After months of waiting, deliveries of the new Toyota 4Runner are finally right around the corner. Eschewing the temptation to get less conventional and go after the Ford Bronco, the new 4Runner seems a lot like a Tacoma SUV. Make no mistake, this isn’t just a sensible decision, it’s also a heritage play — the original 4Runner was based on the Hilux and called the Hilux Surf in Japan. Talk about sticking to what you know works best. When it comes to the base-model 4Runner, Toyota’s holding the line on pricing well — the new one only costs $65 more than the old one.
No, that’s not a typo. The base 2025 4Runner SR5 2WD stickers for $42,220 including a $1,450 freight charge, and it steps an entire decade into the present. From a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 278 horsepower and 317 lb.-ft. of torque to an eight-speed automatic transmission to Toyota’s latest generation of infotainment, the new 4Runner promises more refinement and tech for not a whole lot more money on the base trim.
Want to add four-wheel-drive to your 4Runner SR5? You’re looking at a price tag of $44,220, $190 more than the equivalent outgoing model. Alright, so that’s a little bit more than $65, but considering where general inflation is at, an increase of 0.43 percent is actually pretty swell when you think about it.
However, if you move up the trim range, things start to get a lot more expensive. The two-wheel-drive TRD Sport trim now starts at $48,700, or $3,155 more than last year’s model. Granted, it does add automatic climate control, a digital gauge cluster, and heated front seats, but it removes Toyota’s supple, easy-to-clean SofTex faux-leather upholstery in favor of cloth. Adding four-wheel-drive bumps the price up by $2,000 to $50,700, and a TRD Sport Premium trim that adds ventilated front seats with SofTex upholstery, a hands-free power liftgate, a 360-degree camera system, a TRD shift knob, and a heated steering wheel with power tilt-and-telescopic adjustability stickers for $54,060 with two-wheel-drive and $56,060 with four-wheel-drive.
Right, now for the TRD Off-Road trim, because that’s what a whole lot of 4Runner shoppers will be looking at. That now starts at $50,640, or $4,640 more than last year’s model. Ouch. It’s a similar deal for the TRD Off-Road Premium model, which starts at $56,420, or a whopping $7,840 more than last year’s TRD Off-Road Premium model. That’s a lot of money if you’re looking for a composite front skid plate, Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select system and Crawl Control, and a locking rear differential.
Oh, and it keeps going from there. The new 4Runner Limited stickers for $56,850 in two-wheel-drive trim and $58,850 in four-wheel-drive trim, up $5,460 and $5,425 over the old model, respectively. Then we get to the hybrids, because the electrified TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, and Limited trims all cost $2,800 more than their all-combustion four-wheel-drive counterparts. The new Platinum hybrid trim stickers for $64,310, while the hybrid Trailhunter and TRD Pro trim levels each go for $68,350, depending on whether you’re more into overlanding or blasting through the desert.
The problem here isn’t just a huge rise in pricing for higher trim levels, it’s model overlap. One of the biggest sins in the automotive industry is cannibalization, where a single manufacturer offers two products that compete directly with each other in form factor and on price. For some of the more expensive 4Runners, that internal competition is the Land Cruiser. The 2025 model starts at $57,900 for the pared-down 1958 Edition and $63,900 for the standard model, shares a hybrid system with the hybrid trims of the 4Runner, looks wicked cool, and comes bearing the hallowed Land Cruiser name. After all, if you were in the market for a 4Runner Limited Hybrid, wouldn’t you want to spend an extra $2,250 and get a Land Cruiser?
Still, compared to a Bronco or a Wrangler, the new 4Runner promises to be more liveable at the expense of some capability, and for most consumers, that’s ideal. It’s a shame it’s so much more expensive than the outgoing model on the high end, but if you’re looking for an SR5, Toyota actually offers excellent value. Expect to see these SUVs start rolling into showrooms early in 2025, and hitting the trails almost immediately after that.
(Photo credits: Toyota)
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The other side of cannibalization is the offer of 2 versions to the customer so they don’t look elsewhere and whatever they buy, Toyota profits
My wife and I had been hemming and hawing about replacing our ’03 for a while and finally a picked up a ’24 orp earlier this year. We thought about holding out for the hybrid but I’m happy we didn’t, I would have definitely balked at >60k+ figure.
A good friend of mine sells Toyotas here in central Texas and he broke down who buys Land Cruisers and 4Runners pretty well because I also thought it was silly that they had products so close to each other. Most of the Land Cruisers he sells are to older folks (late 50s and 60s) who just love the Land Cruiser name and have had them for years, millenial couples with no kids or single dudes or gals with dispossble income.
