The 2021 Toyota 4Runner Venture is the definition of “If it ain’t broken, tweak it just a bit.” Even though that’s not exactly how the saying goes, that’s what Toyota has been doing with the 4Runner. It’s crazy to think that an automotive model’s generation lasts double digit years.

Starting on the outside, the fifth generation’s facelift has been a great design upgrade to distract you from the fact that this generation is 10 years old. With some colors being specific to one year, this Venture trim offered the black front bumper cover which added a nice contrast to the Barcelona Red color. 

You can consider the Venture trim like a TRD PRO Lite because it’s got a little bit of the TRD PRO goodies but at a lower price. One of the major differences is the that you don’t get the FOX shocks but you do get the aggressive looking 17” TRD alloy wheels.

Under the hood you get the 4.0L V6 with 270HP and 278 Lb.ft of torque. We didn’t really like large amount of low end torque loss that was felt from a stop but the mid to high range was exceptional for highway passing. The drivetrain power loss was remedied by putting the 4Runner in 4H which is not something we’d want to do considering the fuel economy is not the best at 17MPG combined.

When you hop into the 4Runner, our model lacked side steps so we actually did hope in, you’ll be seated in very comfortable leather seats with the TRD logo in the headrests. The big selling point for me was the power windows. It’s a small pet peeve but the 4Runner does a great job at offering not just auto down windows, but also auto up and it does it for all the windows. there’s been many times where we’ve reviewed a nearly 6 figure priced vehicle and you have to press and hold the up button for the windows. Let’s normalize the ALL AUTO option that the 4Runner offers.

Besides the MPGs, the infotainment is also the other low of the 4Runner. They have “tweaked” it to offer the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which brings this a little more to the modern day systems. The UI or user interface is what is a little dated looking with uninspiring selection of colors. You’ll want to be in the Apple CarPlay system so it’s something you’ll be able to overlook.

Even though the 4Runner is overdue for a model, it’s kind of hard to make that decision when sales are still strong. Whether we decide to get the current generation or wait for the next generation, you really can’t go wrong with the 4Runner and the Venture trim has a lot to offer for your ad-Venture.