The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Gets the Tacoma's Honking Front Air Dam

Despite all the clever engineering that goes into an SUV like the 2025 Toyota 4Runner, off-roading is as much a game of simple geometry as it is a matter of nuts and bolts. All the attention paid to things like overhang lengths and approach, breakover, and departure angles are designed to benefit you on the trail. Trouble is, what's desirable when you're crawling rocks can work against you on flat road for a number of reasons, which is precisely why the big, honkin' air dam below the front bumper of the new Tacoma immediately stood out to so many people—and not just because it's ugly. Wouldn't you know, the 4Runner, which shares so much with Toyota's midsize pickup already, has the same thing going on.

The picture above, snapped by my friend José Rodríguez Jr., demonstrates the difference the best. In the foreground is a 4Runner Limited, which is the 4Runner to buy if you want a comfortable, luxurious SUV that'll eat up highway miles. That one's got the air dam, as we can easily see. The Trailhunter-trim vehicle behind it, however, does not, and it's immediately obvious how a big rectangular chunk of plastic ahead of the front axle might keep it from clearing that rock. At best, it'd be a close call.