Toyota 4Runner Towing Capacity

The 4Runner is Toyota's body-on-frame midsize SUV, built on truck architecture rather than a car-based platform. That construction gives it genuine towing capability that most crossover SUVs cannot match, along with the off-road credentials that have made it a favorite of trail runners and overlanders for decades.

The defining event in this data is the generation change between 2024 and 2025. The fifth-generation 4Runner (2010 to 2024) used a 4.0L naturally aspirated V6 and was rated at a flat 5,000 lbs across every trim, every year, with no variation. The sixth-generation 4Runner, arriving for 2025, brings the same 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder platform used in the new Tacoma. Towing jumps to 6,000 lbs, a 20% increase, and a hybrid option appears on the Limited and TRD Pro trims.

One thing that sets the 4Runner apart from truck-based competitors like the Jeep Wrangler (3,500 lbs) is its consistent towing rating. There is no trim-level variation in the 5th gen and no variation in the 6th gen either; every 4Runner tows 6,000 lbs. This simplifies the buying decision considerably. The differences between trims show up in payload and curb weight instead, which matters if you are carrying passengers and gear while towing.