Compare the2025 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2025 Ford Explorer

Both the 4Runner and the Explorer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Explorer.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 92 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 22nd.

The 4Runner’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 310) than the Explorer’s standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder. The 4Runner’s optional 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 415) than the Explorer’s optional 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the 4Runner gets better mileage than the Explorer:

Regenerative brakes improve the 4Runner i-FORCE MAX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Explorer doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Explorer requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Explorer 2.3-liter’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 17.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The 4Runner’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Explorer ST are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the 4Runner has larger tires than the Explorer (265/70R17 vs. 255/65R18).

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Ford Explorer only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Explorer; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Explorer doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 4Runner offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Explorer’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner SR5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Explorer (8.1 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro’s minimum ground clearance is 1.9 inches higher than on the Explorer Platinum (10.1 vs. 8.2 inches).

The 4Runner is 3.8 inches shorter than the Explorer, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Explorer’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 4Runner’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Explorer doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Explorer’s (6000 vs. 5000 pounds).

The 4Runner Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Explorer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The 4Runner’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Explorer’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the 4Runner the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Explorer can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.