Is The Newest Toyota 4Runner Really Underpowered? Here's What Owners Say

Toyota's decision to retire the old 4.0-liter V6 for a turbocharged four-cylinder was never going to go unnoticed. On paper, the new 2.4-liter i-FORCE makes 317 lb-ft of torque (which is already more than the V6), and the available i-FORCE MAX pushes that to a serious 465 lb-ft. When talking about something like the 4Runner, how it feels behind the wheel matters more than what's printed in the brochure.

Among body-on-frame SUVs, it's now one of Toyota's models with the least horsepower — in base configuration — and longtime fans have definitely noticed. Some older owners are calling the engine swap a mistake, while others argue it "is an upgrade in nearly all ways over the 5th gen."

Within days of release, r/4Runner, 4Runner6G, TacomaWorld, and even some Land Cruiser forums were full of driver reports and performance hot takes. At this point, whether the new 2025 Toyota 4Runner is underpowered, stronger, or just different seems to depend on who's behind the wheel and what they're expecting. The turbo fans are sold on the extra torque, and the V6 owners miss the old-school feel, but like most things with this SUV, expectation is what it really comes down to. 

The old 4.0-liter V6 wasn't particularly fast, but owners still didn't expect to feel left behind by a full-size SUV. On r/4Runner, a fifth-gen owner admitted they were "really turned off by how underpowered she is." Another fifth-gen owner on r/4Runner said their "4Runner gets along fine; it just requires a very heavy foot to do so." That's pretty much what many longtime owners have said — the old V6 had power, but it made you work for it.

So, when Toyota decided to downsize two cylinders and add a turbo, expectations were naturally all over the place. One particular Trail4Runner poster, Kevin Krieger, was skeptical about the move from their fifth-gen 4Runner. However, they came away impressed, saying, "I can confidently say that the i-FORCE 2.4L 4-cylinder turbocharged powertrain paired with the 8-speed automatic transmission provides more than enough power while shifting smoothly," and it "drives better than previous generations."

A new 2025 TRD Sport Premium owner who also upgraded from a 2016 fifth-gen called it a "huge upgrade," and added that the new turbocharged engine has "more power and pickup than its V6 predecessor." That's pretty much where things stand right now — some owners feel like they lost two cylinders, and some are just happy the thing finally gets out of its own way.

"Plenty of power" is how one 4Runner.com user summed up the 2025 4Runner's run up Colorado's infamous Ike Gauntlet, where it was "towing 5,500 lbs up a 7% grade where the 5th gen struggles with much lighter loads." That's not something you heard often with the old 4.0-liter V6, but this time, even Colorado locals are backing it up. That's saying something, given how the Rockies have long exposed just how underpowered a 4Runner can feel on steep inclines.

One Colorado local who regularly camps and off-roads said they'd "recommend a 4Runner" over smaller crossovers for unpredictable trails and terrain. In those mountains, every extra pound — especially with bigger tires, skids, or gear — makes itself known on the climbs. That's why so many sixth-gen 4Runner owners are leaning on sport mode, especially at these altitudes. A poster confirmed that in Sport mode, "the extra pep is definitely noticeable," even if there's still a bit of lag off the line. For some, that may be all the reassurance they need to skip the hybrid altogether.

It's not perfect, but the base engine is now good enough that longtime locals are sticking with it. Sure, it still loses some punch in the mountains, like any gas motor would. However, for many, the so-called "underpowered" gas 4Runner is plenty of SUV for their needs.