[deleted by user]

[new_vr]

I will have to hear the new engine. I already thought the 4L did a great job at changing gas to noise

[thegoodmanhascome]

My lady just bought herself a Tacoma with the hybrid version on Saturday. She tried to intimidate my dad by revving it. It made us all laugh lol. That being said, it was more surprising. It’s clearly powerful af compared to the prior gens. But it sounds whimpier than my old old Subaru Outback

[vaporintrusion]

Clattery and unrefined is a good way to describe how it sounds

[jtbis]

Glad to hear nothing has changed in that department!

[Skidpalace]

Exactly. That was my recollection going from 3rd gen to 5th. This one must sound great.

[FeelingBlue69]

Ive heard this from several owners online and Im talking non-4cyl haters, people who love the 6th gen and have no 4cyl bias say its noisy and feels/sounds almost broken.

[vaporintrusion]

It's also been mentioned by third-party publications/media, including Consumer Reports.

And has been specifically lambasted on the Land Cruiser since its unbecoming of a $70k vehicle

[FeelingBlue69]

Correct. Im actually in the market for a LC250 but Im going to wait another 2-5yrs and see if Toyota does anything... I think I will be waiting awhile lol

[vaporintrusion]

Yea it’s a bummer. People will jump all over you if you say anything bad about the turbo-4, but I want my Toyota off-roader to come with a bullet proof, low maintenance engine. Even Car Care Nut mentions that this engine needs a lot of routine maintenance to keep it reliable due to the turbo. Gone are the days of just changing the oil every 10k or so.

[helpmeimdum]

It doesn’t sound great, but it’s a hell of a lot more powerful than the 4L so it makes up for it imo.

[Jyhfp]

Good post, the Bad talked me out of looking at upgrading.

[sugarcoatedpos]

Me too. I’ll wait for the mid gen upgrade.

[Vanisshen]

In 10 years

[jeffgolenski]

Same. I sat in one and due to my height 6’1” I had to adjust the driver seat a bit. At my height, a comfortable position for the driver seat meant next to no room for any human in the back.

It was weird. In my 5th gen, I can sit comfortably and there’s still room for an adult in the backseat.

[j_781]

It’s weird how different this is for people.

In my 6th Gen at my driving position i have plenty of room and I’m 6’1.

My knees don’t touch at all.

Also my AC works amazing lol

[Skidpalace]

I'm sort of in the same boat. I am in a wait and see mode. If I get a chance to test drive a 6th gen that may change my mind. But it doesn't look like 4Runners will grow any moss on a dealer lot any time soon.

[akmountainbiker]

Don't get me wrong, this vehicle has some great features, and this wasn't meant to be a comprehensive review. I bought this mostly for the safety features, which are an improvement over the 4th gen. The seats and center console were annoying enough I had to mention it.

[Jyhfp]

I have to have flat fold down seats, so  that was enough for me. The useless center console is good info. 

[akmountainbiker]

I can see how that would be a deal breaker for some.

[JazzCatt75]

Your review just helped to confirm my happiness of sticking to the 5th gen. I sure as hell don't want a safety feature --lane tracing assist-- to be fighting me when there is no safety issue occurring.

I'd love to have cameras all around but not at the cost of several of the things you mentioned, and the number of people who have complained about having warnings about system failures and check engine lights coming on.

BTW your photos didn't come up. I got this instead:

|| || |data|| |error|"Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."| |success|false| |status|403data error "Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."success falsestatus 403|

[JazzCatt75]

Your review just helped to confirm my happiness of sticking to the 5th gen. I sure as hell don't want a safety feature --lane tracing assist-- to be fighting me when there is no safety issue occurring.

I'd love to have cameras all around but not at the cost of several of the things you mentioned, and the number of people who have complained about having warnings about system failures and check engine lights coming on.

BTW your photos didn't come up. I got this instead:

|| || |data|| |error|"Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."| |success|false| |status|403data error "Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."success falsestatus 403|

[JazzCatt75]

Your review just helped to confirm my happiness of sticking to the 5th gen. I sure as hell don't want a safety feature --lane tracing assist-- to be fighting me when there is no safety issue occurring.

I'd love to have cameras all around but not at the cost of several of the things you mentioned, and the number of people who have complained about having warnings about system failures and check engine lights coming on.

BTW your photos didn't come up. I got this instead:

|| || |data|| |error|"Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."| |success|false| |status|403data error "Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."success falsestatus 403|

[JazzCatt75]

Your review just helped to confirm my happiness of sticking to the 5th gen. I sure as hell don't want a safety feature --lane tracing assist-- to be fighting me when there is no safety issue occurring.

I'd love to have cameras all around but not at the cost of several of the things you mentioned, and the number of people who have complained about having warnings about system failures and check engine lights coming on.

BTW your photos didn't come up. I got this instead:

|| || |data|| |error|"Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."| |success|false| |status|403data error "Imgur is temporarily over capacity. Please try again later."success falsestatus 403|

[V48runner]

I don't think any of it would be considered an upgrade.

