My husband and I recently drove the 2019 Toyota 4Runner all-wheel-drive Nightshade edition down to Galveston Island. We try to get down to our timeshare on the west beach to enjoy the Gulf breeze three or four times each year. Since Dallas temperatures stay high even during the fall, it’s great to find weather at least 10 degrees cooler on the gulf coast.
We requested a good-sized SUV to make the five-hour drive in comfort. It is often stressful driving South through Houston on I-45. It doesn’t seem to matter what time of day or night. There will be bad traffic, possibly wrecks, on that road! So we wanted to be in a comfortable vehicle. It also helped to drive an off-road capable vehicle in case of bad road conditions. Construction cones and barricades seem to be everywhere; most highways in Texas are works in progress.
Photo: Toyota Media
We were especially appreciative of the large, spacious cabin, with loads of head and legroom for both of us. Also, plenty of room in the back for all our gear in the mid-size SUV. Thanks to its powerful V6 engine, producing 270 Horsepower, we had an easier-than-usual drive down to Galveston.
We only ran into one slight delay in a slow traffic area going through downtown Houston. What a treat to get to the beach while there was still plenty of sunshine for the first day of our vacation!
Toyota added black 20” alloy wheels, roof racks, and special badges to the 4Runner for their Nightshade edition. Black chrome bumper and rocker panel accents were also standard with the Nightshade trim. The all-wheel-drive edition’s MSRP for Toyota’s 2019 4Runner is $47,000.
Photo: Toyota Media
Leather-trimmed 50/50 split-fold, third-row seats were added as an option by the manufacturer, which (along with destination charges) brought the total price for the test vehicle to $49,373.
Fuel economy for the 4Runner is estimated at 17 mpg in town and 20 mpg on the highway, or 18 mpg average. We achieved even better mileage than expected, though. We made it there on one tank of gas and had half a tank left when we arrived home Saturday.
We were very pleased with the overall driving experience in Toyota’s 2019 4Runner. We had comfortable seating, easy driving, and loads of safety and tech features. The Nightshade Special Edition offers even more to love, with its sleek, sporty styling and easy-to-operate steering wheel and center cluster.
