Is The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Trim Worth It? Here's What Owners Have To Say
The Toyota Tacoma — or Taco, as it is known to devotees — has been around in various guises and trims since 1995, with the intervening three decades adding significant muscle and heft to the popular, mid-sized pickup. Since 2024, the Tacoma TRD Pro comes straight off the assembly line with robust off-road specs, an aggressive stance, desert-racing suspension, and rugged styling: it is Toyota's apex predator in the off-road vehicle food chain.
Unlike the SR, TRD Off Road, and TRD Sport trims, which offer a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, the Pro comes with the eight-speed iForce Max automatic only. Toyota's patented IsoDynamic seats, with their air-over-oil shock absorber design, are another non-negotiable inclusion. Such trim options — or lack of them — are squarely aimed at comfortable, high-speed cruising on rugged trails. A high-torque hybrid drivetrain puts further space between the TDR Pro and its stablemates.
Along with its own innovations, Toyota looked to leaders in aftermarket off-road accessories to fit out its top-tier beast, with an ARB steel rear bumper, 2.5-inch FOX QS3 desert racing shocks, Rigid Industries LED fog lamps, 20-inch LED lightbar, high-clearance front end, TRD performance air intake, heavy-duty bash plates, underbody protection, and a cat-back dual-tipped exhaust — all before we start looking at the 18-inch matte black alloy wheels and electronically locking rear differential. But with a list price $17,000 above the TRD Off-Road, is all that Taco TRD Pro garnish worth the extra cost?
The DIY approach is another trim option
While the Toyota techs had a blast accessorizing their TRD Pro, some potential buyers said they wanted that DIY build action for themselves. After all, this is the main selling point of the Slate EV: an affordable, basic truck the buyer can mod. With the TRD Pro almost twice the price of an SR, many said they would prefer to customize a lower-tier Tacoma, with many naming the TRD Off-Road as the best platform for this approach.
Tacoma4g forum user Kielly, said, "unless you're going to use the Pro off road for what it's designed to do it's just a waste of money for some fancy seats," and claimed the Off-Road with a Premium package was basically a Pro minus the suspension. Romer also suggested the Off-Road Premium, saying, "you can always upgrade tires, lift and bumper as time goes on and add everything a TRD Pro has except for the seats".
On the ToyotaTacoma subReddit, willowgems expressed love for modding a basic SR5, arguing that paying top dollar for trim you decide to change later meant, "you're just out the money you paid up front". Rosinator1 agreed, saying, "you can always add things to your truck, but downgrading never feels good". Other forum users found the cost of entry to TRD trims a major sticking point, with self-described Toyota fanboy Pianoman saying the brand had priced its top-tier models too high, while mcrwirpro called them "toys for the financially irresponsible".
There are plenty of TRD Pro owners with no regrets
On the ToyotaTacoma subReddi, many argued against the DIY approach. Nikoren1980 warned modifying a new truck could void its warranty, while thebbygiraffe, said, "the Pro is perfect for people who never plan on changing a single thing about it". TacoTraveller said the cost of accessorizing a $58k TRD Off-Road Premium meant you may as well get a Pro, "Do a ton of mods like bigger tires, new wheels, and lift, you're already bringing yourself up to the $60k – $61k range."
For some buyers, Toyota's perceived reliability and experience gave it an edge over alternatives like the Ford Raptor, with tacotaco, saying, "they have tons of history with hybrid platforms compared to other manufacturers". Others said the price tag was reasonable when compared to the alternatives. TacoFreak told the Tacoma4g forum he had no regrets purchasing the TRD Pro, saying it was, "the best balance of looks, size, handling and instant power when you need it" and suggested "anyone shocked by the price must not have shopped the competition".
A more simplistic analysis appeared throughout the forums: if a buyer could afford a TRD Pro, then the price was right. But TacoFreak said not all those forking out for the TDR Pro were buying it for its off-road capabilities. "I am just having a hard time watching a truck that has always been valued as an off road warrior becoming the darling of the look at me, aren't I cool set."