Poll: Which 2025 4Runner competitor are you considering (if any)?

Curious -- are y'all shopping the 2025 4Runner against any competitor? Or maybe not?

Vote in the poll and reply with what you picked. Multiple choices allowed.

Me personally I've also been looking into the Land Cruiser / GX. Obviously same platform at thew 6th gen 4Runner, but higher up the price scale for their amenities. Going have to wait until I can climb into a 4Runner to determine if the quality/amenities of the Land Cruiser and GX would be worth the higher prices.

I've been tire kicking the 2024 Tacoma while waiting for more 4Runner details and a hands-on whenever they land at dealers. If I end up with a Tacoma, probably gonna put a topper on it to get closer to 4Runner's cargo weatherproof-ness.

2024 4Runner that V6 is indestructible plus it will be cheaper. Prices on these Tacoma’s are way out of line.

I would like to get a 4Runner hybrid for its off-road abilities, but being 6' 2" I'm concerned about the headroom. That's why I'm keeping the LC in mind. Ultimately I sure would like to wait and sit in each one to see "what feels right".

Shopping for a ‘forever’, or at least long term, road trip vehicle. So not surprising the 25 4R came on my radar.

So here’s my consideration list, all armchair so far, haven’t experienced anything in person yet, though I need to in order to get a good feel for long distance comfort. Whether that‘s highway or logging/oil/fire roads.

I’m a truck guy, so really most of my list is BOF vehicles, which means primarily Toyota. Here’s my list probably in order of priority.

4R - I really like the looks of the new Taco & the 4R is right back to the days when an SUV was a truck with a covered box. Or as close to it as you’ll find in the modern market. Sure I’ll take a Platinum please.

GX - why not buy the ultimate BOF Toyota? I’m not particularly budget limited so if this is the choice that makes me happy then that’s what I’m doing. Though I get a little offended at price…. Waiting really to see what they do with the hybrid. As long as we’re not budget limited, lets do OT+.

LC - This will be either the perfect Goldilocks vehicle in between the 4R & GX, or decidedly push me in one direction or the other. LC with premium please, so getting closer to a GX maybe.

Ranger - yep I’m a Ford guy so need to consider the only midsize Ford BOF vehicle (I’ll take an Everest if they’d sell it here). As a truck guy the idea of a modern version of my old loved F150 sounds awesome! & pricing is great for what you get. I’d be down to my usual dealership tomorrow if I didn’t think this was kinda the same thing I’ve been buying for 20 years…

Tacoma - I love a truck, I don’t need an empty bed at this stage of life. The longer wheelbase does improve highway travel while reducing city maneuverability I suppose.

Others? Canyon Denali? Definitely nice, but I thought it was a bit small sitting in one at the auto show. At this point I may as well go with one of my top 2 truck choices. Ridgeline? I suspect it’d meet my size/comfort requirements but seems quite dated overall. Explorer? I actually liked the one I had, another might be a great choice.

Our SUV will primarily be my wife's daily. I'd like her to look at the 4Runner. She really wants a Defender, but I'd prefer not to hire a full-time British mechanic. The Land Cruiser may be an option. I'd like to look at a 4Runner Off Road without the hybrid in order to maximize cargo capacity. Interested to see them when released.

I'm mostly considering a 4th gen Tacoma or a 6th gen 4Runner. I lean toward the Tacoma's form factor, but some of the missing features may prevent me from buying it. No memory seats is a deal breaker and the lack of rear vents could be considering I live in Oklahoma and have small children. I'm hoping that the 2025 model will bring these features. Maybe even a few others like power folding mirrors, power adjustable steering, and a rear center arm rest.

Anyway, I'm also looking at other mid-size trucks like the Canyon/Colorado, but I would really very much rather buy a Tacoma or 4Runner. Ranger is mostly ruled out due to not having ventilated seats and a few other amenities. It is more focus on capability than interior amenities. I would absolutely consider the Ridgeline if they had redesigned it yet, but it seems we are still 2 years out on that at least. As for other body on frame SUVs, they are either not fully enclosed like 4Runner or too expensive.

We may also get a 4Runner for the wife in the next few years if we don't have another child. The main thing holding it back is the rear vents. I really wish they would have moved to overhead A/C in the 4Runner like they have in the new Land Cruiser. I know it is different in Europe, but it is crazy to me that the 4Runner has a third row option and no 3rd row A/C while the Land Cruiser is the opposite.

