2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4 - Cliff's Ride Review Notes

LEGACY OF SUV BRED FOR OFF-ROAD LONGEVITY ENTERS SIXTH ERA :

Over 80% of the more than one million Toyota 4Runner SUVs born out of the Tahara and Hamura plants in Japan are still plying most corners of the planet Earth. This, while the Land Rover Defender had the movie roles and the Ford Bronco / Jeep Wrangler all the high school primo parking spaces.

With the allure of the active adventure beckoning motorists more than ever, the world's largest carmaker has launched sixth generation of its heritage off-road sport utility vehicle. Although the boxy rectangular body-on-frame doesn't break with tradition, changes to propulsion, off-road capabilities and cabin creature comforts have been more revolutionary. For one week with the new 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4 in an urban setting, Roadblazing.com went to contributor Cliff Leppke for his assessment.

SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE INGREDIENTS:

• 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4, designated N500, the sixth generation in the Japanese brand's SUV, succeeding the N280 series, built on the TNGA-F platform shared with the related to N400 Tacoma pickup truck and J250 Land Cruiser Prado
• Three row, body-on-frame, mid size off-road SUV
• $62,875 suggested retail price
• twin-scroll turbocharged 2.4L SEFI + DI 16V DOHC petrol I-4 engine
  • 278 hp / 317 lb.-ft @ 1700 r.p.m., net
  • 21 miles per gallon EPA rating (19 m.p.g. observed)
• 8-speed direct shift planetary automatic transmission
• Front independent, rear solid axle suspensions, electronic adaptive dampers
• Four wheel disc brakes
• Highway terrain tires, 20" wheels
• 6000 pounds tow rating

OFF-ROAD INGREDIENTS:

• two-speed planetary gear transfer case, Torsen locking center differential full-time four wheel drive, 2.57:1 Low / 3.58:1 range
• e-locking rear differential
• differential and fuel tank skid plates

OVERLANDING INGREDIENTS:

• Surround camera monitor
• Off-Road gauge cluster displays - vehicle attitude, traction
• Trailer hitch connector, brake control, back-up guide & braking

SAFETY FACTOR:

• 9 SRS airbags, Roll mitigation, backup camera + projected path grid lines
• Toyota Safety Sense 3.0: Pedestrian & daytime cyclist detection braking; Forward collision avoidance braking; Blind spot & rear cross traffic warning; Lane departure; Road edge & Sway Warning, Lane Keep Assist; Lane tracing + driver inattention emergency stopping; Adaptive cruise control - full; Automatic High Beam headlights; 2nd Row occupant minder
• Available (included as tested): Surround view cameras & Perimeter Scan; Front & rear sonar audible/ visible park warning + rear avoidance braking; Digital display rear view mirror; Traffic sign display

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro 4x4 - Bottom Line Review

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RoadBlazingGeorge Straton

2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED 4X4 LOOK:

Adopting the nose of the latest brethren N400 Tacoma mid-size pickup truck, the Mk. 6 2025 Toyota 4Runner hasn't radically departed from the heritage blocky shape & stance formula. Mostly it wears a mask that is more "Tonka" and less "Kabuki" than the outgoing N280 series.

Bolder front corner fangs complement wider fenders, rear quarters and bold lateral body cheat-line creases. Furthering the adventurous mien, darkened grilles and lower front valances have been cued, matching oversized wheel arch cladding. A legacy rear roof spoiler continues the Sport in the utility vehicle.

Unique to the 2025 4Runner, and not shared with the N400 Tacoma, is the interesting staggered height 1st Row to 2nd Row door handles. That detail distinctively announces the elevated C to D pillar windows and the 3rd Row seating option (in select trims). Trim designation badging returns to the C-pillar.

2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED 4X4 ON ROAD:

Likely part of the brand's Beyond Zero strategy, a twin scroll turbocharged inline-four petrol engine lies under the bonnet of every 2025 Toyota 4Runner. Whereas some two-row trims are available with optional battery electric hybrid power, three-row SR5 and Limited 4Runners sacrifice traction battery space for floor collapsing rear passenger space.

Still, even the standard powerplant out musters the N280's old war horse atmospheric 4.0L V-6. Swapping the eight speed automatic transmission for the old five speed adds smoother around town shifting. In daily use, the powertrain features a more responsive & linear throttle without the old induction wheezing, simultaneously improving fuel economy by 20%. Occupants be forewarned that a switch to Sport drive modes switches on an audio system fictionalization of powertrain rumble.

Newfound TNGA body rigidity and suspension tuning yields a new-found civility, having ditched a fair amount of the N280's shaking & rocking. Limited trim electronic variable dampers provide reasonable cushioning from harsh blows, and higher rate springs are adept at roll control. As with all shorter wheelbase body-on-frame types, the latest Toyota 4Runner Limited still suffers from pitching and bobbing when transitioning over uneven surfaces. isn't altogether immune to bucking over broken pavement. Still, a cabin, with plentiful hard plastics, no longer amplifies the reverberations.

The sixth generation Toyota 4Runner also makes the switch from hydraulic to electric rack & pinion steering assist, in the course of accepting lane tracing driver assistance. Winding heft is less a work-out slower speeds, but surface communication is more filtered. The front double wishbone coil-over suspension benefits from enhanced caster angle for more accurate steering. TRD Off-Road specified tall sidewall all-terrain tires are respectable in tread noise, however they slowed highway turn-in.

2025 4Runner brake hardware is also Tacoma derived, with 4 piston front calipers and considerable rotor diameter at all corners. Brake dive control outshines the N280 predecessor, however pedal feel errs on the side of inert.

2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED 4X4 OFF ROAD:

Theoretically, all 4x4 equipped N500 4Runners are off-road trail competent, when they come equipped with four-wheel drive, a feature that is optional in the Limited. In the case of the prestigious 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited [and standard on the out-ranking Platinum] it is a full-time all-wheel drive system that varies the front to rear wheel traction via Torsen differential slippage, through an electronic two-speed transfer case, controlled to a center console rotary dial, seen in the Tacoma pickup, (which doubles for drive mode and trailer mode selection), and adjacent buttons.

After the light trail ends and the gulleys begin, reduced, yet still sufficient ground clearance is hampered by power running boards, less robust composite under-body shielding, highway terrain tires on twenty inch wheels. Also M.I.A. are any front stabilizer bar detachment, locking rear differential and Multi-Terrain programs. Instead of terrain cameras and DAC, (found in off-road TRD series) there are shopping mall crawl grade big-screen surround cameras and ATRAC brake based trail stability control. The gauge cluster will display pitch, roll & traction status.

2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED 4X4 DRIVER OPERATION:

Twenty-first century Toyota truck occupant modernity finally drapes the new 4Runner's cabin. Gauges & screens have grown massively (12.3" and 14.0", respectively) and controls have been condensed into more ruggedized knobs and shift levers. The age old parking brake hand lever is replaced by a e-toggle switch, freeing up considerable center console space, adding a passenger side grab handle, with Molle style fencing.

While the jumbo media display hosts the surround camera and fuel consumption displays, all other operational status and systems settings are contained in the full color corporate variable instrumentation. That means toggling through menus using the steering wheel spoke controls.

-1 Steering wheel spoke control illumination is uselessly dim

2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED 4X4 OCCUPANT TREATMENT:

A new generation of 4Runner Limited interior scheme pays more attention to enhanced finish detail, including more color, a smooth edged tiered dashboard, leatherette padding on glovebox and door cards, shiny bezel corner climate ducts and tandem stitching. By contrast, tire-tread pattern door handle and center console grab handle grips and Molle style pocket fencing impart ruggedness.

Luxuries in abundance include a heated power adjust leather steering wheel, power adjusting, heated & cooled 1st Row seats, 2-zone automatic climate control + 2nd Row vents, an optional JBL 10 speaker, 1200 watt streaming audio with detachable Flex Bluetooth speaker, and keyless entry, among others. In a break from 4Runner tradition, power window switches, previously awkwardly atop the 1st Row door cards, are now located at the door pulls. No modern 4Runner could qualify as Limited without running boards, and the tested model featured the optional power retracting kind.

With the seating space elevated compared to the 5th generation, leather upholstered front buckets dole out comfort on moderate duration drives. The instrument cluster retains a glare blocking hood, sharing a unified housing with the media screen. Virtually every switch features a sating metallic bezel. Although there is nary a hard panel above waist height that is a touch point, the material finish eschews visual artistry for mid-level executive sterility. Curiously, as in cousin Tacoma, first row passengers have an integrated grab recess in the right A-pillar, while the driver has only the steering wheel to grab.

The more than two inch wheelbase stretch from the last generation N280 progenitor, benefits the 2nd Row of the 2025 4Runner. Aft first row center console ducts, USB ports and a 110V AC outlet serve three average adults. Step up is reasonable given the wide running boards and B-pillar grab handles. The third row, grows fractionally, remaining as vestigial as they come. But that's better than any Jeep Wrangler Unlimited or Ford Bronco 5-door. Raising the backs is pretty conventional, though raising the cushions involves squeezing behind both sides of the second row. Though obligatory outboard armrests with bottle holders have been thrown in, charging ports or climate vents are absent.

The signature comms and entertainment feature of the 2026 4Runner Limited Toyota Connected 14.0" landscape touch LCD media tablet. Accurately tapping icons in any truck is a challenge, avoided by extensive voice controls. The "Hey Toyota" wake-up activated user interface is intuitive, though daytime color contrast could be better. Subscription support begets native smart navigation and enhanced Google queries.

2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED 4X4 CARGO WISE:

Either two or three row configuration in the 2026 Toyota 4Runner doesn't hamper maximum expanded cargo capacity. In the tested seven place Limited series, the space behind the vestigial third row will fit a a single row of paper grocery bags stacked two high. It is a given that, most of the time, owners will keep Row 3 stowed. The reprised power retracting backlight window provides easy reach-in stowing and retrieval.

As with pretty much all light truck-derived SUVs, the spare tire is mounted underbody, lowering the load floor. If the folded second row is raised higher than the remainder of the cargo area, it is on account of packaging for the available hybrid traction battery. The clever jackknife stowed 2nd row split bench makes way for taller cargo which must be loaded upright.

2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED 4X4 COMPETITIVE CLASS:

• Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland
• Land Rover Defender 130
• Toyota Land Cruiser