The 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab is Ready to Tackle Tough Terrain, But Everyday Access Was a Struggle
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not the audience the objectively amazing 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro was intended for—but I was shocked by some of the things it lacked.
For those who want a turnkey, rugged, and ready adventure rig that’s off-road focused, packed with off-road features and tech, and doesn’t mind the rough ride of a truck to trek the roads less traveled, the 2025 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter Double Cab is perfect. I have to preface this review by being honest—I am in no way, shape, or form the target buyer for this truck.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love trucks, but I love SMALL trucks, like the new, petite, utilitarian Slate Auto truck that I have a reservation for. The 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab, in contrast, is a towering behemoth to someone like me.
The Tacoma I reviewed came in the aptly named “Mud Bath” paint color, and this hulking hauler perched on 18-inch TRD Black alloy wheels and loomed over me like a monolith. If you ARE the demographic for this truck, then I think you’re going to warm up to the $64,135 truck right away. There are many things that I LOVE about this truck and some things that I,well, really don’t love, but I hope you take it all with a grain of salt coming from someone that this truck was NOT made for.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is a True Show Stopper
Firstly, dang, this thing looks good. It’s all jagged edges and pronounced features. Even in a mud-brown paint color, it looks sharp as hell. Chunky lines are accentuated by thick wads of piano black trim, the substantial schnozz (as I like to call it) greets you with a proud Toyota logo, and every feature seems just a little bit bigger than last year’s model.
Black accents were a huge complement to the muddy brown color, too. Black door handles, wheel wells, a blacked-out grille, logos, and shadowing for the head and taillights added to the overall rugged aesthetic, especially with the bright red TRD suspension being easily visible above the all-terrain tires. No wonder people were doing double-takes.
There’s also the HUGE black Toyota heritage grill that announces the truck’s arrival. For $67,545 as specified, this top-trim truck packs a punch with 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, with a fuel efficiency of 22 city / 24 highway miles per gallon. The price seems expensive for a pickup truck, but when you dive deep into the tech from the factory—like an integrated compressor to inflate or deflate tires off-road—the price isn’t that bad.
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The Interior Was Just as Eye-Catching, and Very Tech-Forward
Inside, the materials are ON POINT. I mean, they are just so good. Multiple textures and finishes combine harmoniously to create a rugged, tough, good-looking cabin that’s begging to be played with. Gunmetal knobs, dials, and buttons pair with the dark sheen of black carbon fiber surfaces and textured rubber touch points. It’s all so beautifully done and very consistent.
The bright red TRD start button wants to be pushed, the leather wrapped red-stripe gear shifter is ready to be engaged, and hints like matching red stitching add a pop of extra fun. One of my favorite aesthetic touches was the 3-dimensional “TOYOTA” logo popping off the passenger dash. It’s such a fun, over-the-top addition that really helps make this truck feel EXTRA.
It’s the kind of cabin that makes me feel like a kid hopping into a toy truck. It makes me want to play, press buttons, wiggle dials, and make truck sounds while I do it.
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The TRD Pro Comes From the Factory Ready to Hit the Trails
Aside from the 2.5″ lift in the front and a 1.5″ lift in the rear from the TRD-tuned springs and a preload collar lift kit, bigger and knobbier all-terrain tires, underbody protection and crazy cool off-road baja-style seats in the front, there’s a long list of features that make it so much more capable than your every day Tacoma.
Here’s a list of its rugged features that come with the almost $65,000 price tag:
- Electronically controlled locking rear differential
- Multiple terrain options
- Crawl Control with downhill ascent control
- Electronically controlled locking rear differential
- Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism (SDM)
- Steel Rear Bumper with recovery hook
- LED Fog Lights
- 18 inch TRD Black Alloy Wheels
- TRD Pro aluminum front skid plate, with underbody transfer case and fuel tank protection
- High-clearance front bumper with red-painted recovery points
- IsoDynamic Performance front seats (with heating and ventilation, and are designed to help give you extra stability when going over rough terrain, dampen body movement, and improve comfort for the driver and front passenger while off-roading.)
- TRD black performance exhaust
- Deck rail system with four adjustable tie-down cleats and fixed cargo bed tie-down points
I didn’t take the Tacoma off-road while I had it, but, this list was more than enough to prove that overlanders, off-roaders, campers, and the like would view this truck as a serious asset.
