The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Is More of Everything: First Drive Review

If you happen to’re studying this, the Toyota 4Runner might be essential to you. I grew up in 4Runners and personal one now. It’s essential to me too. However as a substitute of a faffy, narrative-driven piece, let’s dive straight into it.

By the tip of this piece, I’ll have lined the 2 largest questions you in all probability have: “Is that this new truck higher than the outdated one?” and, “Ought to I purchase a 4Runner or a Land Cruiser?”

Let’s get into it.

Photograph by: Toyota

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Street

So what precisely is new with this 4Runner? Briefly, every part. That is a wholly new era and the primary wholesale overhaul of the truck since 2009, when the fifth-generation 4Runner first debuted. That truck survived 15 mannequin years, a staggering feat of endurance.

The top results of these fifteen years of growth: Toyota constructed probably the most dependable and beloved body-on-frame SUVs ever. In a listing of automobiles almost definitely to final 250,000 miles, Toyota vans take almost all top-ten slots with the 4Runner third on that checklist. Contemplating Toyota has constructed greater than 3 million 4Runners since 1984, that’s a very spectacular capstone. And a tricky act to comply with. 

Photograph by: Toyota

Photograph by: Toyota

Photograph by: Toyota

This sixth-generation 4Runner goals to match your expectations of final reliability whereas addressing main complaints in regards to the outgoing fifth-gen 4Runner. Specifically, that the outdated 4Runner was sluggish, inefficient, and woefully outdated—particularly as its MSRP throughout all trims ballooned.

Fairly than begin from scratch, the 2025 4Runner is constructed atop the Toyota TNGA-F platform which underpins the remainder of its vans—the Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser. Which means a boxed ladder body paired with a extra inflexible physique construction, in addition to shared engines, drivetrain, mechanicals, infotainment appointments, and sure, even design ideologies.

Photograph by: Toyota

Professionals: Seamless Transmission, Up to date Tech, Low Street Noise

It’ll be a difficulty of private style, however the 4Runner’s appears to be like are rising on me. Slowly. At first look, the brand new physique model looks like a step again from the fifth-gen’s conservative physique traces. Calty Design (America’s in-house Toyota design studio) penned each the brand new 4Runner and Tacoma, which is why the 4Runner echoes the Tacoma’s sharper and extra overtly stylized design.

That stated, the brand new 4Runner received’t be mistaken for some other SUV. Calty Design preserved sufficient of the visible touchpoints of the outgoing fourth- and fifth-generation vans, with a number of throwback nods to even-earlier 4Runners, that you just couldn’t mistake the rest. 

That’s a job nicely accomplished.

Photograph by: Toyota

Not like its Korean counterparts within the mid-size section, Toyota hasn’t shifted towards luxurious pretension. Exhausting-wearing supplies dress the sections of the cabin that demand them (the sprint, the door panels close to the ground, and the areas across the cupholders), and the remainder of the inside appears to be like clear, purposeful, and arranged. 

Two knobs for the dual-zone local weather controls dominate the middle stack, with a row of toggle switches between them to actuate your windshield blower, heated mirrors, local weather mode, air recirculation, and A/C. There’s even a pair of bodily buttons for the heated seats. All of it represents an enchancment over the fifth-gen mannequin, with higher packaging for local weather settings in an intelligible, condensed, compact array.

There may be additionally a bodily quantity knob. Reward God.

Photograph by: Toyota

Cons: Value, Complexity, Overdone Styling

And also you’re in all probability questioning: Will that foolish little cupholder spacer ring get caught on my water bottle anymore? No! The cupholders really work this time round. No rings right here. I examined out an enormous silly water bottle similar to your Stanley. It labored effective.

And don’t fear, even the roll-down rear window nonetheless lives. You may breathe a sigh of aid. 

There are two touchscreen choices within the cabin: A base 8.0-inch central display with a 7.0-inch digital cluster, or a 14.0-inch horizontal iPad with a 12.3-inch digital show for the cluster. Except you’re brief on finances, I like to recommend you spring for the bigger, fancier setup. It really works fairly nicely. 

