Review: The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Is the Real Land Cruiser Replacement... Agree / Disagree?

TN Vols

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The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Is the Real Land Cruiser Replacement

Toyota's new 4x4 model lineup is a convoluted mess that effectively makes the just-released 4Runner the de facto new Land Cruiser.

Full article: https://www.mensjournal.com/gear/new-toyota-4runner-real-land-cruiser



Excerpt:

The Confusion Only Leaves One Good Choice

Paying the Toyota tax up front always made sense, until now, with the lineup an entirely incomprehensible jumble.

In reality, given the similar pricing tiers, choosing between a 4Runner, Land Cruiser, and GX comes down to priorities. The form factor for family life matters, or a roll-down rear window for pups in the back, and a few specific options. But on paper and in real life, the GX delivers a better engine in a more luxurious vehicle with more space and looks the best—no wonder I see about a million a day on the streets of West L.A.

The Land Cruiser’s interior does add a bit more creature comforts than the 4Runner, largely thanks to more comfy seats and the higher roof, plus when shod in similar tires, it drives better, looks better, and costs less as similarly equipped. But the third row disappeared and meanwhile somehow the 4Runner, despite offering three rows only on the lowest trims, hits dealer floors with a sky-high pricetag for a TRD Pro and Trailhunter.

Once upon a time, the 4Runner was little more than an affordable rough-and-tumble pickup truck with a built-in camper shell while the Land Cruiser was a much more serious SUV ready for off-roading. But now, the new 4Runner comes with the same interior tech, same hybrid engine, and is arguably more trail-ready in both TRD Pro and Trailhunter spec. And the price gap simply evaporated with the passing years, too, so now those 4Runners cost more.

Why not bolt a set of aftermarket shocks onto a Land Cruiser or GX, you might ask? Doing so would definitely change the equation. Paying the Toyota tax up front for a Land Cruiser always made sense, until now, because this mixed-up gradewalk turns the lineup into an entirely incomprehensible jumble—effectively turning the 4Runner into the new Land Cruiser.
 

BG1

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Its not clear which LC the writer is using in the comparison. The LC 1958 doesn't compare well with most 4R's.
 

MJE

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I’m not sure where the incomprehensible jumble lies. Perhaps there’s price overlap where one might choose a more expensive version of the cheaper model vs a cheaper model of a more expensive version. & one should certainly cross shop all Toyotas options. All they’re doing is using their size & scale to offer different versions that might appeal to a different customer. Nothing difficult about that. Once upon a time GM was big enough to sell you 4 versions of exactly the same car too.
 
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