2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

The TRD Pro trim is an all-out off-road machine and comes equipped with almost everything one needs before tackling those boulders. This doesn’t mean that the cabin suffers, we still get 10-way power-adjustable seats and leather upholstery. You might want to listen to some hard-rock music on an adventure trip to get that adrenaline rush and so the truck comes with a premium 12-speaker JBL sound system and smartphone integration. 

The suspension setup comes from Fox and is revised to have a 2-inches of extra lift. The underbody is covered with skid plates to protect the mechanical parts from any mishap. On luxury-oriented trims, we get 20-inch wheels but the TRD Pro has 18-inch forged aluminum wheels for similar strength and less weight. On the 2022 model, those Fox shocks are to stay and the rest of the features like the infotainment might get an upgrade.

Which trim should you buy?

The TRD Pro CrewMax trim is very well equipped for the off-roads with those Fox suspension, skid plates, and forged aluminum wheels with all-terrain tires. Toyota hasn’t skimped on the interior and we still get leather upholstery and all the tech features like power-adjustable seats and dual-zone automatic climate control. 

Release date

There has been no word from the Japanese manufacturer as to what the release date is going to be for the 2022 Tundra CrewMax TRD Pro but what we do have is an unveiling date that is pinned for September 19th, 2021. 

Toyota loves their 5.7L V8 engine so much they don’t even give any option to us the buyers to choose. The power output from this mill stands at 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque, while being mated to an exclusive 6-speed automatic transmission. The power output from this mill is sufficient for daily drives and off-road activities but as has been the case for a long time, the transmission on the Tundra still feels sluggish. competition is offering more ratios but we still are stuck with 6 gears and this limitation becomes apparent when towing heavy loads. 

The V8 engine has more than enough pulling power even when the truck is attached to a trailer or bed full of cargo. The only soft spot in this solid setup otherwise is the gearbox. All this is going to stay the same for the 2022 model but we might get a Twin Turbo V6 engine and this could also solve our fuel economy problems once and for all. 

The TRD Pro comes with better springs and that makes things better as the truck bounces less while making sharp turns and the overall suspension setup provides a soft comfortable ride. Get this truck off-road and it starts showing its true colors, the TRD Pro is really one of the best out there for this job. The V8 engine has loads of torque ready at your service to propel this truck forward on steep inclines and coupled with the grippy tires and Fox suspension the truck tackles any situation without breaking a sweat.

The Ford F-150 is the most powerful truck in the segment churning out 400 hp and 410lb.-ft of torque and gets the best towing capacity among all the other trucks. The rest of the three have very similar towing abilities. Having said that, all the trucks are very similar in terms of acceleration clocking just under 6.5 seconds to the 60mph mark, with no one being better or worse than anyone. 

After that gearbox, this is another re-export on Toyota Tundra CrewMax TRD Pro. It returns the lowest mileage in this segment and by quite a lot of difference. In the city, Tundra returns just 13 MPG and on the highway 17 MPG. For the upcoming 2022 model, we expect the Japanese manufacturer to take note of this and tweak the V8 for better fuel-efficiency. 

Compared to the competition the Tundra is way behind with the differences being more than 3 to 5 MPG in every case. That said, the Tundra has a serious range advantage with a 38.0-gallon fuel tank which just dwarfs the range of the rival trucks. On the other hand, it is only the Ford that comes close to the Toyota in terms of range, while the GMC and Chevrolet trucks lag behind by almost 100 miles of combined range. 

The Toyota Tundra has built a reputation for a workhouse pickup truck for all these years and most buyers seemed fine with it so much so that Toyota didn’t even bother to change the interior except for little upgrades here and there. The 2022 Tundra is going to be the best year for buyers as we have seen quite a lot of changes inside the cabin like some teaser images giving a glimpse of the upgraded dashboard along with a wireless charger on the center console. The current TRD Pro gets nice leather seats up front with TRD badging in black color with red stitching but the images for the 2022 model showed a red leather upholstery. 

