2025 4Runner

[meep]

@02SE

I have the 2.4T hybrid. One quart of 5-30 in the sump makes a wonderful change to the engine note, it takes a significant thrash out of the soundtrack, if not all of it.

I did an early fluid change in the transmission and refilled it with amsoil and a splash of lubegaurd red. It might as well be a different vehicle between the two - transmissionformative and I like it very much.

 

[Delta]

@02SE

I have the 2.4T hybrid. One quart of 5-30 in the sump makes a wonderful change to the engine note, it takes a significant thrash out of the soundtrack, if not all of it.

I did an early fluid change in the transmission and refilled it with amsoil and a splash of lubegaurd red. It might as well be a different vehicle between the two - transmissionformative and I like it very much.

Meanwhile I put all 6 qt's of 5w30 in my non-hybrid. Changed it going into the Winter season and I will NOT be doing that again. Got noisier, and definitely cranked slower than last year. Thought the battery was starting to go, but it checked out fine. Will not be doing that again, strictly 0w20 from here on out! Warmer climates could probably get away with it.

I'll admit I was probably trying to solve a non-existant problem at this point.

 

[tblt44]

NO don't sell your low milage 5th gen for one.
If you do decide to sell it someone else will end up with a reliable 4 runner that will last 250+ miles

 

[RBT]

@02SE

I have the 2.4T hybrid. One quart of 5-30 in the sump makes a wonderful change to the engine note, it takes a significant thrash out of the soundtrack, if not all of it.

I did an early fluid change in the transmission and refilled it with amsoil and a splash of lubegaurd red. It might as well be a different vehicle between the two - transmissionformative and I like it very much.

Respectfully I find this very difficult to believe. You should probably verify this with a comparison against another 4runner.

 

[meep]

Respectfully I find this very difficult to believe. You should probably verify this with a comparison against another 4runner.

I would say the same thing if I read my own post. The difference it made was more than I would expect too.

 

[02SE]

@02SE

I have the 2.4T hybrid. One quart of 5-30 in the sump makes a wonderful change to the engine note, it takes a significant thrash out of the soundtrack, if not all of it.

I did an early fluid change in the transmission and refilled it with amsoil and a splash of lubegaurd red. It might as well be a different vehicle between the two - transmissionformative and I like it very much.

I hope it treats you well.

 

[02SE]

NO don't sell your low milage 5th gen for one.
If you do decide to sell it someone else will end up with a reliable 4 runner that will last 250+ miles

Six years old, 6500 miles. Current offers well over it's original MSRP. One was a note stuck under the wiper while it was parked at the store, offering approx. 4k over it's original MSRP.

The 'No Parking' is mostly only enforced in Winter. As snowplows turn around there.

 

[meep]

I hope it treats you well.

You are very kind - thank you - do note, mine is in a Tacoma, but I’m assuming it’s the same powertrain and programming.

@dlundblad mentions something on the prior page. Wheel/tire combos. The new gen comes stock with a 55mm offset, giving the wheel/tire combo about as much depth/dish as Walmart china. There aren’t a lot of quality wheels available for this unless you immediately go to stick (poke) them way out. If you look at the Toyota forums, 3/4 of everyone is using wheels made by Method, most of which use a 1” wider wheel with something like 30mm offset. There’s hardly anything in between which gives a bit more stance or looks without totally killing MPG and potentially steering precision.

I will occassionally play with wheel/tire combos and buy/sell until I get something I like. OEM take-offs are the jam if something works there. Their stock 17 and 18 black/silver ring wheels look very nice for an OEM, but could use a touch less offset to my eye. OZ makes an 18 wheel with maybe a 50mm offset, but only in an 18 and not a 17. 17 also looks better for a 32” tire. 18” wheels start getting heavy. There’s not much else out there unless you go for super-wide, big rubber and add-on fender flares. Maybe that will change over the next 5 years.

Note on MPG. (Tacoma) With 3 skid plates, rear bed rack, matching roof rack with fairing, a 9” tall rooftop tent, trimmed chin spoiler (removed half of it after stuffing it in the dirt a couple of times) and stock ride height and tires, I’m getting 21.7 right now, up from 20.6. If I take the tent off (just installed a hoist this week but haven’t had the time to use it), it was getting roughly 23 and a half or so, in hybrid AWD form. I’ve been pleased enough with the mpg. It does not matter if it gets regular or premium for MPG, though throttle response is better on high test.

-m!

 

[dlundblad]

You are very kind - thank you - do note, mine is in a Tacoma, but I’m assuming it’s the same powertrain and programming.

@dlundblad mentions something on the prior page. Wheel/tire combos. The new gen comes stock with a 55mm offset, giving the wheel/tire combo about as much depth/dish as Walmart china. There aren’t a lot of quality wheels available for this unless you immediately go to stick (poke) them way out. If you look at the Toyota forums, 3/4 of everyone is using wheels made by Method, most of which use a 1” wider wheel with something like 30mm offset. There’s hardly anything in between which gives a bit more stance or looks without totally killing MPG and potentially steering precision.

I will occassionally play with wheel/tire combos and buy/sell until I get something I like. OEM take-offs are the jam if something works there. Their stock 17 and 18 black/silver ring wheels look very nice for an OEM, but could use a touch less offset to my eye. OZ makes an 18 wheel with maybe a 50mm offset, but only in an 18 and not a 17. 17 also looks better for a 32” tire. 18” wheels start getting heavy. There’s not much else out there unless you go for super-wide, big rubber and add-on fender flares. Maybe that will change over the next 5 years.

Note on MPG. (Tacoma) With 3 skid plates, rear bed rack, matching roof rack with fairing, a 9” tall rooftop tent, trimmed chin spoiler (removed half of it after stuffing it in the dirt a couple of times) and stock ride height and tires, I’m getting 21.7 right now, up from 20.6. If I take the tent off (just installed a hoist this week but haven’t had the time to use it), it was getting roughly 23 and a half or so, in hybrid AWD form. I’ve been pleased enough with the mpg. It does not matter if it gets regular or premium for MPG, though throttle response is better on high test.

-m!

I would expect that mileage on a non hybrid model.

 

[meep]

I would expect that mileage on a non hybrid model.

I think the non-hybrids get better on the highway, 25-26, and worse in the city, assuming the conservative wheel/tire offerings.

 

[02SE]

Here's a video by a guy who has owned a lot of Toyota Trucks and SUV's. I found his findings interesting. The MPG was slightly better on his 5th gen in all but one driving stint. They are running the same size tires, both have a comparable lift, both have mods that would effect MPG pretty equally. The changes to the 6th gen were supposed to really increase the MPG over the old 5th gen. As I previously said a neighbor replaced his 5th gen with a 6th gen, and his MPG over his same driving route is essentially the same. But the 6th gen has a four gallon smaller gas tank.

I am glad he pointed out just how cheaply made the 6th gen feels. That was and is my primary gripe. Everywhere we looked in the 6th gen, we saw cost-cutting. That is something that Toyota could address, but it remains to be seen if they will.

 

[drtyler]

Here's a video by a guy who has owned a lot of Toyota Trucks and SUV's. I found his findings interesting. The MPG was slightly better on his 5th gen in all but one driving stint. They are running the same size tires, both have a comparable lift, both have mods that would effect MPG pretty equally. The changes to the 6th gen were supposed to really increase the MPG over the old 5th gen. As I previously said a neighbor replaced his 5th gen with a 6th gen, and his MPG over his same driving route is essentially the same. But the 6th gen has a four gallon smaller gas tank.

I am glad he pointed out just how cheaply made the 6th gen feels. That was and is my primary gripe. Everywhere we looked in the 6th gen, we saw cost-cutting. That is something that Toyota could address, but it remains to be seen if they will.

Interesting video, thank you for sharing.

He should have measured the thickness of the window glass in both. I have noticed, in general, that Toyota and Lexus products over the past 10-12 years need a little soundproofing material added to the inside of the doors.

Have you looked at or driven one of the new Land Cruisers?

 

[Hohn]

I am leery of these 4 cylinder turbos, especially in truck applications.

I used to be, but I'm not anymore. A properly engineered turbo 4 can work very well in a truck.

And let's be clear-eyed, nobody is loading up a 4Runner with 20k pounds and charging up Baker Grade.

 

[Delta]

The lower trim levels with the 245/70/17 street tires will net you the most mileage. I used to get 25-26 in my Tacoma with those size tires, but as soon as I upgraded to a mild AT 265/70/17 (non-LT) I lost an average of 4+mpg. This is in my Tacoma obviously, but same engine.

 

[02SE]

The lower trim levels with the 245/70/17 street tires will net you the most mileage. I used to get 25-26 in my Tacoma with those size tires, but as soon as I upgraded to a mild AT 265/70/17 (non-LT) I lost an average of 4+mpg. This is in my Tacoma obviously, but same engine.

One thing the guy who made the video I posted briefly touched on, is that the 6th gen was running stock height tires (although they were 20mm wider, 285 vs 265, in cross section), meaning the vehicle was geared from the factory for that diameter tire. But the 5th gen was running stock gearing, with what are oversized (taller and wider) tires for it. That would definitely effect perceived power and MPG of the 5th gen negatively. He did note that the oversized tires on the 5th gen threw off the odometer of the 5th gen, which is why he used the 6th gen registered distances which were still accurate, for calculating the MPG of the 5th gen.

 

[02SE]

Interesting video, thank you for sharing.

He should have measured the thickness of the window glass in both. I have noticed, in general, that Toyota and Lexus products over the past 10-12 years need a little soundproofing material added to the inside of the doors.

Have you looked at or driven one of the new Land Cruisers?

Yes, I have. Another neighbor has an LC250 Landcruiser. He offered to let me drive it when he first bought it. Those are Full-time 4wd, and have the Hybrid drivetrain. It had low-end torque, as that's what the Hybrid system was intended to improve, but ran out of breath when climbing a nearby 6% grade Interstate highway. This is at over 5k ft in elevation. Under those conditions, the engine felt and sounded strained, and thrashy.

Jason Cammisa posted a video review of it. His findings, were basically the same as mine.



He liked the GX550. I REALLY wanted to like the Lexus GX550 Overtrail. But until the TTV6 in it is proven to not be a ticking timebomb, I'll stick to the old 5th gen 4Runner for our 4wd trail exploring needs.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

I like the look of the new Toyota 4Runner, over the years I like the look of some years and not other years. I may actually after being away from Toyota I find my days of needing a large diesel truck are over so I been looking and thinking... I do wonder about the 4 cyl and how that feels, pulls a trailer etc?

I have ONLY owned one 4runner, was a then NEW 1999 loaded up with everything.
I loved the look of that 99, at that time I had to do lots of trailer towing and the V6 had no issues when some domestic V8's didn't pull as well but that was years ago.

However, the one thing that bothered me about my old 4Runner is the front seat area felt skinny, my leg and knees would always touch, rest on the door and center console, didn't feel roomy at all and I was skinny in 1999 in 2026 not so skinny! I wonder if the new 4Runners still feel narrow with left to right legroom?

 

[02SE]

I like the look of the new Toyota 4Runner, over the years I like the look of some years and not other years. I may actually after being away from Toyota I find my days of needing a large diesel truck are over so I been looking and thinking... I do wonder about the 4 cyl and how that feels, pulls a trailer etc?

I have ONLY owned one 4runner, was a then NEW 1999 loaded up with everything.
I loved the look of that 99, at that time I had to do lots of trailer towing and the V6 had no issues when some domestic V8's didn't pull as well but that was years ago.

However, the one thing that bothered me about my old 4Runner is the front seat area felt skinny, my leg and knees would always touch, rest on the door and center console, didn't feel roomy at all and I was skinny in 1999 in 2026 not so skinny! I wonder if the new 4Runners still feel narrow with left to right legroom?

I also had a 3rd gen 4Runner. It was a great SUV. Our 5th gen is more comfortable than the 3rd gen. Having spent a fair amount of time in every variation of the 6th gen on test drives, it feels more cramped than the 5th gen. You'd have to try one to see if it's comfortable to you.

The 3rd gen the day I sold it.

 

[D60]

All I can say is it's astonishing how few drivers understand the benefit and purpose of low range. Most think if the vehicle -- almost always an automatic -- is moving forward under ANY condition, then what's the problem?

There's no psychological understanding of gear reduction, vehicle and throttle control, or just how much that torque converter is working to provide what is effectively infinite gear reduction (at a significant cost).

So, yeah, I wonder about the reports of Tacos on the trails around Denver with overheating transmissions. Was the driver using 4lo? Will they be honest about it?

 

[buster]

All I can say is it's astonishing how few drivers understand the benefit and purpose of low range. Most think if the vehicle -- almost always an automatic -- is moving forward under ANY condition, then what's the problem?

There's no psychological understanding of gear reduction, vehicle and throttle control, or just how much that torque converter is working to provide what is effectively infinite gear reduction (at a significant cost).

So, yeah, I wonder about the reports of Tacos on the trails around Denver with overheating transmissions. Was the driver using 4lo? Will they be honest about it?

One guy was on a trail in 2wd and got an overheating ATF message on a 25 4Runner.

Toyota will fix these issues over time. Always good to wait 2 years or so when buying a new generation.