only. But two wheels with ABS are better than none. Think the phrenologist said that.

No qualms with the suspension system, which minimized road harshness. Ride and handling were decent despite having oversized W/31-by-10.5 tires, which on many vehicles only serve to provide a gyroscope ride as you lean and sway in each turn or when stepping out to pass.

Though the vehicle had oversized tires and a high center of gravity, it had more than respectable road manners.

4Runner prov ed especially functional when Ma Nature left many inches of the white stuff on the roadway. While those around us were slipping and sliding and using the ditch for valet parking, 4Runner cruised unimpeded. The only drawback is that when four-wheel-drive is engaged using the floor-mounted transfer case, the ride gets a bit bumpy-especially in the back seat.

That’s the price you pay for the added security. And speaking of price, when you see other cars skating into the ditch ahead of you, you find that the 14/16 mileage rating is a bit more tolerable. You can buy a lot of gas for what it costs to be extracted from a culvert-even if you have to buy it more often.

Our test vehicle was the four-door, four-wheel-drive 4Runner LE, which has a base price of $22,988. Standard equipment included a four-speed automatic, power steering, power brakes, rear window defogger and wiper (a slightly larger and faster sweeping wiper would be nice for a vehicle tha will spend a great deal of time on the road in bad weather), power rear window, AM-FM stereo radio, side door impact beams and cupholders.

Options included a radio upgrade to include cassette, six speakers and power antenna for $675, rear seat heater at $160, power glass moonroof at $810, cloth seats with seven-way driver’s adjustment at $290, bronze privacy glass at $160, chrome running boards at $435, roof rack/towing hitch, cargo mat and rear wind deflector at $625, security system at $695, and a value package consisting of air conditioning, cruise control, power windows/door locks/outside mirrors, carpeted floor mats, chrome wheels and the oversized tires at $3,281. With a $1,000 option package discount, the vehicle stickered at just about $30,000. Add $385 for freight.

Changes we’d like to see on future 4Runners would be more cabin width, lower vehicle stance, redesign of the door lips and openings to keep clothes clean, push-button four-wheel-drive rather than the space-robbing transfer case, and an engine that gets 4 more miles per gallon city and highway.

Oh, and if the engineers and designers can’t come up with a more manageable way to enter the 4Runner as well as making the door opening bigger and/or the roof line taller if not softer, we’d like to see one more standard feature-a helmet.

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
7 years / less than 85,000 miles
Basic
12 months / 12, 000 miles
Dealer certification
160- or 174-point inspections

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Consumer reviews

4.6 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 3.6
Interior 3.7
Performance 4.0
Value 4.9
Exterior 4.4
Reliability 4.7

Most recent

  • 1994 v6-5sp 335+K and still going

    335K with the 3.0 V6 - 5 sp. Bought with 100K and put a lot of hard miles living on Navajo Rez (AZ/UT). Did all recommended fluid changes, 1 clutch 250K ish, CV boots/joints; usual wear items (shocks/brakes) and still going. Been in some pretty bad situations, always manages to get itself out with stock drive-train. Head gaskets were done before I owned it at a top-notch dealer. Wish it was the diesel version, someday maybe :)
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • It'll put up with anything you throw at it.

    Bought with 250k on the clock, had been used as a work truck for a reality company for 16 years (i Bought in 2020) even though the rear was sagging, it misfired and drove like a tractor it has been the most reliable vehicle we've owned. Just took it out of service yesterday to rebuild the front end, steering suspension and everything, and do some engine work and redo the rear suspension. Not because it gives me problems but because i want to take care of it so it keeps taking care of me. Approaching 300k and i want to ensure it survives well beyond that. ive driven the xxxx out of this thing and it puts up with everything I've thrown at it. It has never left home and failed to return even though it has every reason to break at any moment the way people describe it. Bullhonky, if this 3.0 is the worst engine toyota ever made and its still chugging fine at 297k after everything its been through then id say its pretty darn reliable.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    6 people out of 6 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Is considered family now

    Bought new, it has always been reliable on and off road.. and the gas mileage has been better than what they say on record. Today it has over 359,000 miles and is much better condition than it was a couple of years ago before rebuilding the engine with new OEM valve covers. Understanding the hard way I learned how to fix some of these problems that came up with old age period. It is a learning process but It will now easily last for another 100000 thousand miles.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    5 people out of 5 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Very fun to drive, always turns heads when riding.