MJE said:

Others? Canyon Denali? Definitely nice, but I thought it was a bit small sitting in one at the auto show. At this point I may as well go with one of my top 2 truck choices. Ridgeline? I suspect it’d meet my size/comfort requirements but seems quite dated overall. Explorer? I actually liked the one I had, another might be a great choice.

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When you say the Canyon was small, was that sitting in the front seat or back seat? If you find the Canyon small in the front I fear that you will for all of these vehicles. Though I too don't have personal experience, I think they are pretty much all about the same for front seat size. I would recommend going and test driving a Tacoma as it should be almost exactly the same front seat experience.

If you were talking about the back seat well that is to be expected with a mid-size truck. From what I have read, the Tacoma is even worse there.

kzrman said:

I would like to get a 4Runner hybrid for its off-road abilities, but being 6' 2" I'm concerned about the headroom. That's why I'm keeping the LC in mind. Ultimately I sure would like to wait and sit in each one to see "what feels right".

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Go test drive a Tacoma. Besides a few differing features, the front seat experience should be exactly the same as the new 4Runner. Size should be a perfect one for one.

zachavm said:

Go test drive a Tacoma. Besides a few differing features, the front seat experience should be exactly the same as the new 4Runner. Size should be a perfect one for one.

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I was thinking the same thing until I saw the height on the 2025 4Runner is many inches less than the Tacoma. This has me worried the headroom in the 4Runner won't be as great as the Tacoma. I'd like to wrong about this. Do we know how headroom compares between the two?

I've been asking around and so far no one can tell me what the front seat head room is on a 4R and LC. Guess I'll just half to wait a while longer.

kzrman said:

I've been asking around and so far no one can tell me what the front seat head room is on a 4R and LC. Guess I'll just half to wait a while longer.

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Headroom for a 4Runner will be the exact same at Tacoma. Where you will see the difference is on the Land Cruiser. Add about 2-3 inches more and you’ll get your answer.

Here are The models I was looking at getting. All are in the Toyota family minus the Rivian R2.

Land Cruiser- I knew a new LC was coming and had a feeling it would feature a more boxy styling that mimicked the past LC. When I saw the official reveal, I was liking it so far but then I saw that only 3 trims were offered and none had off road looks and we clearly found out why it didn’t. The interior is nice and it also being built in Japan was a huge thing for me. I didn’t care about it being a 4 popper with a Hybrid. I personally think it was need to drive the overall cost down so it wouldn’t be a direct competition against the GX with the V6TT.

Tacom- Here is where I started to shift my mindset on what I wanted. Seeing the constant Spy shots of the model coming from Tacoma4g forums I kept getting excited because it featured a more aggressive looking design to that of the LC. Seeing the reveal of the Tacoma made me say “okay well this looks more aggressive, wider and more off road capable. I particularly kept imagining how it would look and few and I finally got to see one at the Miami International Autoshow in TRD OR. Seeing it in person made it more adamant that I needed a vehicle such as this. The rugged looks locked it in for me.

4Runner- When we first got our first look of the 4Runner via Car and Driver I knew it was basically going to look like a Tacoma with a roof added to the rear. Now one thing I’m not sure a lot of people know but it brought me back to the first 4Runner I ever saw which was a 1st Gen in red. Lot of good memories came back. Mind you I wasn’t born in the 80’s more so the 90’s but still the feeling you get as a kid seeing a rugged off roader at a car event is everything to you and it’s a fond memory. Back to the 6th gen, the styling was what I wanted, it had all the features from the Tacoma especially that rear window slide down. I’ve always loved 4Runners.

R2- I loved this model when I saw it at the Electrify Expo. I thought the sizing was great, liked the idea of all electric. Filmed it and a lot of people love it as well. One thing to note is that it also has a rear slide down window which was super cool. I have a reservation as of now but the model is coming out in 2026 so it could take some time.

So those are my cars that I was looking at.

TigerEyeJazz said:

Headroom for a 4Runner will be the exact same at Tacoma. Where you will see the difference is on the Land Cruiser. Add about 2-3 inches more and you’ll get your answer.

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I hope that you're right. There seems to be some debate over this however.

kzrman said:

I hope that you're right. There seems to be some debate over this however.

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I wouldn’t understand if there was a difference. They stated that the A-Pilar to the B pillar are similar. After the B-Pillar is where everything changes.