 What is up guys, welcome back to another one. If you're new to the channel, I'm Gullpony as your new car truck SUV reviews on YouTube and today we are in the brand new 2023 Toyota forerunner courtesy of younger Toyota in Hagerstown, Maryland. For more information on their inventory, please refer to check out the link in the description box below. And so there are some big changes for the 2023 forerunner, including plenty of safety upgrades and in addition to that a new trim level as well. So we're going to be going over all those changes of course, but not only that this is potentially the most reliable SUV ever built. This thing has an incredible track record, just take a look at Consumer Reports magazine and it'll give you incredible reliability ratings on the forerunner. So not only that you do get two years or 25,000 miles of complimentary maintenance with all new Toyotas right now as well, so that is also pretty cool. But ultimately in this video we will be testing out and going over everything about this one from acceleration to braking, steering, full ride quality, sound system, exhaust clip, all that fun stuff. So having said all that, what do you guys say? Let's just go ahead and jump right into it and as always, let's start with pricing. And so as you can imagine, there are several different trim levels for the 2023 Toyota forerunner. First one being the SR5 starting at $38,805, which is a $1,500 price bump from the 2022 model year. In case you were curious, TRD Sports starting at $41,665 SR5 Premium for $41,865, TRD Off-Road for $42,650, TRD Off-Road Premium for $45,230. 40th Anniversary Special Edition, that is a new trim level for 2023, that starts at $46,370. Limited for $48,040 and TRD Pro for $53,270 and so for the first three trim levels and the Limited as well, they all come standard with rear-wheel drive. All the other trims come standard with four-wheel drive, but you can add four-wheel drive to this first three and the Limited. If you wanted to do that, simply add $1,875 to any of those prices then. But regardless of trim level yet, you go with the power plant on the forerunner is going to be the same. And so powering the beast is a four-liter naturally aspirated V6, putting out 270 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, 278 pound-feet of torque coming in at 4,400 rpm, power center rear wheels are all wheels through a five-speed automatic, zero to 60 time, approximately eight seconds flat. With MPG and Arbus coming in at 16 in the city, 19 on the highway, taking regular, unleaded fuel. All right, so now having gotten all of that out of the way, what do you guys say? Let's go ahead and find a straight away now. Let's put the forerunner here to the test and let's see how quickly we can get our new 2023 Toyota forerunner here up to speed. All right, a little bit of a rolling start. Let's kick it. Whoa! Yeah, that's fine. Honestly, for the size of this thing, plenty of an acceleration. You're not going to have any issues emerging onto the highway or anything like that. That was perfectly fine. Definitely no issues there. Not the quickest thing in the world obviously, but it'll get the job done. But anyways, to go along with that acceleration as always, braking is equally important. And so, as expected, you will find four-wheel ventilated disc brakes coming standard. As far as the S60's stopping distance goes, it's going to come in at 127 feet, which is pretty on par for the chorus in terms of the size of this SUV. So, as far as braking feel goes, it's perfectly fine. Definitely didn't have any issues with that. Not really a soft braking feel, but not a firm braking feel either. It's pretty much what you would expect for an SUV like the forerunner. I'll just put it that way. Then touching on suspension and handling, up front you're going to get an independent double wishbone type front suspension. In the back four link with lateral rod rear suspension front and rear stabilizer bars, but there are plenty of different options when it comes to the suspension on the forerunner. For example, X-ray, sport enhancement suspension for the TRD Sport Limited. So, we do have the TRD Sport today, by the way. So, wanted to mention that to you guys. So, that is essentially kind of like an adaptive damping suspension that monitors each shock absorber individually, not only adjusting to the road up perfections, giving you a smoother ride, but also tightening up the suspension during heavy cornering, giving you a little bit of handling there as well. But it continues. There's also a kinetic dynamic suspension system, which is optional for the off-road trim level. So, doesn't come standard on any particular configuration, but it is going to be optional and available for you there. TRD Pro is going to add to that Fox High Performance shock. So, little added offered performance there. There is also a Torsen