    Very reliable car, 25 years old and can still drive 900 miles to visit family. Looks great and can more then take care of itself in the dirt and mud.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Bitchen Wheels miss u yota

    That truck saved my life even though it felt top heavy I thought it was the type to roll if t-boned.The tires saved my butt from a horrible tbone with a 94 suburban xl. It hit my tire pushing me over 3 lanes over an island and in the oncoming lane. No joke. Every airbag went off too. I’m alive thanks yoter miss you 😭
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 2.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Best SUV I've ever owned

    Bought it used from a cousin. It had 75,000. She maintained it as well as you can expect a girl to. I took it to hades and back, Mx desert, arizona, up and down CA. The key is consistent maintenance. Check your oil, change it every 5k, filters, plugs, AND check your anti-freeze levels. Temp gauges measure fluids, so if fluid is low, it may not be measuring the true temp. I found out when I blew the head gasket at 200k. I replaced it with a remanufactured engine, and I'm back on the road now. Toughest SUV ever made. Wish it had better mileage and more range, though. The new 4rnrs are more comfort than dirt-ready.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Most reliable, and safest, vehicle I've ever had

    Bought it for my kid used in 2003. Meant to sell it, and got hooked on it. Repairs (if you can call them that): Replaced running boards when Wal-Mart bent mine while putting on new tires, they paid for it. Replaced battery. Someone stole (yes, stole, they didn't cut it off, they removed it) my catalytic converter a month ago--I guess a chop shop needed one like mine. That's it. I feel like I'm in a tank it feels so safe. Really, I thought I would hate it, and I turned out hooked on it. 156,000 miles, burns no oil, every single feature except the clock still works--and I mean every one of them.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Head gasket

    My SUV ran great only had 140,723 miles I has it serviced when needed and I never had a problem with the vehicle until the head gasket gave out and know I need new engine the cost $4500-9000 for a 20 year old vehicle that is worth only $2800 what do I do when this engines Achilles heel is the head gasket.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 2.0
    Interior 2.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 3.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • extemely happy and proud of this vehicle

    I have owned this truck for years and built it from the ground up and it has yet to disappoint me. I absolutely love this truckand recommend it to everyone i know.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 4.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • loved it

    well after 7 years of driving a 4runner bought it 108000 miles sold it at 163000 its been real i had water pump replace ,head gasket leak but did not replace it , brake line two window regualtors and radiator normal wear as well and also i traded it in and had and alot of rot on bumper and side wheel wall but still keep going and the gas was not to good 50 for full tank but i will miss it and i have a honda crv not to impressed yet either i want my 4runner back ..
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No

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FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 1994 Toyota 4Runner?

The 1994 Toyota 4Runner is available in 1 trim level:

  • (4 styles)

What are some similar vehicles and competitors of the 1994 Toyota 4Runner?

The 1994 Toyota 4Runner compares to and/or competes against the following vehicles:

Is the 1994 Toyota 4Runner reliable?

The 1994 Toyota 4Runner has an average reliability rating of 4.7 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 1994 Toyota 4Runner owners.

Is the 1994 Toyota 4Runner a good SUV?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 1994 Toyota 4Runner. 100.0% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

4.6 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
  • Comfort: 3.6
  • Interior: 3.7
  • Performance: 4.0
  • Value: 4.9
  • Exterior: 4.4
  • Reliability: 4.7

Toyota 4Runner history

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