He said that mostly families with kids buy the 4Runners. Basically the moms and dads that want to give off I am cool so I don’t drive Highlanders or Siennas. They want the look which is why a lot of them dont care to buy 2WDs (we are in Texas too, so most dont need 4WD). Also the 4Runners have those two jump seats in the back, I refuse to call it a third row because those seats are small as hell and really just for kids. Told me that the enthusiast rarely buy new 4Runners nowadays, probably 2 out of 10 4Runners buyers are legit off-roaders.
He still gets younger single people or younger couples buying 4Runners but he tells me that they mostly buy the pre-owned ones. Of course like anything there are always exceptions to the rule but these are the patterns he has noticed.
Fixed.
They’ll hit the trails in 2035 when they’re on their 2nd or 3rd owner, assuming the tiny engines haven’t blown up by then trying to haul around all that metal with 4 cylinders and poor quality gas.
This is what Toyota should do if they are worried about model identity and cannibalization:
4Runner: no changes. keep this a bro truck like the Tacoma. huge market here.
GX: keep exactly the same.
Land Cruiser: Keep the price and exterior styling the same. Make interior utilitarian with a simple carplay screen and analog controls. Cloth seats and crank windows. Lose the turbo and go up with displacement or put in a V6.
None of these models would compete.
Who buys a 2WD 4runner? That seems nuts.
My buddy (from texas) had one, it was a 3rd gen. I really don’t understand the point of a body on frame SUV with 2wd. Not like they can tow a whole lot….
You’d be surprised. When I bought my 5th Gen used it actually took some hunting to find a 4WD model for sale.
Apparently, they sell a lot of them in the non-snow states. Makes no sense to me either, but I guess since most people buy them as mall crawlers anyway, you still get the look for a little cheaper. I certainly would not want a 2Runner though.
Most people who have the 4×4 never use it.
If you’re using your 4Runner for utilitarian stuff – like taking the dogs to the park, throwing bikes in the back, using it to move appliances – it’s fine. Half the local small-biz snow removal/landscaping services are driving old Tacos/4Runners with utility trailers.
Most people don’t need 4×4, and I’d argue that the number of people who have 4Runners whose use case is “Fill with stuff” far exceeds those whose use case is “Go offroad.”
I have a 3rd-gen 4Runner, 4×4, that I do use offroad (a lot); roughly 10% of the mileage I put on it is off pavement, and even that’s pretty atypical.
I bought a 2006 4Runner that was 2WD because I wanted the covered space compared to my little beater Nissan hardbody, the reliability and comfort. Oh and it was also the cheapest one I could find ha! Drove that thing for 2 years and 30k and sold it for the exact same amount I bought it for, minus a set of tires and oil changes
people who are too cool for a minivan and just want a really bloated station wagon that gets bad gas mileage while hauling kids to activities.
In addition to other comments, there are some people with extreme brand/model loyalty, particularly toyota buyers. Guy bought a 4runner in 1987 or something when it was toyota’s only SUV, but didn’t need 4×4, and just keeps buying the same thing every 10 years or so. He may really onlly need a highlander or something similiar but will never consider anything else.
Pass, thanks. They just keep getting bigger and uglier looking.
It’s nice to see the base SR5 price not increasing much but I bet they cheaped out on previously standard features or just won’t make that many. Just a question of what…
I’m a Toyota guy, but not blindly so (still drive my ’99 Tercel). As someone who hunts, camps, roadtrips but can only afford 1 vehicle, the 4runner has always appealed to me. I just thought it was stupid to have some ancient 5 speed auto from the 1990s in it, along with it’s 4.0L (this part is fine as a better trans/gearing can make it a bit better on the mileage). The ancient tech never translated to lower pricing, ever. I never understood who was dropping 50-60,000 CAD on these things, I get they hold their value but always felt that was because the suckers who paid 60 grand for them wanted to recoup as much back when they sold it as they possibly could. As a Tercel driver, again, I understand reliability and will gladly pay for it but this seemed 5-10 grand more like price gouging on Toyota’s behalf.
I wish it had a plug in hybrid or some other hybrid where I can choose when to use it. All my friends with hybrid crossovers say the hybrid never kicks in unless you absolutely baby the throttle, and go comically slow. I like the idea of the 4xE where you can lock it out in electric at demand, for those around town errands where we spend the majority of our lives. I hate how Toyota used the hybrid on this and the LC for more power. If the LC is the offroader, and this is the compromise for the rest of us peasants, why not make a 4runner Prime?
PS: can they toss the RAV4 Prime powertrain in a Jimny yet? Or at least give us the option of buying a new 70 series LC like they get in Aus? Give me the chance to put my money where my mouth is.