Limited Slip center differential for the limited four-wheel drive. Locking rear differential then for any of the TRD trim levels, that's going to come standard there. And there are TRD tuned front springs, obviously, with the TRD Pro. So, like I said, plenty of different options available when it comes to the suspension for the four-runner. Overall, as far as ride quality goes, it's been 100% on point. My short test drive here. Eggerson's roads are pretty darn nice, but having said that, again, it's been 100% perfectly fine. So, definitely ride quality is on point. As far as steering feel goes, weighted 100% on the heavier side of things, which you guys know I personally love. I love a heavy steering feel. Usually with SUVs, a lot of times you will find loosey-goosey steering feels and it doesn't really give you all that much driver feedback or emotion. So, the heavier steering feels, like this four-runner, I am a big fan of. Then, touching on cabin noise, I am going, not that fast right now, maybe 20, 15, 20 miles per hour. But, actually, cabin noise really isn't that bad. There isn't any wind noise whatsoever really coming into the cabin. The road noise is pretty subdued as well. So, actually, no issues when it comes to cabin noise touching a visibility. I can see perfectly fine out the back. So, definitely not going to have any issues there. Also, I wanted to mention though that rear window actually opens and closes. There is actually a power window button located directly behind the shifter and that's going to open and close that rear window back there for even added visibility. And, quite honestly, the fact that the rear window opens on an SUV is pretty darn cool. You hardly ever find that. So, I absolutely love that. But, that pretty much rounds out the performance segment of this review, you guys. Let's now go ahead and take a look at the exterior of our brand new 2023 Toyota four-runner. Alright, so here she is, you guys. The new 2023 Toyota four-runner finished in Lime Rush in case you were curious of our exterior color name. I personally love the color on this four-runner. I think it looks absolutely amazing. But, like I said at the beginning of the video, plenty of changes for the 2023 model year. And, that big change is the 40th anniversary special edition. Only 4,040 will ever be built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the four-runner. So, that is pretty cool. You're going to get some tri-color graphics on the sides as well as on the grille. You're going to get bronze 17-inch wheels and some interior modifications then as well. So, I did want to emphasize that since we're about to touch on the exterior here. As always, let's go ahead and start now for where this thing is actually built because, as you know, although Toyota is a Japanese brand, it doesn't mean that it is built in Japan. Although, the four-runner is. It's one of the ones that are actually 100% fully JDM. So, just wanted to mention that. But, let's go ahead and start up front. Full LED headlights come standard on every single trim level across the board. Gotta love that unique front grille for the TRD Pro. And, you're going to get some added chrome accents then for the Limited. Front skid plate that is going to cover the engine and front suspension that comes standard. TRD hood scoop for the TRD Sport. I 100% love the look of that. I think it looks absolutely amazing. Automatic headlights, of course, do come standard as well. Meaning, when it starts to get dark at night, those headlights will turn on automatically for you there. LED daytime running lights though, also coming standard. And, automatic high beams coming standard for all trims as well. Essentially, what that is, is when you have your high beams on at night and it senses a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. It's going to automatically dim those back to low beams. Then, when that vehicle is gone, it's going to automatically then bounce it back up to high beams. So, very convenient feature there. Kind of like the automatic headlights but for the high beams. So, big fan of that. But, another one here. This didn't always used to be the case. LED fog lights do come standard on every single trim level across the board. And, again, LED fog lights. So, you gotta love that. And, of course, you got the adaptive cruise control sensor found just below that Toyota logo up front as well. So, overall, I believe we've all seen this look before. Definitely looks good. And, again, I absolutely love the hood scoop on our particular trim that we have with us here today. But, anyways, that pretty much rounds out the front end. Let's now go ahead and make our way to the side of the forerunner. Alright, and so, now since we're all around to the side of this one, roof rails do come standard across the board. We do have an optional roof rack actually up there as