One of the key questions we’ve had since Toyota announced our new Land Cruiser would be based on the smaller Prado variant and fit below the Sequoia has been: How will it compare with the new 4Runner? Now that the 2025 Toyota 4Runner has been revealed, we can start to answer that question. And we only say start, because we’re not sure we fully understand the answer at this stage.
You see, we’ve pulled together the numbers on both the new 4Runner and the new Land Cruiser, plus the old Toyota 4Runner for good measure. We’ve put them all in a convenient table above. And, well, the 4Runner and Land Cruiser seem even closer than we were expecting.
First of all, the wheelbase and width are practically identical (the Land Cruiser is only a tenth of an inch wider). Length is darn close, too, with the 4Runner stretching only 1.1 inch longer than the Land Cruiser.
Even more strange is that in two key spots, the 4Runner is better for off-road use than the Land Cruiser. It has 1.2 inches more ground clearance (comparing the standard models), plus it’s nearly half a foot shorter in overall height than the Land Cruiser. The 4Runner also boasts an optional third-row bench, while the Land Cruiser is strictly a two-row model.
There’s barely a difference powertrain-wise, too. Yes, the standard 4Runner only gets the non-hybrid turbo four-cylinder with significantly less power and torque, but the optional Hybrid Max powertrain has the exact same 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque as the Land Cruiser. And they both have four-wheel-drive, though some versions of the 4Runner will be selectable four-wheel drive-only (no full-time setting).
There actually is a version of the Land Cruiser that can further differentiate itself from 4Runner. But it has a Lexus badge. The GX, which is the fancier twin of the Land Cruiser, still has a third-row option. It also has a twin-turbo V6 with substantially more power than the Land Cruiser. Sure it’s more expensive, but the engine, appointments and seating flexibility help distinguish it. Though the Land Cruiser does have retro good looks. The 4Runner is no slouch in the looks department either, though it’s decidedly more modern and takes heavily from the Tacoma it’s based on.
One thing is very clear, though: The new 4Runner is mostly bigger and better than its predecessor when comparing specs. The base turbo four-cylinder makes 8 more horsepower and 39 more pound-feet of torque than the ancient 4.0-liter V6 it replaces. The new version’s transmission has three additional cogs, too, which will almost certainly help out fuel economy (stay tuned for that info in the future). And of course, this is just for that base four-cylinder. The hybrid version we’ve already discussed will probably feel like an order of magnitude (not literally, though, I see you, math commenters) more potent.
Extrapolating from our experience in the Tacoma, even without all the extra gears, the new four should be a welcome improvement all around. It’s got so much more torque, and all low down with quick turbo response. Compared to the lumbering old powertrain, the standard one on the new 4Runner will undoubtedly be better in basically every possible way.
The new 4Runner is also more than 3 inches longer in length and wheelbase, plus 2 inches wider than its predecessor. That’s not necessarily an improvement for off-road capability, but should make the interior more usable. Hopefully some of that improves the third-row seats, which were massively cramped in the old model.
There are of course many loose ends. We don’t have fuel economy numbers or pricing for the new 4Runner. But we do expect the mileage to improve compared to the last one, and the price should be less than the Land Cruiser. Where the Hybrid Max version lands in price compared to Land Cruiser will be very interesting. So be sure to swing back to Autoblog when those numbers do come out to get an even clearer picture.
