Little more than a Toyota Hilux pickup with an optional rear bench seat, a removable fiberglass bed cap, and a roll-down rear window, the original 4Runner blended trucklike utility with a pinch of commuter sensibility. With the hard top in place, the two-door cabin was comparatively quiet on the highway, while solid axles front and rear provided confidence off-road. For 1986, the balance shifted slightly toward on-road comfort with the adoption of an independent front suspension. None of the available powertrains were potent, with the standard 2.4-liter inline-four producing 96 horsepower. Output inched upward in later years, thanks to fuel injection and optional turbocharging, but even the most powerful 150-hp V-6 (available after 1988) wheezed at the sight of a steep hill.Read the 1985 4Runner SR5 Test Review
Source: caranddriver.com
