2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Review: Hybrid Power And Trick Seats Make An Off-Road King

Few drivers truly require the off-road talents of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, but America seldom lets excess get in the way of a good time. Most extreme factory-spec of the most capable Tacoma to-date, the TRD Pro represents Toyota's vision of what a midsize pickup dispatched — at high speed — into the wilderness should consist of. It's not quite the recipe truck aficionados might have expected.

So, the wheels are vast and the bodywork burly, but there's no V6 or V8 under the hood. Instead, Toyota provides a judicious application of electrification, ignoring snide whispers of "the Tacoma is a Prius, now" and instead relying on meaty torque to out muscle rivals.

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For the fourth-generation Tacoma, the TRD Pro's challenge becomes even more focused. On the one hand, there are capable midsize alternatives from Chevrolet and Ford wanting to take the battle off-road. Meanwhile, with the arrival of the Tacoma Trailhunter — a specific trim intended to capitalize on the rise of overlanding — the TRD Pro must work all the harder to justify its $63,900 (plus destination) spot at the top of the Tacoma tree.

Predictably, then, Toyota pulls out all the stops for the TRD Pro. Offered solely in this trim as a Double Cab with a 5 foot bed, the already-muscular Tacoma gets a bolder grille with 20-inch LED lightbar, TRD performance air intake, and TRD cat-back dual-tipped exhaust, along with standard Rigid Industries LED fog lamps, a high-clearance front bumper, and an ARB steel rear bumper. A front skid plate with underbody transfer case and fuel tank protection, plus reinforced rocker protection, are also standard.

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18-inch TRD Pro black alloy wheels get wrapped in chunky 33-inch Goodyear Territory 265/70R18 R/T tires. They're mounted to coil suspension with 2.5-inch Fox Internal Bypass shocks — with quick switch (QS3) adjustable compression — front and rear, and there's a Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism (SDM) and an electronically locking rear differential. Compared to the regular Tacoma, the TRD Pro is 2-inches higher at the front and 1.5-inches higher at the rear.

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The result looks good, though is practical with it. Maximum tow rating takes a slight dip to 6,000 pounds — a non-hybrid Tacoma SR5 XtraCab 4WD is rated for 6,500 pounds, in contrast — but you still get part-time four-wheel-drive with an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case. A deck rail system — with multiple tie-down points and cleats — is standard, together with LED bed lighting and a power up/down tailgate with switches built into the taillight clusters. Like other hybrid versions, the TRD Pro gets a 2,400W AC inverter with outlets in the cabin and bed.

The AC outlets are one of several advantages that Toyota's i-FORCE MAX powertrain brings, though undoubtedly the most significant is the uptick in performance. There's 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque — 48 hp and 148 lb-ft more, respectively, than from the standard 2.4-liter turbo-four — unlocked courtesy of an electric motor sandwiched into the eight-speed automatic transmission.

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Toyota's hybrid approach is a familiar one, at this point: we've seen the same i-FORCE MAX strategy applied to the larger Tundra pickup, as well as to the 2024 Land Cruiser and Sequoia. There, as here, economy takes a back seat compared to what we usually see hybridization employed for. Driven sensibly, the TRD Pro is rated for 22 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined; contrast that with a non-hybrid TRD Off-Road, which is rated at 19 mpg, 23 mpg, and 21 mpg respectively.

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"Sensibly" is the key qualifier, there. With punchy acceleration thanks to that low-end torque addition, it's not just in Sport mode that the Tacoma surges forward eagerly. Sure, there's body roll if you play up in the corners, but grip is never in question. It all sounds the part, too, loud but not obnoxiously so. The downside was that I ended up with 17 mpg on the trip computer after a week of mixed driving.

That was without venturing too far off-road, though having previously put the TRD Pro through its paces on just such a course, I'm fairly confident it holds up there, too. Toyota's strategy here is a blend of good old-fashioned hardware and then a splash of digital simplification. The result is capability that even novices shouldn't find too overwhelming.

Solid core specs certainly don't hurt, like a 35.7-degree approach angle, 24.6-degree breakover, and 22.6-degree departure angle. Ground clearance is a healthy 11.5 inches.

