It’s been a long time coming, but Toyota’s finally rolled out a fully revamped 4Runner for 2025. And suppose you’ve been following Toyota’s recent body-on-frame truck and SUV renaissance, namely the new Tundra, Tacoma, and the return of the Land Cruiser. In that case, you already know this sixth-generation 4Runner has big expectations resting on its very square shoulders.
After spending a week with the 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Sport, I can confidently say it delivers… mostly. And yes, before we go further, I’ll be upfront: I think the Land Cruiser’s biggest problem might actually be this truck right here.
A Look That Nails It
Visually, Toyota absolutely crushed it. The new 4Runner looks exactly like a 4Runner should. From the proportions to the details, it’s muscular, upright, and oozes the kind of presence you want in a proper SUV. This TRD Sport trim sits just above the base SR5, and at $59,200 in Canada, it brings a bit of extra flair: 20-inch wheels, a TRD grille, sport-tuned suspension, a heated steering wheel, an 8-inch touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch digital cluster.
The cabin, like the exterior, feels every bit like a modernized 4Runner. There’s loads of space, plenty of hard-wearing plastics, and a straightforward layout. The fabric seats in the TRD Sport are grippy and comfortable, if not fancy, and there’s solid rear legroom. The blue interior accents? Neat at first, but as a replacement for ambient lighting, they end up out of place. I’d skip them.
But my favourite 4Runner feature returns: the power rear window. That thing deserves an award for longevity and usefulness. What you won’t find, though, is a power tailgate, even on this nearly $60K SUV. That one’s a head-scratcher.
Trim Talk
While the TRD Sport makes a decent case for itself, I’d personally step up to the TRD Off-Road Premium. At around $63,700, it adds blacked-out wheel arches, 18-inch wheels with meatier tires, Bilstein shocks, a locking rear differential, skid plates, and a much larger 14-inch touchscreen. That’s a much better value proposition if you plan on using your 4Runner like a 4Runner.
And yes, there’s also the $85,000 Trailhunter. It’s a looker, but unless you’re building an overlanding Instagram empire, it might be overkill.
Under the Hood
Now for the controversial bit: the engine. Gone is the old 4.0L V6, replaced by a turbocharged 2.4L four-cylinder. Power’s technically up, with 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. But that’s not the whole story.
While the numbers are solid, the sound is anything but. Below 3,000 rpm, it’s quiet and fine. But above that, it turns into a coarse, uninspired buzz that strips away some of the 4Runner’s traditional burly character. It’s not just a matter of nostalgia, though also noisy, the V6 brought a kind of gruff charm that matched the SUV’s tough nature. This new setup? It’s effective, sure, but it sounds like it belongs in something much less rugged. This lines up with my thoughts on the Land Cruiser’s 4-pot.
Performance-wise, throttle response is lazy in normal mode. I found myself defaulting to sport mode just to get decent pickup, especially on the highway. And that fuel economy figure? Toyota Canada pegs it at 11.2 L/100 km. After mostly highway driving in sport mode, I was seeing closer to 13.
On the Road
The good news is that the 4Runner still does the SUV thing well. It’s nearly 5,000 pounds and drives like it. The ride is planted, and the steering has a surprising touch of precision. There’s some expected sway through corners, but that’s part of the charm, and the TRD Sport’s suspension does help here. Braking is solid, and visibility is great, thanks to the upright driving position and large windows.
I took it down a muddy, unused access road to see how it holds up, and unsurprisingly, it was right at home. I wasn’t tackling a mountain pass, but the 4Runner’s bones are still built for abuse. Even this street-leaning TRD Sport variant has a sense of purpose that’s lacking in many modern crossovers.
Final Thoughts
I really wanted to be fully sold on this new 4Runner, but the engine kept me from falling head over heels. It’s not that the turbo-four is bad, it just doesn’t suit the truck’s personality. That said, the platform, the design, and the capability all hit the mark. I’d wager the Hybrid MAX powertrain will better suit the 4Runner’s vibe. In the end, I quickly began missing the 4Runner once I’d returned it.
As it stands, the 2025 4Runner TRD Sport is a better-driving, better-looking version of the legend we’ve known for years. It’s just missing a little bit of that original grit under the hood.