Photograph by: Toyota

Photograph by: Toyota

Toyota’s system isn’t flashy or beautiful, and the screens themselves aren’t significantly sharp-looking. However the entire multimedia system feels intuitive to make use of and simple to handle, bereft of dozens of submenus. Plus you get wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on both setup.

It is a large enchancment over the outgoing 4Runner.

The TRD Professional has some exceptionally comfortable thrones for the motive force and passenger, and the Trailhunter wraps its seats in a patterned fake leather-based that feels prefer it’ll go the gap for the Overlanding set. However I’ll get extra into that in my TRD Professional evaluation later this week.

Photograph by: Toyota

The TRD Off-Street premium’s seats, in the meantime, are much more fundamental. However they nonetheless supply first rate help for off-roading. Even the SR5’s fabric seats really feel snug, although they’re noticeably much less supportive than the top-tier thrones, significantly when you like seats that maintain you in place laterally.

Go determine. 

No matter you select, the 4Runner has a observe file for long-lasting chairs. My 236,000-mile facelifted second-gen had immaculate seats till the day it was totaled by an inattentive driver whereas I sat parked at a stoplight. However I digress.

On to the essential stuff: The powertrains.

Photograph by: Toyota

Photograph by: Toyota

The long-serving naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V-6 is useless. Lengthy reside the turbocharged inline-four. It is available in two flavors. The primary is the so-called “I-Power” turbocharged inline-four, which makes 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. The second, known as “I-Power Max,” is a hybridized model of the identical engine packing 326 horses and 465-pound ft, courtesy of a 1.87-kilowatt-hour battery pack.

These are your two decisions.

The bottom engine feels lots zippy right here, with the complete punch of torque obtainable from 1,800 rpm and an eight-speed computerized that shifts shortly and imperceptibly. More often than not you’d assume it’s the most effective CVT you’ve ever pushed.

Photograph by: Toyota

It’s a genuinely nice gearbox, maybe the smoothest and most unobtrusive transmission I’ve ever skilled in a mid-size, body-on-frame SUV. Whoever labored on the calibration of this transmission for the 4Runner, take a bow. 

The non-obligatory I-Power Max hybrid ups the ability however suffers a weight penalty, whereas marginally growing the EPA’s gasoline ranking. Certain, there’s vastly extra energy and torque on paper, however in the true world, the I-Power engine felt sturdy sufficient for me.

From a sluggish roll, the hybrid system can work in energy awkwardly throughout shifts, which is the one time the drivetrain makes its presence recognized. At something past metropolis speeds, nonetheless, each powertrains really feel seamless.

Photograph by: Toyota

An electrical power-assist steering system (EPAS) replaces the old-school hydraulic setup throughout all trims. It’s good, providing much less steering suggestions, as you’d anticipate, however making for a truck that’s simpler to maneuver on trails and through tight activates the highway. That’s an enormous enchancment total, particularly as you throw bigger, chunkier tires on this truck, which have a tendency to extend steering effort. 

So far as a switch case goes, once more, you’ve gotten choices. Extra-basic trims will be had in two-wheel drive (on the rear, clearly), and with no switch case (clearly), whereas the Restricted and Platinum spec a four-wheel-drive system consistent with what’s on the Land Cruiser. Half-time 4WD is spec’d on many of the different trims. On the TRD Professional and Trailhunter fashions, it’s the one choice. 

The part-time system comes with an electronically engaged two-speed HI-LO switch case, plus a locking digital diff on the rear.

Photograph by: Toyota

I’ve been on fairly a number of product launches for off-road-centric vans. Lots of them had more durable obstacles to sort out than those Toyota arrange for us right here, however none had much less oversight; Toyota threw us the metaphorical keys and despatched us out alone with a pleasant wave. 

It was a free-for-all, with loads of room for folly, from some actually slippery uphill sections in extra of 20 levels incline to a rally-style course the place we had been inspired to whip the TRD Professional alongside a banked nook—Indy 500 model—in two-wheel drive. 

Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Monitor (MTM) labored nicely right here, displaying a top-down view of the truck on the central 14.0-inch display, as wanted, or peering over every flank of the truck and the nostril concurrently. There are even readouts displaying pitch and roll, plus a foolish little on-screen button that’ll spray and wipe grime away out of your rear window. 

Photograph by: Toyota

Photograph by: Toyota

Photograph by: Toyota

Actually, it was tremendous helpful to have.

We dealt with the rock-crawling and hill-climb portion of the course behind the wheel of a TRD Off-Street Premium set in 4 LO. I attempted a lap of the course with the diff locked then unlocked it for the second lap. The TRD Off-Street dealt with all of it, with ease. 

Our check truck for this portion of the drive had the non-obligatory 33-inch tires, however I used to be most impressed by how easily and progressively the hybrid powertrain delivered torque. There’s a little judder when pulling away from a cease, however when you’re shifting, any impediment is dispatched with a little bit wiggle out of your large toe on the throttle or brake pedal. 

Alongside a well-equipped SR5, the TRD Off-Street Premium strikes in all probability the most effective steadiness between options and functionality whereas preserving the worth as affordable as doable.

Photograph by: Toyota

General, Toyota improved the 4Runner in some ways. Of particular be aware, the brand new eight-speed transmission shines. It’s the function I most desperately need on my fifth-gen TRD Professional. Past that, I pine for the upgraded screens, and the upgraded MTM, which is so insanely helpful maneuvering a busy Costco car parking zone—because the memes go—but additionally as a security function. 

The brand new 4Runner can be a lot quieter than the already civilized fifth-gen truck, amplifying a sense of consolation and solidity. And whereas it’s extra environment friendly on paper, our SR5 check truck confirmed us 17 miles per gallon and the TRD Professional I drove on the freeway did higher, however not by a lot.

With 9 separate trims, Toyota goals to offer a Goldilocks answer for each sort of purchaser, as long as they’ve bought deep pockets. To that time, I feel pricing has gone haywire, however Toyota will need to have good proof folks will pony up.

Photograph by: Toyota

Photograph by: Toyota

The SR5 trim—with 2WD, fabric seats, and the lesser screens—begins at $42,220 with supply charges included. You’ll very probably need part-time four-wheel drive ($2,000) and possibly operating boards ($345) in case your accomplice is brief. The third-row seating provides $770.

That’s $45,335 for a fairly bare-bones truck, however one which feels well-built, drives easily, and gives a quiet cabin. I suppose that’s the 4Runner for you.

Our TRD Off-Street Premium price $59,420 with the hybrid engine, the great screens included, improved seats and off-road options, plus non-obligatory pre-wired auxiliary switches, a moonroof, and the tow tech package deal.

Photograph by: Toyota

Sixty grand for a mid-range 4Runner. 

The TRD Professional we drove was $68,350 with vacation spot and no choices. Add in some paint safety, mud flaps, and a few sliders from the manufacturing unit. You’ve hit a $70,000 4Runner. It’s succesful, positive, however that’s a worth to compete with luxurious off-roaders. 

Sure, the sixth-gen 4Runner is essentially improved. Smoother, quieter, extra environment friendly, extra succesful, and extra highly effective. 

Photograph by: Toyota

However given the pricing, I couldn’t suggest you improve to a brand new truck in case your fifth-gen 4Runner remains to be ticking. If you happen to’re in any other case out there for an SUV, you’d have to buy the equally priced Land Cruiser, which wins out on appears to be like and the status of its nameplate, whereas matching most 4Runner trims for outright functionality. I’d reasonably have an LC myself.

In the end, the 4Runner means nothing with out final reliability. It’s too early to say whether or not the sixth-gen and its turbo hybrid powertrain will seem on the checklist of automobiles almost definitely to final 250,000 miles, however when you needed to guess on one firm on earth to satisfy these lofty expectations, it’d be Toyota.