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SAFETY | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
“Good,” frontal offset and side impact
IIHS
Four stars, driver and passenger frontal impact
NHTSA
“roll-sensing curtain airbags”
Car and Driver
Respectable crash-test results and superlative active safety features make the 2009 Toyota 4Runner an easy recommendation.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) graced the Toyota 4Runner with the highest crash-test rating, “good,” for frontal offset and side impact collisions. The 4Runner received perfect five stars for side impacts and four stars for frontal impact, but only thee stars for rollover resistance and rollover crashes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In addition to the requisite airbags and anti-lock braking systems, the 4Runner’s comprehensive electronic safety gear includes downhill assist control, hill assist control, and vehicle stability control. The first is more useful for serious off-roading and comes standard on four-wheel-drive 4Runners, but the last two, HAC and VSC, are standard across the board and useful on any road, where they help the 4Runner remain easy to launch and provide excellent accident avoidance.
Standard on the 2009 Toyota 4Runner, according to Car and Driver, are “roll-sensing curtain airbags that inflate if the vehicle tips over or goes wheels up.” Edmunds explains that these side curtain airbags serve “the first and second rows of seating” and mentions that anti-lock disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, and front seat side airbags come standard on the 4Runner.
Conclusion
Solid crash-test ratings and a host of electronic active safety systems make the 2009 Toyota 4Runner a good choice.
