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Auto Blog
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro vs Nissan Frontier PRO-4X: Off-Road Awesomeness
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Nissan Frontier PRO-4X represent the most off-road-capable trucks these automakers build. Which one is right for off-roaders? Two of the best off-road trucks around The 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Nissan Frontier PRO-4X are remarkably capable off-road pickup trucks. Both look unique compared to their lesser brethren, are more capable on paper than the trucks they replace, and both have a history of reliability. They are also the most (or nearly the most) expensive versions of their platforms, but are not the best in class. The Ford Ranger Raptor, Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, and GMC Canyon AT4X AEV are just as good, if not better, in many ways. 0:00 / 0:09 The Ford Mach 4 could be the brand's first sedan since 2020 Watch More Still, the Frontier and Tacoma are compelling alternatives, with unique gifts that can be easily seen. I was lucky enough to not only take both off-road, but also live with both trucks day-to-day, back-to-back. For my money, one of these two simply makes more sense, while the other is the stuff dreams are made of. Let's look at both before we get to which one makes more sense. The 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X: serious bang-for-your-buck 2025 Nissan Frontier — Source: Nissan The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X waltzes into 2025 with a few changes. There is a restyled bumper, grill, and front headlights, which look a bit more aggressive. New wheels and the new 'Afterburn Orange' optional color are all part of the PRO-4X package. Nissan got the memo and made tilt and telescoping steering standard. There is more standard tech, which includes safety upgrades and adaptive cruise control, a larger, well-placed 12.3-inch infotainment screen as a new option, and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The tow rating has been increased to a more competitive 7,150-lbs. Seating now has more lumbar control choices as well. Nissan continues using the 310 horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 that makes 281 lb-ft of torque. It's paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission and an old-school 4×4 system, one that includes an electronically locking rear diff. The power numbers are closer to the non-hybrid TRD Off-Road package than the much more powerful TRD Pro from Toyota, but it's the top and only powertrain available from Nissan. The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X is rated at 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Unlike any other pickup truck in this class, the Nissan Frontier offers a King Cab option, which gives you the choice of having a smaller and less expensive cab configuration; unfortunately, it's not available in the PRO-4X trim. What is optional on the PRO-4X is the bed length, with the standard bed at 59.5 inches in length and the long bed at 73.3 inches in length. Not every competitor offers more than one bed length, but Toyota does, in some cases. The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X starts at under $45,000 and tops out just over $51,000. Believe it or not, that's a bit of a bargain compared to some, and one of Nissan's strongest selling points, along with its driving feel. You see, despite the PRO-4X packing less tech, no turbochargers or hybrid systems, it is one of the sweetest of the group to drive on a daily basis. The maneuverability is excellent, the steering weight is outstanding (if you like a heavy steering feel), and it feels smaller behind the wheel. Toyota Tacoma TRD-Pro: a tech monster 2025 Toyota Tacoma — Source: Toyota The Toyota Tacoma was completely renewed in 2024, so the changes this year are minimal. The TRD Pro is still the king of the hill among other Tacomas, including its i-Force MAX powertrain. There are now four auxiliary switches, a new 'Mudbath' exterior color for the TRD Pro, and the bumper tow hooks are now red. That's about it. Oh, and it has a lower tow rating than other Tacomas with a total of 6,000-lbs, which is on the lower end of the competition. The Tacoma's powertrain is a bit of a beast. It is part of the i-Force family, which consists of turbocharged hybrids. In this case, it's a 326 hp turbocharged 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder that makes 465 lb-ft of torque when combined with an electric motor, thus making it a hybrid. An 8-speed automatic is the only transmission offered with the i-Force setup, but you can get a 6-speed manual on the non-hybrid Tacomas. This is also the only pickup that offers that transmission in the United States. The EPA rates the Tacoma TRO Pro at 22 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. The TRD Pro does not offer a long bed, nor a different cab configuration. In fact, all i-Force hybrid powertrains only come with the crew-cab, short-bed configuration. As I mentioned before, the towing on the TRD Pro is much lower than other Tacomas, and that's partially due to the advanced off-road underpinnings. More on that in a moment. The Tacoma TRD Pro feels completely different than the Frontier PRO-4X. It feels like a much larger, more powerful truck. In many ways, it is. The short-bed Tacoma is about four inches longer than the short-bed Frontier. At the same time, the 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X long bed has an overall length of 224.1 inches. The Tacoma TRD Pro is extremely quick in traffic and has much better maneuverability than the truck it replaced. It has lighter steering than the Frontier, and it feels like you're driving something larger than it actually is. Speaking of larger, the base price for a Tacoma TRD Pro starts at just under $64,000. Fully loaded with every package, you're approaching $90,000. How are they inside? This is more about their off-road prowess, but the interior plays a role in some of that. Right off the bat, the Nissan's interior feels a bit cheaper, especially the door panels that are uncomfortable to rest your arm on. Toyota's design is more cohesive and thematic, and it features a 14.0-inch center touchscreen with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. It's very clear to look at, but there's a bit of a learning curve to master the UX. Toyota also has the