Ageless Rockstar: A 2014 Toyota Fortuner AT

This is an account of my encounter with Toyota Fortuners, showcasing some finer points of a 2014 Toyota Fortuner AT.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

In this age of extended warranty, there exists a brute that can go on and on without a warranty policy. That’s because its very name stands guarantee.

This is an account of my encounter with Toyota Fortuners, showcasing some finer points of a 2014 Toyota Fortuner AT. I have been monitoring this car over the last 3 years, but never got involved in maintenance. Reason? The Fortuner barely needs any maintenance.

The intent behind these posts is to showcase the virtues of this car, the legendary Toyota quality and also to help readers appreciate how an ageing 2014 Toyota Fortuner AT looks like – Hi handsome!

My encounters with Toyota Fortuners this far

My first encounter with a Toyota Fortuner was in late 2014 when I test drove a 2012 Fortuner 4x2 4-speed AT. That was Toyota’s test drive vehicle. The prospective owner wanted an automatic but surprisingly, the 5 speed AT wasn’t available to test. The test drive was a revelation – smooth as silk steering and dead easy to drive even through some narrow lanes.

Next, in early 2016, I test drove a 2009 black Fortuner that had approx. 1,40,000km on the odo. This was supposed to be a potential replacement to a 2007 Camry, but I dissuaded my friend from going ahead because I was only half satisfied with the car, plus his not-so-great driving skills and eyesight might have proved to be too much for him with this car.

2009 Black Fortuner (sample pic):

Sometime later the same year, I test drove a pre-owned 2012 beige Fortuner 4x2 AT that had over 1,50,000 km on the odo. This was being evaluated for someone known to me. The car was good, prima facie, but the leather seats were masked with art-leather seat covers, and the tyres were creating a huge racket. The car was priced fairly competitively at approx. INR 14 lacs, due to the defects, but the deal eventually didn't take off.

2012 Beige Fortuner AT:

Then, in end-2017, came a 2010 Fortuner Anniversary edition finished in Pearl White that a known martial arts expert was considering buying. This was ravishing to look at and performed quite well for the 89,000 km on the odo. Two faults – the power retractable features on both mirrors weren’t working, driver seat edge leather had come off, but the car drove brilliantly. I also took this vehicle on a 750 km round trip in Jan-2018, and on that trip, got to realise the goods and the bads in a Fortuner.

2010 Anniversary Edition Fortuner in Pearl White - one of just 250 units built:

In Jul-2019, I rode in the middle row in a 2012 Fortuner 4x2 MT. Good ride but the underthigh support showed its true colours after 30 minutes, when I began to feel really uncomfortable!

Initial impressions on driving a 2010 Fortuner over 750 km

The Great

• Easily navigable through dense traffic
• Driver (me) felt like a boss
• Precise but long throws of the gears
• Cosy front seats
• Chiller of an Aircon
• Simple, yet functional dash
• Parking in a tight indoor slot was a breeze – unbelievable
• Denso stock horns sound sweet, yet warn road users that a Toyota is coming. These horns go on and on and on

The Bad

• Pathetic brakes – the calipers had been upgraded to a larger size but the brakes still proved absolutely inadequate for this behemoth. On several occasions, I misjudged the stopping distance to vehicle rumbles, and as a result, passengers bore the brunt
• Bumpy ride on non-highway type roads
• High floor = uncomfortable seating for second and third row passengers

Fortuner tucked away in a tight parking without fuss:

Here is a video clip of my drive while on my return to Chennai. I love the way those tyres would glide over those gaps on the bridge.

Continue reading vigsom's experience for more insights, information and BHPian comments.