--- title: "2025 Toyota 4Runner Fuel Economy: The Hybrid Is Worse on the Highway" description: "Toyota's latest truck and SUV hybrids are more about power delivery than efficiency, and the new 4Runner is proof of that." date: "2024-12-10" modified: "2024-12-10" authors: - name: "Byron Hurd" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/byron-hurd" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/2025-toyota-4runner-fuel-economy-the-hybrid-is-worse-on-the-highway" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Toyota News" tags: - "4runner" - "fuel economy" - "hybrid" - "suv/crossover" - "Toyota" - "Toyota 4Runner" --- # 2025 Toyota 4Runner Fuel Economy: The Hybrid Is Worse on the Highway ![]() *\Toyota\* If you've been keeping tabs on Toyota's latest [truck releases](), you may have picked up the fact that despite its heavy emphasis on electrification, the company's hybrids [haven't exactly led with efficiency](). As it turns out, the redesigned [4Runner]() will be no different. In fact, the new i-Force Max hybrid manages to return *worse* fuel economy on the highway than the standard gasoline powertrain in Toyota's newest SUV. There are two main reasons for this. For starters, the standard gas engine is the only one available with two-wheel drive. Compounding the issue is the fact that the i-Force Max hybrid is reserved for the 2025 4Runner's upper trims, which are going to incorporate all the off-road features that enthusiasts crave, most of which (4WD, extra ground clearance, knobby tires, etc.) aren't awesome for your gas mileage. With the standard gasoline engine, the 2WD SR5, Sport, and Sport Premium are rated at 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined; the Limited model offers the same city and combined figures, but only 24 mpg highway. Stepping up to 4WD drops those figures to 19/25/21 for the SR4, Sport, Sport Premium, Off-Road, and Off-Road Premium trims; if you opt for the Limited, it actually improves to 20 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined. Meanwhile, the [i-Force Max hybrid]() is available exclusively with 4WD. All six trims (Off-Road, Off-Road Premium, Limited, Trailhunter, Platinum, and TRD Pro) are rated for the same fuel economy: 23 mpg city (a marked improvement), 24 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. ![]() *This is a 2025 4Runner Limited in "Heritage Blue." The more I look at this color, the more I like it. A white roof would look good on this, maybe even white wheels. The Limited trim will be available with the non-hybrid engine, making it a candidate for manual transmission fitment. *Toyota** ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() *Toyota* That a hybrid works best around town isn't news. In a heavy truck or SUV that taxes propulsion systems right off the line, electric assistance provides a torque boost that can pay huge dividends in fuel consumption. Sustaining that torque at highway speeds is what proves challenging for hybrids; as the constant travel depletes the battery's state of charge, that torque boost goes away. Throw in the not-so-aerodynamically friendly choices made with the 4Runner's more bristly off-road packages, and suddenly things aren't looking so hot. Remember, when you're talking about something that only returns 20-22 miles per gallon on a good day, small improvements mean a lot in terms of real-world cost. The 5-mpg city improvement from the 4Runner's 4WD ICE to the 4WD hybrid represents a jump of more than 25%—that's a lot farther you can go for the same money. A [Toyota Prius]() trim improving from 45 to 50 mpg, on the other hand, is a gain of just 10%. [Toyota]() isn't alone in this either, strictly speaking. The [Jeep Wrangler 4xe]() is notorious for its so-so fuel economy with its battery depleted, and it has a much larger battery to carry around than the 4Runner. Since it's a plug-in, Jeep doesn't publish separate city/highway fuel economy numbers for the 4xe, but its mixed driving figure (20 mpg) is worse than its gasoline equivalent's (21 mpg). We're not sure what hurts the 4xe worse: the weight of the battery around town, or the less-than-optimal highway aerodynamics of its few trim selections. Either way, it paints a very similar picture to the 4Runner's. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. He brings a light, punchy style to all of his content, believing that there's plenty out there to be laughed at—himself included. Born and raised in Maryland but now based just a stone's throw from Detroit, Byron is an auto enthusiast and generalist who enjoys building and tinkering with things of all kinds, from cars, computers and digital cityscapes, to the new garage that will soon house his fleet (a CT4-V Blackwing, a JK Wrangler and an NA Miata). Inspired by an early love of rollercoasters, Byron quickly caught the high-performance driving itch. He's been tracking and auto-crossing his cars since 2007. In his downtime, Byron enjoys reading, playing city builders, and studying the history of the Motor City. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()