Toyota 4Runner?

[MySweetAGL]

I went to a Toyota dealer today hoping to end up deciding which minivan to choose, and found out that the 4Runner would actually be cheaper to lease and more in my price range.
Is a 2006 4Runner a safe choice? Does it have to have the optional side-curtain airbags to be safe? I really like the way it looks, but my priority is safety.

Thanks.

-Shannon

[DaniCPST]

My little sister (21) has a 2005 4-Runner limited and she LOVES it! When it was a month or two old she got into a t-bone accident while driving 45-55mph. She was on a curvey, country road and a car was backing out of his driveway right was she crested a hill. She t-boned their Seabring convertible and then spun around a few times, hit their car again, and ended up in a ditch on the side of her car.
She was 100% fine!! She was taken via ambulence to the hospital but just to be checked out and she had no injuries except the expected soreness that follows an accident. She is e-mailing me picutres of her car after the accident so you can see what it looked like while keeping her safe. They should be here soon and then I will post them for you to see.
Oh and carseats are a breeze to install in her car!

~Danielle

[DaniCPST]

Alright she finally got the pictures e-mailed to me...sorry they are pretty fuzzy because they were taken with her camera phone. There was some substancial damage done to the passanger side of the car also but it is hard to see in the pics.
HTH!
~Danielle

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[DaniCPST]

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[CPSDarren]

The 4Runner is a safe choice. It is truck based and may be more suitable for off-roading and towing. If you are mostly driving on pavement and aren't towing anything more than a couple thousand pounds, you might consider the Highlander instead. It has a modest advantage in safety and fuel economy. Plus it may be a bit cheaper, even with the optional 3rd row of seating.