We torture tested the hybrid Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, but how does the turbo TRD Off-Road handle the strain?
Among the battery of towing tests we run at TFLtruck, one of the more recent additions is the “toaster” test. In the video below, Andre and Kase pitch the 2026 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road against the grades climbing out of Boulder, Colorado into the foothills, to find out just how well this midsize truck can handle such strain on a (relatively) warm May afternoon.
This time around, we’re testing the non-hybrid, 2.4-liter-equipped Taco, after we ran the turbo-hybrid Trailhunter about 18 months ago. Here, the 278-horsepower gas engine is on its own, with our 14-foot Big Tex trailer and long-term Kawasaki Ridge Crew side-by-side serving as our load for the run up toward Gold Hill. As equipped, this Tacoma can tow up to 6,400 pounds at its rated maximum. While we’re on the subject of numbers, the latest Tacoma manages about 1,200 pounds of payload in this TRD Off-Road configuration. That’s not too bad, but you will have to take that into consideration if you plan to pull a trailer, throw some gear in the bed and bring some passengers along.
With around 6,000 pounds behind the Tacoma in today’s test, this combination does introduce enough weight that this midsize truck will bear some serious strain heading up the 8-mile test, and also have to manage heading back downhill with that same mass. In fact, the run back down the hill is more of a white-knuckle experience, in some ways, thanks to the grade itself, the transition from dirt (with massive potholes) back to pavement, narrow stretches and tight curves.
One of the big appeals for the 2026 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road versus its range-topping breathren is value. Now, there are more affordable trims still like the SR5, but the TRD Off-Road brings one of the most well-rounded packages to your driveway for about $45,560, assuming you get it with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s worth noting that, at least right now, this is the only new truck available with a 6-speed manual (and you’ll save about $1,100 in the process).
Our particular TRD Off-Road, however, gets the TRD Off-Road Premium package, for a princely $8,940. That adds in heated and ventilated front seats, a larger 14-inch infotainment screen, a JBL premium audio system, wireless charging, pre-wired auxiliary switches and a host of other goodies…but getting that package pushes the price into the mid-$50,000 range. At that point, you’re right up against the Ford Ranger Raptor and GMC Canyon AT4X, each of which are a few thousand dollars more.
So, how well does the America’s best-selling midsize truck handle the Truck Toaster (or, as senior editor Ian included in the video, the Tow-ture Test?). Find out below:
