How To Buy One Of The New Mid-Size Toyota Trucks In Five Easy Steps

Here’s how to find the highest value and most performance from the mechanically-identical Tacoma, Land Cruiser*, and 4Runner

Reviews of the new Toyota 4Runner are out today, completing the launch of Toyota’s new family of mechanically identical mid-size trucks. But despite sharing frames, motors, transmissions, axles, and suspension components, there are actually some important differentiators between that thing, the Tacoma, and the Land Cruiser* beyond just the looks. Let me make it easy to decide which one might be least-bad for your needs.

As a recap, the new Tacoma, 4Runner, and Land Cruiser* are all based on Toyota’s new TNGA-F frame. Just to make things really confusing, a version of that frame is also used by the full-size Tundra, Sequoia, and the Lexus GX and LX. But where those larger vehicles use a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 (also available in hybrid flavor), and are obviously bigger size-wise, the smaller trucks all share a 2.4-liter single-turbo four-cylinder, which is also available as a hybrid.

If that’s not confusing enough, the hybrid versions of all these trucks are there to increase performance, and cost more of your money, not to return better MPGs or shave the whales. It seems like Toyota realized there was a ton of value in the “hybrid” brand, then threw that out the window in favor of badges that say things like “iForce Max,” instead. Who knows what those words mean, if anything.

So, aside from the fact that the Tacoma pickup is a little longer than the two SUVs, we have three vehicles that are essentially identical under their skins. The 4Runner kinda looks like a Tacoma with a hatch instead of a bed, and the Land Cruiser* doesn’t look like either, even though it’s the exact same deal otherwise. The only big differences are pricing and options. And holy shit does that make trying to decide which one of these to buy an exercise in mental gymnastics.

For the reason that all of the above also hurts my head, I’m just going to cut through all the bullshit and talk only about the stuff that matters.

Yes, there are some minor differences between the three for stuff like approach, breakover, and departure angles. That’s just purely down to them having like different looking front clips, and the Tacoma obviously having a longer wheelbase. You will not notice any of those differences in the real world, especially since any of you who know what those angles are will immediately be putting these things on big tires anyways.

Step One: Determine How Much Payload You Need

Payload is the delta between curb weight and the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Curb weight is how much a vehicle weighs ready to drive, minus fuel. GVWR is the maximum a jalopy is legally allowed to weigh when used on public roads.

It is the job of a vehicle to move weight. Every component on one of these things is sized and spec’d to GVWR, no more. That’s how GVWR is determined. That will be true for stuff like suspension bushings, wheel bearings, axles, cooling systems, differentials etc. So while you can change around one of those things in favor of a heavier duty component—say rear springs weights—changing all of them together would be what’s necessary to genuinely endow a vehicle with the ability to safely and reliably carry more weight. And changing literally every mechanical component on a vehicle would cost more than just buying the truck itself.

Why are we starting there? Because payloads are likely a lot lower than you think they’re going to be. Take the new 4Runner Trailhunter for instance. Its curb weight is 5,500 pounds. GVWR for hybrid 4Runners is 6,505 pounds. Best case scenario payload for the 4Runner Trailhunter is 1,005 pounds.

That number does not include options. Last April, my friends at TFL grabbed a shot of the door jamb sticker on a pre-production 4Runner during a video shoot that showed an 895 pound payload number. That vehicle was likely configured with extras that totaled that 110 pound difference. Always look at the stickers inside the driver’s door jamb before you buy a new vehicle.

Curb weight does not include fuel. 19 gallons of gas weighs about 114 pounds (depending on stuff like additives). That leaves you with 891 pounds to work with. [Edit: when working from the 1,005 pound figure, sorry if this was confusing.] Within that number, you must account for the weight of all potential human and canine occupants, their luggage, your camping gear, your groceries, and anything else you plan to carry or bolt onto the truck.

Here’s those numbers for my family. Humans: 300 pounds. Dogs: 300 pounds. Maxtrax: 15 pounds. ARB twin-piston compressor: 17 pounds. 5 gallons of water w/container: 45 pounds. Tools: 45 pounds. Dometic CFX3 55: 47 pounds. Dometic PLB40: 16 pounds. Two bottles of wine: 5 pounds. Two six-packs: 10 pounds. Enough raw chicken to feed the dogs for two nights: 8 pounds. Nemo Wagontop: 20 pounds. Exped Megamat Duo: 8 pounds. Two camp chairs: 10 pounds. Clothing, sleeping bags, etc: 20 pounds. Two bundles of firewood: 35 pounds. Assorted extras: ~50 pounds.

Call that total 950 pounds. We could not safely or legally take a 4Runner Hybrid on a totally normal weekend camping trip.

Non-hybrid 4Runners are around 375 pounds lighter. My family would have to choose one of those, while being careful about the weight of options and accessories.

Does that mean the Land Cruiser* or Tacoma might make better choices? While curb weight on the Land Cruiser* is said to be 5,038 pounds with a GVWR of 6,725 pounds, for a payload of 1,687 pounds. That’s an ideal number, but also not one I’ve seen born out in the real world. Every door jamb sticker I’ve seen on that vehicle has said 1,100 pounds. Payloads on Tacomas are supposed to range from 1,200 pounds to 1,700 pounds, but again I keep seeing 1,100 pound stickers.

If you are shopping for one of these vehicles, confirm its ability to carry you, your stuff, and your family safely before proceeding.

Step Two: Maximize Traction

I’m just going to assume we’re having a discussion about using these vehicles off-road and in winter weather here. Otherwise, buy a Prius.

Here’s my brief recap on traction: four-wheel drive locks the speeds of the axles together, sending all power to the wheel on each with the least traction. Locking axle diffs then match speeds across axles.

And while it’s possible to get a rear locker on all three of these trucks (since they’re again identical underneath), none include a front locker, instead relying on modern traction electronics to match speeds across that axle. Honestly, that’s a better setup most of the time.

For the Tacoma and 4Runner, locking rear diffs and driving modes start with the TRD Off-Road trim levels. All current versions of the new Land Cruiser* sold in this country include a rear locker.

We should also talk about full-time 4WD. That’s a setup where the vehicle in question nominally operates in All-Wheel Drive through an open center differential, but where that center diff can be locked, which puts the vehicle in 4WD. Lacking other doodads, AWD sends all power to the wheel with the least traction, which renders it pointless. But these Toyotas are available with such a doodad. And not just any doodad, but a TorSen center diff doodad.

One of those is also present on my wife’s Land Cruiser (note the lack of an asterisk), and I can report that it’s transformative for the kind of winter driving that sees you frequently transitioning from bare pavement to patchy snow and ice. When one axle loses traction and begins to spin faster than the other, the complicated gear set inside a TorSen diff distributes torque to the other axle smoothly, and without any jerks or disruption, and does that without the need for any electronic sensors or switches. You can read more about how those work here. The net result is that you’re able to maintain stability and forward acceleration, without disruption, or any need to push buttons. Neat!

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Just to lift the curtain on media launches a little bit, this is what the big jump moment looked like in reality. Drive courses are carefully curated to flatter a vehicle’s capabilities and hide flaws. While my buddy Bryon (who shot this video) is an experienced off-road driver, most normal car journalists are not. If you’ve ever raced motocross or similar, you can see how much effort Toyota went through in constructing the takeoff and landing here, in order to make the entire experience as gentle as possible. I wouldn’t try to jump a 4Runner in the real world.

Step Three: Which Toyota Provides All This For The Least Money?

The cheapest way to get a Tacoma with 4WD and a locking rear diff is in TRD Off-Road trim, which for 2025 will cost you $43,295.

If you spend a lot of time dealing with snow, you can get one with a TorSen by spending up to the $52,555 Limited, which also includes a locking rear diff.

For the 4Runner, meaningful traction also starts with TRD Off-Road, which stickers at an eye watering $50,060. You can get that TorSen by spending up to the $58,880 Limited.

All Land Cruisers* include the TorSen and a rear locker. The cheapest version is $57,900.

Those are some pretty wild price differences for vehicles that are, again, mechanically identical, so I think the choice here is clear: If you must buy a mid-size Toyota, make it the basic Tacoma TRD Off-Road.

Step Five: Fix Its Shortfalls

Versus even the minimum viable 4Runner—the $50,060 TRD Off-Road—that saves Toyota Stans $6,765. So let’s set that as a budget to use fixing the most glaring issues, and getting it set up so you can actually use the thing.

The first and most fundamental problem with any of these vehicles is going to be their tires. All three come with really basic highway terrains that just aren’t going to work beyond dry pavement. Because larger tires look cool, more easily roll over large obstacles, and have a longer footprint that provides more grip, let’s go up from a 32 to a 34. Five 285/75-17 Toyo Open Country ATIIIs in C load will run you $1,615, delivered. Let’s call getting them mounted and balanced $200. Those will give you the grip and puncture resistance you need any time you leave pavement.

We also need to make room for those larger tires, while fitting shocks that won’t overheat and fade, which the TRD Off-Road’s stock items will do while carrying any sort of load, or any terrain beyond simple gravel. A set of front and rear Dobinson’s IMS dampers and springs will provide about two inches of lift, along with more heat resistant dampers, and won’t break the bank at $1,910. Go for two inch springs and stock weight up front, and 2.25 rears set up for 175 to 330 pounds of additional load. Those won’t increase payload by those amounts, but rather optimize spring rates for that much additional weight.

You’re selecting those spring rates because we’re going to add a bed cap. There’s nothing fancy at all about an ARE V-series cap, but it will double the height of secure volume within your bed, and keep out weather. If you’re mad about skipping the 4Runner’s enclosed cargo area, this will provide probably four times that space, all in a truck bed you can pressure wash. Not bad for $2,450.

All that leaves about $600 left over, which should get your suspension installed for you. And unlike any trims or options or packages sold by Toyota across all these vehicles, that together combines real grip off-road, with good ride quality, and the ability to keep a reasonable amount of cargo clean and dry. You’ll find that much more useful in everything from daily driving on up to big adventures than any setup available from the factory.

Can you access higher levels of performance off-road, nicer interiors, more useful payload numbers, and greater durability by spending more money? Of course, just not altogether from a mid-size Toyota truck.

*Please refer to this meme.