Every year, the New York International Auto Show features a number of U.S. and world debuts from different automakers. I’m not here to talk about those cars. No, what I’d like to talk about is the car that has been to more NYIAS shows than anything else on the floor: the fifth-generation Toyota 4Runner.
This is the current 4Runner’s 13th New York Auto Show, and it’s really wild to think about how much of the world has changed since New Yorkers got their first look at the box, body-on-frame SUV all the way back in 2010. Before you say anything, yes, I know, 2010 was 14 years ago. There was no NYIAS in 2020 because of that whole pandemic thing. Just think of it as a time when you actually still liked Jalopnik.
Anyway, just take a moment and think back to what the world was like in 2010. It’s almost unrecognizable socially, economically, politically and automotive-ly. Just look at some of the vehicles the 4Runner competes against: the Wrangler, Bronco and other mid-size SUVs. The fifth-gen 4Runner has been around so long that boxy cars were in style, went out of style and came back into style. It’s a bonkers concept to get your head around.
Back in 2010 I almost certainly was at the auto show. I would have been just 13 years old at the time when I first saw the new 4Runner. I probably liked the way it looked. I don’t really know, it was so long ago. One thing I do absolutely remember was being bummed Toyota dropped the V8 for the new car. I’ve been consistent for a very long time.
Auto shows themselves were very different back then. Sure, the internet was around, but it wasn’t being used nearly as much in the car-buying process. Auto shows were still extremely important for customers and new car reveals alike. A quick look at the NYIAS Wikipedia page shows just how much has changed. There used to be dozens of new vehicle reviews every year, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. It makes the 10 new entrants to this year’s show (some of which are just refreshes and North American debuts) look extremely pedestrian.
Maybe it was the pandemic. Maybe it was the fact no one can afford new cars, or maybe it’s the fact that people just don’t buy vehicles the way they used to. I don’t know for sure what it is that has changed the way NYIAS presents itself to the world. However, the one thing I do know is the fifth-generation 4Runner will be there as long as the show still needs it to be.