2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Review

Now, Toyota has plenty of history when it comes to compact and mid-size off-road trucks with vehicles like the Tacoma/Hilux and 4Runner, but the new TRD Pro lineup of trucks is a different beast going after the hardcore enthusiast. For the development of the TRD Pro Package, Toyota picked right up where it left off with the TRD T|X Baja that was introduced in 2012, and it applied the more extreme TRD Pro technology to the Tundra, 4Runner, and Tacoma. Pretty much, regardless of what size and purpose you’re looking for in an off-road rig, Toyota’s got you covered with this trio.

The 2015 model year may very well be the biggest year for mid-size trucks in some time. On one hand, the all-new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins showed that this market isn’t completely dead, but it was the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro that finally brought some hard-hitting excitement to the segment. While other off-road packages in the mid-size truck and SUV segment focus on backwood trails or light rock crawling, the TRD Pro steals a page from the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor’s playbook attempting to be just as good of a trail rig as it is at being a higher-speed, desert runner.

Bad news first – off-road trucks aren’t cheap. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to buy a factory-fresh off-roader or planning to build a custom truck at an aftermarket shop, you definitely have to pay to play. And the 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is no exception. Starting at $35,525, the starting price of a Tacoma TRD Pro almost doubles the price of a base 2015 Tacoma, which is $20,965.

The way Toyota sees it, though, you’re going to spend the money one way or another, so why not choose the option with full factory integration… and warranty. As tested, this TRD Pro Double Cab had an MSRP of $39,150. For that much money, you’re looking at the Colorado Z71 and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon as prime competition, but there are also the Ram 2500 Power Wagon and Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (which is on hiatus until 2017) in the same general ballpark.

For that money, though, the 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro comes with a beefed-up suspension that is aimed at turning the stock Tacoma 4x4 – already a capable off-roader – into a Baja-ready truck. The primary focus is a completely retuned suspension that includes larger TRD springs and Bilstein shocks at the front wheels providing a 1.75-inch lift and about an inch of extra wheel travel, while the rear axle gets Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs that help provide 1.5 inches of added rear wheel travel. Matching these upgrades, the TRD Pro package also adds a meaty set of BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO (LT265/70R16) tires.

These technical details sound really good on paper, but the true test is getting the truck out in the dirt to see how well it performs. Right off the bat, the suspension and tire upgrades improve ground clearance as well as approach and departure angles allowing the Tacoma to make easy work of a water crossing and rutted two-track road. With Toyota pitching this truck as a high-speed off-roader, I couldn’t wait to get it out on some open trails to really put the suspension to the test.

The improvements were immediately noticeable as I was able to hit some whoops at about 40 miles per hour (65 kph) with the suspension absorbing the initial impact and then limiting rebound upon landing. These benefits allow the driver to better maintain the ability to steer and brake the truck properly without losing control, which was especially fun after getting the truck airborne a few times. As much fun as the high-speed off-roading was, the TRD Pro is no one-hit wonder.

Even without the e-locker rear differential, this Tacoma made easy work of a rock crawling area thanks to the extra wheel travel and resulting suspension articulation. The TRD Pro package only adds a front skid plate, and while more protection would be beneficial, there was enough clearance that the rocks never made contact with any portion of the suspension or undercarriage. Climbing the rocky trail showed off the strengths of the tires and suspension, but turning around and going back down the same section allowed me to test out another TRD Pro exclusive feature: Downhill Assist Control. At the press of a button, this feature slowly walks the Tacoma down the trail.

After a good amount of time off road, it was clear that the Tacoma TRD Pro is a truly amazing off-road performance truck whether you’re looking to take it on tight, challenging trails or the wide-open desert. But then, of course, you have to get home. The TRD Pro package makes no attempt to improve on-road comfort, but the more intense shocks and springs do manage to make the Tacoma less bouncy – this is most noticeable when going over highway expansion joints.

Not unexpectedly, the big tires do lead to an extremely noisy ride on pavement, although that could also be contributed somewhat to the Tacoma’s age. The current Tacoma still uses a hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering system, which results in direct inputs and a great feel. The brakes on the other hand (including rear drums) felt a bit heavy, but they had no problems even after a hard day of off-road abuse.

One area that wasn’t upgraded – but definitely could have used it – was the engine. All Tacoma TRD Pro models are equipped with the 4.0-liter V-6 that is officially rated at 236 horsepower and 266 pound-feet (360 Nm), but it does come with a stainless steel TRD cat-back exhaust system. Although Toyota doesn’t give specifics about any performance advantages of this exhaust, the TRD website says that low- and mid-range torque is improved (perfect for off-roading) and a slight bump in horsepower (between 5 to 8 hp).

