Compare the2026 Dodge DurangoVS 2026 Toyota 4Runner

The Durango has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Durango uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The 4Runner uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Durango and the 4Runner have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems and front parking sensors.

There are almost 2 times as many Dodge dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Durango’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Durango has a standard 850-amp battery. The 4Runner only offers a 776-amp battery.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The Durango has more powerful engines than the 4Runner:

As tested in Motor Trend the Durango GT 3.6 DOHC V6 is faster than the Toyota 4Runner turbo 4 cyl.:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Durango V8’s fuel efficiency. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Durango has 5.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the 4Runner (24.6 vs. 19 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Durango has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the Durango’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 4Runner:

The Durango stops shorter than the 4Runner:

For better traction, the Durango has larger standard tires than the 4Runner (265/60R18 vs. 245/70R17). The Durango R/T Tow N Go’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 4Runner (295/45R20 vs. 265/55R20).

The Durango GT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4Runner SR5’s standard 70 series tires. The Durango R/T Tow N Go’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the 4Runner TRD Sport/Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Durango GT has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 4Runner SR5.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Durango can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The 4Runner doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Dodge Durango has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota 4Runner has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Durango has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Durango’s wheelbase is 7.6 inches longer than on the 4Runner (119.8 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

The Durango GT 4x4 handles at .76 G’s, while the 4Runner Trailhunter pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Durango R/T 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Unibody construction lowers the Durango’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The 4Runner doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Durango offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 4Runner doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Durango GT 4x4 is quieter than the 4Runner Trailhunter (67 vs. 70 dB).

The Durango has 5.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 4Runner (141.4 vs. 136).

The Durango has .2 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 2.5 inches more third row headroom and 1.7 inches more third row legroom than the 4Runner.

The Durango’s cargo area provides more volume than the 4Runner.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Durango easier. The Durango’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.4 inches, while the 4Runner’s liftover is 32.7 inches.

The Durango’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the 4Runner’s (6200 vs. 6000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota 4Runner is only 6000 pounds. The Durango 4x4 offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

While the 4Runner Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro can only tow 5800, any Durango can tow a minimum of 6200 pounds.

The Durango V8 4WD can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Durango can be unhitched and driven around locally. The 4Runner can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Durango uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The 4Runner uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Durango has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Durango’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The 4Runner’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Durango’s standard rear view mirror and optional side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The 4Runner offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Durango has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the 4Runner Premium/Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro.

The Durango has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the 4Runner Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro.

The Dodge Durango has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the overhead console. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the 4Runner Premium/Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Durango first among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The 4Runner isn’t in the top three.