I reserved a 2025 4Runner Off-Road Premium (ORP, non-hybrid) at a local dealership that should be available near the end of February or beginning of March. These notes are just to help me keep track of some details for reference later. I plan to use this as my daily driver (for now), for long road trips, and for some light-off-roading and camping (not replacing my Wrangler TJ for more technical local trails). Eventually, we will probably purchase a newer Wrangler that will become my daily driver, and this 4Runner will become Laurie’s daily driver. We plan to trade in the truck during this 4Runner purchase (no longer needed for towing, etc.). When we eventually purchase another vehicle (likely a newer Wrangler or Bronco), we will consider trading in the Mazda CX-5 and/or selling the old Wrangler. Some of this will be affected by Lee starting to drive when he turns 15.
To help make this decision, I test drove a 2025 4Runner Sport Premium (ORP was not available for test drive), a 2025 4Runner ORP, a 2025 Wrangler Rubicon X, and a 2025 Bronco Badlands Sasquatch. I also looked at several other vehicles online and in-person that I did not test drive for various reasons. For me, the Toyota edged out the Bronco, followed by the Wrangler, for predicted reliability based on brand history, creature comforts, higher speed handling, quieter cabin, and solid roof to accommodate a roof top tent. If off-roading capability alone was the determining factor, the Wrangler would have edged out the Bronco. The Bronco might have been the best “in the middle” vehicle to compromise between long road trips and off-roading capability. But we leaned toward getting the vehicle with the best on-road capability now, with the idea to also get the best vehicle for off-road capability later (all within the context of our intended use).
My research for this vehicle included reading a lot of professional reviews and asking a lot of questions in various online forums. I have owned a 4Runner in the past (2003 4th gen Limited , 4.7L V8) and currently own a Wrangler (1997 TJ, heavily modified). Neither of these vehicles is really a good comparison for the newer models in the configurations I am looking for, but the experiences are still helpful and factor into my decisions in some ways. I would lean toward Wrangler for nostalgia, although some of that nostalgia is tempered by Stellantis ownership (and my personal experience with Ram/Stellantis) and how Jeep products evolved over the years. I would lean towards Bronco because its made in America, but that isn’t enough to overcome some of the other factors, and I’m comfortable with spending my money on a brand that comes from a strong strategic US ally. When I purchase a more trail-ready vehicle in the future, I will likely be looking more closely at Wrangler versus Bronco again. But for the time being, the plan is to go back to 4Runner for the next vehicle (if all goes well during the sales process).
Status
Vehicle arrived February 26th at the dealership and was purchased and picked up the same day.
- 2024-12-19: Production was confirmed
- 2025-01-10: Vehicle was built
- 2025-01-25: Departed Japan via ship
- 2025-02-11: Arrived in Long Beach, California via ship
- 2025-02-14: Departed Long Beach, California via rail
- 2025-02-18: Arrived in Denver, Colorado vial rail
- 2025-02-26 Arrived at dealership and purchased/picked-up same day
Trim and options
- 2025 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium i-FORCE 2.4L 4-Cyl. Turbo Engine Part-time 4-Wheel Drive 8672A
- Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic Transmission
- Color: “Underground” (dark gray)
- Tow Tech Package — includes digital rearview mirror, Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (ITBC), and Trailer Backup Guide with Straight Path Assist (SPA)
- Power tilt/slide moonroof with sunshade
- Cross bars (I’ll be replacing this with a large roof rack for a roof-top tent)
- All-weather floor liners
Stock pictures
While Toyota provides an online “build tool” to select specific options, buyers are really limited to what Toyota decides to put together and ship to dealerships. However, this one is pretty close to what we would have chosen, with most of the differences that can be made up for with aftermarket products. The ORP, non-hybrid trim was my preference, but I likely would have selected Everest/green or white as the color. However, after looking at a lot of the Underground color pictures, it has grown on me a lot. Perhaps I would have eventually selected this as my first choice overall. I had a similar 4Runner on reserve before this one that was black and I was worried about how well it would show dirt (I had a black 2003 4Runner that was nice looking, but you had to keep it really clean and it got really hot in the summertime). I also would not have selected the moonroof (just not “needed”), but this will be a nice thing to have sometimes (my old 4Runner had a moonroof as well).
