Compare the2025 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2024 Porsche Macan

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 4Runner are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Macan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The 4Runner Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro has standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Macan doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The 4Runner has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Macan’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 4Runner’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Parking Support Brake on the Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Macan doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the 4Runner and the Macan 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the 4Runner 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Porsche covers the Macan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Macan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Porsche pays for maintenance for the Macan (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 6 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

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 Porsche vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Porsche is ranked 6th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Porsche vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Porsche is ranked 8th.

The 4Runner has more powerful engines than the Macan:

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

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

An eight-speed automatic is available on the Toyota 4Runner, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Macan.

For better traction, the 4Runner has larger tires than the Macan (265/70R17 vs. 235/55R19).

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Porsche Macan 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 Macan; 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 Macan doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 4Runner’s wheelbase is 1.7 inches longer than on the Macan (112.2 inches vs. 110.5 inches).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner SR5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Macan (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The 4Runner Trailhunter/TRD Pro’s minimum ground clearance is 1.2 inches higher than on the Macan (10.1 vs. 8.9 inches).

The 4Runner offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Macan can only carry 5.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the 4Runner’s middle row seats recline. The Macan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Macan.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Macan’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 Macan 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 Macan’s (6000 vs. 4409 pounds).

The 4Runner’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Macan has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

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 Macan doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The 4Runner’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Macan’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the 4Runner has standard extendable sun visors. The Macan doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The 4Runner TRD/Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Macan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The 4Runner is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Macan doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Porsche Macan by over four to one during 2023.