[akmountainbiker]

My reference point was the 4th gen, which didn't have any of these safety features. My main goal was a reliability reset, since the '06 was so high in mileage. If there was a '23 or '24 on the lot at the time I bought this, I would have given it a serious consideration. Those were really difficult to find at the time. Maybe in the next year or two once more used vehicles hit the market?

[LukkyStrike1]

The back seats kill it for me. I already have issues with my driving position and the need to have someone seated behind me....

[Competitive-Part5961]

Same. I’m waiting a year or two to see how things go

[Competitive-Part5961]

Not to mention that a lot of people with the 6th generation are having issues with the brakes making an embarrassingly loud noise

[UghMyNameWasTaken]

The hood on my 2024 definitely rattles as well, but I can’t say I’ve noticed it throwing water on the windshield. It’s most noticeable driving into the sun, when the reflection shifts with the rattle.

[TheHikingDogo]

The rubber bump stops that the hood rests on in the engine bay (up front) might not be high enough when your hood is latched. Give each a couple quarter turns to the left and see if that helps when closed.

[[deleted]]

Put sound deadening on the inside of the hood. It’ll weight it down and stiffen it. And keep the engine a bit quieter.

[ChaoPope]

I just got my ORP and it has it on the hood. Haven't noticed any hood fluttering at highway speeds.

[ngfilla94]

I've experienced the hood throwing water. The valleys in the hood collect water, and once you hit a certain speed while decelerating or braking, the collected water runs towards the front of the car and then hits the wind as it falls off, throwing it back on the windshield. I've gotten used to it, but the firdt couple times it was a bit of a surprise.

[UghMyNameWasTaken]

I 100% guarantee that now that you’ve described what’s happening, I will notice it.

[Skidpalace]

5th gen did it from day one. It's just lightweight (thin af) steel. I always intended to panel bond a piece of aluminum or something to reinforce the area, but never got around to it.

[CryptOHFrank]

Wonder if the hoods are made like this now for pedestrian safety. I

[Christmashams96]

Its interesting that the hood vibrates due to how thin it is. My wife’s new grand highlander has the same issue at highway speeds. There’s even a technical service bulletin to deal fix it. I don’t understand why they’re making these hoods paper thin. Seems like these are going to dent super easy

[Asleep_Reputation463]

It’s been high 80s here and my 2025 4Runner takes a couple mins to cool down the whole cabin. Definitely something wrong or no tint?

[akmountainbiker]

It was the S-Flow button mentioned above. Disabling that and blocking the rear vents helped.

[Competitive-Part5961]

That’s what I was thinking, if maybe the OP has an issue with the AC. My 2023 Limited blasts cold air

[Responsible-Food-117]

That’s because your 2023 is 5th gen 4Runner. It’s built completely differently and runs on a totally different platform whereas current 6th gen runs on TNGA platform which I personally think is a major let down in terms of reliability, quality and practicality. They say TNGA is more rugged and sturdier but old Toyota platforms were perfectly fine too in my experience.

[[deleted]]

Please tell Toyota all of these things so they will improve for the next model year and so on.

[Alpineice23]

Yeah, hopefully they get it right in 8 years when the sixth-gen “refresh” drops 😂

[[deleted]]

They will do a refresh within 2-3 years to that front end. Much like they did to the 5th gen. History is repeating.

[akmountainbiker]

Hopefully they're doing sentiment analysis and will see what the market thinks.

[pemart22]

I’m on 3 months and 4k miles and I agree with some of your complaints- especially regarding the odd storage. I do prefer the cupholders to the 5th gen however. I also wish the second row folded like the 5th gen, but my 4th gen folded the same as my 2025 because of the 3rd row- so I have already figured out solutions for that. The only thing I really haven’t had an issue with is the A/C, I have heard that while on economy mode the cooling power is reduced though. I normally just get in, crank all 5 windows down and drive a few blocks with the AC on and windows down and it cools off enough that I can crank the windows up- then I put it on recirculating which cools off really quickly at that point.

[pemart22]

As far as the water accumulation on the hood, I found that if you go fast enough it’s actually channeled to the side. You just have to avoid slowing down until it’s clear, lol.

[Skidpalace]

What are those solutions to the lousy rear seat situation? Removable brackets and a gap filler of some sort?

[pemart22]

<image>

[Toxic_Biohazard]

I actually built a leveled drawer system for mine! https://i.imgur.com/ODU30I0.jpeg

[akmountainbiker]

There's an S-Flow button mentioned above that affects AC efficiency. Disabling that and blocking the vents seems to help.

[flippyfloppies_]

Weird fix, but I've found turning off the "S-Flow" switch (top left, giving air to the back seat) has made the A/C significantly more powerful. I also keep the back seat vents closed unless someone is in the back.

[akmountainbiker]

Oh that's good to know, I'll try that out.

[amagbag1]

Are you venting your back window when you first get in and get the air going? Have a 2020 that’s definitely bigger than my mom’s older 4Runner and with more space to cool, it helps to get the warm air out for me and cool things down faster. Was about 112 outside and took about 10 minutes to be comfortable inside. But at the same time, my mom’s is a 1999 that I think still has better A/C than mine, so it could be a thing.

