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Sometimes critics and the general public disagree about cars. For example, the Honda Ridgeline often ranks as the best truck to buy, as some people don’t consider it to be a real truck. One popular Toyota SUV scoffs at its rankings with plenty of sales. 

According to  U.S.News, despite being a popular Toyota SUV to buy, the 2024 Toyota 4runner is ranked in last place on the list of the top SUVs to buy in 2024 or 2025. This list has 23 options, so 22 SUVs outrank the 4Runner. 

But the 4Runner isn’t facing any trouble on the bottom rung. In 2023 it sold 109,951 models. The Telluride is in the top spot with $110,765 units sold. The Hyundai Palisade is ranked in second place and sold 89,509 units in 2023. 

So, the 4Runner is keeping up just fine with the top-ranking SUVs. Also, each car is provided with a score based on average critic rankings. 

The 2024 Toyota 4Runner climbing over rocks
2024 Toyota 4Runner | Toyota

U.S.News looks at reviews by respected critics in newspapers, magazines, and online to assign an average ranking based on comfort, fuel economy, interior quality, electronics, performance, safety features, and more. 

The 4Runner has a score of 6.9 out of 10 while the Telluride got an 8.7. A few things that hurt the 4Runner’s score include its’ outdated interior, weak fuel economy, poor ride/handling quality, and unrefined transmission. 

This checks out as the 2024 4Runner has been mostly the same for 14 years aside from a few tech upgrades. 

It also has a dated five-speed automatic transmission and its rough ride quality is due to being an off-roader. It gets an EPA-estimated 16 mpg in the city and up to 19 mpg on the highway. 

However, people are drawn to the 4Runner because of its incredible reliability score, durability, high resale value, low cost of ownership, immense cargo space, and outstanding off-roading capabilities.

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Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.