On the inside, the 4Runner doesn’t lose its trucky appeal. While the little luxuries are there, the cabin still feels rugged. The controls are a bit esoteric; it took a bit more brain power to understand the air conditioning controls than I usually like to devote to something like that. Once I figured things out, I enjoyed the dual-zone climate control. There’s a vent in the rear of the center console to keep the kiddies cool and a filtration system to keep the outside world, well, outside. The Limited 4Runner comes with an upgraded audio system with a CD changer and satellite radio. Because this is a cool truck, of course the stereo rocks! And part of that coolness is the color touch-screen that comes with the navigation system and folds out to load CDs.

Getting in and out of the 4Runner is easy enough, and the seats are plenty comfy. The driver’s seat is eight-way power adjustable and has a memory function to make driver changes a breeze. A leather-wrapped steering wheel tilts and telescopes, and also houses controls for the audio system and Bluetooth connection. There’s a spacious center console that houses an auxiliary input jack, a 12-volt outlet and a flip-down shelf for easy use of an iPod or phone. Unfortunately, the cupholder situation is something of a disaster. There aren’t any; what the 4Runner does have is jugholders, or maybe they’re bucket holders. I don’t know what sort of beverage container that space is designed for, but it isn’t anything I own. Coffee cups, soda cans and water bottles slid around in the cupholders during the best-case scenario, and they leapt out of the cupholders and onto my lap at sharp turns. Not cool.

While the 4Runner can work as a family car, it clearly wasn’t designed with little kids as its main cargo. The backseat’s two cupholders are in the armrest, so if you have a child in that position there’s nowhere to put the kids’ juice. Also, in a spectacular example of tempting mischief, the entertainment system (a lovely option that includes jacks for a game system) has a slot for DVDs that’s accessible from the backseat. That means that you can’t really load it while driving, as you can with entertainment systems that load the DVD into the dash. Also, it means that little fingers can stick anything they like into the slot, so watch those crayons and frozen waffles. Teens, however, can rule the backseat without even speaking to the (lame) adults up front and should enjoy the roominess of their domain.

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