It’s been 15 years since we utmost noticed a fully untouched Toyota 4Runner. When maximum car lifecycles utmost about 8 years, 2010 used to be perpetually in the past. So, to mention the SUV used to be due for an replace is an irony. What’s in point of fact fascinating, on the other hand, is that the 2025 Toyota 4Runner remains true to its rugged roots age amping up the tech and total drivability. In scale down, Toyota did a darn wonderful process with this sixth-generation SUV.
2025 Toyota 4Runner: First Spin
The 4Runner has its roots steeped in weekend off-road adventures. A move between the Toyota Trekker and the Land Cruiser, the actual 4Runner mixed off-road capacity with on-road relief. Generation this SUV has been sluggish to manufacture bulky adjustments, it’s been the results of steady development and upgrades all the way through the years. First of all a two-seater, the 4Runner didn’t get a 2nd row till its 2nd era. Through the years, it added extra grassland clearance, an free entrance suspense, side-impact coverage and anti-lock brakes. An automated transmission changed the guide in 2001. As a pre-runner to its 5th era (pun supposed), the 4Runner entered the Baja 1000 and completed 2nd in its magnificence.
Coming into the tide era, the 4Runner married off-road prowess with fashionable generation, together with wi-fi Apple CarPlay, a clean hybrid powertrain and digital camera presentations that wow.
i-Pressure vs i-Pressure Max
Let me get started by means of announcing each the gasoline and hybrid variations of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner are in point of fact smartly powered. The gasoline engine, known as the i-Pressure, is a 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that delivers 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. This would be the bottom powertrain, discovered within the SR5, TRD Game, TRD Game Top class, TRD Off-Highway, TRD Off-Highway Top class and Restricted trims. This is identical engine we see within the Tacoma, however age the Tacoma has a guide transmission choice, the 4Runner is handiest supplied with an 8-speed automated.
I assumed this powertrain had enough of get-up-and-go for speedy acceleration in addition to popping out of a forbid shiny. Generation you pay attention the engine beneath crisp acceleration, it didn’t pitch or really feel love it struggled. It felt like the correct quantity of energy for a car of this measurement.
The i-Pressure Max, the hybrid powertrain, felt higher. With 326 mixed horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, this powertrain borders on easy. And, when off-roading, the low-end torque makes a excess excess right through tricky climbs. I had the opportunty to check each powertrains off street, and the i-Pressure Max helps to keep on chugging ceaselessly in steep inclines, while the i-Pressure calls for a tiny extra try.
when you’re doing a accumulation of off-roading, the hybrid is without a doubt the powertrain you’ll need. However for on a regular basis riding, the gasoline engine is the bulky winner–particularly because it will get higher freeway gas economic system in maximum trims. Although no longer vetted by means of the EPA but, Toyota estimates the 4Runner gets 25 to 26 mpg at the freeway in each decrease aside from the Restricted. The i-Pressure Max, which is 4WD handiest, gets 24 mpg.
Using impressions
Homogeneous to the Tacoma, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner feels proper sized. We tackled off-road and twisty on-road bits, and age I wouldn’t name the 4Runner sporty, I’d say it borders on nimble. It had an skillful turning radius for miss-directed U-turns, and it stayed in its lane age “carving canyons.” Within the off-road, it agilely treated tight maneuvers, steep inclines and rock crawls.
Although I handiest had a pair forged hours at the back of the wheel on street, it felt normally at ease–from the seats to the riding place to the visibility out the home windows. Off-road, it used to be simply a laugh.
One of the most design options that is helping give a contribution to the 4Runner’s riding prowess: the hood traces. They bump up in one of these approach that mimic wheel placement, so you may have a good suggestion of the place your wheels are getting to accident, with out the usage of a digital camera, simply by taking a look over the hood.
Technological leaps
Whether or not the 2025 Toyota 4Runner is supplied with the usual 8-inch infotainment or the up-level 14-inch one, each programs have wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in addition to Toyota’s actual infotainment device. You’ll see USB-C fee ports rather of USB-A, and there may be an to be had wi-fi telephone charger.
All decrease ranges come same old with push-button get started and passive access, and with a Far flung Tied subscription ($15 a pace), you be capable of importance your telephone as the important thing on uplevel fashions. There could also be an to be had JBL-brand top class audio device on higher trims that features a cool JBL Flex transportable Bluetooth speaker that may be undocked and moved away out of your car.
Every other stunning tech travel comprises the digital camera perspectives. If supplied with the Multi-Ground Observe (incorporated on TRD Off-Highway Top class, TRD Professional, and Trailhunter), you may have selectable entrance, aspect and rear perspectives that necessarily lend a 2nd eager of seeing. In non-off-road trims (TRD Game Top class, Restricted and Platinum), you even have the Panoramic View Observe same old, which supplies 360-degree perspectives in addition to curb perspectives. The bottom trims merely include a back-up digital camera.
The 2025 4Runner could also be smartly supplied within the safety-tech area as smartly. Toyota has at all times completed an incredible process at prioritizing security and making it same old on all its cars. 4Runner is not any other, and Toyota Protection Sense 3.0 is same old. This features a pre-collision device with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise keep watch over, lane-trace help, automated lofty beams and proactive riding help, which makes use of cameras and radar to do such things as sluggish the car when riding into curves. Alternative same old security features come with entrance cross-traffic alert, traffic-jam help, blind-spot tracking and rear cross-traffic alert.
