2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

The Tacoma’s TRD Pro is a special edition of the lineup which transforms a normal daily driver truck into a cool-looking, rugged, and beefed-up off-roader with increased capabilities. Being the top-most trim in the chain, the 2021 model has a lot of standard features that make this truck a great companion to rely upon. Just as many features can be listed on the outside, the inside also is very advanced and a few features have been listed as follows:

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The 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is designed for off-roading and it’s also the best trip of the Tacoma series. It comes with the rock-solid Toyota’s reliability and customer services. This mid-size truck can be used on both off-road and on-road tracks, although it’s not recommended for daily riding, but for enthusiasts, it won’t be a problem either. The vehicle is a perfect choice for hauling heavy loads under rough conditions and completely justifies itself at a price tag of $47,030 for an automatic version.

Having the most primitive and conventional engine breathing techniques, the Tacoma is not a heavy fuel guzzler as it might appear to many. The midsize truck from Japan with manual transmission offers over 17 and 20 miles when driven in the city and on the highway respectively. The automatic transmission model improves the efficiency and gives 18 miles in the city and 22 miles for the highway. Equipped with a 21.1-gallon fuel tank, the Tacoma gives an impressive range and is considered to be one of the best daily drivers to own in the current times.

Because the Ranger with Tremor package has consistent MPG figures with the smallest fuel tank, it gets the least range. On the other hand, the rest of the competition has almost the same capacity of fuel but the Tacoma has the most out of it with some good MPG numbers while the Canyon gives the best highway MPG, other figures are not as good as the Japanese truck whereas Colorado has the least MPG numbers and so, it does not have a range as good as the others.

The Japanese midsize truck has a well-decorated cabin with a rugged and functional styling on the inside. The cabin is made mostly out of soft-touch plastic with a few dusky metallic inserts on the dashboard whereas the center console sits at a good height and has a neat overall layout. The front center armrest is well-cushioned as well as a rubber-like material on the door trim keeps the arms firm while getting adventures done. Moving over to the seats, the Tacoma has a seating capacity of five full-sized adults as it makes a volume of 57.5 and 42.6 cubic feet in the front and rear row respectively. All of the seating surfaces are leather-trimmed with a high-quality perforated cloth in the center with red contrast stitching.

The front seats are very comfortable with standard heating function and have good cushioning with firm bolsters. The driver gets a 10-way power adjusting seat with 2-way lumbar support whereas the front passenger has to adjust with a 4-way manual seat. The rear has a 60/40 split-folding bench that reveals a storage compartment when folded, and they do fold down completely flat. A folding center armrest makes the rear seat pretty comfortable for three people to fit in but tall people might complain about cramped legroom.

As observed, Toyota's Tacoma offers the best shoulder room of all whereas the payload capacity is the least when compared. On the contrary, Chevrolet and GMC manage to give the best headroom and legroom in both the rows while hauling the most payload. The Ford Ranger is not as good as the GM-twins but at the same time, it offers way more room than the Tacoma. Some awesome interior features are:

• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Dual-zone automatic climate control 
• A wireless mobile charging pad 
• Leather-trimmed steering wheel & shift lever 
• Front center armrest
• 4-Cup holders
• Leather upholstery

How intuitive is the 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab’s infotainment system?

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab has plenty of infotainment features that can be operated using the 8-inch touchscreen display with some crystal clear views and nice graphics showcased. The system is sensitive to taps and slides and one can easily navigate through its user interface.

In addition to this, there are plenty of high-tech as well as old-school connectivity options to integrate any number of devices with the truck. It gets a JBL six-speaker system with a subwoofer and an amplifier that boosts all the tunes really well along with this trial subscription for Safety Connect and Services Connect are also standard. Other than this, the infotainment system has many useful features. Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are as follows:

• Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa compatible
• SiriusXM with 3-month All Access trial-subscription
• WiFi Connect with up to 2GB (3-month trial)
• Bluetooth handsfree phone and audio streaming
• Destination Assist with 1-year trial
• 1 USB media port and 2 USB charging ports

Available in four different colors, the midsize pickup truck from Toyota looks simple but rugged enough; certainly not overdone. Upfront, the Toyota Tacoma has a very distinctive design than the rest of the rivals. Starting with the front, the LED headlights are placed inside the rectangular-shaped DRLs along with illuminated TRD lettering that is particularly crafted for this trim. Also, there are special LED fog lights designed and supplied by Rigid Industries that sit inside a black finished plastic trim in the front bumper. A TRD Pro front skid plate can also be spotted from the front if one squats a little while a hood scoop with some childish graphics at the very center meets with the raised hood lines. The front grille also has the heritage ‘TOYOTA’ badging on it with decent-looking grille work.

