2024 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2025 4Runner: Which Has the Best 4WD System?
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is a full-time 4WD vehicle, while the 2025 Toyota 4Runner uses a part-time system – so which is best?
Toyota has been on quite the roll over the past couple of years, launching a bevy of new-from-the-ground-up models that replace some that are, well, a bit long in the tooth. That list includes, most recently, the redesigned 2024 Toyota Land Cruise and 2025 4Runner, which are similar enough that many have taken the time to compare each and ask the obvious question – which one is the better buy? However, this recent video from Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained goes a bit further in depth in terms of the four-wheel-drive systems in these new SUVs to determine which is superior to the other.
While the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and 2025 Toyota 4Runner share quite a bit in common, but they do diverge a bit in terms of their 4WD systems – the Land Cruiser comes with a full-time setup, while most new 4Runner models are equipped with a part-time system. For the Land Cruiser, this means that power is always flowing to all four wheels, whether you’re in four low or four high.
The 4Runner, on the other hand, can operate in two high as well, with the main difference between it and the Land Cruiser boiling down to their transfer cases. The Land Cruiser utilizes a center differential, which is something the 4Runner doesn’t have – a feature that enables the Land Cruiser to drive on dry pavement with all four wheels receiving power. As Fenske notes, the Land Cruiser also employs a 40/60 torque split between the front and rear wheels.
While the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is only available with one powertrain and 4WD system, the new 4Runner can be had in multiple guises, ranging from a base two-wheel-drive variant to part-time and even full-time 4WD systems in higher trims like the Platinum and Limited hybrid.
From here, Fenske takes a deeper dive into the mechanicals that are present in the transfer cases of these two SUVs, noting the differences that make each unique. The Land Cruiser, for example, uses a chain assembly to power the front wheels, which sets it apart. A planetary gear set and various other components do the bulk of the work here, operating in unison with the Torsen differentials to flip between four high and four low – as well as adjust power between both ends – as needed.
In terms of which 4WD system is superior to the other, well, one disadvantage to the full-time system in the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser stems from the fact that driving the front wheels while turning results in a larger radius, which is why a center differential is needed, given the fact that the front axle is rotating at a faster speed than the rear. Regardless, having four-wheel-drive going at all times will obviously make it more convenient when tackling not only off-road conditions, but also, rain, snow, and ice on the pavement without having to engage the 4WD system.
Two-wheel-drive does give one a bit more in terms of fuel efficiency, but nothing terribly noticeable, and once 4WD is engaged in the 4Runner, it functions essentially the same as the Land Cruiser’s full-time system, offering up the same benefits. Fenske doesn’t believe there are any real differences in terms of durability between these systems, which ultimately gives the Land Cruiser a slight edge here – albeit, a pretty small one, at least.
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