-Financially challenged rant over (*fires up Tercel*)
The ol’ Toyota Tax.
Right? The more outdated they became, the more expensive they got, especially the last few years. I paid 22k for my 2013 4Rin early 2019, and I thought that was a fuckton of money for a 6-year-old vehicle, but it was actually a good deal at the time, and a GREAT deal now. I’ve put over 100k on mine and it’s been reliable, but I just don’t love it.
The thing had an outdated drivetrain from the jump, even in 2010. It was just a carryover from the previous gen. Not offering the V8 was a big mistake, but I guess they wanted to sell more GX’s.
“I hate how Toyota used the hybrid on this and the LC for more power”, yep, spot on. I saw a presentation on the new tacoma earlier this year at a conference, and most everything was about acceleration targets. There was a only a single, quickly glossed over slide of an efficiency map of the new engine compared to the old V6, with just very minimal improvement. I guess the dude bros who buy this silly looking junk want to go fast.
It all seems consistent with toyota’s lack of investment though, they seem to be far more interested in poo pooing new products from others than actually doing much of anything useful or new. I’m also baffled at the lack of a “prime” type of drivetrain in most of their vehicles, especially considering that all of their truck types are IFS so really should be able to accept this sort of drivetrain, with a rear e-axle
Good. Fucking. Christ. $70k for a 4Runner? Take the next logical step up to a GX Overtrail because at that price point, what’s another ten grand.
Nice truck especially on the low end. Think I’ll wait until some bean counter goofs and green lights the two-door TRD Surf concept. That’s something I would actually put in my driveway.
I don’t understand the positioning of the 4Runner and (new) Land Cruiser. The prior generation were kissing cousins to the Lexus Prado, sold here as the GX. Now Toyota has three SUVs, across two brands, that kind of chase after the same mission.
By moving the new Land Cruiser downmarket (not offering the regular one, just the Prado with the name chopped off), and de-contenting the new Lexus GX (interior is a boring sea of black plastics), and significantly raising the anticipated purchase price of the new 4Runner, Toyota has ended up with what effectively is a really long list of trims for more or less the same car.
there’s an awful lot of misunderstandings in this post
I can see your viewpoint, realistically these are 2 vehicles built on the same platform with the same powertrain available. My understanding is the Land Cruiser is positioned as more of the off-road champion, while the 4Runner is the family vehicle that can off-road as well.
Fair point: Toyota’s lineup, especially in the $60-$80k neighborhood starts to look like an Abbott and Costello bit.
The 4Runner, GX and Land Cruiser are all derivatives of the Prado. You can get a Land Cruiser, but it’s not the Real 300-Series Land Cruiser. That’s available, as the LX600…for over $100k.
In this price range, the GX seems to be the sweet spot. Spending your $70k at the Lexus dealer gets you a v6 instead a four and KDSS.
If you follow or know folks in any overlanding/offroding clubs in the US southwest you probably know that the 4Runner name carries as much weight or more than the Land Cruiser one, cause that’s what most of those folks are actually running, cause they could afford them and have been able to for the last 30 years while Land Cruisers have been too expensive for regular folks to buy, much less use hard off road.
Alos, since the 100 series, the 4Runners have actually been more capable offroad than the LC. At least in the US, in other places they still get the 70 series.
IMO the 80 is the last really capable LC that the US got. Toyota 4×4’s in the US peaked when the last triple locked 80 series was sold.
The old 4runner was criminally overpriced for the last decade.
Oh just wait till you see the dealer markups for the first year.
The sales #s for the last decade say otherwise.
2015 97,034
2016 111,970
2017 128,296
2018 139,694
2019 131,864
2020 129,052
2021 144,696
2022 121,023
2023 109,951
Oh ya I knew numerous people who bought one. Being able to afford one didn’t correlate with any sense apparently. If I didn’t have to worry about what my gas bill was, sure I’d grab one. I always thought they could have improved it massively by just putting in a better, modern transmission that has more than 5 gears loll
I own a 2021 Limited and that is the only thing I would change. 6 speed in place of the 5 speed. I would leave 1-4 ratios the same and then make 6th slightly lower ratio then current 5th and the new 5th about half way in between 4th and 6th. Currently the ratio change between 4th and 5th is just too large.
I wanted a truck but with a closed bed. So, only 2 rows seating. Perfect for my DINK (Double income, no kids), 2 large dogs, lots of camping, hiking, mountain biking lifestyle. There is nothing else in the market that matches this setup. The closest all come with 3 rows mandatory, giving up needed cargo space in place of unneeded seats.
