Inevitably, when a new generation of vehicles comes out, there will be a lot of input from the internet. When the beloved Toyota 4Runner debuted its all-new design, the internet became feisty. Since its release, all you have to do is go onto any social media site and mention the 6th Gen to hear a variety of opinions, with most of them leaning toward the negative side.
But the question we need to ask is… Are these negative comments justified? As someone who owns a 2025 Toyota 4Runner SR5, I have looked into the top 3 common complaints I’ve seen and wanted to share my thoughts. If you have any other concerns or questions about the 6th Gen 4Runner, feel free to comment below!
Table Of Contents
Complaint #1. 4-Cylinder Turbo Reliability
The 5th Gen’s V6 engine is a legend in the off-road community, and rightfully so. It has proven itself as one of the most reliable engines ever made. The 2025 4Runner makes a significant change to a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which has raised concerns in the off-road community. While the turbocharged engine offers improved power, some traditionalists feel it doesn’t have the same character as the 5th Gen V6.
However, the same engine equipped in the 6th Gen 4Runner and the 4th Gen Tacoma has also been used in the Lexus NX 350 since 2021.
Historically, the 4Runner’s 4.0-liter V6 engine has been praised for its durability, with many owners achieving high mileage with minimal issues. The shift to the 2.4 liter turbo introduces new tests for Toyota’s reliability. I personally think this powertrain will pass these tests with no problem, but at this point, only time will tell.
Any claims that the engine will not be reliable are just that—claims, with no evidence to back them up. Opinions don’t equal facts, and it’s fair to say we should give Toyota the benefit of the doubt that they know what they’re doing regarding vehicles.
Complaint #2. Lack Of Space
There’s no shortage of opinions on the size of the rear seats and cargo area in the 6th Gen. Many claim it’s much smaller than the 5th Gen and that the new tumble-forward seats are horrible compared to the outgoing fold-down ones.
But there’s good news. The seats still have the option to fold down, albeit just a little differently. As you can see from the picture above, the seat still has the option to lay somewhat flat, but for sleeping in the 6th Gen, some adjustments will need to be made to make it flat.
So, how much space are we losing or gaining? Let’s jump straight into the measurements.
To see more photos of the interior space on the 6th Gen 4Runner, check out this forum post: 6th Gen 4Runner Interior Measurements.
- Measurement 1: Driver seat all the way back
- 6th gen: 5” of space from the back of driver seat to the front of the middle row seating.
- 5th gen: 8”
- Measurement 2: Driver seat all the way forward
- 6th gen: 15” from the back of the driver seat to the front of the middle row seating.
- 5th gen: 17”
- Measurement 3: Rear hatch from backseats to hatch latch
- 6th gen: 44”
- 5th gen: 42”
- Measurement 4: Width from far rear window to window
- 6th gen: 55.5”
- 5th gen: 57.5”
- Measurement 5: Short width from wheel well to wheel well
- 6th gen: 44”
- 5th gen: 44”
- Measurement 6: Floor to roof
- 6th gen: 38.5”
- 5th gen: 38”
You can see here that you do, in fact, lose some space in certain aspects, but you also gain half an inch in height. The question becomes, is a couple of inches too much of a loss for your needs? That’s, of course, up to the buyer.
I noticed no difference, nor have my kids compared to my previous 5th Gen. I can still sit in the back comfortably with room to spare.
Complaint #3. Controversial Looks
Anytime there’s a new redesign, people will have strong opinions. We saw it with the 4th Gen Tacoma, and we see it again with the 6th Gen 4Runner. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I didn’t think twice about it when the 6th Gen was introduced, and I saw a Trailhunter at Overland Expo PNW last summer. The colors were cool, and I got a free Toyota badge. At the time, I was driving my 4th Gen Tacoma, so I went on with my day.
The more pictures I saw of them, the more they grew on me. When I saw one in person and took some time to look, I was sold on them. I think part of the reason people complain about them online is because of the legendary status the 5th Gen has attained. I personally like the new body lines and the refreshed interior. But again, it will come down to personal taste.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to remember that the internet has many opinions, some of which you’ll agree with and others won’t. Not everyone will be fans of the new 6th Gen 4Runner, and that’s OK. As a buyer, it’s up to you to decide if it fits your needs. The 6th Gen is perfect for my trips to the mall and occasional trips to the mountains.
No car is perfect, and the new 4Runner won’t fit everyone’s needs. However, I’d encourage you to check one out in person for yourself. Just remember, as I mentioned above, opinions are not facts, and Toyota has been in this game for a long time.
I find it hard to shell out 70 plus grand for a 4 cylinder vehicle made in Mexico. NOT a good move by Toyota.
I’ll stick w my 5th generation trd pro and 200 series land cruiser v8.
When backing out the brakes squeals very loud. It is horrible. Nice ride but not enough room.
How about the fact that the 5th gen 4Runners have frame-mounted bump stops and the 6th gen have shock-mounted like a crossover. The shock-mounted bump stops have failed in the 4th gen Tacoma.
