Off-road capable SUVs are having a bit of a moment these days. Just about every manufacturer has at least one vehicle in the lineup built with a grouping of parts that promises increased performance in the dirt. Now, the level of capability varies quite a bit depending upon the vehicle. And some are best kept to what we might call a rough dirt road. But when it comes to overall trail prowess mixed with on-road driving manners, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner is one of our favorites.

The last-generation Toyota 4Runner lived a long life. It launched in the 2010 model year and remained in production all the way up to 2024. Sure, there were improvements along the way, but the basic vehicle remained essentially unchanged. And you know what? Buyers liked it that way. Last year Toyota sold almost 100,000 of them, which isn’t bad for a 14-year-old-SUV.

After much waiting we finally have an all-new 4Runner for 2025. It shares much of its mechanical makeup with the also-new Land Cruiser SUV and Tacoma pickup.

To get a feel for how the new 2025 Toyota 4Runner functions in the real world we borrowed the most capable 4Runner in the lineup for a week of testing—the TRD Pro. We piled as many street and off-road miles as we could on the $73,523 (really) MudBath brown TRD Pro 4Runner, visiting several of our favorite off-road spots.

Is this new 4Runner TRD Pro really the off-road enthusiast dream-machine we’ve been led to believe? Let’s find out.

The 2025 Toyota 4Runner’s Hardcore Hardware

The new 2024 Toyota Tacoma, 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and the 2025 Toyota 4Runner share the same basic underpinnings which begins with Toyota’s TNGA-F truck platform. The company says this new fully boxed frame system is comprised of high strength steel as well as blanking and laser welds and reinforced crossmembers for increased rigidity. Compared to the previous generation 4Runner, this new one is stretched 3.6 inches overall and sits on a wheelbase that’s 2.2 inches longer. It’s also about 2 inches taller. The wheel wells are larger now too so there’s room for the TRD Pro’s big 33-inch Toyo Open Country (295/70R18) tires.

Up front, the 4Runner utilizes a double wishbone coil-spring suspension. The beefy aluminum upper control arm is unique to the Trailhunter and TRD Pro models and provides a bit more wheel travel than other 4Runner trims. The TRD Pro comes with TRD-tuned 2.5-inch FOX QS3 three-way manually adjustable internal bypass shocks with remote reservoirs. Toyota provides an electronic disconnecting front swaybar as a part of the TRD Pro’s toolbox of trail gear—unlocking more articulation. The 8-inch front differential is open and filled with 3.58:1 gears.

Out back, the 4Runner TRD Pro utilizes a Toyota’s strong 9.5-inch live axle suspended by coil springs and damped by Fox QS3 adjustable internal bypass dampers with piggyback reservoirs. Like TRD Pro 4Runners of the past, this generation also utilizes an electronic locking rear differential. Toyota includes a full host of substantial skid plates under the 4runner TRD Pro including an optional unit for the rear axle—very unusual for a factory 4X4.

Like before, the 2025 4Runner has multiple off-road modes accessible through the Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) mode dial on the 4WD shifter which includes settings for Auto, Mud, Dirt, Sand, Deep Snow and Rock Crawl. Crawl Control (like an off-road cruise control system) has been vastly improved in this generation.

Standard Hybrid Power Replaces The Tired V6

A standard 4.0-liter V6 powered the 4Runner for more than 20 years with no optional engine. This new generation flips the script. Toyota has retired the V6 in favor of two four-cylinder powertrains. Most 2025 4Runners will use a 2.4-liter turbocharged four cylinder making 278 hp (8 hp more than the old V6). The optional i-Force Max parallel hybrid powertrain uses that same engine paired to a 48 hp electric motor with a Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery mounted in the cargo hold. It comes standard in the TRD Pro. The system generates 326 hp and an impressive 465 lb-ft of torque at a diesel-like 1,700 rpm. It’s a 56-horsepower bump over the old 4.0-liter V6 and a massive 187 lb-ft swell of torque compared to that mill. Both powertrains come mated to an 8-speed automatic (with overdrives in seventh and eighth gears and a deep 4.41:1 first gear). The 4Runner uses a two-speed transfer case, controlled by a rotary shifter on the console, with a 2:57:1 low range.

The 2025 4Runner TRD Pro weighs in at 5,455 pounds with the iForce Max powertrain adding a full 375 pounds to the overall weight thanks to the battery pack, electric motor and related mechanicals. As such, this new 2025 4Runner TRD Pro weighs about 1,000 pounds more than the outgoing model.

Inside The 2025 Toyota 4Runner

The interior of the new 4Runner is a bit of a mixed bag. While the seating position is improved over the last-generation, outward visibility has (subjectively) gotten worse. It can be difficult to see over the large hood unless the seat is adjusted to a higher level, meaning we had to duck our head when exiting or entering.

The layout of the dash and center console area is well done, and we particularly enjoy how the 4WD knob is clustered close to the shifter—just where a driver would want it. A massive 14-inch infotainment screen is the focal point of the dash; however, we found some of the functions were not as responsive or intuitive as we’d like. That said, the surround view camera system was quite impressive.

