Texas Road Trip: Drive the 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro
2020 has definitely changed the way we travel. If you are like me, getting on a plane is just not an option I am comfortable with doing right now. However, going on a Texas roadtrip is an option we can do! What made our first roadtrip of the year enjoyable was having the new 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro for our ride in the Texas Hill Country! I was excited to partner with Toyota to give this baby test drive for the week and I can honestly tell you I already miss the car. Below is my review of what I loved about the Toyota 4Runner and how it was perfect exploring the tropical destinations in Texas! #ToyotaPartner #ToyotaSummerRoadTrip
TOYOTA 4RUNNER: YOU, ME & SUVS
So let me give you a bit of background about me and vehicles. My family growing up was a Toyota family. Our cars were Toyota Camrys and we loved them because the Toyota brand makes great cars that last. We had the Camry until it stopped running which was like 14 years later. My first car was our 1994 Toyota Camry. This was a hand me down car from my mom to my sister and then me, but it lasted a good 14 years.
So we were mainly a sedan family and not so much SUVs. We did get an SUV later, but I stuck with a sedan. So I have to admit I was a little nervous going on a roadtrip in an SUV. I have never drove a big body SUV for a roadtrip before. But once I got in the Toyota 4Runner, I felt very comfortable. There was nothing to be afraid of because it was equipment with all the best features and safety features to where driving a big SUV was a breeze.
TOYOTA 4RUNNER: INTERIOR COMFORTS
One of the things I loved about the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is all the interior comforts. Not only was it very spacious with the capability for the 2nd row folding down, but the seats were very comfortable to sit in. Some SUVs are so bulky that you feel like your body does not conform to seat well making a long road trip uncomfortable for your back. Everything is adjustable from height to headrest which makes it comfortable.
I also love all the little compartments in the front. I do not know why I always have so much stuff when I travel, but I need all the little compartments for my things so that way it is easily accessible. There are multiple cup holders in the center as well as in the car door which I loved because they were big enough to hold my big Powerade bottles.
Cargo space in the back is amazing! So much space in the back that we could definitely fit a couple of more luggages. I love the fact the 4Runner also has power rear window. This is great to grab something real quick without opening the truck and letting the whole world know what you are traveling with. There is also a power outlet in the cargo area too so you can charge your electronics such a drone or DSLR camera.
TOYOTA 4RUNNER: LET’S TALK SPECS
Now for the good stuff – technology! One of things that is an absolute must when going on a road trip is having great technology. I really liked the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro navigation system. When traveling, I typically use my navigation on my phone. It was so nice to have big navigation screen to look at in the center of the car and in the drivers dash. This navigation system shows you which lanes you should be in when approaching a fork in a road or a split in a highway. The same image pops up in the driver’s dash too. This is great because it keeps your eyes closer to road vs looking slightly down and off center. The screen also serves as your backup rear camera which I loved and needed since I am not use to driving a big SUV.
My next favorite feature is the sunroof! You cannot go on a road trip in Texas without a sun roof! I kept the sunroof shade open the entire time. You have the option to keep the shade closed so no light comes in or opened while keeping the actual window closed (how I kept it). You can crack or tilt the window open to allow some air or open everything all the way. We had great sunny weather the entire time so sunroof vibes were on point!
Let’s talk about sound! When we travel, we always have to rent a car and each car always has Apple Carplay compatibility. But with the 4Runner it not only has Apple Carplay, but also Amazon Alexa and (drum roll) Android Auto compatibility too. This is where you can have your favorite Android apps and play your playlist from from your phone. I connected Pandora and my Spotify playlist for our ride. We listed to my jams with the 15 speaker JBL audio system. The sound was amazing.
TOYOTA 4RUNNER: THE DRIVE
So with all the comforts and specs, how was the overall drive? Excellent! I can confidently say that because I have back issues – scoliosis. And I typically need to make stretch breaks or after a couple of hours my back is killing me or I am sore or stiff. At the end of this trip, it hit me that I did not make any stops due to my back nor had the urge to stop the car because I was restless. It was a very smooth comfortable ride and I could have kept on driving.
In total, we drove 787 miles and what was great was the 4Runner did great on gas. We only had to fill up twice which amazed us. SUVs are known to be “gas guzzlers”, but we filled up just as much as we would with a sedan. it gets 19 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. One of the best things about road trips is filling up in small towns. In big cities, gas prices are much higher than small towns. So not only did we only fill up twice but we spent about $30 each fill up which is great! I was expecting a lot more.
So I truly believe COVID-19 will be here for awhile and travel will always be a little different. If you love to travel and looking to upgrade your vehicle, I would consider getting the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro so you have a great vehicle for those family road trips. Or if you plan on renting a vehicle at the airport, then I would put in a request to reserve a 4Runner! Be sure to stay tuned for my Tropical Texas Travel blog post so you can see in detail where we drove the Toyota 4Runner.
*This is a sponsored post but all thoughts expressed are 100% my own!
By Feedspot #78
