The improved throttle response will also make your 4Runner much faster off the line. It will also make off-roading easier, as torque is what will help you crawl over obstacles nice and slow. The increase in low-end torque will make your 4Runner much easier to drive on the street, as you won’t have to push your foot to the floor as often. On the low end, there are gains of around 40wtq, a massive increase for a naturally aspirated engine this size. Throughout the entire power-band, all the way up to redline, the 4Runner made more power than stock. Of course, peak numbers only tell a small part of the story. Once tuned, the 4Runner put down around 171whp and 204wtq. Ambient temperatures were the same, and we gave the 4Runner time to cool off, so all variable were as controlled as possible. We flashed the ECU with our tune and ran the 4Runner again. This equates to about a 35-40% drivetrain loss thanks to the larger tires. With the 4Runner strapped down to our dyno, we ran it in stock form and found 156whp and 181wtq.

The 4Runner we used for testing was using larger 285/70/17 tires which made drivetrain loss even worse on top of the high ambient temperatures. We also do our testing at the Vivid Racing headquarters in sunny Gilbert, Arizona, so ambient temperatures are pretty high during our testing.

For reference, we use an all-wheel-drive Mustang dynamometer which typically shows drivetrains loss of 15-15%. Our tuning division, VR Tuned, knew they could work wonders with the 4Runner as they have with the Tundra. Sure, Toyota does a decent job squeezing power out of the 4.0L, but they leave some performance on the table which can be exploited with a more refined tune. If you want to get the most out of your engine, you need to ditch the factory tune. With the added weight of bumpers, a winch, lights, roof rack, gear, etc., it’s still going to be underpowered. Obviously, bolt-on modifications such as an intake and exhaust will help your 4Runner scoot down the road, as will re-gearing it to compensate for larger tires. Once you add larger tires, bumpers, roof rack, etc., the 4Runner might as well be called a 4Walker.

In completely stock form the 4Runner isn’t terribly slow but definitely isn’t going to win any races. Unfortunately, one thing has always plagued the 4Runner since its inception, and that’s a lack of power. The 4Runner has long been one of the best alternatives to buying a Jeep Wrangler, and the 5th generation 4Runner is the best yet. If you love off-roading, overlanding, and getting out into the wild, there is a pretty good chance you own a 4Runner.

Dimsport tuning software