Which 2025 Toyota Tacoma Trim Is The Most Powerful, Based On Horsepower?

With midsize trucks, power is important. Smaller than full-size trucks, mid-size rigs can be misconceived as underpowered or not up to the task of towing and hauling. With the recently redesigned Toyota Tacoma, though, that shouldn't be a problem. It has plenty of power from two available powertrains that outclass previous generations and its competitors.  

The first available engine is a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder called the i-Force that varies in the power it provides. On base SR trim levels, paired with Toyota's 8-speed automatic transmission, it puts out 228 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. Switch over to the six-speed manual transmission and you get a bit more power: 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. On upper trim levels, connected to the automatic transmission again, the i-Force puts out 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. That's still not the tippy-top of the Tacoma mountain. 

With the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, Toyota combines the 2.4-liter engine with a hybrid system for as much as 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. That's nearly 50 horsepower more than the previous-generation V6 model, and 200 lb-ft of torque more than the old six-cylinder engine. There are several trim levels for the Tacoma: Some are only available with the base engine, others only available with the hybrid, and some are available with both. Specifically, the i-Force Max with 326 horsepower can be had on the TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, TRD-Pro, and Limited trim levels.

One notable exception from the previous section is the Trailhunter trim from the list of Tacomas with the most power. Why? On the Trailhunter model, the horsepower rating is slightly lower than other i-Force Max models. It has 323 horsepower; which is only a 3 hp deficit, so you likely won't be able to tell the difference from behind the wheel. However, there is a significant difference in price between all of these trims.

The bare-bones base Tacoma SR has an MSRP of $33,185 (including $1,595 destination fee), while mid-level trims like the TRD Off-Road rise to $43,795. The TRD Off-Road comes standard with the 6-speed manual transmission which helps keep the cost down, but when you add the 8-speed automatic it goes up by $1,100. From there, the TRD Off-Road with i-Force Max powertrain (and a standard 8-speed automatic) leaps up to $48,615. That's a difference of $3,720 between the two powertrains on the same trim level.

Standard i-Force powertrain versions of the Tacoma have a higher towing capacity than the hybrid model (6,500 lbs versus 6,000 lbs), so the extra power isn't put to use there. Certain versions of the base powertrain match the hybrid for fuel efficiency ratings at 23 mpg combined (though, the hybrid mostly wins that battle by a few mpg), so really it's about acceleration and driving enjoyment.