well. TRD roof rack though does come standard on the TRD Pro. But, like I said, you can get the roof rack on the other trims. It's just going to be optional. Rear privacy glass is going to come standard, of course, across the board. You got the trim level badging found on the C-pillar. I actually like that look. So, if you're ever curious what trim level you were looking at and you're looking at a forerunner maybe on a Sunday, look at that C-pillar. Ours is going to say TRD Sport, of course, because that's a trim that we have. But, every trim is going to tell you. So, I'm a big fan of that. Body color power adjustable side mirrors, of course, they will be heated with LED integrated turn signals if you go with the SR5 Premium trim level end up. So, that's how you're going to get the LED integrated turn signals there. Running boards are going to be optional for all trim levels. We do have those. I believe they run right around $800. Give or take. Take a look down at the wheel configuration. 20-inch alloys for the TRD Sport. And again, that's what you guys are looking at right now. But, essentially, 17-inch alloys for all the other trim levels, including that 40th anniversary edition. So, we do have one of the bigger sized wheels. So, that is pretty cool. But, anyways, that about rounds out the side profile. Let's now go ahead and make our way to the back. All right. So, but now since we are around to the back of the forerunner all the way to the top, you guys can probably see that there is a body color shark fin antenna up there just below that rear window wiper with an integrated brake light. In case you were curious, hey, where's the rear window wiper? Of course, since the rear window actually does open and close, the rear window wiper is going to be tucked away underneath of that rear spoiler. So, that is where you're going to go ahead and find that. Because, again, you can't put it on the actual glass because the actual glass opens and closes. So, that is why that is there. But, anyways, LED taillights do come standard across the board. And you guys can see we do have the tow hitch down below there. Towing capacity is going to come in at 5,000 pounds even, in case you were curious. And, of course, to the down below on the passenger side, there's a little cutout for it. There is a single exhaust outlet there. So, having said that, I do believe you guys know what we have to do next is always here is that exhaust clip. And so, but now since we are around to the back of the forerunner, when it comes to opening that rear tailgate, it is a manual tailgate for all trim levels across the board. Once opened up, though, cargo capacity behind the third row. Yes, there is an optional third row available for the forerunner that is going to be nine cubic feet. But, most forerunners that you find are not going to have that. That's something kind of that you have to request. And, very rarely will you see them. But, anyways, I think I actually reviewed one last year or the year before. I forget. But, anyways, behind that second row, 47.2 cubic feet. And, with all rows folded, 89.7 cubic feet. I want to emphasize that because that is more cargo space overall than the Highlander, than the Palisade, than the Pathfinder, than the Telluride, than the Pilot. Pretty much all the other competing three-row SUVs. So, that is a ton of space in the back for the forerunner. You could probably take this thing camping and sleep back there if you wanted to. Put in the comments if you've done that and you own a forerunner. But, anyways, 12-volt power outlet you could find back there, but not just that. All trim levels, but the 40th anniversary edition, for whatever reason, is going to give you a 120-volt power outlet back there. So, when you're camping, you can plug in a toaster and have some toast in the morning and orange juice. I don't know. But, that is stick and cool that that is back there. I'm a big fan of that. Grocery bag hooks back there, tie-down anchors as well. And, then, there will be an optional cargo cover if you wanted to go that route as well. But, then, making our way up to the third row legroom. We don't have it, so I can't show it to you guys. 29.3 inches. So, not a ton of space back there. But, there are going to be cup holders and some storage for those third-row passengers if you didn't end up going with that option. But, second-row legroom. That is going to come in at 32.9 inches for reference. I'm even six feet tall. This is how much space I have back there. Doesn't sound like a whole heck of a lot of legroom on paper. But, quite honestly, it wasn't that bad. I was able to make it work. Rear ventilation does come standard, of course, for the second-row passengers. There are dual rear USB charging ports coming standard as well. And, some front seat-bat map netted pockets. I guess is how I'm going to describe them. So, that