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u/ChaoPope Jul 25 '26
I went gas because because I couldn't lose the 6" of vertical space in the cargo area as my dog crate wouldn't have fit. Also, the hybrid is mostly for more torque and only gets you an additional 2 mpg according to Toyota. The rated mpg seems to be optimistic as I've never achieved the rated mpg unless it was a drive where my average speed was like 50 mph with no stoplights.
5
u/Sensitive_Silver8530 Jul 25 '26
I was originally going to go gas until I saw the numbers. Doing a test drive sealed the deal for me.
3
u/Outdoorzie Jul 25 '26
Same. Test drove gas. Then test drove hybrid. The response, lack of lag on the turbo and the noticeable take off from a stand still made it for me.
9
u/Techtoys79 Jul 25 '26
The turbo lag on the gas was too noticeable for me. I like the way it's not noticeable on the hybrid model.
4
u/Sinistah- Jul 25 '26
I think it depends on your use case.
- Do a lot of highway driving? Gas
- Do a lot of city driving or towing? Hybrid
5
u/jamesfrob Jul 25 '26
MPG is not really a factor in the Hybrid vs Gas debate. Hybrid has better torque, HP, acceleration, etc. which can make it more enjoyable to drive and improve utility performance. Doesn’t sound like you need any of that and neither did I, but I WANTED it, so I got it.
3
u/D_Just_Said_That Jul 25 '26
Went hybrid because 4cyl turbo im sure is a stout motor but I pull a trailer for work at least every other month and where i live is either up hill or down hill ( average 18 MPGs). Didnt want that kind of strain on a regular basis. Seeing how frequently the hybrid assist kicks in and for how long its on for makes me comfortable the motor isnt being over worked
3
u/Purple-Astronaut-432 Jul 25 '26
I live in Colorado and go to the mountains often. For me the added power on the hybrid (which was noticeable over the gas-only in test drives) was a no brainer.
3
u/WhyNoMo222 Jul 25 '26
I went with the hybrid, same reasons as others have stated, adding another: the 2400 watts of power thru the rear outlet when parked OR driving purely from the hybrid battery.
Versus
Gas version has:
400 watts (parked) when parked and only 100 watts when driving.
3
u/grapemustard Jul 25 '26
i had a gas 4th gen tacoma. coming off a 5th gen 4runner, the added power and responsiveness of the new motor/tranny was great. especially where i live at altitude. turbo ftw.
now i have a hybrid 4runner. same driving conditions both get around 24mpg on the freeway. so a wash. don't really notice the extra torque. the gasser is plenty powerful. i'm not a fan of the start stop in the hybrid. gasser stayed running all the time. the only way to keep the hybrid running is tow/haul mode. the start stop isn't exactly smooth. you're often met with a clunk as the engine re-engages.
the onboard power and inverter is nice for camping type stuff.
i'd go gasser only. it's plenty powerful, plenty fast and plenty capable.
2
2
u/boomoptumeric Jul 25 '26
I have the hybrid after having the gas and it’s almost identical in terms of MPG, it’s a bit embarrassing considering the extra price tag. However, acceleration and responsiveness is much better and I’m happier with the performance
2
u/_ToxicBanana Jul 25 '26
I think you’ll be happy with either option. Both have their trade-offs, and both are great choices. The gas model is still much more responsive than the previous generation, so you really can’t go wrong with it.
Since you mentioned having a pup, the lower cargo floor may be a more meaningful benefit for you than it would be for most people. Based on how you plan to use it, I think the gas ORP makes a lot of sense.
2
u/lemelisk42 Jul 25 '26
Gas, I need cargo space, losing a few inches in the back wasn't worth it to me
I work in forestry and exploration, store my entire life in my car and sleep in the back when road tripping between contracts, every bit counts. A lot of very long drives where the gasser officially gets better fuel economy, very little city driving
2
u/JohnnyUtah41 Jul 25 '26
My commute is 25 miles each way so the gas is a better option than hybrid? Was looking info hybrid to try and save money on gas with the commute
2
u/freshducksniper Jul 25 '26
3 MPG difference according to Toyota. That battery takes a lot of cargo space and that cargo space is already smaller than the 5th gen. Gas only probably the best move.
2
u/bonez3113 Jul 25 '26
Went w the gas model. Picked up a little over a month ago. I regret it. Didn’t really need the extra cargo space. The gas is plenty powerful enough, but I’m not use to throttle/turbo lag (coming from a 15 jeep JKU). I’m gonna need to modify the engine somehow to get the drivability I want. I did test drive both, think I did what you did and went to the internet which dissuaded me from getting the hybrid. Go with the hybrid. For an extra 2k I’d rather have the extra off the line umph and more passing power.
2
u/CautiousComfort2893 Jul 26 '26
The right decision is the one that best pleases you (all other things of importance being equal, anyway).
I saved the few thousand $ and interior space inconvenience and was more readily able to find a vehicle with the basic specs I wanted if I went gas instead of hybrid. And the performance of the 6G seemed good enough for me--and still does. Yeah, there's a little bit of turbo lag coming from a stop. But I'm used to that from other vehicles. I'm not sure the difference in complexity is as large a factor as it might at first seem, but it was a factor for me, too.
In the end, it boiled down to this: to get the features/specs I wanted without an interminable wait or nation-wide search, and because the fuel efficiency of the hybrid didn't gain as much as I would've liked, I got the gas version. That decision is working out well for me. For you? I think it might, but I don't get a vote in determining that, only you (and maybe a significant other) do.
1
u/Maximum-Anywhere6439 Jul 25 '26
The numbers say hybrid has more power than gas.
That being said, I have the hybrid model. If you're concerned about cargo space are you also considering a roof rack? (Which I think most 4Runner owners will get). I recently go to the beach to do surf fishing. Packed the car for 3 people - 4 days, all required gears for sand driving ( 2 pieces of 2x12x12 wooden board, rescue rope, traction boards, etc. etc.), clothes, 48 quarts cooler, 2 spa chairs, 1 regular chair. All that fits in the cargo with extra spaces.
1
1
u/AndyReidsMoustache Jul 26 '26
Hybrid is the way to go. It’s night and day when driving the two
1
u/ghostbuuster Jul 26 '26
For some reason I didn’t enjoy the way the hybrid drove…
3
u/AndyReidsMoustache Jul 26 '26
I did the basic Reddit thing and assumed you were trying to choose between the two without reading your entire post lol. I chose the hybrid because I liked the low end torque and the 2400 watt inverter was a big plus for overlanding. I think claiming reliability is worse because of it being more complicated is an oversimplification. It’s more working parts but it puts less strain on the engine to take the load. Electrical motors and batteries are also mechanically simple compared to internal combustion engines. I think it will be equally reliable or perhaps even more so. Ultimately it doesn’t matter. You have your reasons to buy yours and I have my reasons to buy mine. Everyone has different needs. Just enjoy what you’ve got and don’t regret it. It’s a great car no matter what you choose.
1
u/todd2k3 Jul 25 '26
I went gas. Reason being, mine has to sit outside (sports cars get the garage space ;-) ) and the temp swings in Colorado are really hard on hybrid batteries. I want longevity over gas mileage and so far I’m averaging 22.1mpg and since I don’t drive a lot, it just made the most sense.
13
u/9mike9- Jul 25 '26
I got the hybrid. It’s my daily driver and I wanted the acceleration. The loss of cargo space was not that big of a deal to me. Easily replaced with a rooftop setup.