The 2024 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is one of the most underrated full-size pickup trucks

The Toyota Tundra isn’t as boisterous or attention-grabbing as some of its rivals. In a fiercely competitive segment with plenty of heavy-hitters to choose from, the Tundra maintains a cool, calm and steady demeanor that’s often easy to overlook. But after spending a week with the rugged Tundra TRD Pro trim, it’s not hard to see why someone might choose this understated full-size pickup truck over some of the flashier alternatives.

If you’re in the market for an off-road capable pickup, here’s why the Tundra TRD Pro is worthy of your consideration.

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Price and value 

When you compare the off-road-oriented trims that all of the full-size pickup trucks offer, the Tundra TRD Pro is a relative bargain. You get a lot of the same off-road goodies you’d find elsewhere — including Fox shocks, an off-road-tuned suspension, skid plates and all-terrain tires — at a slightly lower price than some notable competitors. 

Our TRD Pro tester had a base MSRP of $72,130. By comparison, the Ford F-150 Raptor starts at $78,440 and the Ram 1500 TRX starts at $95,735. The Tundra TRD Pro may not have the same performance specs as the Raptor and the TRX, but it’s a decent value buy. 

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Impressive resale

If you’re like my husband and you cycle through various cars and trucks relatively quickly, then it’s important to choose something with a high resale value. The Toyota Tundra holds its value impressively well. J.D. Power gave it a resale value rating of 94 out of 100, which is considered “Best” in this category. Most of its competitors received the second-highest rating of “Great.” 

Plenty of power 

Other trucks offer more horsepower, but the Tundra’s i-Force Max twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 hybrid engine is no slouch either. It puts out 437 horsepower and a punchy 583 pound-feet of torque, which means you never have to worry about it struggling to overtake cars on the freeway or get up to speed fairly quickly. For such a heavy vehicle, it’s admirable that it can sprint from zero to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds. 

Interior comfort

As a mildly claustrophobic person, I have a strong preference for cars and trucks that provide lots of interior space and great visibility. The Tundra TRD Pro does both. Both as a front and backseat passenger, I had plenty of room to breathe and stretch out. Our kids enjoyed a healthy bit of space between them in the second row, which is always a bonus when you’re trying to preserve the peace during a long drive. 

The seats provided plenty of bolstering and support in the first row without being overly rigid. The rear seats weren’t quite as plush, but were still comfortable. It helps that the TRD Pro only comes in the Crew Cab body style, so legroom is plentiful in the back, even for adults. 

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Photo courtesy of Toyota

User-friendly infotainment system 

Toyota cuts right to the chase with its straightforward and easy-to-use infotainment system. The Tundra TRD Pro came equipped with a sizable 14-inch screen that displayed crisp graphics and fast response times, plus a few extra physical buttons underneath for climate controls. 

Connecting my phone to the wireless Apple CarPlay was also about as quick and painless as it could be. Having wasted a fair amount of time with more confusing systems out there, I can’t praise Toyota enough for this one’s simplicity. It just lets you get in, get connected and get on with life. (Thank you!)

Beautiful design

I think the Tundra TRD Pro is one of the best-looking trucks in the segment. The bold “Toyota” lettering on the grille, the blacked-out features and the TRD Pro badging make it look aggressively attractive. I’m also a fan of the interior’s “technical-camo” upholstery, which is unique without being too in-your-face.

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What could be better

Despite its long list of positive attributes, the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is not without its quirks. While none of these are glaring flaws, it’s important to be aware of them before you commit to a purchase.

Ride quality

The more we drove the Tundra TRD Pro, the more we started to notice how harsh it felt in regular driving situations. I was surprised at its inability to absorb bumps in the road and even let out an audible “ow” over a few of them. While we didn't have a chance to take it off the pavement in our week-long test drive, we got the impression that its off-road suspension preferred to be, well, off-road. 

Interior storage space

The cabin was spacious and fairly comfortable for our little family of four, but we found that interior storage options were lacking. Having the hybrid engine means you don’t get the extra underseat storage in the second row, which would have been nice to have in case we wanted to securely stow our weekly grocery haul. Again, it wasn’t a big deal — but when you’re driving kids around, every bit of extra storage counts!

Photo courtesy of Toyota

Maneuverability

I was visibly sweating when I had to pick up my daughter from preschool in the one-way, narrow pickup line because the Tundra is a massive and not very agile beast. Its turning radius was pretty big and I hugged the inside of my line as tightly as I could for fear of scratching the concrete on the opposite side. It was stressful. The extra camera angles helped ease some parking anxiety, but there’s no denying the heft of this truck.

Towing capacity

If you’re looking for a full-size pickup truck with the best towing capacity, keep on shopping. The Tundra boasts a respectable 11,120-pound capacity, but it doesn’t come close to what certain rivals offer. 

Would I recommend the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro? 

Overall, we enjoyed our time with the 2024 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and would happily welcome it back into our driveway again. It was nice to drive, attractive and full of great tech and safety features that made us feel totally at ease with our kids in tow. While the Tundra may not be the top dog in its class, it definitely qualifies as a viable option for anyone shopping for a capable, reliable and feature-packed full-size pickup. 

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*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.