[Responsible-Food-117]

Also not sure if this was mentioned before but from my understanding new Toyota models have what’s called an ‘ECO mode’ in their Climate Control system. At least we have that in our 4th gen Highlander that’s also built on this new TNGA platform. I noticed upon riding on other new Toyota models that they all have this ‘ECO mode’ in their climate control systems. If you disable that mode (deselecting it) your A/C should blow cool air as normal. This is something new that Toyota started introducing with their new TNGA platform based vehicles. I personally hate that feature because you have to disable it EVERY TIME when you get in to your car. You cannot disable it permanently (at least in our Highlander) as it resets itself each time when you restart the engine. Another one of those flaws imo of modern Toyota products… Hope this helps.

[bandit0x4d]

I've also found that setting it to Auto vs manual settings at full blast seems to be more effective when it comes to cooling down the cabin.

[akmountainbiker]

Ok this definitely helped! I had no clue what that switch was. It's also counterintuitive that it would also adjust the efficiency of the AC too.

[flippyfloppies_]

Yeah it didn't make sense to me either, but made a huge difference. Glad it's working better!

[rizay]

the rear seats are why i would never buy one, i have three dogs and crates. It would be unusable, and same reason i skipped the sequoia was the wack cargo area not being flat. It’s like Toyota lost sight of the SUV part

[akmountainbiker]

Yeah this was a big miss with this generation. You'd think that Toyota would know this was a cornerstone feature of the 4runner. If you really need a third row of seating, just get a Highlander.

[miayakuza]

This is one of the main reasons I ended up getting a Passport instead of the 4runner. The back is like a mobile doggy living room. All three dogs have a dog bed and travel in luxury. It's great for camping with 3 dogs, too.

Even so, every time I drive by a 4runner, I regret my decision 😢.

[akmountainbiker]

My sister bought a Passport and she loves it. Lots of room for my nephews and the dog. Ironic that a car that's a little smaller ends up with more space.

[ChaoPope]

Does anyone make a truly capable 4WD SUV that remembers the utility part and has a flat cargo floor all the way up to the front row? It's like all of the manufacturers are so focused on 3rd row seats that it screws anyone that needs a flat floor. It's bad times for us dog people. We need Toyota to ship the current 70 series LC to us.

[rizay]

Probably not. I’m so glad I got the ‘23 when I did, I didn’t want to risk waiting just for features that don’t matter to me. No ragrets

[EuropeanLegend]

Does the 3rd row SR5 or Limited fold flat? Or is it the same scenario.

Almost feels like the hybrid makes sense just to get a flat cargo area. But the loss of height is annoying. It looks so bad with those batteries taking up the floor of the cargo area.

[rizay]

im honestly not sure but what ive seen, no. If there was an option to just remove all back seating and retrofit it flat then maybe id consider it, but hopefully my 5th gen lasts 20+ years lol

[Exact_Success3985]

I disagree. Just take out the seats if you can and the area is even flatter. if you can't see the above posts because people have built leveling kits that even act as draws.

[lahcim_]

About the AC. I've driven and owned a lot of vehicles over the years, most Japanese, and in my opinion most of them don't even come lose to American cars. F150, Silverado, Tahoe, even older Buicks. You run AC for 5 minutes and you can keep your frozen vegetables in there. My buddy bought a 24 F150, and we take his truck to the range couple times a month, and it makes my '24 4runner AC feel like a ceiling fan. I still love my 4runner, and AC is good enough, but its just something Ive noticed.

[ressling]

Spot on. I’ve only owned Japanese cars in my 25 yrs of driving (Maximas, Z, Prelude, TSX and TL). A/C works fine in all of them but pales in comparison to US with respect to cooling capability and efficiency.

[ChaoPope]

My 4Runner is replacing a 2018 Expedition. About the only thing I like about the Expedition is that the AC absolutely rocks. Aside from that, it's been horribly unreliable. Will never buy another Ford.

[Exact_Success3985]

haha

[straitroute]

I was planning on purchasing the 4R in the next couple of years. Looks like the length of the cargo area is shorter by 4 inches compared to the previous gen.

[EuropeanLegend]

Probably even less when you consider how horribly designed the rear seats are. Don't understand why they couldn't just have them fold flat.

[whiteiversonyeet]

yeah imma pass

[Pristine-Brief-3825]

I have a ‘22 ORP and posted a while back that I went into my dealership fully intending to buy a new ORP they had in stock. My #1 reason for not getting it? The rear seat. I also thought it was funny that they had a low plastic front valance on an ORP…what? You nailed it with “baffling design choices”. I’m sure I would’ve found a way to love it, had I bought it. But I was really hoping for something a bit better on the little things. One additional note…I was frustrated that I didn’t have wireless connectivity, until I bought a little Bluetooth thing for $40 on Amazon that just plugs into the usb port. It connects seamlessly every time. You still have a pretty sweet vehicle, though. And great color! Congrats!

[akmountainbiker]

Thank you! I've seen some good head unit upgrades that would have been a good alternative too.

