Latest news with #4RunnerTRDPro
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyota contest winner gets 2025 4Runner, money to buy land
For most people, a sleepless night might be something they'd just as soon forget. But for Lauren Paulet-Miller, a sleepless night, or at least what she did when confronted with one, turned into what is likely to be a life-changing event. Paulet-Miller, 26, was named the winner on July 30 of a unique contest from Toyota Motor North America. She scored a new 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and enough money − $95,000 − to buy a piece of land, so she can combine a love of the outdoors with her desire to connect people to nature. More: Former Ford dealer, 102, tours automaker's rare collection in Dearborn 'My intention is to make it a little bit of a retreat space where I can introduce people to camping and get them feeling more comfortable with the outdoors,' said Paulet-Miller, who grew up in Miami and sees an opportunity in the area she now calls home, near Hagerstown, Maryland, which she noted has a growing Latino population that may lack access to nature. 'There's a lot of barriers that keep people from my community from having those meaningful outdoor experiences so I'm hoping I can use the space to educate people of all races and backgrounds on the outdoors and how to experience the outdoors safely.' Paulet-Miller, who works as a sustainability outreach coordinator for the City of Frederick, Maryland, happened to stumble on the Toyota 4Runner Landia contest on Instagram one sleepless night earlier this year. Rather than simply passing by the ad for the contest as she might normally be inclined to do, she fired off an essay and entered the contest, which, according to Toyota, drew more than 25,000 entries in April and May. Her essay topic? 'I wrote 250 words about wild and wonderful West Virginia.' Spots in West Virginia figured prominently in the outdoors excursions Paulet-Miller recounted during a recent conversation with the Detroit Free Press, including for a lengthy backpacking trip with Remy, her 11-pound Yorkie poo, and the Mountain State is likely to be where she picks for her land prize. Delia Lopez, a spokesperson for Conill, Toyota's partner for the campaign, said that in narrowing down the top entries for the contest, 'we looked for stories that captured the 4Runner's spirit in a grounded way. We leaned towards submissions that embraced the full vision of the prize − those that saw the land as more than a backdrop, and the 4Runner as the key to making their dream come true. The most compelling entries picture a life of exploration, awe in nature and belonging.' More: Michigan designer hopes 'Reboot Buggy' might be future Hot Wheels Paulet-Miller was awaiting delivery of her new vehicle, which she chose in Mudbath (a special color for 2025 that Toyota's Cynthia Barreras compared to hot chocolate), but she's already making plans for it, such as adding a rooftop camper. She's been off-roading before, in Utah, and even rented a camper van to explore parts of New Zealand last year as part of her honeymoon. But Paulet-Miller hopes the new 4Runner will take her adventuring to a new level. With a sticker price of $68,400, it will also be a change from her current vehicles, a Subaru Forester and another Toyota, a 2002 Corolla with more than 200,000 miles. For Paulet-Miller, that sleepless night is still having an effect. 'I feel like I'm in a dream, and I haven't woken up from it,' she said. Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@ Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Toyota contest winner getting new 4Runner, enough money to buy land Solve the daily Crossword
Auto Blog
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
I Drove the 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro-Here's My Brutally Honest Review
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. New Edmunds data shows that 1 in 4 trade-ins toward new cars had negative equity last quarter and buyers owe even more. A long-overdue redesign makes good on the past and the future Take one look at the 2025 4Runner TRD Pro, and you can tell it means off-road business. Nothing about it looks remotely urban. All-terrain tires on matte black TRD wheels, a front skid plate, chunky black fender trim, a protruding hood intake, red tow hooks, an LED light bar, and a big roof rack all point to the 4Runner TRD Pro's intentions to go off the beaten path and into the unknown. The 4Runner has finally been redesigned after sixteen long years, and it keeps its body-on-frame construction. When it comes to legitimate stock off-roading SUVs, there are a handful of players in the space: the Jeep Wrangler, Lexus GX, Ford Bronco, Land Rover Defender, and Toyota's own Land Cruiser. Not to take away from the new Land Cruiser, but the 4Runner TRD Pro might be a tad more serious when it comes to the rough stuff. 0:00 / 0:09 The Ford Mach 4 could be the brand's first sedan since 2020 Watch More When you wait over a decade and a half to redesign a vehicle, you had better upgrade pretty much everything. The new 4Runner ditches the antiquated 4.0-liter V6, replacing it with a more efficient and punchier turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a hybrid system. In TRD Pro trim, it produces 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque—numbers that easily outmuscle the outgoing model. It sounds properly burly, not wheezy and high-pitched like other turbo-fours we've experienced. Our tester priced out at $73,568, including $1,450 delivery, processing, and handling. I spent a week behind the wheel, and here's my unfiltered take. The modern 4Runner has finally arrived For years, the world waited far too long for a modernized 4Runner, and the new model finally brings a substantial redesign. At first glance, the TRD Pro looks unmistakably like a 4Runner: boxy profile, pronounced fender flares, and that all-important forward-canted C-pillar that all come together to lend that visual credibility. The 4Runner's overall ethos shouldn't be sacrificed in the name of redesign, and the new one pulls it off marvelously. The slab doors have been replaced by ones with deeper sculpting, the fenders are more angular, and the front end has a newfound chunkiness that's more cohesive with the rest of the body. The TRD Pro trim, as expected, goes all-in on off-road style, featuring heritage-inspired Toyota grille lettering, a standard roof rack, blacked-out trim, 33-inch all-terrain tires, and skid plates underneath. It also has some of the blockiest fender trim this side of a Kia Tasman. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. It's a purposeful look, but not everyone will find it attractive. Some might even consider it overkill for regular roads. We had a number of left-lane huggers move out of the way when our tester crept up to occupy the majority of their rearview mirrors' real estate. It's more 'expedition vehicle' than 'urban SUV', but if you want something more polished, then perhaps the more civilized and upscale Limited trim would be more to your liking. We quite like the post-apocalyptic look that's maximized by the Mudbath paint color. Big, chunky, and plentiful physical controls Step inside, and the most obvious leap forward is technology. The old 4Runner's dated dashboard is gone, replaced with a much larger 14-inch infotainment touchscreen, a fully digital instrument cluster, and a significantly cleaner layout. One thing that continues (and that the new 4Runner does better than ever before) is switchgear. The big, fat shift knob prevails, along with great knobs and buttons for audio and climate control, a huge drive mode selector, and a bank of buttons for auxiliary controls, lighting, and the TRD Pro LED light bar. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the interface is quick and intuitive—finally matching what competitors like Ford and Jeep have been offering. The matte and grippy plastics feel durable, and everything feels solid. If you're looking for the interior polish of a Lexus LX, you're barking up the wrong tree. This cabin is all about purpose-driven usage, surfaces that are mud and dirt-friendly but still look professional. The faux carbon fiber trim along the dash is interesting. It doesn't look cheap, but it also doesn't look like carbon fiber. The TRD Pro's interior—red accents, SofTex-trimmed seats, and TRD badging—adds personality but doesn't disguise its utilitarian nature. Toyota made sure the 4Runner's controls weren't relegated to a digital experience. Everything is easy to grab and operate while driving, with knurled knobs, a tire tread relief-patterned grab bar, steering wheel controls, and tactile switches. The driver distractions endemic to touchscreen-only SUVs are, thankfully, minimized here because of the top-notch physical controls. No one wants to hunt for climate menus when hurtling down the highway in something this size. We were very impressed by the comfort in both rows. The front bucket seats are broad but supportive, with just the right amount of cushioning. The driving position is also very good, with only the bulge of the hood intake plastic encumbering the view. It's tall but not overly difficult to maneuver. Rear legroom is 34.8 inches, about two more than the old 4Runner, but a few inches shy of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Tall passengers will feel a little cramped if the front occupants are six-footers. Thankfully, the second row reclines. Cargo space is pretty good. Hybrid models have 42.6 cubic feet behind the second row and 82.6 cubic feet with the second row folded. They give up about 8 cubes of total cargo space to the non-hybrid trims. We found