Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.The 2026 Toyota 4Runner and 2027 Rivian R2 are less rivals in a literal sense, and more so spiritually. The Toyota is a body-on-frame SUV with available gas and hybrid powertrains, up to seven seats, a roll-down rear window, decades of earned trail credibility, and a resale-value reputation that makes accountants smile, while Jeep owners mutter under their breath. The Rivian is a fully electric SUV from a younger American company, with a frunk, software-first thinking, instant torque, 4Runner-inspired features, and a faint whiff of Patagonia fleece baked into its mission statement. One is a legend, the other is the future.Both SUVs sell the same kind of fantasy: pure freedom of travel. The idea that your SUV isn't just how you get somewhere, but what can take you anywhere. The 4Runner is Toyota's old-school answer, now dragged into the modern world with a stronger platform and turbocharged power. The R2 is Rivian's new-school answer, trying to prove the old formula no longer needs gasoline, a transfer case, or the soundtrack of mechanical functions. So, can the future beat the legend?2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-RoadCole AttishaSpecs And PricingSpecification2026 Toyota 4Runner2027 Rivian R2Starting price$42,070, SR5$44,990, StandardTop listed trim price$68,400, TRD Pro$57,990, PerformanceBase powertrain2.4L turbo I4Single-motor EVAvailable upgradei-FORCE MAX hybridDual-motor AWDPower range278–326 hp350–656 hpTorque range317–465 lb-ft355–609 lb-ftDrive layouts2WD, part-time 4WD, full-time 4WDRWD or dual-motor AWDEfficiency/rangeUp to 23 mpg combined275–330 milesMax ground clearanceUp to 10.1 in9.6 inMax rear cargo spaceUp to 90.2 cu-ft79.4 cu-ftTowing5,800–6,000 lb3,500–4,400 lbThinking about selling your car? Get an instant cash offer online now. Click here to get started.Toyota lists the 2026 4Runner with a 278-hp i-FORCE turbo-four and an available 326-hp i-FORCE MAX hybrid, with 2WD, part-time 4WD, and full-time 4WD configurations depending on trim. Toyota also lists 6,000 pounds of towing for the gas i-FORCE models, 5,800 pounds for i-FORCE MAX hybrid models, and up to 90.2 cu-ft of cargo space. Rivian lists the R2 Standard from $44,990 with 350 hp and 275 miles of range, the R2 Premium from $53,990 with 450 hp and 330 miles of range, and the R2 Performance from $57,990 with 656 hp and a 3.6-second 0–60 mph time.2027 Rivian R2 PerformanceCole AttishaPowertrains: The Toyota Has Muscle, The Rivian Has Warp DriveThe 4Runner is no longer the wheezy relic some people still picture. For better or worse, the old V6 is gone, replaced by a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, while the available i-FORCE MAX hybrid raises output to 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. That hybrid figure gives the 4Runner the sort of low-end shove its old-school image has always deserved, with less of the piggish fuel economy the rugged SUV has always suffered from.AdvertisementAdvertisementAround Los Angeles, the TRD Off-Road I drove felt truckish, but not prehistoric. It still had that useful honesty old 4Runners always had, but the new platform and turbo power made it far easier to live with in traffic and on the highway, and even still enjoyable on twistier routes like Angeles Crest Highway. My takeaway then was that it remained rugged at its core, but was more livable and adaptable than any of its predecessors.The Rivian, though, makes power feel like a light switch wired to a weather system. Even the base R2 makes 350 hp, while the Performance model I drove produces 656 hp and 609 lb-ft of torque. That is an entirely ridiculous figure, which is usually how you know you have a truly special experience on your hands. The R2 doesn't surge forward like an old, burly truck; it just disappears into the horizon faster than you can even say goodbye.2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-RoadCole AttishaDriving Feel: Hiking Boots Or Technical Sneakers?The 4Runner is wonderfully honest, and that's what we've always loved about it. You sit high; the body moves predictably; its chunky tires hold tight to the road; and the whole thing communicates through easily decipherable physical gestures. It doesn't pretend to be a crossover, nor does it ever feel like it's trying to bend the laws of physics. It's a proper body-on-frame SUV, which means it sometimes feels like wearing hiking boots in a shopping mall.Around Los Angeles, the 4Runner was still far more agreeable than expected. It was comfortable enough in traffic, stable on the highway, and even entertaining on a good road, provided you understand that "entertaining" here means attacking a canyon road fit for Porsches at ten under the speed limit, but still grinning uncontrollably anyway.2027 Rivian R2 PerformanceRivianThe R2 is the opposite. It feels like someone took the classic two-box SUV shape, kept the useful parts, then eliminated much of the noise, delay, and clumsiness using only a computer key and a few over-the-air updates. In Utah, it was quiet, fast, firm, composed, and easier to place than its weight and off-road intent suggested. And at the same time, it conquered off-road feats that would otherwise require a TRD version of the 4Runner. In my original R2 review, I described it as a classic two-box SUV time-warped into the electric future, which still feels like the best way to explain it.2025-2026 Toyota 4RunnerToyotaCapability: The Legend Still Has ReceiptsToyota's SUV can be had with serious off-road hardware depending on trim: part-time or full-time 4WD, low range, available locking rear differential, Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Select, and the kind of mechanical confidence that comes from generations of people abusing these things and then selling them for ridiculously high prices 15 years later.2027 Rivian R2 PerformanceCole AttishaAdvertisementAdvertisementThe R2 is no soft lifestyle bauble, though. Rivian lists 9.6 inches of ground clearance, 32-inch tires, hardcore drive modes, and, on the Performance model, semi-active suspension that adapts on- and off-road. In Utah, it handled technical sections with surprising conviction—conviction that would not only shame other EVs, but even some of the latest iterations of rugged legacy nameplates.Still, capability is not only what a vehicle can do on a curated press route. It's what owners believe it will do after ten winters, five owners, three dogs, one questionable lift kit, and a lifetime of being treated like rental equipment. That future seems like a given for the 4Runner, though the effect of the recent downsizing of its powertrain might remain somewhat of a question mark here. The Rivian R2, on the other hand, has much more to prove.Shopping for a new car? Click here to get a great deal on your next vehicle. Powered by Carvana, no haggle pricing, 100% online.2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-RoadCole AttishaPracticality And Lifestyle: Space Vs ClevernessThe 4Runner is bigger and more conventionally useful. It can seat up to seven, tow a lot more, carry up to 90.2 cu-ft of cargo, and still has the wonderful roll-down rear window that makes every other SUV tailgate feel like it lacks imagination—except for the Rivian R2, which, in Performance and Premium trims, comes equipped with that very same feature. The 4Runner, then, is the adventure SUV for people who want a known tool. Big box. Big reputation. Big dealer network. Gas stations everywhere. No app-based soul-searching required.2027 Rivian R2RivianThe R2 is smaller, but it's clever in the ingenious way Rivians tend to be. Rivian lists 79.4 cu-ft of rear cargo space with the seats folded, plus a frunk, dual glove boxes, available rear drop glass, and those wonderfully theatrical windows that all drop at once, which, if you suffer from OCD like me, you'll appreciate for bringing every window down to the very same level, every single time. On my R2 drive, that detail, paired with the openable rear windscreen, was one of the few that stuck with me most. Fresh Utah mountain air pouring through every opening made the vehicle feel less like a yuppie adventure gadget and more like a machine designed by people who actually spend time in the outdoors.2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-RoadCole AttishaValue: Trust Costs Money, But So Does The FutureThe 4Runner starts slightly below the R2 in price, but climbs much higher at the top end. Importantly, I suspect, though, for many buyers, it comes backed with Toyota's reputation for exceptional dependability—a reputation largely propped up by the 4Runner's very own global counterpart: the Hilux. That reputation, perhaps even more importantly, extends into people's wallets. Revered for its perceived indestructibility, the 4Runner simply does not lose value—an anomaly in the automotive market for its G-wagen-like ability to create financial equity for its owners. So the 4Runner isn't just a safe bet; it's a safe investment, too. That's the kind of value that's hard to beat.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe R2 still looks strong on paper, though. Its top Performance trim costs less than a 4Runner TRD Pro, yet offers far more power, more technological refinement, and a more advanced EV experience. But it also asks buyers to trust Rivian's charging, software, service network, and long-term brand stability. That might sound exciting, but it may also be exactly the sort of sentence that sends a 4Runner buyer back to the Toyota showroom with a cashier's check in hand.2027 Rivian R2 PerformanceCole AttishaVerdict: Can The Future Beat The Legend?Truthfully, I think the Rivian R2 is a legitimately compelling 4Runner alternative for buyers who want the same thing from their vehicle, only powered by pure electricity. For the kind of buyer who might've otherwise considered a 4Runner, a Land Cruiser, a Bronco, a Wrangler, or any of the handful of other old-school, trail-ready midsize SUV alternatives, but has decided it's time to move onto an electric vehicle, the Rivian R2 is perhaps the only fitting option. Thankfully, it's a damned good one.The Toyota 4Runner, of course, remains the safer recommendation nonetheless. It's rugged, familiar, deeply credible, recently more refined, and backed by one of the strongest reputations in the SUV world. It still feels like a vehicle built around a central truth: adventure vehicles should be durable first, fashionable second. The Rivian R2, on the other hand, is undoubtedly the more intriguing piece of machinery. It's quicker, quieter, cleverer, more premium-feeling, and more persuasive as a vision of what the adventure SUV can become. It doesn't merely copy the 4Runner formula with batteries; it rethinks the whole idea. For buyers who want the proven path, I'd still trust the Toyota. For buyers who want the best glimpse of where adventure SUVs are headed, the Rivian R2 is for you.Autoblog aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Jul 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.