Rear seat comfort is good for a near 6-footer, with plenty of knee room. And luggage space is reasonable, though some of that space is taken up by the battery pack which necessitates a small, raised platform on the floor. In total, it eats up 5.8 cu-ft. of space compared to a non-hybrid 4Runner’s cargo hold.

Additionally, the interior could some softer, more upscale materials. After all, this is a $70,000 vehicle.

It’s Good On the Street

We found the 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro to look downright badass on the road, especially wearing the new Mudbath brown paint. The “Toyota” heritage grill, paired with the big Toyo tires and wide flares make the 4Runner look very tough. Our tester came fitted with an ARB roof rack ($1,710) which only added to the look. Other options included an on-board air compressor ($1,470), the previously mentioned rear diff skidplate ($425), cargo lights ($375), cargo cover ($135), cargo and floor mats ($329), and a towing ball and mount ($89).

The new 4Runner TRD Pro may look rugged, but the ride quality is surprisingly smooth. The generous tire sidewall and soft suspension tune make the new 4Runner a fantastic vehicle to use as a daily driver. It happily soaked up the rough and broken streets around our town. On the open highway, the 4Runner handled the typical freeway hop with as much ease as it did potholes and speed bumps. Unsurprisingly, rough pavement proved no match for the 4Runner TRD Pro.

Dig into the throttle and the engine releases a giant wave of torque, which is available low engine speeds thanks to the electric assist of the powertrain. This makes for fun jackrabbit launches from stoplights as well as easily climbing any grade. Case-in-point: On our favorite steep highway grade, the 4Runner maintained 70 mph with the engine loafing along at 2,000 rpm in seventh gear. Toe into the throttle slightly and the immense torque would easily push the rig beyond 80 mph. Unlike a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, the 4Runner is unbothered and quiet at those speeds, making it a great road trip machine.

At Home On the Trail… Naturally

Creep underneath the 2025 4Runner TRD Pro and you’ll find some of the best drivetrain protection of any SUV. The skidplating covers everything. We measured 10 inches of clearance up front as well as 9.25-inches under the rear axle. Toyota spent a great deal of time on the exterior design, carving away areas that could impact the angles for off-road use. And speaking of those, the 4Runner TRD Pro offers a 32-degree approach angle and 24-degree departure. Those are about the same as the last-gen model but short of a Bronco Sasquatch or Jeep Wrangler Rubicon which both have approach angles in the mid 40s and departure angles in the high 30s.

As soon as one of the TRD Pro’s tires touch dirt, it’s obvious that it’s right at home. Straight away in 2WD, we hit some good size dirt berms with a little speed to test the front-end damping. There was no hard bottoming out, no harsh landing and no bad noises. Out in the larger motorcycle whoops, we were able to maintain 15-20 mph depending on the spacing of the bumps. The 4Runner was quite happy on graded fire roads where we were able to maintain 45 mph without much of a problem. When we pushed a bit harder however, there was a touch of side-to-side cab shake that we could feel coming from deep in the chassis.

With some higher speed off-roading under our belt, it was time to slow things down. Unfortunately, this is where the TRD Pro’s rotary 4WD selector proved a bit finicky. When attempting to shift to low range, you must click into 4WD high range and let the transfer case shift. Shifting out of low often required several shifts in and out of neutral and twisting the knob, which proved frustrating. That said, once in low range the 4Runner proved incredibly capable. We unlocked the swaybar, shifted the MTS into Rock mode and watched the suspension flex through deep gullies and over rocks while keep the tires touching the ground. It crawls quite well, and you can easily place the tires on tall obstacles.

On our standard test hill, we challenged the 4Runner by using only low range without any special drive modes, the rear locker, or the swaybar disconnect. WE made it about a half a truck-length shy of the top before losing traction, which is very good for a factory vehicle. With all the trail tools engaged, the 4Runner was able to idle right up with just 3 or 4 mph showing on the speedometer.

Speaking of trail tools, in 2WD the 4Runner’s MTS system isn’t available and neither is the rear locker. Disabling traction control made the 4Runner tons of fun. The TRD Pro was a complete blast sliding around the sandy washes. There was absolutely zero rear axle hop (a common problem in the sand in 2WD) allowing the rear tires to just spun until they hooked up a bit and took off—fishtailing through the washes. We tried 4WD Auto mode next, but you could feel the traction control sapping power. The best performance came when we engaged (surprise!) Sand mode. That’s because we had the traction of 4WD to get up to speed quickly and turn more sharply. And stability control doesn’t intervene.

The Bottom Line

The new 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro had big shoes to fill. The old 4Runner was an honest and capable performer that was loved by many. Thankfully, this new generation only improves the breed. Thanks to its improved suspension, this 4Runner is a better crawler and an impressive high-speed wheeler. It’s packed with far more power and torque, making daily driving as well as trail work more fun. It is also a far more refined vehicle than the outgoing model.

While a similarly equipped Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X or Ford Bronco Badlands may cost a touch less at the start, the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro perfectly balances both low and high-speed off-road prowess with on-road refinement, making it the perfect sweet spot that so many enthusiasts’ favor.