You forgot to mention the pricing concerns, almost $80k with markup for a 4Runner is INSANE!!
Well, having had a 1st gen, 3rd gen, and still have a 4th gen and a 5th gen……Every Single new generation had haters before during and after they came out!! And guess what, each gen (except for the 2nd) got better and better and the 5th gen being by far the best!! Again, a Lot of people hated on them, but we sell a Lot of them and this will be no different! People bitch and moan because the 5th was too old w/tech, and this and that…….so once Toyoda had a new platform and current tech, they finally came up with the 6th gen!!! All of this hating will subside once more and more of them are on the roads!! I bought my first Toyota truck (may have been called Hilux then) in 1981 w/ the 22r (Not re!) and beat the crap out of it wheeling and traveling for 630000 miles before, like an idiot, sold it. This engine will be fine, it’s been in quite a few of ours and Lexus car, suv’s and now trucks.
Personally, whenever I get around to a 6th gen, I’d go with the Hybrid…..More Power and hopefully better mpg’s compared to the crap mpg’s I get now!! But, you do lose way more height in the cargo area because of the batteries. Something has to give, so maybe a trailer to carry all of my shlt!!
Maybe if anyone on here has a 6th gen Hybrid, post up their thoughts on here. I’ve been driving Toyota off road trucks and 4Runner’s since 1981, and have been selling them at Findlay Toyota for 25 years!!! I’ve seen it all and time and time again, Toyota gets it right!! Mr. Toyoda knows what he’s doing!!! Besides…..what the hell else would you buy, a bronco LoL!! A Heep LOL!! Well, I guess those are the only two semi competitors to the 4Runner……Oh, I know, you can always get a new LC 250!!! But wait, that’s basically a more squared off 6th gen!!! LOL!!! So, a vehicle with little to no real competition vs the other stuff on the road……..I’m Always buying Toyota’s!!!!
Sorry for the long ass well, story I guess!! LOL!!!
PS, we are for the most part, sold out of most 6th gen 4Runner!! Very few TRD Off Road/Premiums even available, All TRDPros and Trailhunters are always completely sold out…….and we have a lot of deposits on most SR5’s, Sports, Limited’s etc…..that are on allocation!! So, just for you haters, people are buying them despite your hating stupid reviews!!!!
That’s enough, I have to go sell a 4Runner!!!
The 6th gen looks okay but I prefer the looks of the 5th gen (I also love my V6 engine). I am kind of glad since I love my 2018 TRD Off Road and plan on keeping it for many more years!
It looks a little cross-eyed, like a cat at the shelter that needs adopting. ♥️
Kevin, none of your article addresses any of the concerns and ended up being opinion as well.
People don’t trust new. That’s it. The 6th Gen gets spicy comments because a lot of folks don’t like it. We saw this with the 4th Gens too and the early pre-front clip redesign 5th Gen. Nothing Toyota did made the off road community happy. In fact everything done to it that brought it up to modern standards, we have been doing aftermarket ourselves to the outgoing models.
Time will tell.
My only styling complaint is the use of plastic cladding on the wheel arches of 7 (if I counted correctly) of the available trims. Granted you only need to go to the TRD Sport if you don’t want the cladding, but it’s definitely not my taste and feels like a cop out in an attempt to save money.
That being said; I realize that many appreciate this move because of the battle-scars that many of our 4Runners wear on the wheel arches. Lord knows I have a few on mine! I suppose there are a few buyers who will see their benefit. It’ll probably be a VERY long time until my garage sees another 4Runner because I’m keeping my ’17 on the road as long as possible. I’m just past 95K on the odometer. She’s barely broken in.
I’ve test drove the 6th Gen Limited and was underwhelmed the the interior cargo & back seat space. Very Cramping. There were no shocks when you lifted the hood. that was no bueno for the price that they were asking.
If you need a Toyo 4cyl example…the 2004-2006 Corolla (i have one that my kids drive). You can’t throw a dead cat over your shoulder without hitting one that is still running just fine today. My current model, a 2006, has 190,000 miles on it and still pulls strong.
the first “complaint” is more a concern. its still early to critique the engines reliability. but what we do know is toyota has put out great 4-cyl engines before, why would this be any different? the sienna has one, the supra has one, the camry has one… hell, the gr corolla has one, but it has one cylinder short. lol
Since when Supra had 4 cyl engine? It was always i6 engines w/ a “close deck” body.
the current supra has 2 engine choices: the b58 inline 6 turbo and the b48 inline 4 turbo from bmw. they may be bmw engines, but toyota had a hand in tuning them for reliability.
Speaking of the new engine, the primary concern, if the engine is a DI engine, must be input valves’ carbon deposit delivering via positive crankcase ventilation. The only one correct way to decrease the deposit growing, in case of direct injection (DI) presence, is fuel injects into pre-valve ports and removes the deposit from the valves on low speeds. In case of high speeds ther are no ways to avoid carbon depositing in DI engines. So the carbon deposit and usual overheating of the turbo engines are the things to kill your engine much faster then a naturally aspirared gen 5 engine.