The 4Runner is the Bronco's other constant cross-shop, alongside the Wrangler, and Toyota just gave it an all-new platform for 2025, its first full redesign in over a decade. Here's how the two compare now that both are current, mature products rather than one being the new kid on the block.
In This Guide
Body Styles and Removable Tops
The Bronco comes as a 2-door or 4-door, with a removable roof and removable doors on every trim. The 4Runner is 4-door only, built as a fixed-roof wagon with no equivalent to the Bronco's open-air configuration. If driving with no top or doors at all is part of the appeal for you, the 4Runner simply doesn't compete on that front, it was never designed to.
Engines and Power
Every Bronco engine outpowers the 4Runner's standard gas engine. The 2.3L four-cylinder makes 300 horsepower, the 2.7L V6 makes 330, and the Raptor's 3.0L twin-turbo V6 makes 418, all ahead of the 4Runner's 2.4L turbo-four at 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft. Toyota's answer is the i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, available from the TRD Off-Road trim up through the Trailhunter and TRD Pro, which trades outright horsepower numbers for efficiency and low-end torque rather than trying to out-muscle the Bronco directly.
Transmission: Manual vs Auto-Only
The Bronco still offers a 7-speed manual, paired exclusively with the 2.3L engine. The 4Runner doesn't offer a manual at all, across any trim or engine. If rowing your own gears matters to your buying decision, this isn't a close comparison.
Off-Road Tech and Suspension
Both platforms bring genuine hardware to the trail rather than badge-deep off-road styling. The Bronco's HOSS suspension system and Sasquatch package add front and rear locking differentials, 35-inch tires, and position-sensitive Bilstein shocks, with the Raptor stepping up to a wider track and even more suspension travel built for high-speed desert running. The 4Runner's TRD Pro runs FOX suspension of its own, and the Trailhunter trim adds a factory snorkel, roughly two extra inches of ground clearance, an ARB roof rack, and an onboard air compressor built specifically for overlanding-style trips rather than desert speed.
Toyota also includes a Multi-Terrain Monitor on upper trims, a 360-degree camera system that helps spot obstacles you can't see directly under the front bumper, a genuinely useful feature the Bronco doesn't have a direct equivalent for.
Reliability Reputation
The 4Runner's reputation for reliability is well-earned across its previous generation, but worth a caveat: the 2025 redesign is an all-new platform, its first major overhaul in over a decade, which means the current 4Runner hasn't had the same years of real-world proving that built Toyota's reputation in the first place. New platforms carry new-platform risk regardless of badge. We cover exactly what's documented and confirmed about the Bronco's own reliability history, generation by generation, in our full Bronco reliability breakdown.
Towing Capacity
The 4Runner tows up to 6,000 pounds, nearly double what the Bronco is rated for. If regularly towing a trailer or boat is part of the plan, this is the clearest, least debatable advantage the 4Runner has over the Bronco.
Price
At the entry level, the two land close together. The Bronco 2-door starts around $39,890 including destination, with the 4-door around $42,265. The 4Runner's base rear-wheel-drive SR5 starts at $43,365 including destination, with 4WD adding roughly $2,500 more. The gap widens further up the lineup, since the 4Runner's hybrid trims run from the mid-$50,000s up to $69,695 for the TRD Pro, pricing that reflects the added hybrid hardware rather than a like-for-like comparison against the Bronco's gas-only lineup.
Which One Fits You
Choose the Bronco if open-air driving, a manual transmission, or the widest range of body styles and trims matters to your build. Choose the 4Runner if towing capacity, hybrid efficiency, or a platform built around long-standing Toyota reliability data matters more than styling flexibility. Both are genuinely capable off-road, they're just built around different priorities, and neither one is the wrong answer depending on what you do with the truck.
FAQ
Does the Toyota 4Runner come as a 2-door?
No. The 4Runner is 4-door only. The Bronco offers both 2-door and 4-door configurations.
Can you remove the top and doors on a 4Runner like a Bronco?
No. The 4Runner is a fixed-roof wagon with no removable top or door option on any trim. The Bronco offers a removable roof and removable doors across its entire lineup.
Which tows more, the Bronco or the 4Runner?
The 4Runner, by a wide margin. It's rated to tow up to 6,000 pounds, nearly double the Bronco's towing capacity.
Is the new 4Runner as reliable as the old one?
Unknown so far. The 2025 4Runner is an all-new platform, its first full redesign in over a decade, so it hasn't accumulated the years of real-world data that built the previous generation's reputation.
Does the 4Runner offer a manual transmission?
No, across any trim or engine. The Bronco offers a 7-speed manual, exclusively paired with the 2.3L engine.
About This Guide
This was put together by the team at Bronco Forge. Our founder spent time as a Ford salesman before launching Bronco Forge, giving us firsthand knowledge of how Broncos are sold, what buyers get wrong, and what dealers don't always tell you. We sell aftermarket parts exclusively for the Ford Bronco and spend time in Bronco owner communities tracking what owners experience. Questions about fitment or anything Bronco-related? Reach out at contact@broncoforge.com or (909) 772-8050.
