Which is better for off-the line acceleration: horsepower or torque? We wanted to find out, and what better way to do it than a simultaneous acceleration run (drag race)? This time it’s all about the midsize off-roaders: 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and the 2017 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X. These two are competing for the 2017 Gold Hitch off-road award. They have many off-road focused components: specially tuned suspension, skid plates, crawl control, hill descent control and more. Still, these trucks will see a lot of pavement during their lifetimes. Acceleration performance is an important metric, and it’s a fun test.
The most off-road capable Tacoma is powered by the same V6 you can find in other Tacomas, the 3.5L V6 with dual fuel-injection system. The engine produces 278 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. Nissan’s top midsize off-roader has the 4.0L V6 engine under the hood. This older design produces 261 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque.
The Tacoma makes significantly more horsepower than the Frontier, but the Nissan has a lot more torque than the Toyota. Which will be victorious over this approximately 1/8 mile stretch?
Join Roman Mica and Kent “Mr.Truck” Sundling in this fun review.
