2025 Toyota 4Runner Hybrid Road Test and Review

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt

The Toyota 4Runner has been an off-road standout for more than four decades. And during that time, it also evolved from a crude pickup truck retrofitted with a roof into a broadly popular mid-size SUV beloved by everyone from rock-crawling enthusiasts to ordinary families. 

But in all that time, it was never economical. In all the 41 years that the EPA still records in its online database, only twice has it gotten more than 20 miles per gallon. The first was in 1985, when it sent 96 horsepower through a five-speed manual transmission. (It got 21 mpg.) But the second is this year, which marks the debut of the first all-new 4Runner in 15 years. And this new efficiency push is led by the first-ever gas-electric 4Runner Hybrid. 

For this review, we’ve spent a week testing the all-new 2025 Toyota 4Runner Hybrid to see what it’s like to live with this reinvented legend – and to measure its real-world mileage. Keep reading to learn more about the hybrid 4Runner’s pros and cons to see if it’s the right mid-size SUV for you. 

Choose Your Flavor

The redesigned 4Runner comes with a choice of two turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The first is a gas-only engine, which Toyota calls i-Force, that’s the only option on base models and comes standard on midlevel 4Runners. Then there’s the hybrid, called i-Force Max, which costs about $2,500 to $4,500 extra on certain trim levels and comes standard on upper models. 

The 4Runner Hybrid i-Force Max starts at $52,490 on the TRD Off-Road trim level. That’s $11,000 more than the cheapest gas-only 4Runner SR5. In addition to the gas-electric powertrain, this price premium buys you a couple of extra luxuries (chiefly automatic climate control and a wireless smartphone charger) plus extra off-road gear (four-wheel drive, all-terrain tires, an upgraded off-road suspension, and off-road driving modes). 

Every 4Runner remains a capable off-roader, with a heavy-duty truck-style body-on-frame construction. But you can choose your flavor of 4Runner – between models that lean into on-road luxury, off-road performance, and extreme degrees of the latter. 

Our test vehicle was a top-of-the-line TRD Pro, starting at $67,400, which boasts extra mechanical upgrades over the standard TRD Off-Road. It also subs out the lesser trims’ grille to spell out “Toyota” in text without the company logo. The Trailhunter model, at the same price, looks similar but is configured for overlanding rather than rock-crawling. We also prefer how the Trailhunter has hardy plastic trim on its fenders instead of our TRD Pro’s more delicate glossy black. 

Or you can get the luxury-grade Limited and Platinum. The Limited, pictured here, is dressed up with chrome trim. And the Platinum has some blacked-out effects, though not black fenders like on the off-road models. 

2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited ・ Photo by Brady Holt

This Isn’t a Prius

We mentioned that the 4Runner Hybrid is the most economical 4Runner in decades. But keep expectations reasonable – this is still a heavy, boxy, off-road focused SUV. In EPA testing, it gets 23 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. That’s up from 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined from a four-wheel-drive i-Force gas engine. In our testing, we missed the EPA estimates with both engines – getting just 19 mpg out of both. While that’s not scientific like the EPA’s tests, it’s disappointing; we don’t usually fall so short of the EPA’s results. 

On the other hand, the point of the i-Force Max hybrid isn’t to sip fuel like Toyota’s Prius hatchback. It’s to make the 4Runner faster yet still more economical than before. 

The i-Force Max makes 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. That’s up from 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque in the non-hybrid i-Force four-cylinder. It’s an even bigger bump from the 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque generated by last year’s 4.0-liter V6. The 4Runner Hybrid’s extra power and torque give it more instantaneous responses when you really need to move. It doesn’t sound thrilling, though; it’s quieter than the old V6, but it doesn’t roar, growl, or bellow like an engine that’s excited to get moving. It’s all business, and not in a way that gives it character. 

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt

The Tools for Off-Roading

In a world where most SUVs are built from the underpinnings of light-duty passenger cars, it’s easy to forget that some really are trucks. The 4Runner is one of them. It shares its platform with the Toyota Tacoma pickup, and it leans into its capability. 

The rugged underbody includes off-road shocks (different types for different 4Runner trim levels). Available gear includes an automatic limited-slip differential, with an electronic locking rear differential on the toughest models. Drivers can choose among a variety of driving modes that are optimized for different off-road conditions. And on the TRD Pro and Trailhunter, a stabilizer disconnect mechanism improves the suspension articulation at low speeds. 

Ground clearance measures 8.8 inches on the Limited and Platinum, 9.1 inches on the TRD Off-Road, and a whopping 10.1 inches on the TRD Pro and Trailhunter. 

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt

What It’s Like on Pavement

In everyday driving, the TRD Pro is surprisingly smooth and comfortable for what it is. Its ride over rough pavement benefits from the same advanced off-road shocks that take the edge off a boulder. And its thick tires also help absorb bumps better than SUVs with giant alloy wheels. We found the Limited to be a little more bouncy and jiggly. 

Let’s put this in context. No 4Runner is as smooth or as quiet as a car-based Honda Passport or Subaru Outback. Nor does it handle as nimbly, even after it got a lot less clumsy this year. But it does drive more like a modern passenger vehicle than a Jeep Wangler. 

The 4Runner Hybrid doesn’t drive with as much character as the old 4Runner. Some people likely loved the old truck’s ineffectually roaring engine, ultra-light steering, and suspension that rocked back and forth when you braked. Now, the 2025 4Runner is an off-road machine that doesn’t feel as much like an off-road machine in everyday use – for better or for worse. 

