By Bill Schaffer Tillamook Forest ? Oregon — There is reason purpose-built vehicles are so great, and there is a reason they are not so great. For example, a race-ready sports car might be a dream on the track, but if you have to drive it on a highway, or around town, the rough ride…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer Photos by NWAPA/Josh Mackey & Bill Schaffer Snoqualmie, Wash. ? Even though the springtime is traditionally a rainy season in the Seattle area, the location used for the annual Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) Mudfest was dry ? in fact it was dusty. Mudfest 2014 could have easily been called…
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer Now in its fifth generation and with nearly 30 years of history behind it, the 2014 Toyota 4Runner represents one of the old timers in the U.S. Sport Utility movement. Like other SUVs the 4Runner has evolved from a pickup variant to full-fledged SUV and recently toward a crossover. However,…
?Fifth Generation Toyota 4Runner freshened and refined for 2014? The Toyota 4Runner was first launched in 1984 and is currently in its fifth generation. Toyota has sold nearly 2 million 4Runners over what is almost three decades, and 75 percent of all 4Runners sold since its introduction are still on the road. The new 2014…
The first Toyota 4Runner appeared at the start of the SUV revolution in 1984. Like most of its contemporaries, it was little more than a pickup truck with a permanent ?camper shell? on the back. Powered by the same 4-cylinder engine and drivetrain that motivated the comparable pickup trucks, the 4Runner was an affordable alternative…
She ? Over the years, the Toyota 4Runner has developed a well-deserved reputation for being a rugged and versatile off-road SUV.? This reputation has carried forward with the model through generations with the traditional improvements that customers expect. For 2010, 4Runner has made even more advancements to bring the fifth generation to the pinnacle for…
