Future of Automobiles :: science

Future of Automobiles Lately the trend in cars has been anything but. Lately in the United States the trend has moved toward the SUV or the Sports Utility Vechile. Thats Right the family station wagon and the Minivan are things of the past and I am going to take you through a thorough examination my favorite the Toyota 4Runner Ltd 1997 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4WD WHAT'S NEW FOR 1997 All-new 4Runner debuts with more interior room, stronger engines, dual airbags, new colors, and a top-of- the-line Limited trim level. For the first time, the 4Runner boasts a unique chassis and sheetmetal not shared with the Tacoma pickup. PROS AND CONS Pros: Great looks and ground-pounding performance make the 4Runner an ideal choice for people who love the great outdoors as well as those who just want to look like they do. Cons: Steep price and choppy highway ride temper our enthusiasm for this otherwise outstanding truck. For Successful five-year run, the second-generation Toyota 4Runner has been retired, and not a moment too soon. Fresh in 1990, the 4Runner aged quickly as the sport utility market exploded and other automakers introduced larger, safer and more powerful rivals. By 1995, the compact pickup-based 4Runner offered little, other than Toyota's reputation for reliability, to entice buyers. For 1996, Toyota has separated this high-volume SUV from its pickup truck roots. The new 4Runner shares little with the Tacoma pickup. As a result, engineers have created a more refined vehicle without sacrificing tough off-road ability. Suspension travel and tread width are both up to improve off-road ability, ride, and handling. The interior is larger in every direction, thanks to a wheelbase that is two inches longer than the previous version. A lower floor and wider doors make getting into and out of the 4Runner less of an exercise in contortionism. Rear leg room is up by three inches, and cargo space has been improved as well. Two engines are available on the 4Runner; a 2.7-liter inline four cylinder that makes 150 horsepower at 4800 rpm and 177 pounds- feet of torque at 4000 rpm., and a 3.4-liter V-6 producing 183 horsepower at 4800 rpm and 217 pounds-feet of torque at 3600 rpm. These figures represent a substantial improvement over the old anemic four cylinder and wheezy V-6 -- in fact, the new 2.7-liter four is more powerful than the 1995 model's 3.0-liter six.