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Simple Yet Modern Interior

We’re fans of the new 4Runner’s interior. It enters this decade without trying to get a head start on the next decade. 

That is to say, it still looks like a truck interior, with a blocky dashboard and easy-to-grasp knobs. It has a big 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system, plus a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. But the screens are functional rather than flashy, not intended to dominate the interior experience. As with other Toyotas, we do wish we could customize the big screen to show more side-by-side information. 

Even when you push your 4Runner past $70,000, it’s not a luxury-car interior. It’s rugged and sturdy, not flashy or posh. But the Limited and Platinum have richer leather upholstery. And it’s mostly well-built, except that we found it easy to accidentally pop off a piece of decorative trim on the interior door panel. (It reattached easily.) 

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Comfortable Front Seats, Limited Rear Legroom

The 2025 Toyota 4Runner has comfortable, supportive front seats with plenty of room. Most hybrids have heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a power driver’s seat, while upper trim levels add ventilated front seats. 

The backseat, though, is tight for such a big vehicle. Knee space is limited, and you have to climb up while also ducking down and pivoting yourself inside. Adults will fit, but they won’t feel especially comfortable. Bulky child-safety seats will also force the front seats forward, blunting the new 4Runner’s family-friendly potential. Also, while the gas-only 4Runner offers a third-row seat in certain trim levels, hybrids can only seat five people. 

As with past 4Runners, you can roll down the rear windshield to get some extra air in the cabin or carry longer items.

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Cargo Compromise

Toyota quotes a generous 42.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the 4Runner Hybrid’s rear seat and 82.6 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. 

However, that’s down 6.2 and 7.6 cubic feet, respectively, versus the gas-only 4Runner due to the hybrid system’s battery taking up some cargo room. And it’s inconvenient to lift up your luggage onto the high cargo floor. We also suspect the new 4Runner has less cargo space than the specs suggest; the SUV doesn’t feel as big inside as last year’s model, which had similar cargo specs. 

The 4Runner Hybrid is rated to tow up to 6,000 pounds, which is above average for a mid-size SUV. 

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt

4Runner Hybrid vs. the Competition

Many people shop the 4Runner against light-duty crossovers like the Honda Passport and Subaru Outback. We’d only advise the 4Runner if you care about heavy-duty off-road capability or character. In objective terms of ride, handling, fuel economy, space efficiency, and value, the crossovers win easily. 

When you do care about off-roading, the 4Runner faces the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, while you can compare upper trim levels with the higher-end Land Rover Defender. 

The Wrangler isn’t as smooth or comfortable as the 4Runner in everyday use. It’s a cruder machine that demands extra attention to even keep pointed straight on a highway. To some people, though, that’s character rather than an annoyance. And there’s no denying the value of taking off the Jeep’s roof and doors for an open-air experience. The Wrangler is available as a plug-in hybrid, meaning you can charge up its electric battery from the grid (the 4Runner Hybrid recharges itself as you drive); this Wrangler 4xe model can travel an EPA-estimated 21 mpg per charge before averaging 20 mpg. That means if you have a short commute and can charge up at home, you can use primarily electricity. 

The Bronco pairs the 4Runner’s more civilized driving manners with the Jeep’s removable roof and doors. But it has no hybrid option. The Bronco’s upgraded engine is a turbocharged V6, which sounds good but gets an estimated 18 mpg. 

The Defender, meanwhile, starts at $60,800 for its base four-door model. It has more standard features than the 4Runner, though, which helps close the price gap if you’d be interested in a well-equipped Toyota. It uses electronic wizardry more than the 4Runner’s brute strength to tackle challenging off-road conditions, and it’s also a delight to drive on pavement. Its non-hybrid engines match or exceed the 4Runner Hybrid’s gas mileage in our real-world driving, too. But its controls are frustrating, and it can get quite expensive. 

Finally, we’d shop the 4Runner Hybrid against the Toyota Land Cruiser. It’s a boxy off-road-ready mid-size SUV with the same underpinnings and the same hybrid powertrain as the 4Runner. It tends to cost more than a comparable 4Runner, but it has a little more room inside as well. If you don’t already know which truck has the better aesthetic for you – the upright and simple Land Cruiser or the more rounded yet aggressive-looking 4Runner – you should consider both trucks. 

2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Power and Capability Without a Crushing Fuel Bill

The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Hybrid isn’t a throaty drag-strip winner or a fuel sipper. It’s not an extra-smooth, extra-roomy family car or a take-off-the-doors outdoor-adventure vehicle. 

But it has some of everything. It’s quick without a crushing fuel bill, especially if you get luckier than we did at beating the EPA estimate. It’s highly capable off-road yet still decently comfortable on pavement. It’s not the roomiest SUV in the world, but it can still transport five people, a fair bit of cargo, and a decent-sized trailer. And it’s not as iconically cool-looking as a Wrangler, but its broad shoulders and aggressively squinting face keep it from being just any other SUV. 

We wouldn’t recommend the 4Runner over a crossover for someone who doesn’t need its extra capability. And we wouldn’t recommend the 4Runner iForce Max Hybrid over the base turbo engine unless you’re sure you’ll enjoy its extra horsepower. But when you know you want a quick, capable, and relatively civilized SUV, the 4Runner Hybrid has a lot to offer. 

2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro ・ Photo by Brady Holt