A couple of misses
Generation I normally suppose the untouched 4Runner is a house run, there are some things that want some tweaks. Let’s get started with the wi-fi charger. It begins to overheat your telephone then about half-hour, and by means of the era 45 mins rolls round, your telephone stops charging because of over the top warmth. Should you’re handiest on your automobile for scale down bursts, this gained’t be a weakness, but when you’re taking a accumulation of street journeys or have a protracted trip, you’ll need to cord your telephone in to fee.
Simplest gasoline fashions have an to be had 1/3 row within the 2025 Toyota 4Runner. Generation that during itself isn’t a omit, the 1/3 row itself is. In case you are purchasing a car since you in truth want the 1/3 row frequently, this isn’t the car for you. The seats themselves are flimsy and awkward, and somebody taller than about 5 toes might be consuming their knees age sitting there. If, on the other hand, you propose to retain the 1/3 row folded flat and importance them every now and then, this will be just right for you.
In spite of everything, I need to communicate concerning the cars with the front-facing or around-view cameras. They close off at about 9 mph. I want they have been to be had in any respect speeds. I’ve just lately examined vans from Normal Motors that permit for protecting the aspect and entrance cameras on, and it’s massively useful when riding a massive car in tiny areas. In Chicago, as an example, I retain them directly to assure I’m staying out of the motorcycle lanes. In an off-road status, you can be touring at 9 mph, cross as much as 12 mph and later let go indisposed to five mph to take on a drawback, and it’s distracting to retain turning the cameras on when you wish to have them.
Costs and Cut Ranges
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner has 9, sure NINE, decrease ranges, with pricing starting from about $41,000 to $67,000. So, right here’s a handy guide a rough evaluation of trims and pricing, together with vacation spot charges:
SR5 ($42,220):
Usual with the i-Pressure powertrain, comprises 17-inch alloy wheels, 8-inch infotainment display screen, to be had third-row seating, energy rear window, material seats, aimless spot tracking, tow hitch receiver. RWD is same old, part-time 4 wheel drive is to be had.
TRD Game ($48,700):
Provides color-keyed door handles, gloss-black hood scoop, hot energy outdoor mirrors, 20-inch alloy wheels, 12.3-inch virtual pile, aimless spot tracking, tow hitch receiver. RWD is same old, part-time 4 wheel drive is to be had.
TRD Off-Highway ($50,640):
Provides darkened door handles, skid plates, 18-inch alloy wheels, Multi-Ground Make a choice device, Move slowly Keep watch over, electronically managed locking rear differential. Phase-time 4 wheel drive is same old. To be had with i-Pressure Max powertrain.
TRD Game Top class ($54,060):
Builds off the TRD Game and provides leatherette seating surfaces, heated-and-ventilated entrance seats, hot steerage wheel, 360-degree digital camera, hands-free energy liftgate, 14-inch show.
TRD Off-Highway Top class ($54,420):
Builds off the TRD Off-Highway and provides leatherette seating surfaces, heated-and-ventilated entrance seats, hot steerage wheel, hands-free energy liftgate, 14-inch show, Multi-Ground Observe. To be had with an i-Pressure Max powertrain.
Restricted ($56,850):
Provides a moonroof, chrome roof rails, 20-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone situation controls, 360-degree digital camera, leather-based seats, entrance and rear soil help. RWD is same old, full-time 4 wheel drive is to be had. To be had with i-Pressure Max powertrain.
Platinum ($64,310):
Usual with the i-Pressure Max hybrid powertrain and full-time 4 wheel drive, and it provides 20-inch gloss darkened alloy wheels, rain-sensing intermittent wipers, virtual key capacity, 360-camera, head-up show.
TRD Professional ($68,350):
Contains part-time 4 wheel drive, digital locking rear differential, TRD darkened efficiency exhaust, Inflexible Industries-brand LED fog lighting fixtures, heritage-inspired Toyota grille, TRD Professional aluminum skid plate, 18-inch TRD alloy wheels, pre-wired DC energy auxiliary switches, leatherette seats, Multi-Ground Observe.
Trailhunter ($68,350):
Builds on TRD Professional and provides Inflexible Industries-brand white-and-amber coloration switching LED fog lighting fixtures, frame-mounted metal rock rails, ARB-brand roof rack, high-strength underbody coverage, 18-inch bronze-finish alloy wheels, LED liftgate shiny.
Our whip
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner is a kind of Janus-faced cars that has skillful off-road chops and on-road relief. Generation we adore the choice of choices and trims, it sort of feels like overkill now and then. For our cash, we’d most certainly go for the TRD Off-Highway Top class for the heated-and-ventilated seats, greater infotainment display screen and off-road prowess. Generation the i-Pressure Max powertrain is sweet, we don’t put it on our must-have checklist, particularly because it provides just about $3k to the base sequence.
Listen to the Car Stuff Podcast
Follow Jill on Twitter
Follow Jill on Bluesky
2025 Toyota 4Runner Photos
Click on under for enlarged photographs
2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road: Review, Prices, and Specs
Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast Episode 258: First Jeep EV, Mazda’s Upscale Strategy, The Cybertruck is a Flop