Over 50k miles and 4 years I’ve averaged 19.8 mpg. The value of the vehicle has only dropped $5k. Not a single issue, just oil and filters.
Its funny the hate it gets when you have around 1 million trucks (ford, GM, RAM) sold annually that are just as non functional for families.
One thing that is absolutely baffling is the 4runner getting a 3rd row instead of the Land Cruiser. The new Land Cruiser is based on the Prado, which has always been longer than the 4runner and had 3 rows (minus the shorty 2-door models, of course).
The Land Cruiser had to forgo the third row because hybrid is standard and the battery sits in the area the seating would be. The Lexus version of the Land Cruiser, the GX, has a non-hybrid option that does include a third row.
I wonder if that means the hybrid powertrain and the third row are mutually exclusive in the 4Runner
Good question. Did some digging and a few forums have confirmed the third row is exclusive to the non-Hybrid SR5 and Limited trims.
I just did some digging too. Unfortunately no hybrid=no dice for us so it’s now off the list. Bit of a shame that they couldn’t figure out a way to give you both, seems like a bit of an oversight to me.
I’m not here to shill for it, but something to keep in mind is the i-Force Max hybrid only offers 2-3 more mpg than the non-hybrid i-Force. The real reason to get the hybrid 4Runner (or any Toyota with the i-Force line of engines) is for the increased power output. 278 hp and 317 lb/ft for the base i-Force vs 326 hp and 465 lb/ft for the Max.
My wife specifically wants a hybrid on principle. I don’t think she’s going to hear that argument, not to mention that 20 MPG mark is the point of no return where we live. Anything 20 MPG city and under is taxed at a whopping 7.5% and there’s no way that box is hitting 20 with the turbo 4. Even a less efficient hybrid would save us a lot of money.
This is where I’m getting the numbers from in case you’re interested.
https://gearjunkie.com/motors/2025-toyota-4runner-pricing-fuel-economy
I don’t know if any body-on-frame 3 row SUV offers a hybrid right now, so good luck.
EDIT: The Sequoia offers a V6 hybrid that gets over 21 mpg depending on the configuration and retains the third row.
Our destiny will almost certainly be a crossover, unfortunately.
At least we’re spoiled for options in the three-row hybrid crossover market these days.
You bet. Also, as much as I like the Sequoia is both too big and too expensive. We’ve long since accepted that we’re going to have to part with 50 grand, but 70 grand is a bridge too far. It’s just way too much money for us to have tied up in a depreciating asset.
I agree with you on the Sequoia but wanted to throw it out as an option anyway. Kind of disappointing that may be the only true SUV out there right now that’s both 3 row and hybrid but hopefully that will change.
Can Toyota provide us with an offroad trim on ANYTHING with a 3rd row seat that isn’t cladded in Camo (a la TRD PRO Sequoia)?
By camo you mean the plastic cladding on the wheel arches? You can get 4WD without going for the TRD trims but I’m not certain what else the TRD trims provide. I’m sure you can find out online but things will be a lot clearer when the option builder for the 2025 models is out.
The TRD offroad trims give you the E-Locker rear diff, better suspension, upgraded wheels and tires, skid plates, and offroad modes/trickery. The Trailhunter adds ARB bumpers on the rear (on the Taco, at least), Old Man Emu suspension, and 33’s. The TRD PRO adds Fox Shocks and fancy seats (also on the Taco). The Overtrail (Or whatever it’s called) trim on the GX has lockers and KDSS, but no 3rd row.
No one offers all the offroad stuff with a 3rd row, outside of the Sequoia (which is obnoxious, as the seats and flares are Camo).
Oof. $70 K for the Trailhunter. SO expensive. A Landcruiser may be a better deal as I would rather not have a 3rd row seat that I would never use and would rather have the storage space. The Toyota tax and the overlander tax add up.
The catch IMHO when compared to the original 4Runner is the mandatory Automatic Differential Disconnect (for 4WD) and the mandatory Automatic transmission.
The ADD is the weakest link in the 4WD system and it can easily grenade itself under light loads completely stock when in 4WD (Watch the TFL Tacoma video).
Mandatory Automatic is self explanatory
When you say original are you talking about a 1st Gen 4runner? Also I have never had any issues with me ADD is my FJ and it has been beaten to hell off road and at almost 160k miles now so I cannot say an ADD is a weak link. But I do wonder how well these new 4runners will hold up when being beat to hell off road?
Well, I’ve had issues with my ADD: It took 20 minutes to write this reply!
*insert drum sting gif here*
Squirrel.
“May I suggest that you are faking it?”
Name checks out
Yes, the first gen is what I’m referring to when I say original 4Runner.
