The all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro has been eagerly anticipated, as the previous-generation model had grown long in the tooth. Today, I’ll put this off-road-focused truck through its paces to see how it performs.

From the outside, the TRD Pro looks impressive, building on the lower-grade Tacomas with a heritage-inspired grille, more aggressive sheet metal, and a functional hood bulge. It also features fog lamps, a high-clearance front bumper, and 18-inch TRD-specific wheels wrapped in 33-inch Goodyear Territory R/T tires. Braking is handled by 13.4-inch ventilated front discs and 13.2-inch rear discs, and the truck is equipped with underbody protection, including skid plates and rock rails. The approach Angle is 35.7 deg, the departure is 22.1 deg and the Breakover Angle is 24.6 deg; ground clearance is an impressive 11.5 inches.

Adjustable Suspension

The “Quick Switch 3” feature allows manual adjustment of the shock compression damping to three different firmness levels to suit the terrain. The on-road setting is recommended for Level 1, while Level 2 is best for off-road use. For serious compression, Level 3 can be selected. However, making these adjustments requires physically getting under the vehicle.

The Tacoma TRD Pro sits on Toyota’s new TNGA-F truck platform, offering no choice in terms of layout or doors, and a short bed is the only option. The suspension features 2.5-inch Fox Internal Bypass shocks with adjustable compression technology up front, and Fox internal floating piston hydraulic bump stops at the rear. All four corners are manually adjustable, allowing you to fine-tune the firmness to match the terrain. The only downside is you have to crawl under the car to make those adjustments.

Under The Hood

Under the hood, the TRD Pro packs a 2.4-liter turbocharged hybrid powertrain, delivering a combined output of 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. This is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a two-speed transfer case, as well as an electronically locking rear differential. Being a hybrid does not mean much of a fuel saving, the EPA highway rating is 24 but I couldn’t manage better than 15.3 mpg for the week.

On-Road

The TRD Pro felt larger than expected when driven on paved roads, and the hood scoop compromised sightlines, which forces you to navigate somewhat cautiously at times. It definitely feels wide and the truck’s wide turning diameter also challenged maneuverability.

However, the TRD Pro’s powertrain delivered surprisingly generous power, with a hybrid-enhanced baritone burble. I have to say if you didn’t know it was a four-cylinder you would think it was a six. It sounds especially good in Sport mode,

On-road, the factory-tuned suspension offers a firm yet comfortable ride. The long-travel suspension and IsoDynamic front seats smoothed out vertical impacts, making speed bumps feel almost playful. Even the rugged all-terrain tires remained impressively quiet at highway speeds, generating minimal road noise.=, except when I attached a bend too fast and they complained a little.

Off-Road

Off-road the TRD Pro shines and nothing we could find caused it any issues except we ran it in 4Hi up some steep grades and the transmission warning light came on and told us to stop since the transmission was overheating. It was probably our fault since we should have been using 4LO for that section.

Over rocky terrain the TRD PRO is unstoppable and on some sections where we could go fast, it was rock solid as a desert runner. Tackling the steep crawler trails, the enhanced ride height and frontal clearance (with the sharply angled front bumper and skid plate) allowed me to navigate the terrain without any scraping or struggle – sections that would likely challenge a stock 4Runner.

We didn’t find any need to disconnect the stabilizer bar or use the rear locker because the tires provide more than enough grip. Perhaps if we had encountered muddy conditions then we may have had to use the additional bells and whistles.

Interior

The TRD Pro interior blends functionality and style, featuring carbon fiber accents, contrast stitching, and an array of physical buttons, knobs, and switches. The SofTex-trimmed front seats offer 8-way power adjustment, 4-way power lumbar support, and heating/ventilation capabilities. They also incorporate Toyota’s IsoDynamic shock absorber system for the front occupants, allowing you to adjust the firmness as needed.

The driver grips a TRD-themed steering wheel with a red stripe at the 12 o’clock position, a useful visual cue for when the front wheels are centered. The 14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen is standard, providing 10 JBL speakers including a detachable Bluetooth speaker, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Rear seat occupants don’t have as much fun though since that suspension system doubles the thickness of the front seats and the plastic cover extends almost down to the floor. This means no legroom and you cant even slide your feet under the seats.

Cargo and Towing

The truck includes other useful features, such as a deck rail system, four adjustable tie-down hooks, a bed storage box, LED bed lighting, and a 2,400-watt 120-volt power outlet. The TRD Pro can tow up to 6,000 pounds and haul up to 1,680 pounds of payload.

Safety

The Tacoma TRD Pro comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), a comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies. This includes the features you’d expect, plus an innovative system called Proactive Driving Assist (PDA). PDA can automatically apply gentle steering and braking inputs to help maintain a safe following distance, even when adaptive cruise control or lane-centering is not engaged.

This PDA feature was particularly useful when approaching an unexpected sharp curve on a rural two-lane road. The system detected the curve ahead and scrubbed off some speed before I entered it.

Beyond TSS 3.0, the Tacoma TRD Pro also comes equipped with front and rear parking sensors as well as a low-speed automatic braking system. These are welcome additions given the Tacoma’s tall hood and limited outward visibility.

Overall, the Tacoma TRD Pro’s comprehensive suite of driver-assistance technologies helps enhance safety and confidence, both on the open road and in tight parking situations.

Pricing   

This is Toyota’s most expensive and expressive version of Toyota’s all-new midsize pick-up it’s also the most off-road capable. It’s extremely good on the road too and that I Force engine has bucket loads of torque. So come on admit it you want one!

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Verdict  

This is Toyota’s most expensive and expressive version of Toyota’s all-new midsize pick up it’s also the most off-road capable. It’s extremely good on the road too and that I Force engine has bucket loads of torque. So come on admit it you want one! 

2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD PRO Numbers

BASE PRICE: $63,900
PRICE AS TESTED: $65,869
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-engine, rear-/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup
ENGINE: 2.4 liter turbocharged 4 4-valve Atkinson-capable V-6
POWER: 278 hp @ 6,000 rpm
TORQUE: 265 lb-ft @ 4,600 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
0-60 MPH: 7.1 sec
CURB WEIGHT: 5,100 lbs
TOWING CAPACITY: 6,800 lbs
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 18/22/20 mpg
OUR OBSERVED: 15.3
PROS: Extremely capable off-road and on, Rock solid build quality, much-improved interior
CONS: Pricey