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- 2025 Toyota 4Runner
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This is not meant to be a comprehensive or detailed review, but I thought I'd share my thoughts now that I've driven my new 4Runner 200 miles.
The break-in procedures warn against certain driving activities at the 200, 500, and 1,000 mile markers. So, I'm arbitrarily choosing these "mileage milestones". Yes, 200 miles is not a lot of miles, but it's significant if it's the FIRST 200 miles, in my opinion.
I took possession of the vehicle with 11 miles on the odometer on Wednesday. Today (Saturday) I hit 200 miles on a drive around a local reservoir, and continued to put on more miles on the way home.
When I arrived at the dealership to complete final paperwork on Wednesday, it was still light out. When I was finally able to drive home, it was dark out. I had not realized that the climate control was completely off on the way home and I decided to turn it on just as I was entering the neighborhood. After setting the climate control to automatic, the vents began blowing air with a horrible burning plastic smell. This is fairly common for new vehicles and will eventually clear up. Unfortunately, this happened just as I was pulling into the driveway and my wife and son got into the new 4Runner to check it out. So, I made it optimally smelly for their first impression. The smell is just about gone after 200 miles, but I can still vaguely smell it (or I'm getting used to it a little I suppose). I have also been driving a lot with the moonroof slid open and the back window rolled down since the weather has been exceptionally nice in northern Colorado for February.
I have only got the vehicle up to 65 mph once, and no faster. I have driven it in a variety of neighborhood, city, country, and mountain roads - mindful of driving it consistent with the break-in guidance.
The 4Runner is remarkably quiet. FWIW, my previous daily driver was a stock 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel with a V8 hemi, and I still have a 1997 Jeep Wrangler with an inline 6-cylinder 4.0L engine that has a healthy roar. If you like loud, the 4Runner is not for you (I know some folks will make various intake, tuning, and exhaust modifications that will alter the sound, but I'm happy with as-quiet-as-can-be). I can hear the subtle sounds of the turbo intake, but it's not that noticeable to me. I'm a little more in-tune to the sounds now so I can get a baseline feel for what it "should" sound like, in order to be more mindful if/when the sounds of the engine ever change.
The 4Runner is remarkably smooth. I haven't noticed awkward or harsh gear shifting and I try to "feel" the gear changes through acceleration and slowing down, sometimes watching the tachometer. I have the ORP trim, so the suspension is a little different than some trims. The vehicle handles bumps and turning well, and there's nothing remarkable to report about it, other than (IMO) it shifts and corners better than the stock 5th gen 4Runner I test drove prior to settling on getting a 6th gen. I read a little about the 6th gen barely edging out the 5th gen in acceleration, but the 6th gen really felt a lot more powerful and smooth on rapid acceleration and climbing hills than the 5th gen. Perhaps that is because my test drives so far have been between 5,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level, favoring the more modern turbo engine.
I originally did not want the moonroof and I wanted the Everest color, but I settled on a reservation that had a moonroof and was the Underground color. Admittedly, I have used the moonroof slid all the way open consistently since I purchased this 4Runner - so it has its benefits. The Underground color has also grown on me more. It's an arguably "more conservative" (less flashy) color with a more classic look (to me) that goes well with the new curves that differentiates how the 6th gen looks compared to the 5th gen. Depending on the ambient light, this color can look almost black to an almost cement gray color. With the curves, the vehicle takes advantage of these qualities and provides interesting color contrast based on reflections and shadows. It probably sounds like I care about this, but really, I don't. I've just spent a lot of time in my life noticing color and texture qualities for various reasons. But I do like the Underground color. To be honest, I plan on doing a lot of off-roading where I'll eventually collect a lot of scratches and dents (and it will spend most of its life dirty) - so I like to get over how pretty these things look new, relatively quickly.
FWIW, my dogs also approve of the 4Runner. We had a 4th gen 4Runner, so we already knew what great vehicles these are for dogs. I have a cheap cover I bought off Amazon to protect the cargo area from the dogs and I also have the Weathertech cargo liner on order at the dealership parts department right now. I also use the cargo net to prevent my older dog from immediately jumping down and injuring himself as I open the back. This gives me the opportunity to slow things down and lift the dog down myself. My other dog is younger and bigger and it's difficult to keep him from just jumping in and out of the back on his own. So far, when we're in motion I just keep the rear window half-way down. I don't think my dogs will jump out, but I want them to get a little used to the vehicle before I keep it all the way down for them.
