Size, can indeed, matter
Not only does this tough muther trucker look the part but has the goods to play the part too. It’s got the stance, the details, the rolling stock, the muscular wheel flares, the barking exhaust, lots of lighting, serious suspension, and those magic brand initials TRD PRO.
The Tacoma’s body, chassis, and powertrain architectures were freshened up just a model year ago, and it still looks solidly menacing and will for some years to come. This one being a TRD PRO model has not only the looks, but the super tough legit off-roading hardware to deliver on what its uber tough persona promise.
Underhood, you might be expecting some powerhouse V-6 or another, or a Toyota/Lexus V-8 tuned for rock hopping, but no; instead, it’s a decidedly high-tech powertrain approach called the i-Force MAX, signaling a 2.4-liter Turbocharged I4 with a hybrid system, which not only amps up low end-torque and miniscually helps out fuel economy, rated at 326 horsepower @6000 rpm, and a mountain-moving 465 pounds-feet of torque at an ultra-useable 1700 RPM — its this latter stat that’s particularly useful, an engine that spools out its maximum torque at less than 2000 revs, right where you want it for serious rock hopping. Fuel mileage? Not so great, but power costs money — the EPA rates this combination at 22 MPG City, and 24 HWY, and 23 combined. This high-tech power plant grunts out power all over the tach, with nary a flat spot to be found, and sounds the business exhaling through its TRD twin-tipped exhaust system. The only transmission offered or needed is a multi-mode, high tech 8-speed automatic, which offers a ratio for any occassions, and always seems to be in the correct one, no matter the needs of the road or your right foot. The 4-wheel drive system is also uber high tech, offering several drive modes, controlled strictly from inside the cab. No more locking hubs to mess with, nor clunky in-and-out transfer case levers (them days be gone).
There’s too much more tech and equipment to list — please see the detail on the window sticker for my tester below (click once to see it full screen in high res). Trust me when I say this thing has the go-anywhere attitude, and the hardware to back up the ‘tude and promise. Appropriately, the exterior color and finishes treatment is called MudBath, and the interior just simply called plain old normal Black.
On the road, this truck isn’t quick; its genuinely fast. You might at first mistakenly assume that a big heavy 4×4 truck running an average sized four-cylinder engine might lack punch but you’d be blissfully wrong. It really honks, and the power-adders (turbo and electric hybrid drive) contribute to so much, and the transmission is so dang smart that you’ll never be wanting or asking for more power. Its sounds great and is pretty smooth too. A simply brilliant powertrain.
Some very useful and clever hardware in the bed too, such as a 110V grounded power outlet, storage, tiedowns, and lighting.
The cabin is also particularly well designed and finished; the 14-inch nav system and infotainment screen and overall connectivity are great and up to date modern, and there’s all kind of accessory power ports and switchgear already installed should you need or wish to augment additional lighting or electronic gear. It takes a bit of a hike to get into and out of the cab (we found ourselves wishing for some step bars or running boards to aid access and egress). Of course, the aftermarket will gladly supply them, but for a rig so well equipped (and so tall), we’d expect them standard.
You might expect a heavy and substantially suspended rig like this to ride like a tank, but it doesn’t. The ride quality is compliant enough to be comfortable, yet always well controlled. Its quiet inside too, even though there’s enough hardware on this truck to create all sorts of wind noise, this all seems well enough controlled.
One interesting bit of off-road high tech hardware that you won’t find anywhere else is Toyota’s Iso-Dynamic Performance front seats. Dubbed IsoDynamic Performance seats, they’re exclusive to the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro variant and feature built-in, four-way shock absorption. Yes, that means the seats can—and do—move. Per Toyota, “the goal of this patent-pending feature is to stabilize the driver’s field of vision to improve focus, comfort, and reduce fatigue while on rugged trails.” I didn’t experience these seats in action, as I was never in crazy enough terrain to sense if and how they worked, nor am I qualified to properly asses their effect, or lack of same. But it’s certainly an interesting notion and included with the TRD Pro model. My most immediate negative impression of them is that the shock absorber system hardware, which is mounted on the back of the front seat cushion, severely impinges on rear seat legroom, and puts all the framework and pneumatic hardware right at rear passengers’ knee level — this stuff could do some serious rear passenger leg damage in the event of “just the wrong” accident or crash. The rest of this truck’s off-road kit is unimpeachable, FOX shocks, electronically disable able anti-roll bars, and so on.
All this off-road prowess, and attitude, don’t come cheap; my test unit wore a base sticker price of $63,735 plus prep and delivery charges, plus some options, bringing the bottom line total of a rousing $67,545. Now one could argue that you likely couldn’t begin with a more base Tacoma 4×4 and build it to this level of equipment and capability for less, but it’s still a lot of dough — not to mention the considerable value of Toyota’s off-road racing experience, and factory engineering of all this hardware and capability, so a case can certainly be made for it if your off-roading needs and desires reach to this level. If all you want is the look and the attitude, and your off-road escapades don’t extend beyond a small mud hill in the mall parking lot, then you could probably fake it up pretty good with a base truck and a pile of off-road hardware catalogs and accomplish much of the attitude.
But, pricetag or not, this hard-working, all beef Tacoma TRD PRO is the Real Deal.
You won’t need to buy any extra aftermarket TRD PRO badges as this truck has more branding on it than Sydney Sweeney’s jeans.