Some vehicles you drive. Others, you also bond with. The 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is the latter. In an age where most machines are meant to be used and discarded, this one feels different. More like a loyal companion than an appliance. The kind of vehicle that quickly becomes a fixture in your life, remembered by name and shape long after it’s gone.
This week’s press vehicle was delivered in Mudbath—an earthy tone that reads as quietly capable. Inside: a black and red interior trimmed with TRD accents and hard-wearing materials. There’s something about this generation of 4Runner that still honors the idea of the journey—where the vehicle is as much a participant as the passengers.
Exterior Walk-Around
From a distance, the new 4Runner TRD Pro looks like it belongs in a landscape painting—towering cliff walls of the Palo Duro Canyon, wet pine forests, or a slow Texas dusk when Africa’s Saharan sands are blowing in. Toyota’s design team managed to modernize the familiar without losing the silhouette that has made this vehicle iconic over the decades.
Up front, a bold fascia with integrated LED light bar and high-clearance bumper announces its intent. It’s not trying to be sleek, rather it’s trying to be ready. Additional LED auxiliary lights and blacked-out badging add a great combination of safety and attitude.
The 18-inch TRD Pro wheels, wrapped in aggressive 33-inch all-terrain tires, give the truck its signature tall stance. The overall look is rugged, functional, with a whisper of intention. This is a vehicle built for those who plan their days around sunrises, not streetlights.
Interior
Climb inside and you’re greeted by an interior that leans heavily into tactile functionality. The red-stitched TRD seats offer support that lasts all day, whether you're crawling over rocks or cruising through the Hill Country. The subtle camouflage seat inserts add character without veering into kitsch.
Toyota’s newly expanded 14-inch infotainment screen is crisp, intuitive, and genuinely useful—offering a major upgrade over its sibling, the Land Cruiser. The hard physical buttons across the dash and center stack are a blessing in a distracted age. They’re simple, intentional, and keep your eyes on the road where they belong.
Another thoughtful touch is the removable JBL speaker embedded in the dashboard—brilliantly designed for campsite tunes, beach days, or impromptu tailgate moments. AUX switches are factory-installed and neatly aligned, allowing for future accessory upgrades with a clean, professional finish.
The 4Runner maintains its beloved roll-down rear window, a holdover feature that continues to charm loyalists and offers a rare combination of airflow and utility. The cargo area provides 42.6 cubic feet of space behind the seats, and up to 82.6 cubic feet when folded flat. It’s not the widest or lowest load floor due to the hybrid battery hump, but it’s still eminently usable. Whether it's coolers and camping gear or lumber from Home Depot, the space delivers.
Driving Impressions
Under the hood, the new i-Force Max 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine might raise eyebrows for the old-school crowd—but it shouldn’t. It produces a robust 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, delivering more than enough grunt to get the job done. That torque hits low and early thanks to electric assist, making it feel far more muscular than its displacement suggests.
The 8-speed automatic transmission is smooth and well-paced. Whether you're on pavement, gravel, or ungraded deer-lease tracks, shifts feel composed and purposeful. The TRD Pro comes fitted with FOX internal bypass shocks with remote reservoirs and a high-performance skid plate underneath. Together, they create a driving experience that’s both supple and confident. Especially off-road.
Around town, it handles with the familiar tall-body lean of a serious SUV. On the highway, it settles into a surprisingly quiet cruise. And off-pavement, where it truly belongs, it climbs, descends, and crawls with poise. It’s equally at home parked in front of a steakhouse as it is beside a creek bed with the liftgate open and boots on the bumper.
Features like the locking rear differential, Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, and the stabilizer-bar disconnect add real capability to the package. This isn’t just an appearance trim. It walks the talk, even if its owners never stray from the pavement.
Features & Practical Touches
Here’s where the 2025 TRD Pro earns its keep:
● i-Force Max 2.4L Hybrid Turbo (326 hp / 465 lb-ft)
What it means for you: Power when you need it, torque where it counts, and a quieter engine bay with less fuel spent doing the hard work.
● 18" TRD Wheels & 33" All-Terrain Tires
A taller ride and better clearance, ideal for brush, rocks, or soft ground. The look turns heads too.
● FOX QS3 Suspension with Reservoirs
Translates to better damping, longer travel, and more confidence whether you're driving over ruts or into town.
● Cargo Space: 42.6 cu ft rear / 82.6 cu ft with seats folded
Big enough for tents, coolers, or a couple of golden retrievers. Easily expandable for road trips or gear-heavy weekends.
● Factory AUX switches, JBL removable speaker, hard physical controls
Ready for custom lights, fridges, or radios—all with a cockpit that keeps your hands and focus where they belong.
● Roll-down rear window
Still the only SUV where your dog can hang their head out the back—and where you can load lumber without opening the tailgate.
Summary
As tested, this 2025 4Runner TRD Pro came in just over $72,000. That’s a far cry from its humble origins, but also a reflection of its growing legend. And the 2025 marketplace. This isn’t a stripped-down tool anymore. It’s a highly capable adventure partner wrapped in Toyota’s legendary reliability and an aesthetic that feels eternal.
What’s striking is the way this truck invites interaction. People rolled down windows at intersections to ask about it. Strangers walked across parking lots just to get a closer look. And somehow, it’s not trying too hard. It just wears its capability well.
In a market full of try-hards and tech-drenched crossovers, the 4Runner TRD Pro still feels analog in the best way. It’s a handshake, not a swipe. A trailhead, not a status symbol. And yet, it draws admiration all the same.
For the kind of person who values grit over gloss, connection over convenience, and a vehicle that pulls its own weight—the 2025 4Runner TRD Pro is more than enough. It becomes part of your story.
And if you're lucky, you'll become part of its.