it ample to throw in plenty of bags and sports gear. Small item storage is also goo,d with numerous door pockets and cubbies, as well as numerous compartments in the center console The turbo four feels like a V6 Under the hood, Toyota finally retired the old V6, which only churned out 270 horsepower and was generally slow and unresponsive. The 5-speed automatic transmission's slow downshifts didn't help matters, requiring planning for freeway on-ramps and passing. All of that changes with the new 4Runner TRD Pro's hybridized turbo-four and 8-speed transmission. In real-world driving, the hybrid setup delivers strong low-end torque, making city driving and highway merging easy. Off the line, it feels quicker than any 4Runner before it. The gear shifts are smooth, though it can occasionally feel slightly hesitant when you demand sudden power at highway speeds. Gas mileage is better than the old 4Runner's measly 17 mpg combined. We were able to get just over 20 mpg, and we dialed in Sport mode often. The 4Runner TRD Pro's EPA estimate is 23 city/24 highway. With a lighter foot, we don't doubt those numbers are attainable. The most significant upgrade in the 2025 4Runner is its ride quality. Built on a new platform shared with the latest Tacoma and Land Cruiser, it delivers noticeably better on-road stability. Despite the 4Runner TRD Pro's off-road setup, it felt great on pavement. The revised suspension smooths out bumps effectively, and highway driving is quieter overall, despite some minor wind noise. The steering has proper heft, and although we wouldn't call it vague, there's not much feedback. The 4Runner TRD Pro is no amateur At the end of the day, there's no mistaking that this is a body-on-frame SUV. It still drives like a truck, only smoother and a bit more civilized. It doesn't feel like a chore to drive in everyday situations, and it's more car-like than its predecessor, outranking a Jeep Wrangler hands down. Nevertheless, you know it has the guts to take on some real off-road challenges. Let's just hope those who pay the extra coin for the TRD Pro trim ($26k more than the base SR5) actually take it to the woods, trails, and hills. There were no off-road parks more than a few hours from our location, so we had to settle for less challenging roads. If you're going to spend the money for the 4Runner TRD Pro's standard features like Fox internal bypass shocks, an electronically locking rear differential, Stabilizer Disconnect System, Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, and 9.5 inches of ground clearance, you had better do something with them. We've done our fair share of off-roading in Land Rover Range Rovers, Mercedes G-Classes, Jeep Wranglers, and even a Nissan Rogue Rock Creek. The 4Runner TRD Pro has the goods to rank near the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, but won't beat it because of the lack of a locking front differential. On the plus side, its Multi-Terrain Select is one of the best off-road drive mode programs on the market. Final thoughts The 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is a massive improvement over the last generation. It's more powerful, more efficient, safer, and more comfortable. Off-road capability remains its strongest asset, and loyalists will appreciate that Toyota didn't soften its rugged identity. It is most definitely still recognizable as a 4Runner, and that's a very good thing. If you rarely leave paved roads, don't pay the premium for the TRD Pro's capabilities. But if you want on-road comfort and daily drivability, combined with the ability to mount some serious trails on the weekend, this is your rig. About the Author Amos Kwon View Profile
Edmunds
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Edmunds
Off-Road Tested: Honda Passport TrailSport vs. Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro
Not all off-roaders are created equal, and in the same way, not all off-road needs are equal either. For some, a trip off the beaten path entails stretching their rigs to the extreme over rocks and harsh terrain. And for others, it means nothing more than a quick jaunt down a fire road to make it to a campsite. That's why we decided to bring together an interesting pair of SUVs to see which one of them might be the Goldilocks to your definition of a weekend warrior: the unibody (aka car-based) Honda Passport TrailSport and the body-on-frame (truck-based) Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro. And it's a perfect time to do this test because both vehicles recently got full redesigns, so they are brand-spanking new. If you're looking for a more in-depth look at how these two compare on the road, we did an earlier comparison test (and tossed a Jeep Grand Cherokee in for good measure). However, for our purposes, we're going to focus on what these two can do off-road and how they do it.