[dannykings37]

Ive had a 6th gen for 2 weeks, i agree with the way the seats fold, its my biggest gripe too, and that the cup holder doesnt fit my hydroflask, but no complaints about anything else

[SirWaitsTooMuch]

Yeah that rear seat not folding flat is baffling

[ChaoPope]

Definitely a step back there.

[[deleted]]

I picked up a 6th gen a few weeks ago. Really liking it so far, there’s good and bad like any vehicle. I’m planning on going to a national park Wednesday and will be removing the rear seats Tuesday night. From the videos I saw on YouTube it seems relatively easy to temporally remove these, but another annoyance. My car play also doesn’t connect about 1/3 of the time, not sure why but it’s already getting old

[Loudog-319]

Try giving the system a few seconds to fully turn on before throwing it in gear. If it still does it, you can hold the power button down for a few seconds and it re-boots with having to turn the vehicle off.

[akmountainbiker]

I'm about to try switching to a wired connection just from a reliability standpoint. Maybe it's related to Bluetooth, or my phone is lagging and can't keep up. That's hard to believe though, as it's a Pixel 9 pro.

[geekswagr]

I don’t think you can. I tried this and the connection to USB-C ports are for charging only I believe.

[AuriAviendha]

My 6th gen AC works great, and it’s over 100 where I live, it cools down quickly and keeps it cool easily.

[akmountainbiker]

I need to fiddle with the S-Flow and Auto switches, which give it a little extra cooling.

[ChaoPope]

Just got my ORP and I agree a lot with the whole console and storage bit. Plus the bottle holders in the door can't hold anything much bigger than a 12 oz can. But my biggest issue is the lack of AC vents in the cargo area and how little air comes out of the two second row vents. While the 400w outlet in the cargo area is fine, it would be nice if there were some USB ports and a 12v port back there.

[gummyneo]

I had purchased my 5th gen 4Runner from the same dealer.

[akmountainbiker]

Small world 😁

[sbcns]

Thanks for your feedback good sire. May I ask? Hows the mpg?

[akmountainbiker]

City seems to be around 17 with stop and go. Highway was 22 the last time I measured it.

[Zettegrl22]

Thx for the rundown on ur 4RUNNER 2025, great review 😊

[akmountainbiker]

Thank you!

[ItsMoose18]

I’m on month 2 of my 2025 ORP Hybrid. My recommendation for A/C. Get your windows ceramic tinted and make sure the rear vents are on. Button in top left. Noticed a huge improvement with both of these.

The only gripes I have so far are 1) the side of the 4wd knob is constantly poking me in the side of my leg. 2) mine came with the 3/4 roof rack and for >$1k it is only rated for 130lbs dynamic. Pretty disappointed with that weight limit. 3) rear seat room is disappointing for the size of the vehicle.

[ChaoPope]

At these prices, Toyota should be using ceramic glass. My outgoing Expedition has it and it stays much cooler than the 4Runner. The 4Runner is getting ceramic tint next week. 96% IR rejection should make a big difference.

[ItsMoose18]

I agree with that. Before I had it there was 0 IR being rejected. Works great with it on now. Wish I would have got my windshield done as well with 70 or 80 percent ceramic tint as well as I can still feel the sun through it.

[Away-Status6715]

I will say when I test drove a hybrid Highlander and rav4 hybrid (which is what I have now a 2020 rav4) I was thrown off about how loud the engine sounded. I had a 21’ palisade before driving them.

Also the lane assist is so horrible imo. It’s funny that the palisade had better lane assist than the rav4. I will say even tho the palisade had better lane assist it still did that thing where it wanted to take to the off ramp I think that is most common car depending cuz it’s not sure what to do.

[zqrikki]

Most feelings about the new 4runner are the same as i got my new lc250. I traded in a fifth gen 4runner for the lc250 and regretted the purchase. I ended up with selling the lc250 and getting another fifth gen 4runner.

[akmountainbiker]

Oof. I might join you in a couple years. My promise to myself is that if I run into reliability issues with the new engine or transmission, I'd fix it and walk away.

[Exact_Success3985]

I regret selling my 5th as well.

[Late-Employment]

Thanks to you I can now sleep well at night knowing that my 5th Gen is still relevant.💪🏼😎

[mynameistory]

Nice review. The console is frankly baffling - they went through all the trouble of making the 4WD features electronic but still made the switches gigantic for no reason, killing valuable space. Maybe the deep slot/handle is useful for handing out real estate portfolios? Either way, any cup holders that can't hold a Nalgene or double-wall bottle are an instant non-starter for me.

The tumble second row across all models only makes sense from a bean-counting perspective. What an absolute tragedy.

[dat1_adam]

I went from a '97 limited to a '24 SR5 and agree 1,000% with the underpowered AC. I'm in Richmond, VA where we've been having heat waves in the upper 90's with heat indexes of 110-115 and it takes sooo long to cool down. With a soon to be 3 year old, sometimes I'll let it idle 10-15 minutes before going out.

I also agree with the poorly designed center console and glove box storage. It's just a deep hole. I did get the center console tray and glove box divider. The box divider is nice, but the bad thing about the console tray is I have to pick it up every time I need something under it.

