2025 Toyota 4Runner First Drive Review: Dinosaur Finishing School

There are a lot of Jurassic Park quotes going through my head.

It’s hard not to get a little prehistoric when driving a Toyota 4Runner. The current model has been around since 2009, bits like a five-speed automatic doubling as automotive fossils. But I’m in the new one, the first in a decade and a half. That it will offer a more modern experience is a given, but can it keep alive the spirit that has made the 4Runner so sought-after by overlanders and tarmac roamers alike?

Hold on to your butts.

You name it, the 4Runner has changed it for this year. Platform? Check: it now rides atop the TNGA-F platform shared with the Tacoma, Sequoia, Tundra, Land Cruiser, and Lexus GX and LX models. Engine? A 2.4-liter turbo-four, in either pure-gas (278 horsepower) or hybrid (326 hp) format, both shared with Tacoma. Transmission? Eight-speed auto, same story. Trims? Some carryovers, plus a Platinum and Trailhunter.

All that comes in a new shape that better aligns the 4Runner with its truck sibling. Dimensions have all grown, because who amongst us haven’t added a few pounds a bit in 15 years? With the reborn Land Cruiser now occupying broadly similar space, the 4Runner differentiates itself with a roof almost half a foot lower, along with a few extra inches of width. As before, there is the choice of two- or three-row models.

As Toyota tells it, this new shape both honors the 4Runner’s history, and aligns it closer to the Tacoma. Indeed, from directly head-on, it’s hard to tell the two apart. The 4Runner’s nose is cleaner, ditching the faux-vent teardrops underneath the Tacoma’s headlights. There’s a big, angular grille because of course there is, though the mesh, insert, and surrounding styling are all different depending on which of the myriad grades buyers select. The TRD Pro and Trailhunter benefit from even wider fender flares for that cool, squat look. Move around the side and there’s the familiar thick C-, thin D-pillar treatment, but the glass between now wraps up into the roof like the original.

To be honest however, even the base SR5 is a handsome-looking thing: call it the wagon effect, but I find the long-roof an aesthetic win over the pickup.

Wheels range from 18s through to 20s and back to 18s on Pro and Trailhunter. The latter also features an exclusive color: the excellent Everest, which is a deep, dark turquoise.

I start my sixth-gen 4Runner experience in a hybrid-powered Limited trim. As is the case in the Tacoma, this is an effortlessly muscular engine. Okay, the headline 465 pound-feet of torque, available at just 1,700 rpm, is slightly misleading, in the way hybrid power often is, but the i-Force Max’s true strength is its responsiveness. At any road speed, at any engine speed, in nearly any gear, the 4Runner picks up and… well, if not outright scoots, certainly gets moving. Toyota quotes a full second improvement to 62 mph (100 km/h), and while this is about about as far from a quarter-mile beast as you can get, that translates to much easier daily drive progress.

It even sounds pretty good, the 2.4-liter turbo maintaining that breathy grumble of the old model’s big-cube V6. The setup will do quick bouts of electric-only progress if you’re careful on the throttle, but the main point here is the added muscle. The Trailhunter’s pillar-mounted intake layers on some serious noise and giggle-worthy blow-off valve noises. Take it from someone who put a lot of highway miles on a Tacoma Trailhunter last year though; it can get very droney.

The non-hybrid doesn’t feel like settling, either. What it lacks in torque it makes up for in a lighter curb weight. The eight-speed still does a great job here, keeping in the meat of the powerband. The old five-speed wasn’t much of a handicap on the trails, but on all the roads that lead to those sorts of adventures, the eight-speed covers gaps.

Neither model is particular fuel efficient, mind you. The i-Force manages either 21 or 22 mpg combined depending on trim; the Max bumps that up to 23 mpg. Canadian equivalents are 11.1–11.2 L/100 km and 9.9–10.1 L/100 km, respectively.

On-road, the new 4Runner is miles ahead, making the old model look like a six-foot turkey. The steering has that insulated, fractionally-delayed feel you expect of a body-on-frame vehicle, but it’s consistent in its weighting and responses. The turning circle is helpfully tight, making the 4Runner easy to park. Probably the biggest improvement over the old model would be the brakes: strong and consistent, I’m never questioning their abilities on downhill runs, which is not something I could say of the fifth-gen.

Off-road prowess largely depends on the trim, but overall, the new 4Runner succeeds in being adept in the dirt, and making it easy for the driver. One trail showcases the articulation and climbing ability of the TRD Off-Road and Off-Road Premium, the SUV clambering up and over every obstacle with ease. The Trailhunter navigates a dried-up waterbed full of rocks easy-peasy; its Multi-Terrain Monitor automatically popping up at low speeds to keep those vulnerable sidewalls away from the sharpest stones.

While there are jumps on the high-speed course at Vogt Ranch, Toyota had us bypassing those on our later-in-the-week drive wave. It’s too bad, since they were plenty of fun in the Tacoma last year. The rest of the course is a hoot: the TRD Pro features those trick Fox QS3 shocks with remote reservoirs, giving it an agility and adjustability that turns every run into a rally stage. Of all the trims, it’s the TRD Pro that speaks to me; the steering just gets better the harder you push.

It should come as no surprise that the Limited has some excellent on-road manners. The combination of a stiffer chassis, coilover rear springs, and an adaptive suspension ensure this body-on-frame beast is barely bumpier than a RAV4. There’s more noise from ahead than I would expect, given both the hybrid setup and the price tag that comes with it. It still beats the Bronco and Wrangler big time, however.

The basic SR5 is a welcome surprise. It too is noisy but the ride is comfortable, the squidgy sidewalls of those 18-inch wheels absorbing most bumps. Uneven surfaces can present some porpoising, however.

I dig the comfy cloth seats of the base model. Other models swap in SofTex or leather, which is swankier but no more comfortable. There was but a single three-row in the group, so I didn’t get a chance to fold myself into the wayback. Toyota has carved out fractional increases there, but I’m not expecting a big change. Three-row availability is based on trim, and different between Canada and the US.

All the models at this first drive event are pre-production prototypes, so a final verdict on the cabin quality will have to wait. Nonetheless, many of the materials match those in the Tacoma—no surprise there—and the architecture sure ain’t changing. It’s a certain step up from before, but lower trims still contain a whole lot of featureless black plastic. The TRD trims all bring in some bright color as a highlight, with the TRD Pro going all in with available, bright-red seating.

No matter the trim, there are plenty of physical controls with satisfying clicks and twists—yes, just like Tacoma. Highlights include the multi-function rotary dial, handling 4HI and 4LO, drive modes, and Multi-Terrain Select, all depending on the situation. There’s good storage spots dotted throughout the cabin as well.

Welcome to the ‘20s, 4Runner. Base models feature an 8.0-inch touchscreen once more, housed in a thick plastic bezel that will constantly remind you it was meant for the larger, 14.0-inch screen. Toyota’s latest infotainment is a big step forward for the 4Runner however, especially with the recent update keeping the main menu on the left at all times. Wireless phone mirroring works quickly and painlessly; charging ports and a pad ensure all devices get their juice, too. Higher trims sub in a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument panel which looks great, but has a bit of a delay when swapping around in drive modes.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard on all models, bringing a robust list of helpful acronyms to all 4Runner drivers.

In America, the basic 2025 4Runner SR5 lists for $42,220 including destination. That’s a pretty reasonable sticker for the big leap forward here. There are no less than nine trims—SR5, TRD Sport and Sport Premium, TRD Off-Road and Off-Road Premium, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter. Move up to those tippy-toppy models and you’re clearing $68,000.

Canadian pricing and trim availability is largely the same, though the Great White North skips the Sport Premium. Pricing begins at $57,840 CAD including destination, rising all the way up to a collar-tugging $87,841 CAD for the Trailhunter.

The 2025 Toyota 4Runner is a thoroughly modern off-roader once more. While prices get silly at the top end, the sheer number of trims show how important this model is for Toyota. The 4Runner covers a lot of ground, from no-nonsense SR5 to flashy on-road Limited and the baja-blasting TRD Pro. It’s a more accomplished off-roader than the Land Cruiser and more practical than a Tacoma. Clearly, Toyota spared no expense.

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