Shopping for a Toyota 4Runner? Consider These 3 Alternatives

• What's new: The latest Toyota 4Runner is the best version yet for families, and it keeps its trail abilities, too.
• Why it matters: The 4Runner's off-road focus is exactly what keeps it from being a great on-road companion.
• Edmunds says: Take a look at these dirt-ready midsize SUVs from Subaru, Honda and Jeep.

Subaru Outback

• Price range (with destination): $36,445-$49,840
• Edmunds Rating: 7.7 (out of 10)

It's official: The Subaru Outback is now categorized as an SUV. The eccentric lifted wagon could only hold off this metamorphosis for so long. While Outback devotees may mourn the change, those looking for a more traditional SUV shape have a lot to like. The newly boxy Outback offers the interior space families want, both for people and their luggage, and big windows all around make it easy to see out of this family favorite.

Anyone considering a 4Runner will likely gravitate toward the Wilderness trim. As the name suggests, it's the most outdoorsy of the bunch. It comes with the upgrade engine — a 260-horsepower four-cylinder instead of the base 180-hp powertrain — as well as a lifted suspension with electronically controlled shocks, all-terrain tires and some off-road-focused drive modes. With a starting price of $46,445, the Wilderness doesn't come cheap, but for that money, it does come with other upgrades, including heated rear seats and a nicer audio system.

Honda Passport

• Price range (with destination): $46,445-$55,345
• Edmunds Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)

Honda has worked its packaging magic on the Passport, giving it a very usable interior with lots of cargo room thanks to its blocky shape. Thoughtful cabin storage solutions abound, including a huge center console and a shelf in front of the co-pilot's seat. The standard V6 engine is another highlight, a choice that's becoming less common in this segment as turbocharged four-cylinders are finding their way under more SUV hoods. As with the Outback, the Honda's squared-off design allows for plenty of glass, making forward visibility great, although thick rear pillars create larger blind spots than we'd like.

Honda's dirt-ready line is called TrailSport, and that treatment is applied to four of the seven available Passport trim levels. A minimum starting price of $50,145 brings the usual upgrades — suspension, tires, skid plates — as well as some more equipment than the most expensive RTL trim, such as a rear camera washer, a panoramic moonroof, and a pair of 115-volt household-style power outlets. Even if you don't need the off-road gear, it's likely worth upgrading to the TrailSport for those extra features alone. For an extra $3,000, the loaded TrailSport Elite adds a useful surround-view camera system that makes those big rear pillars irrelevant when parking, plus a special off-road camera mode called TrailWatch should you actually find yourself navigating an obstacle. But it's fine if you just want the look.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

• Price range (with destination): $41,515-$62,895
• Edmunds Rating: 6.7 (out of 10)

The Jeep Grand Cherokee can hold its own off-road, but it's more subtle about that capability design-wise than the others on this list. Perhaps it's because the Jeep brand itself already stands for trail readiness, or maybe it's to project a more upscale image — you can option a GC up past $65K, after all. Whatever the thinking, the Grand Cherokee is a handsome option, and although it's not as comfortable as our other two contenders, it rides better than the 4Runner and makes up for some of its shortcomings with 6,200 pounds of towing capacity, a good chunk more than most vehicles in this class and 200 pounds ahead of the 4Runner.

For 2026, a newly available Hurricane turbocharged four-cylinder engine almost matches the 4Runner Hybrid's output — the score is 324 hp to 326 hp — and allows the Jeep to reach 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, a half-second quicker than the Toyota. There shouldn't be a fuel economy penalty, as both the 4Runner Hybrid and Hurricane-equipped Jeep have EPA combined estimates of 23 mpg, which isn't too bad considering their output figures. The Grand Cherokee starts a few grand cheaper than the Toyota, too, giving it a value advantage.