Toyota Tundra TRD Pro (US) review: go for the gold

What in the Fort Knox is this?

It’s the latest Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, the rugged full-sized truck from Toyota, equipped with the gear needed to keep up with contemporaries like the Ford Raptor and Ram TRX, to various degrees of success.

That color, though…

Oh right, this is Honeycomb, for those who like driving around in a gilded TRD. Still a step-up from last year’s Baja-blasty ‘Wave Maker’ teal, in our opinion, though the glitzy new finish lacks the ability to trigger our queso cravings, which is a strike against it.

Speaking of tall orders, it’s the hardware that makes this truck Baja-ready, not the paint scheme. In terms of hardware, the TRD Pro Tundra gets updated Fox shocks, the secret sauce behind its high-speed terrain tackling, integrated within the already substantial double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear.

Along with that, the Tundra gets a redesigned facia that’s more uniform with the rest of the Toyota overlanders. There are new front tow hooks, too, presumably to facilitate the rescue of other, less capable off-roaders and surely not the other way around.

What’s under the hood?

Powering this Tundra is Toyota’s aggressively-named 3.4-liter twin-turbo ‘i-Force Max” V6, a hybrid powertrain that brings 437hp and 583lb ft of torque to the table. For what you’d be doing with it, it’s more than enough, be it fast dashes across dusty dunes or even the occasional berm jump. If it’s lacking in any particular department, it’s certainly the theatrics that suffer the most.

A contemporary like Ram’s TRX is basically a supercharger with a lift kit, and as such, the bombastic noise of it all is part of the package. Here, it’s efficiency over showmanship, and what you hear more often than not are fans desperate to gulp up as much air as possible. A fair trade, we suppose, if you also consider the combined MPG of the Tundra TRD Pro is 20 versus the TRX’s 12. A 10-speed automatic gearbox sends it to two or all four wheels depending on settings.

Which we assume are plentiful.

Oh yes, multi-terrain select is on hand to tackle all forms of earth, from mud to rocks to sand, and if your surface observation skills are a bit lacking, you can leave it in auto for the Tundra to sort out on its own. Separately from the software settings, the Tundra, being a proper off-roader, has high and low-range driving modes that are just as easy to use.

What is it like to drive, then?

As the biggest unit in Toyota’s truck lineup, the Tundra is appropriately hefty. While the TRD hardware makes it properly springy and taught, even baseline Tundras have no issue absorbing regular bumps and dips without breaking a sweat and so most of what would rattle the average driver is hardly noticeable with the extra gear.

But you don’t get a TRD Pro for average obstacles, you get one to do absurd things at speed, like drive on a dirt bike course, whoops and ramps and all. We’re happy to report that your desire to do this in a full-sized pickup is achievable. Fun, even.

Of the vehicles in the TRD inner circle, the Tundra is perhaps the most predictable in terms of behavior. It’s as heavy as it feels and sometimes the truck leaves you a bit wanting in the acceleration department, though you’ll get there. When it comes to body roll and control at a fast clip over rough surfaces, the Tundra will do most of the flattening out for you, and you’re often hanging on for the ride more than you’re controlling every nuance. 

Maintaining control is the burden of the dual-piston front brakes and the single-piston rear, which hold their own throughout a good deal of abuse. They’re handy in coming to a firm halt after sending this modified work vehicle leaping through the air.

In the end, it’s capable and very planted, though the trade-off here is that it’s not as playful as the TRD badging would suggest. More than the other TRDers, it’s doing what it does almost begrudgingly.

Mind you, you’re getting a Toyota level of toughness along with everything else. You might’ve figured out by now that we’re particularly fond of indestructible pickups around here, and while we can’t speak to the Tundra TRD Pro’s longevity, it shook off everything we threw at it with nary a creak.

Should we ask how it performs on the highway?

On paved surfaces, the Tundra remains a dutiful truck that can do all the truck things it needs to, and it drives as such. It’s big, it’s tall, and it’s heavy, and most of what you’re paying for in a TRD Pro doesn’t really come into play unless the streets are devastated by storms. Most road feel is dutifully absorbed by the heavy-duty undercarriage, but at the very least the steering is direct, so while it handles expectedly like a truck, it’s rarely a handful to manage. Good news on the road, but great news out in the sand where putting a foot wrong is a whole new mess of problems.

Shod in 33in Falken Wild Peak tires, it does better on the road than contemporaries who are wearing knobbier gear by default. As such, the transition between road and beyond is fairly seamless, apart from airing the rubber up or down respectively.

What’s going on inside?

Quite a lot, actually. As it has the full ‘CrewMax’ cabin, it can seat four in comfort, with room to squeeze in one more passenger if need be. The cockpit is as substantial as it is busy with hidden compartments and a multitude of input controls. TRD badging notwithstanding, the Tundra’s interior sports a 14in touchscreen that’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, not to mention the pages of data screens that natively inhabit it. This includes the multi-terrain monitor that makes use of the surrounding exterior cameras for better on-trail situational awareness.

When it comes to storage, there’s a whole 5.5-ft truck bed behind everything with a power tailgate that also sports a hands-free knee lift assist to make loading and unloading easier. Full specs are pending for the new Tundra but the previous year had a maximum payload capacity of 1,600lbs, so we imagine the final number won’t be too far from that. This is certainly more than you’d take on a high-speed adventure but comforting to know if you’re planning to stuff a dirt bike or similar into the short bed.

While we’re talking tech, there’s a towing system that can ID your trailer and integrate it into the onboard system for advanced control.

So what’s the final takeaway?

The Tundra TRD Pro is a substantial truck that can surely handle anything you can think to throw at it. While it doesn’t have the bombast of trucks like Ram’s TRX or the spirited sport-truck handling of the Raptor R, it’s still worthy of its TRD badging: the Fox shocks can take repeated beatings, and the rest of the truck conveys the typical Toyota ruggedness we’ve come to appreciate. It may not be the most thrilling off-roader, but it will likely support all your adventures much longer than most.

With this said, there are more playful rides to take off-road, even within the TRD lineup. We’re waiting on a final price but expect the Tundra TRD Pro to come in somewhere in the region of $73,000, which is the starting price of the teal-tainted truck currently available.