Long-Term 2025 Toyota 4Runner Update: How Efficient Is the Hybrid After 5,000 Miles?

When we bought a hybrid 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium, we were intrigued by the prospect of … well, maybe not good gas mileage, but at least adequate fuel economy. If you’ve ever owned a 4Runner (I miss my 1997 Limited every day), you know that a fuel-efficient one is something of an alien concept. The all-new 2025 4Runner hybrid is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. How has ours performed after our first 5,000 miles of driving?

2025 Toyota 4Runner Hybrid TRD Off-Road Premium | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry

How Efficient Is the 4Runner Hybrid?

Average calculated fuel economy: 21 mpg
Average speed per tank: 38 mph
Miles driven: 5,320
Gallons of gas pumped: 253
Total cost of fuel: $855.75

On one hand, 21 mpg from a 4Runner is excellent, relatively speaking; on the other hand, our 4Runner is a hybrid, and we were expecting closer to the EPA-estimated 23 mpg. If you’ve been following our ownership story so far, you know that a key aerodynamic piece, the front air dam, had issues staying attached. Could that have contributed? Possibly, but it’s worth noting that our second most efficient fill-up thus far — following a highway drive from Flint, Mich., to Evanston, Ill. — registered 24 mpg without the air dam attached at all. Our most efficient tank to date, at 24.7 mpg, included part of the reverse of that drive with the air dam.

The lesson here seems to be less that the air dam matters and more that the 4Runner hybrid may get closer to its 24 mpg highway EPA rating than its combined rating. In looking at our fuel-economy log, higher average speeds have tended to produce more efficient trips, though there appears to be a sweet spot at an average speed of 45 mph. Above or below that, our mileage has taken a hit.

How Did Our 5,000-Mile Service Go?

Scheduling an appointment at a nearby dealership was easy using the Toyota app, and the service itself didn’t take very long — roughly an hour and a half for a tire rotation and multipoint inspection, all at no cost to us. For our 10,000-mile scheduled service, we’ll get another tire rotation as well as an oil and filter change, per the manufacturer recommendation.

More Toyota 4Runner News From Cars.com:

What’s Next?

Stay tuned to see how we replaced our 4Runner’s front air dam after purchasing a replacement, how it performs off-road, additional mileage updates, and deeper dives into its tech and features. We’ll also document if anything else should break.

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23,600-Plus Chevrolet Corvettes Recalled for Fire Risk

By Corinne Vercoe

August 27, 2025

Share 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | Cars.com photo by Conner Golden

GM is recalling more than 23,600 examples of its Chevrolet Corvette sports car over an issue that increases the risk of a fire. (GM is Chevy’s parent company.)

Related: More Chevrolet News

Affected vehicles include model-year 2023-26 Corvettes equipped with a left-side radiator/fan combination. During refueling, excess fuel may spill into the vehicle fuel-filler pocket and come into contact with an ignition source, such as a hot engine or exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.

As a fix, dealers will install a shield to divert spilled fuel for free. GM will begin notifying owners of the issue Oct. 6; a second letter will be sent once the fix is available. Those with further questions in the meantime can contact Chevrolet at 800-222-1020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236, or visit its website to check their vehicle identification number and learn more.

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10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Lexus RX Edges Up, Toyota 4Runner Follows

By Matt Schmitz

August 27, 2025

Share 2026 Lexus RX 350h Luxury | Manufacturer image

If you’re in the market for a Lexus RX, the starting price of the mid-size luxury SUV is creeping up by $600 for the 2026 model year. On the other hand, if you’re in the market for a Lexus RX with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, multiply that sum by 10, then subtract it from the price of the 2025 RX 450h+ Luxury trim — the only version of the outgoing model available with the PHEV. All that’s to say you’ll be able to pay some six grand less for that plug when the 2026 models start hitting dealerships later in the year.

In Cars.com’s most popular news story of the past week — our pricing report on the 2026 RX lineup — we break down what it’ll set you back to buy any of the 14 trim levels distributed among four powertrain choices. If you’re going gas-only, the new RX 350 starts at $51,175 (prices include destination) and rises incrementally across five more trims up to the F Sport Handling, which tops out the range at just under 60 grand. The RX 350h, meanwhile, with one of three hybrid propulsion systems available, starts at $53,475 for the Standard and tops out just shy of $58,000 for the F Sport Design. The PHEV comes in two flavors of the RX 450h+, just under 67 grand for the Premium and $73,310 for the Luxury, while the hybrid-powered RX 500h is around 67 grand at the base.

For full pricing details on the 2026 Lexus RX — including a trim-by-trim breakdown of features and equipment, standard and available safety tech, as well as powertrain specs and fuel-economy estimates — follow the link below to the No. 1 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.

Elsewhere in SUVs, the Toyota 4Runner returned for 2025 — redesigned for the first time since the first term of the Obama administration (which now seems like a really long time ago!) — more refined but no less rugged for it. With SUVs now the dominant choice for family duty, can the off-road-inclined 4Runner handle rocks and rugrats? Cars.com’s Jennifer Geiger hit the pavement with her brood to see how the 4Runner fares on family road trips. The results? Mixed to positive. In the plus column were comfortable second-row space for kids in booster seats, convenient snack-stowing spots, abundant device-charging ports, a responsive and intuitive infotainment display, ample cargo room, and a vastly improved EPA-rated fuel-economy estimate. The 4Runner falls short of fabulous in accommodation for non-booster-type child safety seats, wireless Android Auto connectivity and budget-friendliness exemplified by the steep $61,219 as-tested price for our long-term TRD Off-Road Premium hybrid.

For Geiger’s full accounting of her family road trip in the 2025 4Runner, follow the link below to the No. 2 news story of the week.

Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Hyundai Palisade, Dodge Charger, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and G-Class, Subaru Outback, Jeep Wrangler and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:

1. How Much Is the 2026 Lexus RX?

2. Is the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Good for Families?

3. 2026 Hyundai Palisade Review: Growing Gains

4. 2026 Dodge Charger: Jumpin’ Sixpack, It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas!

5. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now

6. 2025 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain Review: Wearing Your Dress Shoes On a Hike

7. Redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback Gets Price Bump, Starts at $36,445

8. Nearly 79,000 Jeep Wranglers Recalled for Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

9. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy

10. 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 With EQ Technology Review: Pricey and Portly, But Plenty Potent