For 2010, in a class of its own.

Four Wheeler, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious four-wheel drive publication, has announced that the Toyota 4Runner has been named the winner of its coveted Four Wheeler of the Year award for 2010. The in-depth street and trail test has been held annually since 1974, and the win marks Toyota’s fourth overall in the competition. To qualify for the award, a vehicle must be a four-wheel drive sport-utility model that is either entirely new or sporting substantial mechanical revisions from a previous model year.

“The 2010 4Runner continues Toyota’s longstanding tradition of building 4x4 vehicles that elegantly combine form and function,” said Four Wheeler Editor Douglas McColloch. “From the FJ-40 Land Cruiser to the present day, Toyota has always been a leader in producing utility vehicles that offer the consumer commendable on-road ride and handling, and backcountry ruggedness as well. And now, with sophisticated electronic traction-enhancing features typically found only on much more expensive luxury SUVs, the new 4Runner not only offers unparalleled off-roadability for this vehicle segment, but substantial value to consumers as well. Among new SUVs for 2010, the 4Runner is in a class of its own.”

The Four Wheeler of the Year test is a weeklong evaluation covering over 1,000 miles and a variety of terrain, including pavement, gravel, dirt, sand, rocks and mud, at elevations ranging from sea level to over 11,000 feet.

Now in its 48th year, Four Wheeler is published monthly by Source Interlink Media LLC and reaches over 236,000 subscribers monthly with total approximate readership of three million off-road enthusiasts. Complete test results and evaluations of all the competitors will be available in the April 2010 issue, on sale February 21, 2010.