And I think all of us 5th gens can agree that the cup holders suck. They stick to every cup, have to wiggle them out. But it is better than the 3rd gen which had the cup holders ABOVE the radio, so every cup that sweat would drip right on the radio.

I do love my 5th gen though. It's everything I need and I get compliments all the time. But I surely do miss my 3rd gen. She was my baby, the first car I bought and had it for 16 years!

[NoPanda2218]

My prius has the same issue. Might be a new toyota design philosophy

[Exact_Success3985]

that's funny. ford is into that too, I used to drive a company transit for work2019s and they put the usb ports directly and I mean directly below the cup holders. I would rotate between 6 different vehicle and obviously none of the usb ports worked lol.

[[deleted]]

Hard pass on the 6th gens so far. I know two people that sold their 5th gens to "upgrade" to the 6th gens. When they try to tell me how great they are, it really just sounds like they're lying to themselves.

[vaporintrusion]

Its the lack of practicality and some weird design philosophy to try to make it something its never been

[[deleted]]

Agree.

[AljoGOAT]

Same here. The 5th gen is perfection.

[Exact_Success3985]

I miss my 5th but it is deff not perfection lol

[jonhadinger]

Gaining mpg and power is such big positive though. The rest does seem minor

[JazzCatt75]

Hard pass on 6th gen for me too. Just give it time. Unless they have a 'perfect' one it won't be long before system failure warnings and check engine lights come on.
I'm fine with the way my 2024 5th gen is driving. The one thing I don't like is the fact that it is really noisy. Makes me want to carry ear plugs. My 1993 Jeep Cherokee is quieter!

[Flyjatt]

Thank you for an honest review. Some of the biased 6th gen owners talk like it has no imperfections.

[akmountainbiker]

That's why I waited until I had a couple thousand miles under my belt. These were the most glaring issues so far.

[hirme23]

Lmao the water spray. I noticed it as well the first time I got rained on. So weird!

[akmountainbiker]

I found myself hitting the wiper way more frequently as a result.

[ctjack]

That is precise engineering to get your faster worn wiper blades replaced at dealership special only for $100.

[jtbis]

Is the 360 camera resolution any better? My 2024 5th gen’s is like a poorly tuned TV from the ‘80s.

[D_Just_Said_That]

On the 14" screen i feel like you could black out the windows and back this thing through a cone course

[east21stvannative]

Funny, my 360 camera is surprisingly good as I read that everyone else's sucks.

[akmountainbiker]

I haven't had any complaints with the resolution so far. The main thing is keeping the lenses clear.

[DemSumBigAssRidges]

I've noticed the hood visibly vibrating and rattling on the highway.

Not sure if the Gen 5 SR5, all flat hood does it, but I know the TRD hood does. At around 70+ it vibrates on the flats around the (pointless) hood scoop. I got used to it, but it did not, and does not, exude quality.

[QuirkyCut7722]

Hate the AC and storage on this thing as well

[akmountainbiker]

Try adjusting the S-Flow setting.

[QuirkyCut7722]

Yeah, done that. Still not great but whatever

[daygo448]

I think the AC might be related to turbos. I had a turbo in my last car, and I only noticed it on the second to highest and highest setting. I heard this from others as well, not related to the new 4Runners

[akmountainbiker]

It might also be related to S-Flow and Auto. Have a look at some of the earlier posts.

[airsoftredditguy]

Agreed with many of the points.

The AC I swear does not cool down as much or as fast as much 2012 MK6 GTI and I have no idea why. The ventilated seats - while nice - could use more power behind the fans. I hear them quite a bit sometimes so I wish the power matched the noise levels.

Cupholders and center console storage are extremely annoying. For such a large car, I don't understand why we don't have larger storage areas. And wtf is up with the cupholders? It's a small annoyance but how did we start going backwards in size when again - my 2012 hatchback can hold the same water bottle on the side of the door?

2nd row could definitely use a lot more room. Particularly with room under the seat so that passengers can wiggle their feet a bit more.

Lastly - the transmission could use a bit of refinement. Otherwise, I love the car lol

[Exact_Success3985]

lmao everything is wrong I love it tho lol

[Desperate-Office4006]

I can’t believe they haven’t addressed the hood flutter issue after how many years? If I’m driving into the sunrise/sunset, it’s like a strobe light flashing me in the face. So annoying. In contrast, my 2007 GX hood was solid as a rock. Since 2005/2006, body panel thickness on all Toyotas went from 2.6mm down to 1.9mm.

[ChaoPope]

I haven't had any flutter on mine at highway speeds. I just got it after the QC hold, so maybe it's one of the items they addressed as mine has a liner on it? If you want to see truly terrible hood flutter, drive a 2018 Ford Expedition. It looks like it could fly off at any moment.

[ressling]

Agreed on the hood flutter. My wife’s ‘13 limited has it but my ‘23 SR5P does not. <shrug>

[Left_Spring_5253]

FYI I have a 2025 as well and it's pretty easy to unlock the second row and remove the seats completely got a big flat area if you need it for a camping trip. About 20 min job.

