It’s time to drive the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Tacoma Trailhunter hybrid pickup trucks! This first drive is all about taking them off-road in California. Which one is our favorite? Is it the new TRD Pro with its fancy IsoDynamic seats or is it the Trailhunter with extra-strong skid plates, rock sliders, and higher payload? Let’s dig in!
These two new Toyota trucks share a new power plant. It’s a 2.4-liter turbocharged I4 hybrid system. This is the only way you will be able to purchase a new TRD Pro or a Trailhunter. They are “hybrid only”! These new pickup trucks are very pricey, but they also pack a lot of features.
How Much for the Hybrid?
As a side note, the new Tacoma Hybrid “i-FORCE MAX” powertrain is also available on Tacoma TRD Sport, TRD Off-road, and Limited grades. If you are starting with a Tacoma TRD Sport double cab 4×4 (at $42,600 before shipping/handling) – the Hybrid powertrain will add $3,700 to the price of the truck. The Hybrid powertrain costs the same for the TRD Off-Road and the Limited models.
The new Hybrid powertrain is rated at 326 hp @ 6,000 and 465 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700 lbs. The Tacoma Hybrid is now the most torquey midsize truck on the market.
The 2024 Tacoma Trailhunter double cab 4×4 5-foot bed starts at $62,900 + $1,495 shipping/handling = $64,395. The Tacoma TRD Pro double cab 4×4 5-foot bed starts at $63,900 + $1,495 = $65,395.
The Trailhunter has a $1,000 price advantage. The Trailhunter can be configured with either a 5-foot or a 6-foot bed option. The longer bed costs an additional $500. The TRD Pro comes only with a shorter 5-foot bed. Toyota says that the TRD Pro is built to handle higher-speed off-road driving over open terrain, while the Trailhunter is more for slower rock crawling and carrying additional “outdoorsy” payloads.
First Drive
Roman and I drive the Tacoma TRD Pro first. The IsoDynamic seats are immediately evident. I like the sitting position, but there is no recline option for these seats. The seat is built with two pivot points (one low between your bottom cushion, the second behind your neck in the seat back). Two dampers that cushion the seat movement, and a simple hand-driven air pump can adjust the damping force of the seat for different body weights.
I did some fast-speed off-road driving and slow crawling in the TRD Pro. I can tell you that the TRD Pro’s FOX QS3 suspension feels capable, resilient, and precise. The FOX QS3 shocks allow manual adjestment between three firmness settings. It’s one of those trucks which can take many many miles of hard off-road driving while soaking up heavy hits like washouts or ditch crossings. When you most off-road dips or obstacles, the Tacoma TRD Pro can take it at speed. It’s also very capable while crawling slowly. The disconnectable front anti-sway bar allows for very good articulation and the 33-inch all-terrain tires have plenty of grip.
The TRD Pro we drove had 1,200 lbs of payload capacity and 6,000 lbs of trailer towing capacity. This is also a relatively heavy midsize pickup truck with a curb weight of 5,500 lbs. As a bonus, the truck looks amazing.
Next up is the Tacoma Trailhunter. Roman and I specifically picked the long-wheelbase (6-foot bed) truck for our first drive. We wanted to see how maneuverable and capable this longer version of the truck is. The Trailhunter has about the same ride height as the TRD Pro, as well as the same tire size. The Trailhunter has a little less ground clearance due to different skid plates underneath that protect more of the underbody.
The Trailhunter rides on OME (Old Man Emu non-adjustable) dampers. Although, the wheelbase is longer – the truck still navigated the tight off-road corse (that Toyota selected) without problems. The Trailhunter is a smooth crawler. It has great articulation, and great underbody protection, including super beefy rock sliders on each side. Toyota says each rock slider can handle one half of the vehicle’s GVWR (which is 6,835 lbs in this case).
The Trailhunter has another fun trick up its sleeve. It’s actually the reaised air intake on the passenger side. It’s well integrated and you can hear the turbocharger and the blow-off valve with authority.
The Trailhunter 6-foot bed we drove had 1,245 lbs of payload capacity. This truck has an as-tested curb weight of 5,590 lbs.
Is the Hybrid Worth It?
Here is the bottom line on the new Tacoma Hybrid. It delivers more power than the standard turbocharged Tacoma, but it’s also moving a much heavier pickup truck. Don’t expect the Tacoma Hybrid to feel a lot faster than a regular Tacoma. However, the i-FORCE MAX hybrid is supposed to be a lot better at efficiency in the city.
The EPA is rating the standard Tacoma TRD Off-road turbo at 19 MPG city / 23 MPG highway and 20 MPG combined. The new Tacoma TRD Off-road Hybrid is rated at 22 MPG city / 24 MPG highway and 23 MPG combined. The city efficiency is 3 MPG better. We look forward to testing this in some city traffic very soon!
Overall, I would say the $3,700 hybrid system will be worth it if the truck is your daily driver in the city. If you are buying the hybrid for highway road trips, it’s efficiency may be just about the same in the real world as the non-hybrid truck.
TRD Pro & Trailhunter Competition?
I see the new Tacoma TRD Pro as a direct competitor to trucks such as the Chevy Colorado ZR2, Ford Ranger Raptor, and Jeep Gladiator Mojave. The new Tacoma Trailhunter is more squarely aimes at the Colorado ZR2 Bison, GMC Canyon AT4X AEV edition, and the Gladiator Rubicon X.
Here is a quick price comparison with other high-performance off-road midsize pickup trucks:
- Chevy Colorado ZR2 starts at $48,395
- GMC Canyon AT4X starts at $55,895
- Ford Ranger Raptor starts at $57,065
- Jeep Gladiator Mojave or Rubicon start at $58,180
- Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison costs $60,540
- Jeep Gladiator Mojave X or Rubicon X start at $64,890
- GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition costs $65,995
Which new off-road Tacoma would I choose: the TRD Pro or the Trailhunter? I would pick the Trailhunter. I like the standard seats in the Trailhunter more than the IsoDynamic seats. I like the additional payload that the Trailhunter offers, as well as the built-in air compressor.
Check out the TFLoffroad Youtube channel for a complete video comparison.