is going to be available then as well. But, now, let's go ahead and make our way up to the front seats. Eight-way power driver seat with power lumbar and a cloth finish come standard. But, for the SR5 Premium TRD Pro TRD Offer Premium TRD Sport that we have today in the 40th anniversary edition, essentially, that's all going to give you a soft-tex upholstery or, more or less, a leatherette finish. So, heated front seats, though, coming with all of those trims as well, and a power-justable passenger seat, again, for all trim levels of those as well, except for the just basic SR5. But, anyways, perforated leather is going to come with a limited trim level, and that's also going to give you ventilated front seats. Overall, in our TRD Sport that we have today, seating was plenty comfortable. Again, the power adjustment seats make it super easy, and they adjust pretty quick, too, quicker than most other vehicles that I test. I like the TRD badging or emblem found in the headrest, too. I thought that was a nice added touch. But then, let's go ahead and take a look at the steering wheel and its tilt and telescope, and it is leather-wrapped for all trim levels across the board. Tending two grips are plenty thick, so I'm a big fan of that as well, and can actually get a heated steering wheel. That is going to be optional, although it doesn't come standard, but it is optional on the four-runner as well. But now, let's go ahead and make our way to the start-up. Let me start by showing you guys the key here. You've got a pretty basic key, actually. Toyota logo on the one side. When you flip it over, just lock and unlock. So, good news about a basic key is when you lose it in Ocean City, Maryland, it's not going to cost much to replace, so I'll just say that. But anyways, it is all keyless entry with the push-button start for all trim levels across the board, so all I am going to do here is simply put my foot on the brake and press that engine start button located kind of just by the driver's right knee. And so, once started up, tachometers all the way to your left speedometer is on your right. There is a small digital display front and center to control what is on that digital display. There are steering wheel-mounted controls found on the right side of the steering wheel. That gives you things like a digital speedometer, trip A, trip B, of course. How many miles you have left until you hit empty? That's always convenient. You've got a steering angle up there. That is pretty cool. When you need your next oil change, there's some safety features. The list goes on, so pretty much everything you can possibly want up there. So, it's fine. It'll get the job done. Then, touching on overall interior quality, if you wanted a power mooner that we don't have today, go with the limited TRD Pro or the 40th anniversary edition. So, 40th anniversary will give you a power mooner, if that's pretty cool. Overhead sunglass holder though will come standard across the board. Dual zoom climate control for the limited and TRD Pro trims. Homeland controls for the premium trim levels end up, and that is actually going to be found on the roof here, as opposed to just underneath the rear view mirror where it typically is often found. But 1, 2, 3, it's up to three different garage doors kind of right around the LED interior lighting up top there. Wood trim accents can be found on the limited just above the passenger side glove box. Otherwise, you're going to get this kind of cool texturized black look just above the passenger side glove box there. Overall, it is kind of finished on the basic side of things. But then again, that's kind of what I expected in a vehicle like the ForeRunner. It's kind of known for reliability. It's known for off-roading, and it's known for getting the job done and a lot of practicality and a lot of cool little quirky features like the rear window that opens up. So, there's not a ton going on with interior quality. There's a cup holder just in front of the shifter. You've got a USB connection port for your Android Auto Apple CarPlay. I'll touch on that in a second. A rapid charging port for dual USB rapid charging ports. Kind of finished with some LED blue lighting inside of that. That is pretty cool. Got a little bit of storage to put yourself in there. Another cup holder behind the shifter. You've got TRD lettering on the actual shift knob itself, since we have the TRD Sport within the center armrest. A ton of space in there. You've got a 12-volt power outlet, and on the backside of the center armrest, a little place to put your pens or pencils, and a little container for your tissues, because it says tissue on there, so you are only allowed to put tissues in there. So, overall again, it's on the basic side, but it'll get the job done. But now let's go ahead and take a look at the infotainment screen. 