Moving over to the side, the truck looks compact and at the same time very long because of its longer wheelbase. A simple crease from the front emerges from the lower front part of the door, raises to a certain height, and is stretched out to the rear wheel well. Moreover, the bodywork around the wheel wells is protected by a black plastic piece and is available with an option of mudguards for each wheel. The 16-inch black alloy wheels with TRD wheel caps add up to this truck's muscular and off-road-ready looks. The rear looks pretty simple, just like any other truck, however, the black sport bezels on the taillights are specific to the TRD Pro trim. The cargo bed is made up of fiber-reinforced sheet and metal composite with an easy lowering, lockable, and removable tailgate.

The Ford Ranger is not as long, wide, or as tall as the others and also has a shorter wheelbase which makes it a perfect compact truck that can be easily driven on congested city roads. The next vehicle that is closer to the compact size is the Canyon which also turns out to be the closest to the ground. Looking at the Colorado which is the longest, widest, and tallest pickup truck also sits higher to the ground than the others, unlike the Tacoma which is reasonably sized. Some highlights of the exterior design are:

• power moonroof
• Body-colored heated & power operated mirrors
• Power sliding rear window
• Variable intermittent
• Mist windshield wipers
• Cat-back black exhaust
• Body-colored tailgate spoiler 
• A side step

Toyota is always known to make its vehicles as crash-proof as possible and this applies even to its trucks. The Tacoma TRD Pro has a body-on-frame chassis with eight cross members to improve rigidity and a fully boxed front subframe that protects the cabin and its occupants. Looking at the NHTSA results, the 2021 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab has an overall rating of 4-star with frontal crash and rollover rating scoring the same. Although, the side crash rating for the truck is 5-star. Moving on to the IIHS ratings, the crashworthiness section is filled in with green-colored G’s which means “Good” but the passenger-side small overlap is rated only “Average”. All basic and advanced safety features are mentioned below:

• Thicker front skid plate
• Rear parking sensors
• Blindspot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert
• Daytime running LEDs
• Integrated turn signal mirrors
• Traction control
• Electronic stability control
• Child safety locks
• Front tow hook
• Lane departure warning

2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab vs 2021 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Crew Cab

The Chevrolet Colorado has got great looks, as an off-roader, the truck really stands out in the lineup because of its looks. Also, there are multiple appearance and utility packages to select from making it closer to perfect. In addition to this, Chevrolet has equipped the most performing powertrain on the ZR2 trim, giving it the best towing and payload capacities in the class but subsequently affecting fuel efficiency. However, the Tacoma at least has some interior design, unlike Colorado’s plain and boring dashboard. It also offers all modern safety features, though the room inside the cabin might not be as much as the Chevrolet’s.

2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab vs 2021 Ford Ranger Crew Cab w/Tremor Off-Road Package

Ford has ramped up its Ranger lineup with the Tremor Off-Road package only to match up to the competition. The looks are also simple and rugged on the Ranger with a few functional elements, just like the Toyota. Equipped with an EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine that provides gruesome power as well as saves more fuel, Ford has done an amazing job. Although the power is slightly lower than the Tacoma, the torque figures are best in the class and so it is slightly more capable. The Ranger comes equipped with many durable and colored interiors which looks a little amusing for an off-roading truck. In this case, Tacoma’s down-to-earth and relaxed interior styling is just more plausible. Moreover, the Tacoma has a better and updated infotainment whereas the amount of safety features offered is left unmatched by the Michigan-based automaker.

2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab vs 2021 GMC Canyon Crew Cab AT4

The Canyon AT4 is the oldest and one of the greatest off-roaders built. GMC is a sister brand to the Chevrolet and hence both of them have common major components such as powertrain, chassis, cabin size along with a few features. The GMC Canyon has a more premium approach towards styling and from the outside, the truck looks a little overdesigned, unlike the Tacoma. The Tacoma’s interiors are better looking and just as comfortable and durable as the Canyon. Though the Canyon is a better off-roader with more power and torque available, Toyota’s safety features as well as MPG figures gain an edge over the GMC.

The new Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab is a brave machine that is just as equipped as the other trucks in the market. Being the lineup’s off-road model, the truck is made capable enough to roll over the dirt whereas, with many advanced safety features and a user-friendly infotainment system, this midsize truck also proves to be a great daily driver. The 2021 Tacoma TRD Pro is a good starter truck to buy for a family or a group of adventurous people.