When I get this vehicle (likely/hopefully sometime in late February or early March), I will need to drive it according to the break in procedure, rather than immediately taking it on a long road trip. I’ll probably just follow the 4Runner manual to the letter for this, but there are some interesting forum discussions recommending modified or additional break-in procedures that might have benefit. I’ll also likely have maintenance done at a shop that records activities with Carfax (for warranty and resale value purposes), but eventually I’ll start doing my own maintenance and just keep receipts (and manually updating Carfax).
Planned and/or “considered” upgrades (eventually)
- Roof rack & roof top tent
- Front wench & compatible bumper upgrade
- Switch to 17″ wheels with better tires for ice and snow
- Wheels: https://www.methodracewheels.com/products/703-matte-black?variant=31922243207229
- Tires: BFGoodrich KO3 (285/70R17)
- “Appropriate lift” (I’ll need some experience with the vehicle to know if/what I want to do in terms of aftermarket lift). This will impact wheel/tire choices too.
- Rear mount spare tire: Probably requires new integrated bumper. This may be a good time to consider other rear bumper accessories like grills, traction board mounts, additional storage boxes, extra fuel containers, etc.
- Rock sliders
- Skid plates
- Cargo area liner
- Cargo area “sleep options”: The cargo area is too small with the rear seats, but there may be aftermarket or custom solutions that make it possible to use the cargo area as a sleeping area.
- Exhaust option (to increase departure angle): https://nytop.com/toyota-4runner-accessories-store/p/2025-current-toyota-4runner-titanium-axle-dump-exhaust
- Air compressor
Some additional info copied from the spec sheet in case the link stops working (this vehicle has never been listed on the dealership website, but I got a spec sheet link from the salesman). This has been edited, mostly to remove some marketing nonsense and features I don’t care about (like “connected services” that require a subscription for things I don’t want):
Fuel economy
- 21 mpg combined
- 19 city
- 25 highway
Cross Bars
The cross bars are designed to integrate with the 4Runner’s roof rails to secure cargo
- Provides additional secure tie-down points for various roof rack accessories
- Adjust by sliding along the side rails, and lock in place with thumb screws
- Can support a maximum of 132 lbs. when weight is evenly distributed across both bars
- Set of two black bars
All-Weather Floor Liners
Made from durable, flexible, weather-resistant material.
- Injection molding uses Toyota’s original vehicle design data for a true fit
- Includes rear liner
- Liners feature ribbed channels to better hold moisture
- Skid-resistant backing and driver-side quarter-turn fasteners help to keep the liners in place
Mechanical & Performance
- Engine: i-FORCE 2.4L turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine; 278 hp @ 6000 rpm; 317 lb.-ft. @ 1700 rpm
- Valvetrain: 16-valve Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC), chain drive with Dual Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i); 2393 c.c. aluminum engine block; 87.5 x 99.5 (mm.) bore x stroke; 11.0:1 compression ratio
- Intake: Twin scroll turbocharger with wastegate valve control and air-cooled intercooler
- Fuel System: D-4ST direct-injection and port-injection fuel system
- Ignition System: Conventional 12V starter
- Transmission: 8-speed Electronically Controlled automatic Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i), sequential shift mode, and uphill/downhill shift logic
- Drive Modes: Drive Mode Select (DMS) with Eco, Normal and Sport Modes
- Drive Modes: TOW/HAUL driving modes
- Drivetrain: Part-time 4-Wheel Drive (4WD) with electronically controlled 2-speed transfer case (high/low range) and Active Traction Control (A-TRAC)
- Drivetrain: Electronically controlled locking rear differential
- Body/Frame: Reinforced body-on-frame construction with TNGA-F high-strength boxed-steel ladder frame
- Suspension: Independent double-wishbone front suspension with coil springs and stabilizer bar; Multi-link rear suspension with coil springs and stabilizer bar
- Suspension: TRD Off-Road – Bilstein® monotube shock absorbers