8-inch color touchscreen display is going to come standard for all trim levels across the board. Bluetooth audio streaming coming standard, Android Auto Apple CarPlay. If you want a factory navigation system, go with the SR5 Premium trim leveling up. You're going to get some weather information you can display up there, and also, of course, your radio information. So, when it comes to the sound systems, there's a couple of them. 8-speakers is going to come with the SR5 40th anniversary TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro. Essentially all trims, but the limited. I should have just said that, because the limited is going to give you a 15-speaker JBL sound system with the subwoofer and an external amp. But, having said that, that is not the one we have today. We do have the 8-speaker sound system with us here. So, what do you guys say? Let's go ahead and turn on the radio, see what we got playing today, and let's test out the clarity of this one. It's okay. It's just okay. It's not the best sound system I ever heard, but it should be plenty fine. Obviously, if you wanted a little better sound system and you're really into music, go with the limited trim level, but it's just an okay sound system. I've heard better 8-speaker sound systems than that. I'll put it that way. But, last thing I want to mention, to you guys on the infotainment screen, is when you do put the four-runner in reverse, you will find a rear view camera coming standard across the board. But, not only that, there is an optional 360-degree monitor available. We do have that option giving you that bird's-eye view from the top, letting you know who or what is behind you and all around you, which is always going to lead us into safety. And so, front-side-side current airbags do come standard, driver, and passenger-knee airbags up front as well. You don't always find that. In the back, you're going to have louch, a.k.a. lower anchors to tell your children for the rear car seats, rear child door docks, tire pressure monitoring system, but also coming standard for all trim levels will be Toyota Safety Sense. And so, that is going to include a pre-collision system with the pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, dynamic radar, cruise control, and that automatic high beams I had already mentioned to you guys. But then the limited is also going to give you front and rear parking sensors then as well. And so, overall, when it comes to my final thoughts of the four-runner, this thing is an off-road beast. You can certainly equip it that way. And really, if you were to go to a beach, let's say, and you look at all the vehicles on the beach that are off-road vehicles, you typically will see trucks, Jeep Wranglers, and four-runners. So, those are the three that I typically see when I go to Aztec Island. So, this thing is plenty capable off-road. It's plenty capable on the beach as well. Not only that, you have unbeatable reliability. Literally, take a look at Consumer Reports. I'm not lying here. You have the best reliability of any other SUVs out there just about maybe the Highlander and this is tied. I don't know, but this thing is incredible reliability for sure. Plenty of cargo space as well. I know the Telluride comes in at 88 cubic feet. Highlander, I think it's like 87. Pilot is 84 cubic feet. So, really more space than all of its competition and more off-road capable and more reliable as well. So, I just wanted to say that. I'd get the TRD sport trim that we have today personally because you have that hood scoop, which I think looks absolutely amazing. And you have the X-ray suspension, which is also pretty nice. Rear window is great. That's one of those features you typically don't find on any other SUVs out there. So, really the, I would say two things for room for improvement. So, fuel economy obviously is not going to be as good as the competition. This is a very old engine, a five-speed transmission. It's not turbocharged. It's not a hybrid powertrain like Toyota sometimes does with a lot of their other vehicles. So, fuel economy is not the best, but it's not built for that either. And honestly, I wouldn't have minded it a little bit quicker over in acceleration because it is kind of on the slower side. But then again, it's reliable. So, that's what really matters, right? But anyways, let me know what you guys think of the four-runner in the comment section below. And that is about it for this one, you guys. Thank you so much for watching. If you're free to follow me on social media, at the bottom of the screen, if you want to see what's coming next on the channel before it gets to YouTube, be sure to hit the subscribe with the bell notification button. If you're into new car reviews, that is what we do here on this channel after all. Do appreciate you guys watching more than you know, and I will see you guys all in the next video. Stay Gold!