2021 Toyota 4Runner vs 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2021 Range Rover Sport was available in several trims: SE, HSE Silver, HST, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography, SVR, and SVR Carbon Edition. The base SE trim came with leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, an eight-speaker Meridian premium sound system, a WiFi hotspot, and the dual-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The HSE Silver added quad-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a 19-speaker Meridian sound system. The HST trim offered a similar feature set but upgraded the powertrain and swapped quad-zone climate control for tri-zone.

The HSE Dynamic featured a supercharged V8 engine, a limited-slip differential, and a two-speed transfer case. The Autobiography trim offered 22-way power-adjustable front seats, power soft-close doors, and many optional features from lower trims.

The SVR performance model included a more powerful V8 engine, performance-oriented front-and-rear sport seats, and a stiffer suspension. The SVR Carbon Edition built on the SVR with carbon fiber accents and 22-inch alloy wheels.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner, last redesigned 12 years ago, had seen updates over the years but remained largely unchanged. Its design, though not conventionally attractive, aged well with its two-box body, flared fenders, and trapezoidal wheel arches. The 4Runner was available in SR5, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro trims, with special editions like the Trail Special Edition, Venture Special Edition, and Nightshade Special Edition.

Our test vehicle, the Trail Special Edition, was priced at $38,565 MSRP for the RWD model, with 4WD adding $1,875. The total price, including premium audio, a cargo cover, and a TRD front skid plate, was $43,729. Toyota planned to build only 4,000 units of this edition, available in white, black, Cement (gray), and Army Green.

Inside, the Trail Special Edition featured black cloth upholstery with tan stitching, all-weather floor mats, a sliding rear cargo tray, and a custom-made 40-quart cooler. The interior was dominated by hard plastic, which was easy to clean and suited the SUV's rugged mission. The dashboard was old-school, with big knobs, buttons, and manual air conditioning. The 4Runner required a traditional key to start, adding to its charm.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered various powertrain options. The base P360 mild-hybrid powertrain, found in the SE and SE Silver Edition, combined a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with a 48-volt electrical system, producing 355 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. The HST model featured the P400 powertrain, rated at 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque.

The HSE Silver Edition was also available with plug-in hybrid or diesel powertrains. The P400e plug-in hybrid combined a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine with electric assist for 398 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 made 254 hp and 443 lb-ft. The plug-in hybrid powertrain was also available on the Autobiography trim.

The HSE Dynamic and Autobiography trims featured a supercharged 5.0-liter V8, producing 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. The SVR and SVR Carbon Edition received a more powerful version of this engine, making 575 hp and 516 lb-ft.

All Range Rover Sport models had an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4WD. The SUV featured height-adjustable air suspension and a Terrain Response system with multiple modes for various terrains. It was capable off-road and offered impressive cornering abilities on paved surfaces. Most variants could tow up to 7,716 pounds, except the SVR, which could tow 6,613 pounds.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner, tested at Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreational Area, showcased its off-road capabilities. The Trail Special Edition tackled mud, hills, and ruts with ease, thanks to its A-Trac off-road traction control system. The 4Runner's 4.0-liter V6 engine produced 270 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 278 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. A five-speed automatic transmission powered the rear wheels, with part-time 4WD available.

The 4Runner's maximum tow rating was 5,000 pounds. On paved roads, it felt slow, heavy, and clunky, with challenging steering and braking. However, its truck-like driving characteristics added to its charm. The EPA rated it at 17 mpg in combined driving, with a 23-gallon fuel tank providing an average range of about 385 miles.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a maximum of 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 31.7 cubic feet with the second row in use. An optional third row increased seating capacity to seven, but with only 10.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind it. Both the first and second rows provided ample headroom and legroom, while the third row was best suited for children.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner sat high off the ground, making entry challenging for shorter individuals. Once inside, the 4Runner offered comfortable seating with proper support. The back seat provided generous legroom, good visibility, air conditioning vents, and USB charging ports. A third-row seat was available, but our test vehicle featured a sliding cargo deck that held up to 440 pounds.

Cargo space measured up to 47.2 cubic feet behind the back seat and 89.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. The Trail Special Edition's big roof rack added to its storage capacity. Interior storage was decent, and the back bumper served as a convenient place to sit.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport's interior was dominated by a dual-screen center console. The lower screen controlled climate and vehicle settings, while the upper screen housed the infotainment system. The system had a learning curve and was not always intuitive, but it featured Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The lower screen's dials controlled various functions, including fan speed, temperature, and off-road settings.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Special Edition had limited technology. It featured a windshield wiper de-icer system and a 120-volt AC power outlet in the cargo area. The standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, SiriusXM satellite radio, and five USB ports. The premium audio upgrade added dynamic navigation, point-of-interest search, voice recognition, and a one-year subscription to Destination Assist concierge services.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport came with standard driver assistance features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and front-and-rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were optional. Other available features included a surround-view parking camera, traffic sign recognition, driver drowsiness monitoring, and a head-up display.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner featured Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P), which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, it lacked blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic warning. The 4Runner received a three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA and a "Good" roof crush strength rating from the IIHS. However, its protection for the driver in a small overlap frontal-impact collision was rated Marginal, and the NHTSA gave the front passenger protection a three-star rating.