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Key to making the most of all that, however, is the MTS — or Multi-Terrain Select — system. Hit a button on the drive mode knob, and you can cycle through various presets for sand, dirt, mud, and other conditions, all to ensure as much of the extra torque you've paid for makes it to the ground. Crawl Control, meanwhile, turns speed control over to the truck, with five low-pace levels controlled via the drive mode knob. It leaves the driver to focus on wheel placement.

One of the contributing factors to the Tacoma's thirst is that it's easy to find yourself driving faster than you think you are, and there the seating bears some of the blame. Unique to the TRD Pro are Toyota's IsoDynamic performance seats, which aim to stabilize the driver and front passenger even on unruly surfaces like trails. Shock absorbers — parts of which are visible on the seatbacks — handle up to 1.5 inches of vertical and lateral movement, with the goal of keeping your eyes level on the road, and your hands and feet comfortably on the wheel and pedals.

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Dials on the back allow the degree of damping to be tuned, but the overall result is an unexpected degree of ride refinement from what really ought to be a bumpy mess. Pointed at a series of rutted backroads, all mud and loose gravel, and the Tacoma TRD Pro galloped ahead with none of the vibration you'd expect from a truck of its ilk. A glance at the standard head-up display confirmed that comfort levels in rivals doing 25 mph or thereabouts were delivered at twice that pace in the Toyota.

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Certainly, big bumps, potholes, and directional changes aren't isolated completely. What you don't get, though, is that persistent judder which can make off-roading so exhausting. Meanwhile, the seats are still heated and ventilated, though recline adjustment is manual.

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The main downside to the IsoDynamic seats, though, is their intrusion on the second row. Toyota's chunky, jolt-dampening thrones are bow-backed, and that means knee-room for those in the rear can feel snug.

It's a blip in an otherwise solid cabin. Toyota definitely leans into the whole "rugged lifestyle" aesthetic — the faux screw-heads and exaggerated knurling on the HVAC knobs and other controls are cringeworthy, but the rest of the switchgear feels sturdy and reasonably laid-out — and the red SofTex upholstery falls just on the tasteful side of shouty. There's black, if you're feeling less vocal.

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Cubbies and storage bins are well-provided, though the absence of a driver's side grab handle can make graceful entrances trickier. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is standard, as is a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10-speaker JBL audio system, and a pop-out Bluetooth speaker on the dashboard. 

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Toyota's UI is easy to navigate, and its voice control surprisingly useful. By default, the truck summons the Multi-Terrain Monitor (MTM) camera view when you slow to a halt, as convenient when dealing with tight junctions and parking spots as it is off-road.

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Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard, with adaptive cruise control, Proactive Driving Assist, lane-departure alert with steering assist, and pre-collision assistance with pedestrian detection. There's also blind-spot warnings with rear cross-traffic alerts. Front and rear parking sensors — with pedestrian detection and auto-brake — soften some of the maneuvering stress from the slab-sided proportions.

The regular Tacoma is a great truck, a conspicuous effort by Toyota to improve the on-road performance that only the most Kool-Aid-drowned fans denied was its predecessors' weak spot. It's practical, stylish, and has a cabin befitting the price tag, without diluting the off-road abilities instrumental to its enduring success. Even the regular turbo-four gas engine is plenty powerful. You don't need the Tacoma TRD Pro.

Be warned, then, that test-driving it may leave you simply wanting it, instead. The hybrid turbo drivetrain is punchy and eager; the big wheels and off-road-ready suspension deliver whimsy without feeling flabby or floppy on the asphalt. Certainly, it's thirsty, and the trick seats leave the second row feeling cramped, but if malleable mayhem is what you desire, the 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro delivers it fresh from the factory.

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Yes, its $64k+ sticker nudges it cleanly into Tundra i-FORCE MAX territory, and yes, a Colorado ZR2 with its trick Multimatic dampers is a goat off-road and starts at $47k. Spec-match the Chevy with the Tacoma, though, and you're at basically the same price tag, only the Toyota has more power and skips the non-hybrid Colorado's turbo lag. While its talents may be far in excess of what most truck drivers actually require, there's no denying that Toyota has made alluring truck royalty with the 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro.