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Pros
Cons
What's New for 2025?
The 2025 4Runner gets a long-awaited redesign, and it certainly looks great. Whether the new four-cylinder powertrain lineup will hit the spot for today's shoppers remains to be seen.
2025 4Runner Selector
2025 Toyota 4Runner
FAST FACTS
The previous 4Runner continued to sell well until its dying day, which speaks to its excellent SUV fundamentals and also to its peerless reputation for reliability. But it was overdue for replacement, so the arrival of the redesigned 2025 4Runner comes as something of a relief, although not everything is hunky-dory. Toyota nailed the styling — which was not the case for the outgoing model — but both the base 2.4-liter turbo four and the optional i-Force Max hybrid powertrain underdeliver on acceleration and fuel economy.
"Redesigned for 2025, the 4Runner finally looks the part of a modern SUV inside and out after the previous model's very long production run. The new turbo four-cylinder engine isn't significantly stronger or more fuel-efficient than the old V6, however, while the optional hybrid version doesn't really move the needle on either front and costs significantly more. Overall, it's a better-looking 4Runner with more impressive technology, and its formidable off-road capabilities (and available third-row seat!) persist. But it's neither swift nor particularly good on gas, leaving those two longstanding weaknesses largely unaddressed."—Ranked #7 out of 9 Midsize SUVs
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
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The 2025 4Runner 2.4T RWD is a handy machine, for sure, and the entry-level trim — the SR5 — happens to be one of the two (along with the Limited) that are eligible for the optional third-row seat. We’d want 4WD in our 4Runner, but we can’t argue with the value here.
Why would you NOT add the third-row seat to your 4Runner for just $770? That's the question. It strikes us as one of the biggest bargains on the 4Runner's build sheet. Just remember that it’s only offered on SR5 and Limited, which is kind of a bummer. Why can’t we get a third-row seat in, say, the TRD Off-Road?
The 4Runner 2.4T 4WD may well end up being the pick of the litter, even though the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain gets all the press. Given that the latter doesn’t meaningfully improve acceleration or fuel economy, we’d be inclined to put our money on the non-hybrid version.
We love the three-row 4Runner in any form, but especially with four-wheel drive. Why? Because the new Toyota Land Cruiser is fundamentally a very similar vehicle under the skin, sharing the 4Runner's platform and various mechanical bits — but unlike Land Cruisers past, it's limited to two seating rows. So if you want a three-row Land Cruiser on the cheap, this three-row 4Runner 4WD is your hack right here. The Land Cruiser also forces you to accept the hybrid powertrain, whereas the three-row 4Runner is only available with the non-hybrid 2.4T four-cylinder engine. Depending on your perspective, that could be a good thing, and it's absolutely a more affordable thing.
The Hybrid 4WD (or just Hybrid — there is no Hybrid RWD) will likely be regarded as the ultimate 2025 4Runner spec, but whether it's worth the extra spend over the base 2.4T 4WD is an open question. You can't get the third-row seat in the 4Runner Hybrid, for one thing, and various third-party tests have revealed that the four-cylinder "i-Force Max" powertrain — shared by the Tacoma Hybrid and the Land Cruiser — doesn't measurably boost acceleration. Its fuel economy is no great shakes, either, although it'll certainly be more efficient in city driving. It doesn't help that the lightest 4Runner Hybrid is 540 pounds heavier than the lightest regular 4Runner 4WD. All told, it's a mixed bag for the 4Runner's hybrid powertrain, so the significant extra cost would have us strongly considering the non-hybrid lineup.
What are the different versions of the 2025 4Runner, and how much do they cost? Select a version below or just hit the button to see our full 2025 4Runner specs and model data.
| Version | Price | Fuel | MPG | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Toyota 4Runner 2.4T RWD | $40,770 | Gas | 22 | 278 hp | 317 lb-ft |
| 2025 Toyota 4Runner 2.4T RWD 3-Row | $41,540 | Gas | 22 | 278 hp | 317 lb-ft |
| 2025 Toyota 4Runner 2.4T 4WD | $42,770 | Gas | 21 | 278 hp | 317 lb-ft |
| 2025 Toyota 4Runner 2.4T 4WD 3-Row ✅ our pick | $43,540 | Gas | 21 | 278 hp | 317 lb-ft |
| 2025 Toyota 4Runner Hybrid 4WD | $51,990 | Hybrid | 23 | 326 hp | 465 lb-ft |
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008. Prior to founding MotorDonkey, he spent 15 years shaping Edmunds' expert automotive content in various capacities, starting as an associate editor and ultimately serving as a senior editor before wrapping up with a five-year term as the company's first-ever director of content strategy. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has driven, compared and critiqued thousands of cars in his career. Helping people find their perfect car never gets old—seriously!
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