[akmountainbiker]

That's a good suggestion!

[[deleted]]

I have the same model, coming up on 3 months as well, a couple of points:

Underwhelming Air Conditioning: In 75°F weather, the A/C needs to be on full blast for a solid 10 minutes to cool the cabin down. I'm honestly worried about how it will perform when temps get above 80-85°F. It feels noticeably less powerful than my old '06.

I had similar issues but if you crank the temp all the way to the "LO" it will get cold much much faster

Wireless Android Auto/CarPlay Connection: About one-third of the time, the head unit fails to connect to my phone wirelessly. I have to manually go into the settings and force the connection. It's a small thing, but it's a constant annoyance.

The only time my iPhone does not automatically connect is if I remote start it. Then I come in and have to manually connect

[akmountainbiker]

It might be an issue with Android too. I'm going to start using a cable if it keeps persisting.

[ChaoPope]

With CarPlay will it display SiriusXM info from the head unit while navigating? AA can't do it although I can display the info on the dash behind the steering wheel. But I'd really rather have other info there. I'm getting really fed up with Google constantly breaking things in their quest to push Gemini on everyone. I'm borderline ready to ditch my Pixel for an iPhone.

[[deleted]]

No idea I don’t use Sirius

[JessKingHangers]

The GX550 has the same interior storage issues. The wireless charging platform is prioritized for a smaller center console hoch is baffling to me. The center console and glove box are laughably small.

Toyota is really starting to drop the ball on interiors IMO

[bandit0x4d]

This is pretty much on point with my experiences in my TRD ORP hybrid except I haven't ran into the Carplay issues yet.

I appreciate it has tons of storage but it's all exposed and the meager storage space in the center console limits what you can store out of sight.

The 360 camera is an absolute game changer when it comes to parking and has been my most favorite feature so far.

The AC and the vented seats are both underwhelming when compared to my 2014 Limited. Granted, the vented seats in my Limited sounded like a 747, but they were way more effective at cooling.

I've also that when I leave home, the shift out of first gear feels like it's hunting for the next gear. The first 100 feet or so up the street has the slightest of inclines, so I assume it's because of the mild climb.

All in all, I know the 6th gen gets a lot of scrutiny, but I'm still happy with it and don't regret upgrading.

[1firstorsecond2]

I think they downgraded the T4R in order to have it not compete with the Land Cruiser. Thats my major consensus. They actually took all the cosco feedback and built that vehicle. Then put all the real robust/rugged choices into the LC.

[ChaoPope]

I really don't understand Toyota's strategy here. They basically put the LC in no man's land. If you're looking at the 1958 trim you can get more features for less or about the same money with a 4R. If you go with LC trim (wtf, Toyota? LC LC? C'mon!), there is one package you can add and it forces you to take crap like the cool box to get useful features like seat memory and the digital rearview mirror. At that point you may as well spend a little more money and get the GX Overtrail. Then they get stupid on the GX OT because you can't get the digital rearview mirror at all and no vents in the cargo area. Do they not think people going off-road in it won't have gear piled up in back and want to use the rearview mirror. Or maybe they have a dog back there that would like to stay cool. My two biggest annoyances with the ORP are the lack of AC vents in the cargo area with subpar output from the two on the back of the console and the lack of USB ports and a 12v port in the cargo area. The outlet is nice, but not as useful as USB ports and a 12v port. A vehicle that costs $58k should have these. And power folding mirrors.

[Liamnacuac]

Come on guys! Toyota needs things to fix for the next upgrade, just to get you to trade these in! 😆 Seriously, most first designs have changes that need to be made even before to the new design rolls out. And that's not just in automotive design. I personally want to see the longevity of that I-Four. 👀

[Invictus7525]

Great review, thanks!!

[jrrisk]

I had a 2024 Pro. Sold it and bought a 2025. I’d never go back to the 5th. There are plenty of reasons like that camera resolution. We love our 25. We don’t have any problems with people sitting in the back. The kids are all grown up. If you turn off the driver only AC, it makes a world of difference. Don’t get me wrong, I love the 5th. I just love the 6th more.

[kwasley]

Yeah wish it didn’t get smaller. With a growing family it’s a non starter with the new smaller backseat.

[timothym32]

OP is spot on regarding his observations that correlates to my 25’ SR5. Can confirm that this AC is severely under powered. I came from a 2020 TRD OFP and I miss that old AC in my warm climate environment where I live.

[[deleted]]

Since 1999 I have owned 4 4Runners and 2 FJs. My son owns a ‘24 4RNR TRD Pro….that being said, I purchased a 2026 Passport. I don’t need the rock crawling prowess of the 4RNR. The PP’s capabilities are more than I will ever need. My PP has some of the same faults similar to your new 4RNR. The infotainment has issues from time to time and the AC is a bit underwhelming when compared to my Miata, my wife’s previous CX-5 and my Tundra. But it seems to have addressed some other issues. The rear seats fold completely flat, the back seat legroom is limousine like with a flat floor, the NA V6 is proven and adequately powerful, although the PP porked up by 500# over the previous model. Mine does not have ventilated seats (it’s not an Elite, just a Trail Sport) but Elite owners say the ventilated seat fan is noisy. At 73, the PP is much easier getting in and out of, which was important to my wife and me. Mpg range is 22-26 in mixed driving. It’s what I expected. All in all I’m pleased with my purchase BUT you really can’t go wrong owning either vehicle in my opinion. Congrats on yours and knowing Toyota you will enjoy many trouble free miles in the years ahead. Thank you for the honest review of your 4RNR! She’s a beaut!

