So, what’s it actually like owning the new 6th-generation Toyota 4Runner?
I realize the broken record effect this statement has, but…after more than 15 years, a brand-new Toyota 4Runner is finally here! And there’s already a problem with that — because it’s one of the most controversial new cars to hit the scene this year. We just bought one, and in the video below Tommy goes into all the details on what’s happening with this 4Runner, and whether all the folks hating on what it is (and what it represents) are right to do so.
You see, we recently bought a 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road from a dealer in Riverside, California, and have already taken it on quite a few adventures along the way. We took it to Moab with the almost equally controversial 250 Series Land Cruiser. We ran it on the Ike Gauntlet (and it did surprisingly well, comparing it to our experience with the Land Cruiser), and covered the new model from several other angles in our brief ownership period thus far. It is a hugely important model in Toyota’s lineup, as even the old fifth-generation SUV clocked up around 100,000 sales, or even far north of that figure, every single year since 2016.
So why don’t people dig this new sixth-gen 4Runner?
There are a few major reasons for all the ire, but if you’re looking for a single sticking point many folks are clamoring about, it’s what Toyota put under the hood of this new model: a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-banger.
Yep, the old (and by many accounts, almost bulletproof) 1GR-FE naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V6 is out of here. It served the 4Runner astoundingly well for 22 years since its inception in 2002. A ton of folks tout its reliability and durability, saying they’re going to run their fifth-gens until they die.
But let’s approach this new 2025 model and Toyota’s decision with some perspective: The old powertrain was S-L-O-W SLOW. And that’s even true at sea level, thanks in no small part to its archaic 5-speed automatic transmission. Put it up at 6,000 feet above sea level, bolt a lift kit and some bigger tires to it, or both…and you’re in for a world of sluggish acceleration, constant high-volume droning and abysmal fuel economy. Any time I’ve driven a 4Runner, I have never managed more than 17-18 mpg, and you have to granny drive the hell out of it to even get that (especially if you have a more off-road-capable version like the TRD Off-Road or TRD Pro).
Thanks to the forced induction and a new-to-the-4Runner 8-speed automatic transmission, this new model at least promises to break into the 20s on average fuel mileage. Above and beyond the turbo engine on its own, which puts out 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque, there’s also a new hybrid option, which bumps the output up to 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Seriously, that is considerably more shove than the old 4.0-liter V6 managed, reliable workhorse though it certainly was. Fuel economy isn’t that much better than the gas-only version when you put it in an absolute unit of an SUV like this, though, so we don’t think you need to get into the hybrid to have a decent experience. Sure, the four-pot doesn’t sound particularly nice (most don’t, sadly)…but the V6 was no prize either in that department.
What about the look, the interior and the cost, though?
The engine is just one facet of the, let’s say “skepticism”, toward the new 4Runner. It’s relatively unproven as the situation stands right now, but it’s been in other Toyota/Lexus products for nearly half a decade, with hundreds of thousands of units on the road and no catastrophic horror stories to speak of (unlike the larger 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, which has been a “yikes” moment for Toyota).
Generally speaking, there’s just a whole lot of new with this 2025 Toyota 4Runner. And that cuts both ways, offering something different than what we’ve seen lo these many years with the fifth-gen, while potentially alienating folks who don’t want a night-and-day evolution from the previous models. After all, the fourth-gen 4Runner also used the same powertrain and had a similar kind of vibe to at least the early, pre-facelift fifth-gens.
This new 4Runner rides on the same TNGA-F platform as Toyotas other modern SUVs and trucks, and in styling terms smacks a lot closer to the new Tacoma truck, while previous generations fell closer to the overseas Land Cruiser Prado and Hilux models. That may be a clincher or a deal-breaker, depending on whether you like the new Tacoma. As far as the interior goes, the new 4Runner is just as comfortable and more advanced than the old model as far as materials, technology and ergonomics are concerned.
One major down side to all this new? The price. More folks could probably tolerate driving their new four-cylinder 4Runner if prices started in the $30,000s — but that’s not the reality we live in. Instead, the new 4Runner SR5 starts at $42,220, and Toyota does skimp on some nicer options (like a bigger infotainment screen, for example), that will constantly scream that you don’t have the nicer set of available equipment. And if you opt for a wider feature set, you have to move into something like the TRD Off-Road Premium we have here, which set us back a whopping $58,318…and that’s without the hybrid powertrain, remember.
The base price is relatively similar to the outgoing model, but things quickly take a turn toward heartburn territory as you move up the trim walk. Even as the daily livability of this 4Runner is dramatically better than before, it’s yet another symbol of just how expensive cars have gotten in 2025…and recent pressures on the market aren’t likely to improve that situation anytime soon.
Check out more of Tommy’s thoughts on the new 4Runner and our ownership experience so far below:
