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Car and Driver
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Off-Road Rivalry: 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser vs. 2025 Toyota 4Runner
Looking at the opening salvo of Hell's Revenge you'll likely exclaim, "Are you insane?" You're required to negotiate a narrow fin of sandstone barely wider than the vehicle itself, with sheer drops to either side. After that spicy introduction, it settles into something more traditional as you descend into an area called Lake Michigan, which is neither a lake nor something that bears a passing resemblance to the body of water that meets the western side of the Mitten State. You wobble over the rocks of the "lake bed," then there's a steep ledge to negotiate, and so it goes. It's the perfect trail to compare the off-road chops of the Toyota Land Cruiser and 4Runner. Much is the same between these two machines, but there's also a lot that differs. They are both powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 278 horsepower and 378 pound-feet, but that's bulked up by a hybrid system that boosts overall power and torque to 326 horses and 465 pound-feet. This so-called iForce Max powertrain is standard on the Land Cruiser but is optional on the 4Runner trim we focused on, the TRD Off-Road. You can also get the TRD Off-Road without the hybrid, making the base horsepower and torque above. Toyota Both share the same wheelbase of 112.2 inches, and the frames of both are of the TNGA variety. They have the same track width at the hubs but differ fractionally at the tire contact patches due to the various offsets of the wheels they can be fitted with. The suspension is therefore identical in terms of the hard points that all the bits bolt onto, and those bits are the same, as both have control arms up front and a live axle in back located by five links and coil springs. The Land Cruiser has a bit less ground clearance (8.7 inches versus 9.1), and this explains why it has less breakover angle (23 versus 24 degrees). It has a 33-degree approach angle, which compares to a 19-degree angle on the TRD Off-Road courtesy of its air dam. It comes off in a jiffy with six screws, and for our drive, Toyota had already yanked off the offending piece. So configured, you get the full 33 degrees of the TRD Pro and Trailhunter, which don't come with an air dam. Departure angle is also better on the 4Runner, 24 versus 22 degrees. Toyota 2025 Toyota 4Runner. From a powertrain perspective, the 4Runner with the base engine was the star, as it seemed utterly smooth and linear at the small throttle openings required for creeping over boulders. Its deft touch stood in contrast to the Land Cruiser's iForce Max hybrid system, which felt slightly jerkier, with an initial hesitance followed by a surge forward. The hybrid version of the 4Runner was similar to the Land Cruiser, but not as bad, leaving us to believe that the weight of the hybrid system plays a role, but it's down to the way that electric motors deliver torque. Electric motors make peak torque at zero revs, so they come out of the hole a little too hot if the throttle response isn't tuned just so. Braking was similar, in that the nonhybrid 4Runner again ran rings around the other two. The brake pedal was easy to modulate at low speed, and the passenger was hardly aware you were dragging the brakes at all. In the Land Cruiser, by contrast, it was harder to be smooth, and the brake dabs were easier for the passenger to pick out. The 4Runner hybrid was similar, but not quite as obvious. Perhaps the difference comes down to the regenerative braking on the hybrids and requires a special booster, but is absent on the normal 4Runner. Toyota 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser. The weight of the driveline has some effect, but we could not quite parse it out. The Land Cruiser's full-time four-wheel-drive system has a lockable center differential, while the 4Runner has a part-time four-wheel-drive system that doesn't need a center diff lock mechanism because it doesn't have a center differential at all. This makes the Land Cruiser's system a bit heavier, which may explain why it was fractionally more sensitive than the hybrid 4Runner. On the trail, there was always a bit of head toss, but it was much more noticeable in the Land Cruiser. You sit up taller, so it may be the physics of the cabin. But the dampers on the TRD Off-Road 4Runner are 46-mm Bilsteins, which makes them monotubes. The Land Cruiser has unbranded black units, with necked down portions near the ends that give them away as twin tubes. Physics or no, this is a clear advantage for the TRD Off-Road. And who knows? This may be why the Cruiser seemed a bit touchier, too. Toyota 2025 Toyota 4Runner. There's no question about the looks of these rigs. The Land Cruiser has a more upright roofline and a lower beltline. It's a whole lot better in terms of trail visibility and getting in and out of the thing. It's 2.5 inches taller than the TRD Off-Road, and that leads to 1.6 inches more rear headroom than the 4Runner, which brained us every time we ducked into the back row. The front headroom isn't as bad once you're inside, but you've still got to watch your skull more on the way into a 4Runner. As for rear legroom, the 4Runner is definitely more cramped, at 34.8 inches versus 36.7 for the Cruiser. Trail visibility isn't as bad as it might have been over the hood (especially if you bought a TRD Off-Road Premium, with the forward camera), but it's still a thing. But the view down out the side was a clear win for the Cruiser, and that was no small issue on the fin leading onto Hell's Revenge. Toyota 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser. Other differences are plain to see but less obvious unless you have the two trucks side by side. The rear window is a big one. The Land Cruiser has a flip-up panel, but the 4Runner has its signature roll-down window that you can easily keep down on the trail. The 4Runner has a bigger optional screen at 14.0 inches, while the Land Cruiser's biggest offering is 12.3 inches. Now, we think this 12.3-inch screen is actually better integrated into the dash than the 14.0-incher, which seems unceremoniously plopped atop it, but that's a matter of personal taste. The TRD Off-Road nonhybrid has a lower load floor because it doesn't need to make accommodation for the hybrid battery underneath. It has 90 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row and 48 behind the second, which compares to 82/46 cubic feet for the Cruiser and 83/43 for the 4Runner hybrid. A big difference is that the Land Cruiser has a Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism (SDM) that unlocks extra articulation by disconnecting the front anti-roll bar, but the 2025 4Runner doesn't have one on the TRD Off-Road—which is odd, because the related Tacoma offers it. Now, we made these runs without using this feature on the Land Cruiser to keep things fair. For now, at least, you must spend big bucks and get a 4Runner TRD Pro or Trailhunter to get the SDM. Toyota That brings us to the bottom line: The 4Runner offers many more off-road focused options. You can get a TRD Off-Road for as little as $50,600 and bulk it up with Premium gear for $56,420. If you want the TRD Off-Road hybrid, that goes for $53,440, and it'll cost you $59,200 for the Premium. Meanwhile, the Land Cruiser starts at $58,150 for a base model without SDM or $62,920 for one that has it. Want a 4Runner TRD Pro or a Trailhunter with everything? The Land Cruiser doesn't play in this market. Prepare to fork over $68,350 for a 4Runner with the works, which nets a trick suspension (Fox or Old Man Emu) with SDM. When the Land Cruiser came out, none of these comparisons were possible. We thought the world of it, and we still do. But this back-to-back-to-back driving was not possible 12 months ago. Now that it is, we're torn. We can make a more compelling case for the 4Runner TRD Off-Road, which is a slightly better driver now that we've taken it to Hell and back. If only it came with the SDM, it'd be perfect. Except for that matter of bonking our head. That still hurts. Dan Edmunds | Car and Driver Dan Edmunds Technical Editor Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by (no relation) to build a testing department.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New Toyota 4Runner's Interior Is Nicer, More Spacious Than the Old One
The 2025 is bigger inside than its , with significantly more legroom for second- and third-row passengers. The dashboard now offers a 14.0-inch touchscreen, and all models feature at least 7.0 inches of digital gauges. Other modern upgrades include a wireless phone charger, wireless phone mirroring, and a standard heated steering wheel on the pricier trims. The fifth-generation Toyota 4Runner's reign lasted 14 years, and the off-road SUV's cabin was among the most glaring indications of its age by the end of its run. Thankfully, Toyota's sixth-generation model brings the 4Runner up to date for 2025 with an interior that's packed with screens and has a more stylish design. The new 4Runner also made strides in terms of legroom compared with the old version, although the newly optional hybrid powertrain dramatically cuts into the available cargo space. The updated 4Runner's footprint is notably larger, with the wheelbase extended by over two inches; the overall length is up by over four inches. The new model is also two inches wider and a tad taller, and the grander exterior dimensions translate to a more spacious cabin in most measurements. Like the outgoing model, the new 4Runner is offered with a third row, but this option is restricted to the SR5 and Limited trims without the hybrid powertrain. For 2025, the 4Runner gives passengers more space to stretch out. Legroom increases marginally for the front passengers but rises by nearly two full inches for second-row riders. Third-row passengers also gain a whopping 2.5 inches of legroom versus the outgoing model. Headroom, meanwhile, has increased by 0.4 inch up front, but it's down 0.8 inch in the second row. Third-row riders, however, have a full inch of extra space for their noggins. Other metrics see less significant changes. Shoulder room remains the same for the second row and is up by 0.2 inch for the front passengers. Hip room, however, actually decreases by 1.3 inches up front for the new generation, while the second row is 0.4 inch wider. Toyota didn't quote shoulder and hip room figures for the 2025 4Runner's third row. 4Runner owners will be able to haul more stuff in their new SUVs as long as they stick to nonhybrid, two-row models. With the second row stowed, Toyota quotes 90 cubic feet of space, so slightly more than before. With the second-row seats in place, the 48 cubic feet available is about one cubic foot more than in the 2024 version. Adding the third row cuts drastically into the overall interior space, however. With both rear rows stowed, the total cargo room drops to 84 cubic feet. With the second row up, the 45 cubes are about one cubic foot less than the old model. Still, with the third row up, the 2025 4Runner made gains, up by three cubic feet for a total of 12 cubes. Unsurprisingly, the hybrid iForce Max powertrain eats into cargo room even further, dropping it to 83 cubic feet with the second row folded and 43 cubic feet with the second row up. Unlike the ancient fifth-generation 4Runner, the sixth generation's redesigned cabin is packed full of technology. An 8.0-inch touchscreen comes standard on the SR5, TRD Sport, and TRD Off-Road, and while this is the same size as the standard screen on the outgoing model, the new unit looks crisper and runs Toyota's new, clean, and intuitive infotainment system. The TRD Sport Premium, TRD Off-Road Premium, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter all get a new 14.0-inch display that's huge by comparison. The 4Runner variants with the bigger screen also pack a 14-speaker JBL sound system, although this is one speaker fewer than the optional system on the 2024 model. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring comes on every 2025 4Runner, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is standard on all but the base SR5 model, which packs a 7.0-inch display. The old 4Runner had a tiny 4.2-inch display, although we're sure some traditionalists will bemoan the departure of real gauges. Just as with the 2024 model, dual-zone automatic climate control with second-row vents only comes standard on upper trims—the Limited, Platinum, Trailhunter, and, unlike last year, the TRD Pro. Single-zone automatic climate control is standard on the TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Premium models. Heated front seats come standard on the TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road, with the Premium versions of those models upgrading from fabric to Toyota's SofTex material and gaining standard ventilation. The TRD Sport previously didn't have heated seats, while ventilation was previously only found on the Limited trim. The Limited and Platinum's heated and ventilated seats feature leather upholstery, and the Platinum also features heated second-row chairs (a new addition). A heated steering wheel appears for the first time and is standard on the Premium models, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter. Other goodies include a standard auto-dimming rearview mirror on the TRD Sport Premium, TRD Off-Road Premium, and Limited. The 4Runner also now includes a digital rearview mirror on the Platinum, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter. A Smart Key system with remote keyless entry is standard on all 4Runners too. All trims but the SR5 feature five USB-C ports throughout the cabin as well as a wireless phone charger. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