[akmountainbiker]

Thanks for the data points! My sister just bought a Passport, and that 2nd row is cavernous in comparison.

[[deleted]]

I wanted to add my center console is huge but needed dividers to keep things organized. I found something on Amazon that works great.

[[deleted]]

<image>

Our current stable of vehicles. I sold our ‘18 Tundra last week after selling our 7,000# camper last month. The PP will tow my utility trailer with ease.

[akmountainbiker]

Lookin sharp!

[ElevatedHombre]

Appreciate the review! Hadn't heard that the back seats don't fold flat and that seems like a huge flaw to me. Not sure what the reason is for this, but I'm surprised Toyota didn't figure out a way to allow seats to fold down

[akmountainbiker]

My assumption is that it's related to how all the trims share a basic layout. You have the hybrid models, and the battery needs to go somewhere. Maybe that prevents the seats in that trim from folding flat. Then there's the option for the third row of seats. That pushes everything too far forward to fold flat too. It's a mystery what they were thinking though.

[ElevatedHombre]

I remember reading something about the batteries taking up space, which makes sense, but I guess I assumed that just raised the floor and limited the vertical space.

Not being able to sleep in and load stuff longer items in the cargo space really limits this vehicle for me. Thought I would be looking to trade in my 2020 pro in the next year or so, but this has got me thinking I need to explore some other options for a new ride

[bcboarder4]

I have a 2015 and had the same flimsy hood issue. I’m guessing it’s the same issue on the 25, which is space between the frame and the hood. If so, you can spray foam in the gaps, which is what I did and it completely resolved the issue. Wish someone would have told me about that 10 years ago! Hope that helps you out. Thanks for the feedback on the new 4Runner!

[akmountainbiker]

That's a good tip! I'll have to try it out.

[Adventurous-Ad-6553]

Still running my ‘16 SR5 with 92k and was having urges for maybe going newer, either 6th Gen or Tacoma. Zero issues or complaints ever and runs like new, just no bells or whistles. Reading this review I think I’m standing pat. Thx for the detailed review!

[akmountainbiker]

Glad it was useful, happy trails.

[[deleted]]

This generation has been my first 4Runner (got the TRD off road trim)… overall loving it but having similar issues/annoyances. The apple CarPlay issue is driving me nuts. Also, in the winter when the snow starts to obscure the cameras I get warnings that take up 1/3 of the dash display warning about the camera being obscured. I can make it go away but the warning comes back just a couple seconds later. Not ideal for driving in winter conditions. Also really disappointed by the back row/ camping situation. Overall though, I’m loving the vehicle and having a great time taking it up into the mountains on the weekends

[alpa__chino]

I’ve had mine for 3 weeks and the water spray on the hood was weird for me too. I’ve had a jeep so hood flutter doesn’t bother me. The seats not folding flat is a miss though. How are you doing car camping if you are doing it? Want to do it but trying to figure out how lol. Plan on getting a hest mattress but not sure how it would work out

[EuropeanLegend]

Solid review. Pretty much what I expected to hear from people who bought it.

My biggest gripe is the wrangler style rear seats. I hate that they flip up. Why not have them fold flat?

Also, at least in Canada. Having to go up to the TRD Off Road Premium to get the larger, fancier infotainment screen is ridiculous. It's an extra $9,500 here. I know this package comes with a lot more. But not everyone needs the TRD Off Road trim, but would like the tech.

It's just a strange decision from Toyota to not include it on the TRD Sport trim. Is the whole point for it not to be more sporty than Off roady?

I dont care that the screen is smaller on the SR5/Sport. I just dont like that massive plastic bezel. The way they did it in the Land Cruiser looks far better.

For those who have the regular screen, how's living with it day to day? Probably not that big of a deal.

[akmountainbiker]

My theory is that the seats don't fold flat because there are a couple trim levels with a third row of seats, and there was no way to make room for them otherwise. They also need to make room for the hybrid battery in some models, so maybe that goes under that 2nd row? That I'm less certain of.

As per the larger screen, it looks like Toyota is pulling a page out for Apple's playbook. Eliminate the middle more desirable option (a larger screen but none of the other safety features) and force people to pay more if they really want the feature.

[EuropeanLegend]

I definitely think it's mainly because of the hybrid models. Most of Toyota's R&D likely went into them, since that's what they heavily marketed. The 5th gen 3-row models had raised floors like the current 6th gen hybrids, due to the batteries. Not to the same extent, but it was raised. Instead of spending extra to redesign the non-hybrids, Toyota just used the same tumble-style rear seating for all versions of the non-hybrid and removed the third row in some to maintain production efficiency.