On the most recent gens of US spec 4×4 Toyotas Toyota has an ADD they use because they’re seemingly too cheap for a locking center differential, and said ADDs are the first thing to fail in the 4WD systems, especially so if you don’t keep it stock (like a lift, bigger tires, etc.)
Manually engaged 4WD with electric hubs has rarely ever caused anyone issues, and if you want you can go without the electric hubs and go for manual ones if one so chose.
The 4Runner has an important advantage over the Land Cruiser-it now has third row seats. People really care about that regardless of whether or not they plan on using them. And while the Land Cruiser is arguably a more iconic nameplate, it’s not like the 4Runner is some brand new model.
I also think getting one of these pretty stripped down is the way to go, and in that sort of configuration the savings are pretty significant. You can also get this with a turbo 4, which you can’t have in the Land Cruiser. Believe it or not it seems like the consensus is that it’s the better engine in the Tacoma, so it might be here as well.
It’s subjective, but I also think this looks better. I see Land Cruisers pretty regularly now and in person I think they look a bit awkward. The 1958 model is definitely the more attractive of the two, for what it’s worth. Anyway I really dig this and so does my wife. Somehow it checks all her mom mobile boxes and is exponentially cooler than a crossover, so we’re definitely going to look at one in the next few months. I’ll keep you all posted on how it is.
Unless you plan on offroading, a Highlander will do literally everything better as a mom-mobile. The 4Runner is going to be thirstier, handle worse, have less useable interior room, and cost more to maintain.
A Highlander will even be better in poor weather, as it has AWD. Unless you get a Limited, the 4R has part time 4wd that cannot be used on dry pavement, so one needs to understand when & how to switch in and out of 4wd according to road conditions. Failure to do so can result in drivetrain damage. The 4Runner groups are full of posts from new owners that do not understand how to operate the 4wd system. IMO in 2025 a vehicle should be more user friendly, hence the popularity of “auto-4WD” in other vehicles. For some reason Toyota refuses to offer this, though 25 years ago you could have gotten the equivalent on a 3rd gen 4Runner.
A lot of people buy these as mom mobiles, and as a 5th gen owner, I struggle to see why.
What!?!? $43k and it’s a 2WD SR5? That sounds like a lot of money for not a whole lot to me. A Colorado TrailBoss is less, a a Bronco Big Bend is less, a Wrangler Sport S is less (Willys slightly higher), a Ranger XLT is less. And all of these have 4WD, some of them with some light-offroad packages. And I’d wager you can get some of these vehicles listed with big stacks of cash on the hood, while the 4Runner likely requires MSRP.
And with the current issues Toyota is having with the Tacoma, I’m not sure the 4Runner is currently any more reliable than this (well, it’s still probably more reliable than the Jeep).
The thing about the 4runner is that it’s only real competition is the Land Cruiser. Not a whole lot of body-on-frame SUV’s these days. The Jeep and Bronco are much less livable and the other’s are trucks (the 4runner comes with 3rd row seats!).
Yes, these are expensive as heck, but they don’t really sell a competitor outside of Toyota.
That’s why I ended up with a 5th gen 4R, it was the only game in town. I really wanted a Wrangler, but it wasn’t livable enough for my 60-mile commute, and the Bronco wasn’t out yet. I commented in the Jeep post yesterday that Jeep really needs to come out with a fixed roof off-roader in this space to directly compete with the 4Runner.
Same here. We wanted something with more space than my Xterra with the kiddo and large dog. The only real option was the 4Runner for us due to the limitations of the Wrangler/Bronco. I considered the Grand Cherokee but I don’t trust Jeeps reliability and I wanted something that would last at least 10 years with minimal repairs. Next step up is the Tahoe/Expedition but those are $$$ at least $15k more than what I paid for my ORP.
I really like the last gen Tahoe, but yeah, too expensive. I wish Nissan would come out with a Frontier-based X, and GM a Colorado-based SUV. The Ford Everest that they get on foreign markets would be great too.
Honestly, I don’t even like my 4R that much, but it ticked the boxes.
What makes the Bronco so much less livable (ignoring the 3-row variant of the 4Runner)? If livability is your top priority, you should be shopping a non-offroad focused SUV or CUV in the first place.
Yup these prices have killed my hopes of getting one of these crazy to think I have a 2013 Trails Teams FJ which if I am not mistaken was 30k brand new (sure it doesn’t have all the gadgets all these new 4runners and land cruisers have) but hot damn you can’t even get a 4×2 4runner for under 40k now? Shit is crazy. Really want to replace the FJ at some point in the future but I cannot see spending 40k+ for something I will beat to hell off road.
used GX is your friend