Performance aside, the TRD exhaust sounds meaner and throatier compared to a standard Tacoma. If you really want to give this TRD Pro (or any V-6-powered Tacoma) some added muscle, TRD will gladly sell you a $4,140 supercharger that increases engine output to 304 horsepower and 334 lb-ft (453 Nm) of torque, but this isn’t available as a factory option. The Tacoma TRD Pro does come standard with a six-speed manual, but this tester had the five-speed automatic as a $1,630 option.

Not that any off-road drivers are worried about fuel economy, but the 2015 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab V-6 4x4 automatic is rated at what a vehicle this age should be expected to: 16 mpg (14.7 l/100km) city and 21 mpg (11.2 l/100km) highway. After a small amount of highway driving (no city driving this time around), it doesn’t appear the bigger tires have negatively affected fuel economy. In a few short 65-mph (105 kph) highway runs, this Tacoma TRD returned about 23 mpg (10.2 l/100km), although there wasn’t much traffic to contend with. Not surprisingly (and not to be confused with city fuel economy), the fuel numbers on the trail weren’t great (lots of idling mixed with short bursts of acceleration runs) averaging about 8 mpg.

So why exactly would anyone want to pay extra for Toyota and TRD to upgrade their Tacoma rather than take it to an aftermarket truck shop and get similar upgrades at a lower price? That’s where the styling of this truck comes in. Even when they aren’t covered in mud or being driven on rocks, ruts and trails, the Tacoma TRD Pro looks like a mean off-roader with its big tires on faux beadlock-style 16-inch alloy wheels, block “TOYOTA” lettering in the grille instead of the brand’s familiar stylized “T,” blacked-out “Tacoma” and TRD Pro” lettering on the body and an exclusive bright orange and red paint job called Inferno – one of just three available colors on the TRD Pro trucks.

To be honest, the 10-year-old Tacoma never looked so good, but if this were my personal truck, the first thing to go would be to ditch those massive “4X4” mud flaps that look like they were on an AutoZone clearance rack.

If there is any question how overdue the Toyota Tacoma is for an update, it’s the interior. Every aspect of the cabin really shows its age from the hard plastic surfaces to the lack of high-tech goodies. Factored into the high price of the TRD Pro, Toyota does include just about every Tacoma option as standard equipment (buyers only have to worry about choosing from two cab styles, three colors and two transmissions).

The audio head unit is Toyota’s Entune Premium Audio with Navigation, which comes with Bluetooth, HD Radio, SiriusXM as well as the Entune App Suite allowing the head unit to run smartphone apps such as Pandora, iHeartRadio and OpenTable. Other conveniences include the leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and TRD Pro features such as a leather-wrapped TRD shift knob and “Tacoma TRD Pro” floor mats. In terms of competitiveness with the Colorado, the Tacoma still has a few tricks up its sleeve including the 115-volt outlet built into the cargo bed along with two small cubby holes.

In base form, the Tacoma TRD Pro comes in the Access Cab (Toyota’s extended cab) configuration, but this Double Cab model with its full four doors provided maximum comfort for passengers. Somewhere between the base cloth seats and the higher-end SofTex synthetic leather, the TRD Pro gets a two-tone sport cloth material on the seats. These seats do offer plenty of comfort, but most surprising about the interior is how much headroom there is. With four passengers on an off-road course, the fact that nobody hit their heads on the roof was quite impressive.

After a good amount of time behind the wheel, I came to realize that the 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro has one major drawback: the used truck market. And this is really where the “bought versus built” debate gets serious. With a $40,000 budget, you could just as easily buy a used Tacoma (these things are 10 years old after all), set out to your local off-road shop to raid their inventory and still have plenty of money left over.

On the flip side, of course, you’re getting a brand-new rig with factory assembly of the off-road components, which are all covered by a full dealer-backed 36,000-mile warranty. The TRD Pro is far from a bargain, but this kind of money is what it takes to get a factory-built off-roader rather than having to take your chances by taking a brand new truck to an off-road shop to get upfitted with aftermarket parts.

Hands down, the Tacoma TRD Pro is the best compact off-road performance truck since the S-10 ZR2, and while that might seem like a cop-out statement considering there really haven’t been a lot of vehicles to fill that role, I’ll take it a step further by saying that this truck combines some of the best performance attributes of a Ford Raptor and a Jeep Wrangler. Yes, I just compared the Tacoma TRD Pro to two of the best “bought” off-road trucks ever built. That’s how good this truck is. The overall winners here are off-road driving enthusiasts who probably haven’t had this many excellent options to choose from since the 1970s.

The Chevrolet Colorado has come along to challenge the Tacoma’s title as the best-selling mid-size truck in the U.S., but the TRD Pro package shows that it won’t be going down without a fight.