The Prius/THS/HSD was definitely groundbreaking, but it's also been mostly refined versus refined since it's 1997 release, and is now stuck in everything from luxury sedans to SUVs and the LC500h. For comparison Honda has/is experimenting with i-DCD (pancake motor) i-MMD (paralell system) SH-AWD (Through the road hybrid). Arguably this experimenting has resulted in a simpler system for Honda versus the planetary gearset in the Toyota system.

Not to say that Toyota hasn't also experimented with stranger drivetrains, but they generally seem to have branched out less than Honda as an example.

Yes, but Honda has always been an innovative company. Comparing Toyota to e.g. Mazda, or the smaller Nissan, or Mitsubishi, or many other Japanese brands puts Toyota generally in the middle of the pack in terms of innovation, but far ahead in quality.

Subaru is a bit of an outlier. Great quality with huge exceptions (NA head gaskets, problematic CVT), and that terrific flat four.

That's because Toyota invented (and patented) almost perfect system for HEV from the beginning. Now series-hybrid is also getting practical for city use thanks to involved battery tech, but THS is still competitive (or better).

Tundra used the same engine and trans for ages. Same with Tacoma. 4runner I believe still only has a 5 speed auto. They were one of the last big ones to offer android auto and carplay. They are extremely slow to changes.

The 4Runner is a pretty old design at this point. I don't need its "real" 4WD features but I do like the sight lines and other more traditional SUV design. Not in a big hurry but would be interested to see what a real redesign looks like.

I would be surprised if the audience for those vehicles want lots of modern updates, as well.

The less touchscreen, computerized fussy equipment in my off-roaders, the better. The fact that Toyota leans into that by waiting until 2020 to provide lane keeping assist on their 4Runners is a benefit. Body on frame, tried and true parts are all worth the trade-offs in ride comfort and MPGs.

If I wanted those things, I would go buy a Highlander or other SUV-shaped car lacking the ability to go from pavement to AWD to 4WD to locked diffs if I get really crazy.

I like to call my off-road truck (rig in the vernacular) 'too dumb to hack'. Not that it has any meaningful security, but it is only electronic, there is not enough digital logic for there to be any attack surface worth exploiting, and even if there were some exploit, it cannot do much more than shut down the engine due to faulty timings.

Assistive driving and infotainment is still nice given how vehicles are used day-to-day.