The fully-redesigned 2025 Toyota 4Runner is an even tougher vehicle than last year.

And now it can truly go off-road and off-script with a lot of power and prowess.  Just make sure you are ready for it.

 The 4Runner is considered a midsize SUV yet it is built on a truck (not a car) platform.  That gives it extra width and girth in a commanding way, but again, make sure you are ready to handle all of that girth and mirth.  Parking can be a challenge, and indeed, it does not stop on a dime.

Also, it’s a body-on-frame build.

Steering and handling are precise, which is important for a tank such as this vehicle.  Yes, there are bigger SUVs out there, but this one is impressive just on size alone. (If you want a smaller SUV, consider the Toyota RAV4.)

The base engine is a 2.4-liter turbo with 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. Rear-Wheel Drive is standard with the option to get 4WD, yet I really do think for a vehicle of this impression, 4-Wheel Drive or at least All-Wheel Drive should be standard.

Average miles per gallon is 21. You will get almost 50 cubic feet of storage behind the second row of seats – and over 90 cubic feet when you fold the backseats down.  You can haul a lot of supplies and food with the 4Runner, and when it comes to those of who identify as LGBTQIA++, since we all do a lot of volunteer work for our community, well, we do need all that room.

There is a lot to like about this year’s 4Runner: it has a lot of utility and functionality for those of you who have largess (like me) to go along with your prowess. If you need a bit more flash and glamour, you will need to get a higher-end trim, like the 4WD Limited trim, which I tested.  A touch of class, a lot of comfort and impressive first impressions make this year’s 4Runner a standout.

If you are looking to buy and can afford to do so, go shopping now. Pride is still in the air across the world because we, as LGBTQIAA2S++, won’t let our spirits die.  Don’t let all those Beach Boys Brian Wilson Good Vibrations fly away without you taking in all that you can. And as always, stay safe.  And out. And Proud.

U.S President Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

True that, and yet, I have to be careful that I do not type anything that could bring a government eye upon my editor, my publisher… or me.  I don’t like that.  That is not America.  That is not how anyone should live.  And yet, here we are.

That is not how anyone, whether or not they have an Emmy Award, like Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Kimmel, should have to live.  And yet, here we are, right in the middle of Pumpkin Spice Season 2025.

There is an old Number 1 hit song from 1969 entitled In The Year 2525.  The first line says: In the Year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive, they may find…..

The singers were only off by 500 years….