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It Felt, Rode, Drove, and Functioned Like a ‘Real’ Truck
Driving the 2025 Toyota Tacoma feels fun and robust. In fact, it drives just like it looks: aggressive, capable, and ready for anything. It’s the kind of ride that makes you feel a bit like the king of the road. Surprisingly smooth handling for its size combined with the hybrid-only powertrain (no more V6 or four-cylinder options for 2025) makes this robust beast an unexpectedly good daily driver even though it’s made to own the off-road.
Don’t be fooled, though. The i-FORCE MAX hybrid system isn’t designed to compete with the likes of the Prius, RAV4, or Highlander hybrid. Toyota’s website describes the system as a “performance” setup, designed to improve off-road and towing performance—up to 6,000 lbs, by the way. It improves overall horsepower to 326 since it’s combined with Toyota’s 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but the benefit of the hybridization is in the low end. It helps with torque, not with mileage or speed.
Some cabin features that I especially enjoyed were things like the crystal clear 360 camera that makes parking a breeze, the wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play, and I especially love that the directions pop up on the instrument cluster. Anything that allows me to engage with the road without having to turn and look at the multimedia screen for directions makes me happy.
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Of Course, I Had to Use it For Trucky Things
Considering the upcoming Memorial Day weekend at the time of this review, I took full advantage of having a truck and found some cheap outdoor furniture on Facebook Marketplace that I would never have been able to squeeze into my Equinox EV. Rolling up to pick up the furniture and we met the exact person who I think this truck is made for.
“Is that the new Tacoma?!” asked the 35-year-old Crossfitter appreciatively as he hefted the wooden couch into the truck bed. After showing off all the features, I could tell that not only was this the perfect ride for him but he might be picturing one in his driveway in the near future. His small family would fit perfectly into this double cab for all their daily driving and weekend adventures.
I tried to help load the truck but, finding no step nor handle to help me climb into the bed, I resorted to jamming pillows into the back seats which I discovered, just like with passengers, did not have a ton of room for pillows either. After two trips, we were done, and I think we sold another Tacoma to a curious neighbor in the process.
Now: Let’s Talk Accessibility
To describe my issues with this truck, I have to explain. I am an amputee with leg damage. I’m fit and active but my prosthetic leg can sometimes make clambering in and out of things a bit more challenging. For me this truck was SO DIFFICULT. There is no grab handle for the driver and I honestly couldn’t figure out what the designers expect you to grab to help yourself in or if they’re unabashedly excluding drivers of my 5’5” stature. Once you’re in, everything is hunky dory. There’s great visibility and there’s enough seat adjustability to find your perfect position.
Come time to hop out, or drop out, as I consistently did because of the entry height, I almost always hurt myself a little bit. I could not figure out the perfect way to brace my fall since there was nothing to grab on other than the door and that’s not a stable brace. I’m sure there are aftermarket steps you can have installed, but I feel like that’s important to keep in mind.
Climbing into the front passenger seat and I faced similar challenges BUT there IS a grab handle—I just don’t understand how it’s supposed to be used. To assist with getting in, I was only ever able to grab it with my hand twisted backwards, and that’s really uncomfortable and not super helpful.
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The Rear Seats Were Only Marginally Better
Open the back doors and you’ll be pleased to see that there are grab handles and they’re exactly what is missing from the front seats. Large, rubber-textured, built-in to the B pillar, they help SO much, making getting in and out of the rear seats a breeze. But, there’s a caveat, that’s only if you can fit back there, which I couldn’t do easily.
A prosthetic foot cannot bend by itself—it bends when you walk and apply weight to it, so you really need the full length of a foot (around 10 inches in my case) to fit. With the driver’s seat set for a 5’5” person, I could only barely fit my prosthetic leg in the rear space by squishing the foot in uncomfortably. I could only manage sitting there for a few minutes before it became painful.
Setting the front passenger seat to my desired passenger position, which is a ton of legroom in the front, and I couldn’t even squeeze my prosthesis in the back at all. Granted this is very much a ME problem, but I want you to be aware of how limited the rear leg room can be. It’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning to frequently have adult-sized passengers.
For those who are looking for the ultimate, top-trim mid-size truck with rugged off-road features, and all the modern comfort that you could dream of, then the 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab is ready to get dirty with you on all your adventures. This truck doesn’t hide its compromises and it’s not for everyone but, if it’s for you, then this beast might just be perfect.
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