I have not had the opportunity to off-road yet, although it has seen some dirt roads briefly. I tested 4 high and 4 low just to ensure everything seemed to work OK, but I have not tested everything out thoroughly yet. I did notice a small "clunk" noise as I shifted the transfer case from 2H to 4H in park, and it occurred to me that this might not be advisable, but I didn't see any guidance that this could not be done from a parked position (my assumption is that the vehicle is modern enough that it will prevent out of sequence actions for the transmission and transfer case - so this was a little test). I re-tested shifting between 2H and 4H at low speeds in drive without any noticeable sounds. So, I'll probably stick to this method until I learn more about the 4Runner's mechanical operation and going between 2H and 4H in park (or neutral). The manual's guidance is to only make 2H/4H shifts below 62 mph. I followed the manual's guidance on shifting to neutral to go between 4H and 4L (which I did while stopped). As expected, the driving difference in 4H and 4L is very noticeable, but I have not attempted anything interesting in either mode yet. I mainly just wanted to test things out close to home first, not out on a trail.
If you read through the manual (I'm using an electronic/PDF copy), it uses the term "front-wheel drive" repeatedly in a way that I find confusing. I would have used the terms rear-wheel drive (2H) and four-wheel drive (4H and 4L) since front-wheel drive may lead some to think there's a mode that just provides power to the front axle. As far as I know, there is no mode that disengages the driveshaft from the rear axle. I understand the implied semantics referring to a "front-wheel drive control switch", but it's a little confusing in my opinion.
FWIW, I've driven a variety of vehicles that can supply power to all four wheels, and I know there are numerous types of drive trains and procedure for proper use of the transfer case. I won't go into detail here, but the ritual I have to go through for my 1997 Wrangler is pretty interesting (involving coasting between 2 to 3 mph in neutral to get between 4H and 4L properly). I've also driven a variety of vehicles with manual and automatic transmissions, and vehicles that had a variety of ways to engage the front wheels and lock the differential and axels. On this 4Runner with part time four-wheel drive, there is no central differential, and the power distribution between front and rear is "inherently locked" in 4H and 4L (the full-time four-wheel drive system in other trims works differently). The front differential is disengaged in 2H and engaged in 4L and 4H. There is no front locker, but there is a rear locker. I have not tested the rear locker yet.
One interesting point I noticed in the manual that everyone should be aware of is the statement that "You should drive in four-wheel drive for at least 10 miles (16 km) each month. This will assure that the front drive components are lubricated". That's not going to be an issue for me, but I know a lot of people purchase part time four-wheel drive vehicles that hardly ever switch to four-wheel mode (especially in the summer). Just something to consider. If you own a part-time four-wheel drive and don't take it off pavement in the summer, it's probably difficult to follow this guidance since you shouldn't be driving in four-wheel drive on dry pavement either.
I haven't made any modifications yet, unless you count adding a dashcam. I plan to replace the running boards with rock sliders and remove the front plastic chin eventually. After that, I'll focus on adding and upgrading skid plates. Farther down the road, I'm considering a ~2" lift and possibly slightly larger tires, and 17" wheels with a slightly wider stance. With a wider stance, I might eventually swap out the fender flares if needed to provide appropriate coverage over the tires. I'll also probably get an aftermarket roof rack, a roof-top-tent, and various other accessories. The interior will remain relatively untouched, but I ordered a Weathertech liner for the cargo area, and plan to add a GMRS radio (with antenna routed to exterior "somewhere/somehow").
The Qi phone charger and Android auto have been working well. I was having trouble figuring out how to get back to the Toyota settings from Android Auto. You do this by going to the apps lists and selecting the Toyota icon (seems obvious now). I still have a lot to learn about this vehicle and plan to take some more time going through the manual, going through all the vehicle buttons and settings, and doing a lot more driving. I know 200 miles isn't much, but so far, I am very happy with my new 4Runner!
The break-in procedures warn against certain driving activities at the 200, 500, and 1,000 mile markers. So, I'm arbitrarily choosing these "mileage milestones". Yes, 200 miles is not a lot of miles, but it's significant if it's the FIRST 200 miles, in my opinion.
I took possession of the vehicle with 11 miles on the odometer on Wednesday. Today (Saturday) I hit 200 miles on a drive around a local reservoir, and continued to put on more miles on the way home.
When I arrived at the dealership to complete final paperwork on Wednesday, it was still light out. When I was finally able to drive home, it was dark out. I had not realized that the climate control was completely off on the way home and I decided to turn it on just as I was entering the neighborhood. After setting the climate control to automatic, the vents began blowing air with a horrible burning plastic smell. This is fairly common for new vehicles and will eventually clear up. Unfortunately, this happened just as I was pulling into the driveway and my wife and son got into the new 4Runner to check it out. So, I made it optimally smelly for their first impression. The smell is just about gone after 200 miles, but I can still vaguely smell it (or I'm getting used to it a little I suppose). I have also been driving a lot with the moonroof slid open and the back window rolled down since the weather has been exceptionally nice in northern Colorado for February.
I have only got the vehicle up to 65 mph once, and no faster. I have driven it in a variety of neighborhood, city, country, and mountain roads - mindful of driving it consistent with the break-in guidance.
The 4Runner is remarkably quiet. FWIW, my previous daily driver was a stock 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel with a V8 hemi, and I still have a 1997 Jeep Wrangler with an inline 6-cylinder 4.0L engine that has a healthy roar. If you like loud, the 4Runner is not for you (I know some folks will make various intake, tuning, and exhaust modifications that will alter the sound, but I'm happy with as-quiet-as-can-be). I can hear the subtle sounds of the turbo intake, but it's not that noticeable to me. I'm a little more in-tune to the sounds now so I can get a baseline feel for what it "should" sound like, in order to be more mindful if/when the sounds of the engine ever change.
The 4Runner is remarkably smooth. I haven't noticed awkward or harsh gear shifting and I try to "feel" the gear changes through acceleration and slowing down, sometimes watching the tachometer. I have the ORP trim, so the suspension is a little different than some trims. The vehicle handles bumps and turning well, and there's nothing remarkable to report about it, other than (IMO) it shifts and corners better than the stock 5th gen 4Runner I test drove prior to settling on getting a 6th gen. I read a little about the 6th gen barely edging out the 5th gen in acceleration, but the 6th gen really felt a lot more powerful and smooth on rapid acceleration and climbing hills than the 5th gen. Perhaps that is because my test drives so far have been between 5,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level, favoring the more modern turbo engine.
I originally did not want the moonroof and I wanted the Everest color, but I settled on a reservation that had a moonroof and was the Underground color. Admittedly, I have used the moonroof slid all the way open consistently since I purchased this 4Runner - so it has its benefits. The Underground color has also grown on me more. It's an arguably "more conservative" (less flashy) color with a more classic look (to me) that goes well with the new curves that differentiates how the 6th gen looks compared to the 5th gen. Depending on the ambient light, this color can look almost black to an almost cement gray color. With the curves, the vehicle takes advantage of these qualities and provides interesting color contrast based on reflections and shadows. It probably sounds like I care about this, but really, I don't. I've just spent a lot of time in my life noticing color and texture qualities for various reasons. But I do like the Underground color. To be honest, I plan on doing a lot of off-roading where I'll eventually collect a lot of scratches and dents (and it will spend most of its life dirty) - so I like to get over how pretty these things look new, relatively quickly.
FWIW, my dogs also approve of the 4Runner. We had a 4th gen 4Runner, so we already knew what great vehicles these are for dogs. I have a cheap cover I bought off Amazon to protect the cargo area from the dogs and I also have the Weathertech cargo liner on order at the dealership parts department right now. I also use the cargo net to prevent my older dog from immediately jumping down and injuring himself as I open the back. This gives me the opportunity to slow things down and lift the dog down myself. My other dog is younger and bigger and it's difficult to keep him from just jumping in and out of the back on his own. So far, when we're in motion I just keep the rear window half-way down. I don't think my dogs will jump out, but I want them to get a little used to the vehicle before I keep it all the way down for them.
I have not had the opportunity to off-road yet, although it has seen some dirt roads briefly. I tested 4 high and 4 low just to ensure everything seemed to work OK, but I have not tested everything out thoroughly yet. I did notice a small "clunk" noise as I shifted the transfer case from 2H to 4H in park, and it occurred to me that this might not be advisable, but I didn't see any guidance that this could not be done from a parked position (my assumption is that the vehicle is modern enough that it will prevent out of sequence actions for the transmission and transfer case - so this was a little test). I re-tested shifting between 2H and 4H at low speeds in drive without any noticeable sounds. So, I'll probably stick to this method until I learn more about the 4Runner's mechanical operation and going between 2H and 4H in park (or neutral). The manual's guidance is to only make 2H/4H shifts below 62 mph. I followed the manual's guidance on shifting to neutral to go between 4H and 4L (which I did while stopped). As expected, the driving difference in 4H and 4L is very noticeable, but I have not attempted anything interesting in either mode yet. I mainly just wanted to test things out close to home first, not out on a trail.
If you read through the manual (I'm using an electronic/PDF copy), it uses the term "front-wheel drive" repeatedly in a way that I find confusing. I would have used the terms rear-wheel drive (2H) and four-wheel drive (4H and 4L) since front-wheel drive may lead some to think there's a mode that just provides power to the front axle. As far as I know, there is no mode that disengages the driveshaft from the rear axle. I understand the implied semantics referring to a "front-wheel drive control switch", but it's a little confusing in my opinion.
FWIW, I've driven a variety of vehicles that can supply power to all four wheels, and I know there are numerous types of drive trains and procedure for proper use of the transfer case. I won't go into detail here, but the ritual I have to go through for my 1997 Wrangler is pretty interesting (involving coasting between 2 to 3 mph in neutral to get between 4H and 4L properly). I've also driven a variety of vehicles with manual and automatic transmissions, and vehicles that had a variety of ways to engage the front wheels and lock the differential and axels. On this 4Runner with part time four-wheel drive, there is no central differential, and the power distribution between front and rear is "inherently locked" in 4H and 4L (the full-time four-wheel drive system in other trims works differently). The front differential is disengaged in 2H and engaged in 4L and 4H. There is no front locker, but there is a rear locker. I have not tested the rear locker yet.
One interesting point I noticed in the manual that everyone should be aware of is the statement that "You should drive in four-wheel drive for at least 10 miles (16 km) each month. This will assure that the front drive components are lubricated". That's not going to be an issue for me, but I know a lot of people purchase part time four-wheel drive vehicles that hardly ever switch to four-wheel mode (especially in the summer). Just something to consider. If you own a part-time four-wheel drive and don't take it off pavement in the summer, it's probably difficult to follow this guidance since you shouldn't be driving in four-wheel drive on dry pavement either.
I haven't made any modifications yet, unless you count adding a dashcam. I plan to replace the running boards with rock sliders and remove the front plastic chin eventually. After that, I'll focus on adding and upgrading skid plates. Farther down the road, I'm considering a ~2" lift and possibly slightly larger tires, and 17" wheels with a slightly wider stance. With a wider stance, I might eventually swap out the fender flares if needed to provide appropriate coverage over the tires. I'll also probably get an aftermarket roof rack, a roof-top-tent, and various other accessories. The interior will remain relatively untouched, but I ordered a Weathertech liner for the cargo area, and plan to add a GMRS radio (with antenna routed to exterior "somewhere/somehow").
The Qi phone charger and Android auto have been working well. I was having trouble figuring out how to get back to the Toyota settings from Android Auto. You do this by going to the apps lists and selecting the Toyota icon (seems obvious now). I still have a lot to learn about this vehicle and plan to take some more time going through the manual, going through all the vehicle buttons and settings, and doing a lot more driving. I know 200 miles isn't much, but so far, I am very happy with my new 4Runner!
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