…Everything but the price and the engine. I love everything about the new 6th generation Toyota 4Runner but the price and the engine. In an alternate universe, this thing would have a 4.7 V8 with 8-speed auto, or even a turbo-4 with a manual transmission (and manual 4lo), and dolphins & jet skis would be jumping in the background. Even in our current paper-straw reality, the 4Runner is a break from the monotony of forgettable/generic crossovers. This is a true 4×4 SUV… not a knock-off with an outdoorsy name. But dang I just keep getting hung-up on the price & the engine. I’ve struggled a lot with this review, and there’s only one way I can slice the new 4Runner that seems to make sense. To set the stage though – we had a 5th generation 4Runner TRD Pro for 10 years (loved it), and just sold it a few months ago at 180,000 reliable miles for the new Lexus GX 550 Overtrail. Here’s why.
The engine in this Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is a 4-cylinder turbo hybrid…
No one asked for a hybrid here. In a Prius or RAV4… sure. But not in a legitimate Toyota 4×4. Look – Toyota has a history of reliability, resale value, & customer loyalty BECAUSE they were indestructible. They kept it simple, solid, & straightforward… until now. This is no longer the same simple/straightforward recipe. 1) The new 4Runner runs a 4-cylinder engine… arguably too small to push this 5,000lb vehicle. 2) So Toyota added a turbocharger to this new generation of 4-cylinders, which adds fail-points AND a lot of heat. Cool in a lightweight sports car; not as cool in a heavy 4×4. Heat kills engines, especially if it’s being overworked. But that’s not all. 3) Toyota funneled all the premium 4Runner trims (like this TRD Pro) into a non-optional iFORCE MAX hybrid. So now you ALSO have 4) an electric motor, 5) a battery, AND 6) all the required sensors & software to make it functional. And here’s the brain-scrambler: At the end of the day, the new 4Runner gets virtually THE SAME MPG as the last generation 4Runner. Why??
Here’s why…
Government regulation. Stay with me here: The previous Biden administration empowered the EPA & tightened CAFE Standards so much, that the automotive industry was forced to adapt. And now that’s currently working itself through the automotive industry… like a kidney stone lol. To be fair though, it wasn’t just the Biden Administration, it was European governments too, all working together to usher-in the era of electric vehicles. As seen through political eyes, ‘a hybrid’ is a version of an EV, so the new Toyota 4×4 lineup checks that box. Toyota was just future-proofing themselves. But get this – to make it even wilder – the current Trump Administration just reset the penalties for any carmaker breaking the Biden Administration’s rules… to $0. Lol – all other issues aside, that’s gotta make you kinda smirk, right? So now what?? Do we see the auto industry pivot yet again? 2 things I know: 1) All this pivoting isn’t good for the auto industry. And 2) it’s not making vehicles any more affordable for us peasants. But the point is: We can’t entirely blame Toyota for overcomplicating their engines, when this is what we collectively voted for (in 2020). Toyota is just being forced into playing by the ever-changing rules.
But here’s the glass half full side of the argument:
The iFORCE MAX hybrid with the turbo 4-cylinder in the 4Runner & Land Cruiser – is a really good driving setup. Meaning – from the driver’s seat, without getting bogged-down with speculations & what-ifs… the new 4Runner is a huge improvement over the last generation in drivability. I say that confidently. At 326hp and 465tq, acceleration is exponentially more effortless & responsive. The interior is kick-ass. Shifts are crisp & deliberate. And the new 4Runner has much lighter & more agile driving characteristics. It’s not brutally fast (I’m not quite feeling ALL that advertised 465tq), but it is surprisingly quick & lively… which have never really been words used to describe a 4Runner. In short, it doesn’t feel like a slug. And let’s be honest, as lovable/trusty as they are, the V6s and V8s in Toyota 4x4s often felt like slugs/tanks. So for all intents & purposes, the new 4Runner has significantly improved… it’s just that some of us don’t like HOW.
So there’s the conundrum:
A lot of Toyota fans & purists don’t like this new iFORCE MAX hybrid engine package (me included). But it works… and it works BETTER… for now at least. Will the new 4Runner last for decades like previous Toyota 4x4s… we’ll see. And would it have been cooler with a V8… no question. But you gotta admit – if history is any indication – Toyota knows what they’re doing. They’re smart… real smart… and calculated… and honest. And I don’t think they’d put their reputation on the line… unless they had confidence.
OK – but where does the new 4Runner fit in???
It gets more confusing still… because spec’d-out, this 4Runner TRD Pro is $73,000. Yeah, let that sink in for a minute. That’s about 15-grand more than the base Land Cruiser 1958 that we tested a month ago… which in some/many ways I prefer. And – the 4Runner TRD Pro is now priced up there with the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail. And all GXs have the twin-turbo V6 that absolutely destroys this 4-cylinder hybrid. So if you looking for me to make any sense of this – I can’t. Toyota basically has an option for everyone… even if it doesn’t make sense lol.
And that’s why we bought the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail over the new Land Cruiser, Sequoia, 4Runner… or anything with a hybrid. Because even my wife (who’s not necessarily a purist) knows that starting a car & having it ‘not actually start’… is fundamentally dorky. To me, it seems like the price of the 4Runner TRD Pro has stretched beyond the financial abilities of its most loyal demographic/fanbase. Whereas the people who CAN afford a $70,000 rugged vehicle… are buying more substantial GXs, Raptors, Rubicons, & TRXs. For the duration I drove this new 4Runner TRD Pro, everyone gawked, loved it, & asked questions about it. Until I told them 1) the price… and 2) that it was a hybrid. At which point literally no one said, “Oh that makes sense.”
So where does the 4Runner fit in??? (continued)…
Here’s my advice; take it with a grain of salt. The new 6th-generation 4Runner is attractive, authentic, & appealing for many reasons. And Toyota is worthy of your support. But the new 4Runner loses the plot in the upper trim-levels, where better options take over. I’d buy the 4Runner WITH 4-wheel-drive… but WITHOUT the hybrid. That’s because I buy vehicles with a longterm mindset. Unfortunately that means no TRD Pro in the new generation. BUT – that brings it back to basics, which was always the 4Runners whole appeal. It brings the price back to reality, and gives you a vehicle that should be solid for the longterm, with solid resale value. You can always add upgrades at your own pace, style, & budget… you know… the old fashion way lol.