- Steering: Electric Power Steering (EPS); power-assisted rack-and-pinion
- Brakes: Power-assisted front and rear ventilated disc brakes
- Brakes: Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
- Off-Road: Multi-Terrain Select (MTS), Crawl Control (CRAWL) and Downhill Assist Control (DAC)
- Off-Road: Front and rear recovery points
- Towing: Integrated towing receiver hitch and wiring harness with 4- and 7-pin connectors
- Weight Rating: 6240 lbs
- 18″ inch machine finished alloy wheels (+55mm offset)
- 32.6″ Michelin LTX A/T 2 tires (265/70R18)
Steering
- Turning radius (ft.) 19.7
Exterior
- 18-in. matte-black painted and machine-finished alloy wheels
- Black honeycomb-style grille, mirror caps, door handles, and overfenders; color-keyed rear spoiler
- Black roof rails
- LED headlights with Daytime Running Lights (DRL), auto on/off feature and manual leveling adjustment
- LED fog lights
- LED taillights with red outer lens
- Power windows with auto up/down and jam protection in all positions
- Privacy tinted glass on rear side, quarter and liftgate windows
- Power rear liftgate window with auto up/down, jam protection, and defogger with timer
- Hands-free power liftgate
- Rear spoiler with integrated LED center high-mount stop light and concealed rear wiper with mist cycle
- Variable intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle
- Heated power outside mirrors with turn signal indicators
- Fixed running boards (we will likely replace these with rock sliders)
- Composite front skid plate, with underbody transfer case and fuel tank protection (we will likely upgrade the underbody protection)
Interior
- Color: Black SofTex
- SofTex®-trimmed heated and ventilated front seats; 8-way power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats with 2-way power lumbar support and driver position memory function
- 60/40 split, reclining and tumble-folding second-row seat with center armrest and cup holders
- Heated and leather-trimmed power tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth® hands-free phone and voice-command controls
- Smart Key System with Push Button Start, remote keyless entry and remote illuminated entry
- Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging with indicator light
- Five USB-C ports
- One center console 12V auxiliary power outlet and two 120V/400W AC power outlets in the rear seat and cargo area
- Single-zone automatic climate control with air filtration
- Rear-seat air vents
- Auto-dimming day/night rearview mirror with HomeLink® universal transceiver
- Second-row and cargo-area LED illumination
- 12 cup and bottle holders
- TRD leather-wrapped shift knob
- TRD Off-Road carpet floor mats (replaced with the optional floormats?)
Audio Multimedia
- 14-in. Audio Multimedia Display with 14-speaker JBL Premium Audio system including JBL® FLEX portable Bluetooth speaker, subwoofer and amplifier, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- 12.3-in. digital gauge cluster with selectable gauge display screens and fuel economy, Driver Assist, vehicle/trip information, and warning messages
Safety and Convenience
- Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.) — Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA), Automatic High Beams (AHB), Road Sign Assist (RSA), Proactive Drive Assist (PDA)
- Multi-Terrain Monitor (MTM) with selectable front, side or rear views
- Integrated backup camera display with projected path
- Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Trailer Merge Warning
- Front Cross-Traffic Alert (FCTA)
- Traffic Jam Assist (TJA)
- Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
- Anti-theft system
- Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
- Driver and front passenger seatbelt pretensioners with force limiters
- Power door locks with shift-linked automatic lock/unlock feature
- Nine airbags — Advanced Airbag System with driver and front passenger dual stage airbags, driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, front passenger seat cushion airbag, and front and rear side curtain airbags
- Child-protector rear door locks and power window lockout control
- LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) includes lower anchors on outboard second-row seats and tether anchors on all second-row seats