2024 Toyota 4Runner

For over 40 years, the Toyota 4Runner has appealed to off-road enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, and everyday drivers who want a bold and athletic SUV. The 2024 Toyota 4Runner continues to bring all that in spades. Unlike most current midsize SUVs, the 4Runner uses body-on-frame construction, meaning it is built tough like a truck and excels at off-roading and towing. The tradeoff is rougher ride quality and less-than-stellar fuel economy from its standard V6 engine.

The 4Runner’s primary rivals are the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, which can be had with two or four doors. The 4Runner is a 4-door only and offers seating for five or seven.

This generation of 4Runner debuted for the 2010 model, which may as well be a lifetime ago in automotive years. Still, demand remains strong thanks to regular updates and this model’s exceptional reliability and resale value. But with the launch of a new Tacoma pickup and a new Land Cruiser SUV, both with hybrid power, and Toyota’s promise of electrifying more of its fleet as part of its Beyond Zero campaign, we can’t help but wonder if this is the final year for the old-school, V6-powered 4Runner before an all-new one replaces it.

With this generation deep into its lifecycle, the only change for the 2024 4Runner is a new exterior paint color, Terra, for TRD Pro models. Toyota has yet to make an announcement, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the 2025 4Runner marked an all-new generation for Toyota’s famed off-roader.

The 4Runner’s most direct rivals are the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. The Wrangler in 4-door configuration begins slightly lower than the 4Runner, at just over $36,000. The Bronco is nearly in line with the Toyota, with a 4-door model starting at $39,870. Before buying, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to see what others paid for their Toyota 4Runner.

Excellent Resale Value

The Toyota 4Runner benefits from exceptional resale value, similar to its Jeep and Ford rivals. Each of the trio is among our Top 10 in our Best Resale Value Awards. Of the three, the Bronco edges the 4Runner slightly, while the Toyota tops the Jeep.

We’ve driven the 4Runner on all manner of roads and in settings ranging from mild to wild. We’ve also done miles and miles in it where there technically aren’t any roads. Its performance ranges from acceptable to exceptional, depending on what’s under the wheels.

In everyday driving, such as the commute to work or errands around town, the 4Runner is acceptable. We admit to loving the high riding position and the feeling that this Toyota can absorb speed bumps and asphalt imperfections without blinking. But the fact is, on the open road it simply isn’t as comfortable as something like a Hyundai Santa Fe or Honda Passport, which use a sedan-like, unibody chassis. The thing that gives the 4Runner its off-road talents – body-on-frame construction – can feel a bit unwieldy if you’re only using this Toyota to shuttle kids around town. There are more comfortable and more efficient choices.

Get this thing off-road, however, and the 4Runner comes into its own. Even a base model with 4-wheel drive will do wonders. At the top end, a TRD Pro with features like an electronic locking rear differential, Crawl Control, and terrain-select system – not to mention a real-deal 2-speed transfer case, can tackle the harshest of off-road trails.

All 4Runner models use a V6 engine that outputs 270 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to get the job done, but is showing its age compared to rivals. The turbocharged 4-cylinder in a base Bronco, for instance, makes up to 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. And that’s the least-powerful engine in that lineup.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize SUVs, including the 4Runner.

Fuel Economy

The Toyota 4Runner earns an estimated 17 mpg combined (16 city/19 highway) with both rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive. These figures are lower compared to its two main rivals, which use a turbocharged 4-cylinder as their base engine. A 4-door Jeep Wrangler and 4-door Ford Bronco each earn up to 20 mpg combined. More Toyota 4Runner fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

All models of the 2024 Toyota 4Runner can be had in 2-row/5-passenger configuration, while SR5, SR5 Premium, and Limited trims can be optioned with a third row and seating for up to seven. If you plan this to be your family vehicle, know that rear-seat legroom isn’t one of the 4Runner’s strengths. The third row has only 29.3 inches of legroom, and the second row isn’t exactly roomy with only 32.9 inches. A Toyota Highlander or Grand Highlander would be a more accommodating choice for a big family.

Interior upholstery ranges from cloth to leather, depending on trim. And while its intended audience might appreciate the 4Runner’s simple, upright dash design and big knobs, there’s little argument this design feels dated. This model debuted 14 years ago, and it shows.

Still, there is an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a standard 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, and available creature comforts like a heated steering wheel and heated/ventilated front seats.

Cargo room in the 4Runner is copious, and another reason why it’s so popular with the active lifestyle crowd. Behind the second-row seats is 47.2 cubic feet. Fold those, and it opens up 89.7 cubic feet. If you’ve opted for the third row, you have 9.0 cubic feet of luggage space behind the seats.

We can thank the 4Runner for helping re-popularize the trend of SUVs as upright, blocky, utilitarian-looking vehicles. Of course, where others have gone from soft and rounded shapes back to this type of design, the 4Runner has never wavered. It’s always been what it’s always been, and that rectangular, block-like design suits it perfectly in both form and function. It’s little wonder that the 4Runner boasts excellent ground clearance. RWD models have 9.0 inches, while 4WD variants raise the ante to 9.6 inches.

While the basic shape remains throughout the 4Runner’s various trims, some details change. The TRD Pro model, for example, gets a unique roof rack. And if you’re not enamored with the headlight treatment with what looks like giant parenthesis below each lens, the Limited trim nixes them for a more contemporary look with a broad, horizontal bar stretching between headlights instead.

Four-wheel drive
A Toyota 4Runner without some form of 4-wheel-drive (4WD) system — featuring low-range gearing and a transfer case — seems like a wasted opportunity. Select available 4WD over standard rear-wheel drive (RWD), or you’re missing the vehicle’s whole point.

Active safety features
Despite its age, the 4Runner still comes with the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) system. This suite bundles features like adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert, a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, and blind-spot monitoring.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
All 4Runner models come standard with these popular smartphone-projection systems, displaying features such as messaging and maps via the 8-inch touchscreen.

Multi-Terrain Select
The TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro variants come with this terrain response system as standard, empowering drivers to select the right mode for the right conditions. Crawl control is also included, a kind of slow-speed/off-road cruise control.

Sliding cargo floor
The 4Runner’s height can result in tricky loading or unloading, but this optional sliding deck can take 440 pounds and make life much easier. It can also double as a seat while the 4Runner is stationary — at a campsite, for example. It reduces cargo space a little, but may be worth the trade-off.

Powered tailgate window
Instead of opening the entire tailgate just to throw something minor into the luggage area, this rear window can open — an unusual feature among midsize SUVs. And if the driver needs to see out the back but the window is all muddy, just drop it down with the touch of a button. This is standard in every 2024 4Runner.

While rivals use smaller, turbocharged engines, the 2024 Toyota 4Runner relies on its big, 4.0-liter V6. And where a Ford Bronco offers a 10-speed automatic transmission, the 4Runner still makes do with a 5-speed auto. That’s the only setup here, unlike the Jeep and Ford rivals, offering multiple engine options and an available manual transmission. The 4Runner is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds. That’s more than the Jeep Wrangler (up to 3,500 pounds) and the Ford Bronco (up to 4,500 pounds).

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Toyota’s new-vehicle warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first, with powertrains covered for five years or 60,000 miles, a typical warranty among non-luxury brands. Toyota includes complimentary scheduled maintenance over the first two years or 25,000 miles.

Safety

The Toyota 4Runner received a score of “Good” in four out of five aspects of crashworthiness and “Marginal” in the fifth by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It received a 4-Star score (out of five) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).