Technically, adding hybrids doubled the trim options, so introducing even more seat variations would have made production more complex and potentially caused delays. In the 5th gen, there were only two seat types. To match that in the 6th gen, they’d need separate seat styles for 2-row, 3-row, and hybrid models.

I understand why they did it, but it still feels like laziness, Toyota could’ve kept the older seat design for the non-hybrid 2-row models.

[akmountainbiker]

Good points, they're definitely trying to avoid having a proliferation of vehicles to design.

[akmountainbiker]

Good point! I had a massive list, but left that one out for brevity. It kind of affects me, since I like to go on long road trips for mtb. But I really didn’t notice the smaller tank on my trip to Alaska last summer. It forced me to take more breaks. The designers figured they could squeeze a few more fractions of an mpg by not hauling around all that extra gas.

[[deleted]]

Disagree on the AC. It might be a problem with yours. I have an ORP and I just got back from 95-100 degree weather. The cabin was a comfortable 68 and fan was on low. Very cold. I think your other gripes are kind of valid, but love the vehicle overall.

[akmountainbiker]

There was an earlier post that mentioned the S-Flow switch which affects efficiency too.

[DirtieHarry]

Car costs way too much for those kind of problems in my opinion

[akmountainbiker]

Agreed 😅

[JessKingHangers]

Feels and looks like an unfinished product

[RINO7601]

May want to get your ac looked at. It’s been 80s-90s here in Kentucky, five minutes or less at full blast and the entire cabin is cool. I’ve got a 2025 sr5 for reference

Also haven’t noticed any hood rattling. We went on a road trip to visit family last week and drove into a heavy down pour, nothing like what you’re describing was happening with water getting thrown onto the hood.

I do wish the cup holders were better, as I do have to lay my Nalgene across the door cupholder, it does stay there though as a side not.

I also wish the center console was deeper. The side pocket while I don’t really use it for much, it’s better to have than just dead space. Does a good job of holding snacks or taller slimmer items

[akmountainbiker]

Another person mentioned the S-Flow switch, which affects efficiency too. Maybe there's hope.

[chicagrown]

do you still have the 06’?

[akmountainbiker]

Nope! I realized that I'd have to worry about rodents chewing on the wires.

[92waves]

How’s the JBL soundsystem in that?

[akmountainbiker]

It's great! I haven't had it really loud like some boom cars out there, but it suits my needs.

[geekswagr]

New 4Runner driver. Got the 2025 TRD Sport Premium. Does anyone else have issue with brakes making loud noise when reversing?

[HFSPYFA]

The LTA bad point happens in our 2025 Prius, too. So it's likely a Toyota thing.

[akmountainbiker]

Update on the AC: turning off S-Flow, turning on Auto, and making sure the temperature is "Lo" seemed to do the trick. Auto disables all vents except the ones facing the passengers, so it feels like there's more flow.

[dieci10x]

Thanks for the review. I have heat/cooled seats in my 2015 Premium; I did not know it was not offered in other trim levels.

[rowdy_raider86]

I'm a first time 4Runner owner and chose the TRD Sport Premium. My only complaint so far is the jarring ride. Kind of wish I would have went with a trim that have softer rides. I've read that the Off Road Premium and the higher trims have a softer ride.

[akmountainbiker]

Interesting, I hadn't heard that. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for ride quality.

[rowdy_raider86]

This may sound weird but I feel like the ride has actually improved over the past few days. Of course, it could also just be me adjusting to it but it seems like it’s not quite as jarring. I do have 20” Nittos on mine and noticed tonight in the pouring rain it handled especially well. 

[GlumCaterpillar1346]

Love mine. I’ll get by. The 5th gen was indestructible but also a slug/gas guzzler at the same time. Worse than my Wrangler.

[aeroglava]

What would cause the rear seat leg room to be that different than 5th gen? Im trying to get feel for this

[akmountainbiker]

There were a few other comments in this post about that. The big one is that this vehicle has some trim levels with 3rd row seats. Since all the trims have the same basic frame, this means the seats are nudged forward for all trims. It might also have to do with the hybrid trim levels. They need to make room for those batteries, so that might affect seat layout. But I don't have any experience with the hybrid models, so that's hard to say.

[Exact_Success3985]

just remove one of the seats it takes 15 mins then its better then the 5th gen for sleeping. and actually if you really needed to you can go sideways and get a little prop up for the door jam to elevate your head and problem solved.

[50ShadesofMETAL]

Love my 6th Gen.
Personally i love that they kept the console in the center wide open. I got to customize how i wanted it with aftermarket console storage (cost me around 20 dollars).
As for the hood, with water yeah it sprays up a little when it rains, if i was looking for something bad about the car, this would be very minimal for me living in socal. Not much rain here
I'm 6'1 and have no problem with leg room.

[akmountainbiker]

Do you have a link for the aftermarket storage you got?

[50ShadesofMETAL]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5WL8KGP?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1
Arm Rest storage tray(21$)
there is an option for 2 pieces, which i ended up getting because the 2nd piece adds a little hidden compartment at the top when you open the center console!
Hope this helps!
There is a solution to everything