2015 Toyota Tundra TRD PRO CrewMax
When Toyota contacted me on a Friday and asked if I would be available to review the all new, 2015 Tundra TRD Pro CrewMax, over the weekend, I wasn't sure how I would fully explore its off-road capabilities in just two days. My fear was that I wouldn't be able to find a place, in this "concrete jungle" to really test its limits. Nonetheless, I gave it the old college try.
When this truck was delivered just 30 minutes before the start of my show, I didn't have time to do my usual 20-30 minute walk-around to get to know it. So, for the next 2 hours, I had the visual of the this Super White (Toyota's new color) Tundra with TRD Bilstein shocks, blacked out front springs wrapped around bright red struts and those all black, 18 inch TRD alloy wheels on Michelin off-road tires.
It was just begging to get dirty.
After spending hours searching for off-road trails (by the way, Georgia needs more trails for 4×4's and not just ATV's and dirt bikes), to no avail, I decided to do what any other "city-boy" would do; I took to the mean streets of the ATL. When I turned the key and heard the roar of the 5.7-liter V8 with dual exhaust, the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention! My heart started to race and I'm certain my blood pressure had to be elevated for the first five minutes.
When I pressed the accelerator and the rumble echoed over the parking deck, by-standers took noticed and this thing immediately demanded respect; a pre-requisite for a full-size pick-up truck. Now that the Tundra looks the part and sounds the part, it's time evaluate the difference in its more luxurious brethren, the 1794 Edition.
The first thing that you notice about the interior, aside from the huge step up, is the unique seat color with the red stitching highlighting the seating surfaces.
Toyota also added signature badges to delineate the TRD Pro from the rest of the Tundra line. Though this is a nice touch and looks really cool, I would like to see an option for leather interior considering this thing will see its fair share of the dirt. (Information about interior options not available at time of review)
Other clues that this thing is "off-road" ready are the 2 inch lift for the front wheels, the TRD PRO stamp on the quarter panel of the bed and the TRD front skid plate.
After a day and a half and about 150 miles (2-3 of which was in moderate dirt), the 2015 Tundra TRD Pro is sure to make a believer of some, a fan of others. For the 45 hours in my possession, there was one Ford and one Ram driver that gave me "back-handed" compliments about the looks and sound of the Tundra. It's not clear yet if Toyota is looking to conquer the competition or just make their mark in the full-sized pickup truck market, but if two days on the road can serve as a litmus test for the industry, the Tundra TRD Pro will be the center of some heated debates in the 4×4 world. Most importantly though, for the Toyota loyal, it will be another justification for their loyalty to the brand.
The Tundra TRD Pro will hit showrooms in late September and the CrewMax 4×4 V8 as tested will sport an MSRP of $43,900 (not including delivery, process and handling (DPH) fee. The Tundra Pro Double Cab 4×4 V8 (not tested) starts at MSRP $41,285 (not including delivery, process and handling (DPH).
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