Iso-Dynamic seating, which means that the front seats have their own suspension systems. This works when pounded hard off-road, but it kills off the option of having back pockets. The front seats in the Nissan are very comfortable, but the back seats are a bit tight for adults. Similar in size to the Colorado/Canyon, they sit upright, offering mediocre leg room. Nissan's overall design is simple and rugged, but not as interesting as Toyota's layout. All of the buttons and switchgear are logically placed and easy to use, with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster placed between analog gauges. Very different off-road setups Yes, there's no doubt that the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is a better hardcore off-road vehicle. The 2.5-inch FOX Internal Bypass QS3 shocks with rear piggyback-style remote reservoirs, and its Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) system are its highlights. Fox also supplied the internal floating piston hydraulic bump stops. It has Crawl Control, Downhill Assist Control, an electronically controlled locking rear differential, and a Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism (SDM) on the TRD Pro. This is before we go into the sheer amount of under-body armor and the 33-inch rugged-terrain tires on 18-in. wheels. Additionally, there's the IsoDynamic Performance front seats with dampening system – which work, but are a bit of a pricy gimmick from my perspective. It feels so capable and so composed under stress that I find the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro to be one of the best high speed dune-running pickup trucks out there. The combination of the power, suspension, and sophisticated 4×4 system are leaps and bounds beyond the Nissan's capabilities. Articulation is pretty good, but it lags behind the competition. Still, the Nissan can go nearly everywhere the Tacoma goes. The 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO 4X has all-terrain Hankook Dynapro AT2 tires, Bilstein off-road suspension system work well together, and allow the Frontier PRO-4X to climb aggressively when mixed with the rear locker. Unfortunately, its 8.6 inches of ground clearance can be an issue when rock crawling, or going over uneven terrain. The Tacoma TRD Pro has 11.5-inches of ground clearance, which is far better off-road. Final thoughts Here's the deal: the Tacoma TRD Pro is an amazing truck with an amazingly huge price tag. I had to keep asking myself, 'Is this Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro $20,000 better than a Frontier PRO-4X?' I simply don't think it is. It's slightly more efficient, faster, and has much more off-road tech, but I don't think it's that much better off-road. To put it another way, if it were my money, I think the Frontier makes more sense overall.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why the 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is the coolest midsize truck
Toyota's mid-size truck dominates the market, outselling the competition for the past 20 years. A lot of credit goes to the undeniably awesome range-topping TRD Pro model, which touts a ton of off-roading gear and cosmetic upgrades that make it the truck you really want, even if it isn't necessarily the one you can afford. The TRD Pro's been around for a while, but we think its coolness still beats out the of trucks come with off-roady bits from the factory, but the newest TRD Pro comes with all of the off-roady bits. It gets adjustable FOX coilovers and shocks, a lift of an inch in the front and half an inch in the rear, Rigid LED fog lights, and a front light to emphasize the truck's willingness to adventure. View the 8 images of this gallery on the original article Toyota didn't stop the tweaks there, though. 18-inch TRD Pro wheels and 33-inch all-terrain tires offer a serious aesthetic upgrade and grant some additional ground clearance and better traction on less-than-paved surfaces. A front skid plate, old-school Toyota grille badging, a high-clearance front bumper, and a steel ARB rear bumper all add up to a truck that has some serious curb appeal. Even if there isn't a curb for miles. The TRD Pro receives a small selection of factory performance parts that you won't see on other trucks, either within or outside the Toyota family. While it lacks the snorkel intake that the Trailhunter model gets, it does enjoy a factory cold air intake system and a black-painted cat-back performance exhaust that gives the truck a little bit more growl and enhances the performance of performance, that's another reason the 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is a cool choice in its segment. There aren't that many hybrid trucks around, with the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro being two of the few available options. The TRD Pro's hybrid powertrain makes 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 48 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque over the last generation model's naturally aspirated V6. The jury's still out on long-term reliability, but we think that's a certifiably cool amount of performance gains. You don't get to see the outside of the truck when you're driving, so the coolest midsize truck needs to have an interior that matches, right? Rest assured that Toyota delivers. Unique TRD Pro-badged 'IsoDynamic Performance Seats" tout heating, ventilation, and red contrast stitching, but their most defining feature is a pair of shock absorbers that offer better lateral and vertical motion when the going gets rough. They're basically a set of off-road seat the camo-draped inserts throughout the cabin aren't really my style, they still give the cabin a sense of occasion. Much more agreeable are the red accents adorning the top of the steering wheel, gear selector, engine start button, and dash badging. Red TRD lettering on the bottom of the steering wheel reminds you of what you're driving and matches the contrast stitching on the dash, door panels, and center console. The 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro has more competition than its previous generations, and its rivals are better trucks than they've ever been. In fact, you wouldn't have to look far to find one that tows more, costs less, or makes more power. But you won't find a truck that's cooler or that offers a more complete package than the top-dog Tacoma. Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
