Our most recent experience with one of Toyota’s 4Runner trucks was in 2019, when we drove a 4Runner 4X4 TRD Off-Road Premium to that year’s Indianapolis 500 race. The loan covered the race week and we took advantage, bringing a blow-up mattress, pillow and blanket, sleeping in the hatch (one small human, one small dog) and being able to walk from the media parking lot to the pagoda before the 6AM cannon that allows the public to enter Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

At that time, we thought the 4Runner might have been too big for us. It wasn’t. It was a fun vehicle to drive, to sleep in, and yes, to party hearty outside. Joining the crowd on Georgetown Road outside the track, we had a simple walk back to our “room.” Easy to do when there’s 12 cup and bottle holders. Easy to get in and out when there’s running boards on the side.

Fast forward to 2026 and Toyota’s gracious loan of a 2025 Toyota 4Runner hybrid 4-wheel-drive TRD Pro Max. The 4Runner model, now in its sixth iteration, is still constructed in Japan and the TRD Pro is considered one of its more delectable offerings. The 4Runner we drove from Long Beach to Sonoma and back, for the 38th DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, was dressed in the company’s new Mudbath color. Yes, it blended in well with the Sonoma hillside but was also kind of anonymous on the road up and back.

With its sand-like exterior and black-with-red accents on the interior, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Max didn’t stand out from the crowd on CA-99, which we used instead of the boring I-5 trip we normally take. This was a good move as construction took over I-5 that would have extended our road time massively. Battling the traffic with a directly-injected hybrid 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged DOHC engine that produces 326 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb-ft of delectable torque at 1,700 rpm, this 4Runner definitely knows how to get out of its own way. And everyone else’s, too.

Toyota fits an eight-speed automatic transmission that allows downshifts with the prod of a pedal. Fully independent front double-wishbone and rear multi-link suspensions are on the docket, fronts mounted with twin-tube TRD-tuned FOX QS3 shock absorbers while the rear FOX dampers are placed outboard. This machine’s electronic power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is more precise than expected and, with 3.25 turns lock-to-lock it’s not tough to do a three-point turn within 19.7 feet. This vehicle has part-time 4WD and central-tunnel controls to change those settings; it has an electronically controlled locking rear differential and multi-terrain selection along with crawl control. Stabilizers can be disconnected!

TRD Pro 18” flat black finished alloy wheels with red TRD centers ride on 265/70R 33-inch tall tires; there’s sufficient space between rubber and the body of this vehicle. Brakes have generous 13.4” front and 13.2” rear rotors. Despite weighing 5,455 pounds and having a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,505 pounds, the 4Runner TRD Pro Max feels lithe. Ground clearance is 24 inches; that’s two feet, folks or about 2/5 of this writer’s height. Getting into the 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Max wasn’t easy: open door, grab steering wheel, insert left foot and pull body into vehicle. Getting out was a heck of lot easier as it was simple to turn body towards the door and slide off the seat to the ground.

Once inside, materials are sturdy, and capable—just like the rest of this truck—and all amenities are easy to use. With a power opener for the hatch on the lower left of the dash, it was simple to access those controls rather than asking for help to close that hatch. Everything about this 4Runner is sturdy – and capable. Everything works well, including the vertical wireless phone charger at the base of the central stack. The phone didn’t move at all during the trip and never lost its charge; that’s unusual, considering the different size and shape phones so many of us are using these days. Accessing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto was a 30-second maneuver.

Let’s talk cupholders and drink holders; they abound in this – and all – 4Runners. There are two capable cup holders at the base of the center stack, three in the front doors and a single holder in each of the rear doors. The front holders will easily accept three bottles of beer, as we discovered on the 2019 model. Because this truck is made to go off-road, we appreciate the drilled pedals and, of course, the pair of seat memories for the driver. Seats are exceptionally comfortable and supportive. They’re both heated and cooled for driver and front-seat passenger. Rear seat passengers have their own HAV settings and a pair of USB-C plugs along with a 12-volt.

The TRD leather-trimmed steering wheel has info, phone and volume on the left, while the right side has cruise control and audio modes. It, too can be heated for those cooler mornings. A smallish tilt-slide sunroof is part of the stand equipment on this TRD Pro Max, as is the wonderful JBL audio system with its 14 speakers, subwoofer, and amplifier. A 14-inch central infotainment center is easy to work and intuitive for most any driver. We liked the black headliner but it did keep the truck a bit warmer than a lighter color might have; it does work well aesthetically with the black seating.

One thing for sure anyone driving this ladder-on-frame truck will notice: there’s TRD logos everywhere and thematic controls that keep this truck moving. But it sure isn’t cheap: starting at $68,350 with delivery fees included, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Max has 12 chargeable options that include its digital key (grateful to be able to access the hatch with either the key or the in-cabin remote); its tailgate LED light, a compressor in the onboard cargo area – be prepared for its tool kit, along with full-size spare. There is a third row for passengers but we never accessed it There simply wasn’t time! Other options include the ARB Platform roof rack, cargo lights and cargo cover, skid plate, trailer ball, accessory-ready LED lantern, cargo and floor mats and a towing ball mount, bringing the total of this truck to $73,523.

Still, there’s no reason to doubt the value here and the integrity of this truck. It held everything we needed in its 42.6-cubic-foot hatch area, kept us comfortable on the long drives to and from Sonoma and wasn’t terribly anxious with its warnings, as we’ve found in some other cars, including some Toyota models. Lane departure didn’t pull us hard back into the lane, which we appreciated; Toyota’s Safety Sense isn’t much of a “nanny” but more of an assistant to the driver. It appears Toyota wants people who enjoy driving to adopt this truck!

This sixth generation of 4Runner is based on the current Tacoma frame, and it sandwiches the truck’s electric hybrid motor between engine and transmission. The mileage figures are not bad, considering the weight of this truck: 23/24/23 using regular gasoline. After traveling nearly a thousand miles over seven days, we spent just over $200 at Costco fuel stations along the CA-99 route. There was still a half-tank available after our final stop in Bakersfield!

This is a great truck, a capable truck and a fun truck to drive. It is adaptable to the input of every driver and reacts well to all inputs. While it’s not going to excite anyone with 0-60 times or slalom runs, it will be a fine machine for family off-roading trips and even for grocery runs. And the expense of owning this Toyota won’t be nearly as heavy as others available in this category. One thing we would have loved is retractable running boards, just to make ingress/egress a little bit easier…

story and photos by Anne Proffit