We use a conventional shift knob to select drive modes but that’s going to be replaced by the rotary knob and this is confirmed news so if you don’t like that setup, you might as well consider getting the ongoing model. We dearly hope that Toyota updates the dashboard this time, it’s been more or less the same since it has been launched. The TRD Pro trim sits at the top of the table and so the overall material choice is great, most panels are covered in leather or soft-touch plastic but the top trims of rival trucks are crazy luxurious compared to Tundra. The front seats on the truck are plenty comfortable and the second row as well is plenty spacious for 3 passengers. 

If numbers are concerned the Toyota Tundra gets the least space inside the cabin but overall, they all are just fine. Pickup trucks never suffered in terms of space in crew cab configurations. It’s the interior that is much better on rival trucks, TRD Pro being the top trim doesn’t really feel like one but just take a look inside the King Ranch trim of the Ford F-150, trucks have come a long way. Some of the highlighting features of the 2022 Tundra are expected to be:

• Panoramic sunroof 
• Sliding down cargo bed window (2022)
• Bigger and wider touch screen (Exact dimensions unknown) (2022)
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leather upholstery 
• TRD Pro badging 

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2022 Toyota Tundra CrewMax TRD Pro?

The TRD Pro trim comes loaded with the best infotainment to offer like a 12-speaker JBL sound system and an 8-inch touch screen. The upgraded navigation system includes a 3 years subscription so you are set for pretty long. The touch screen setup is practical and comes with voice recognition. The smartphone integration suite includes Android Auto & Apple CarPlay. Overall, the infotainment setup is pretty complete and the upcoming truck is supposed to get a bigger touch screen, if that happens this would be one of the best systems in the pick-up truck segment. That said, some of the highlighting features are expected to be:

• 8-inch touch screen 
• 12-speaker JBL sound system 
• Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
• Dynamic navigation with 3 years subscription 
• AM/FM
• SiriusXM satellite radio 
• Amazon Alexa integration 
• Bluetooth & USB ports 

The Toyota Tundra hasn't been updated since launch and many people weren’t a fan of its bulbous designs. People like their trucks square and muscular. For 2022 Toyota has decided to revamp the design and the outcome is superb. The new truck looks unlike the Tundra we knew, the overall body language is boxy and much more aggressive. 

The front end now gets a much bigger grille that reaches the bumper and has 3 LED strip lighting for extra illumination. The headlight unit as well is totally new and has a unique design we can’t describe in words; pictures do more justice here. The A-pillar is now black which makes the complete windshield and window unit look like one. The hood scoop on the hood has been shifted to the sides and comes with a TRD Pro badge. Now this one isn’t confirmed but some leaked images show a red tailgate with a debossed TRD Pro logo that covers the whole tailgate. Overall, the 2022 Toyota Tundra is one hell of a looker. We just hope there won't be any last-minute changes in these upgrades. 

Ground clearance is a very important feature on any truck and all of them do come with substantial ground clearances except for the Ford F-150 which only gets 9.4 inches. In terms of overall length, the Toyota Tundra is 3 inches shorter than the competition but it is the heaviest truck in the segment. Both the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 are based on the similar underpinnings and share the longest wheelbase in the segment of 147.3 inches. The Tundra is said to be a very handsome looking truck, with some of the highlighting features expected to be:

• Upgraded LED headlights
• Rigid Industries foglights 
• Bigger blacked-out grille and bumper
• Side-mounted hood scoops 
• Special Toyota logo grille
• TRD Pro decals and badges

This one has to be anticipated as there isn’t any crash testing conducted on the Toyota Tundra but the 2021 model has got a 4-star rating in overall safety in the NHTSA tests. The IIHS has given this truck Good rating on the side, moderate overlap, and head restraints but the small overlap on the driver side only got a Marginal rating, the passenger side is even worse with a Poor rating. This overall is a mixed result and there’s still some room for improvement. Thankfully the truck comes full of safety features that you will most likely be avoiding crashes if any. Some of the standard driver-assist features include:

• Forward collision warning
• Rearview camera
• Automatic emergency braking
• Lane departure warning
• Automatic high beam headlights 
• Adaptive cruise control 
• Front & rear parking sensors 
• Blind-spot monitoring 
• Rear cross-traffic alerts 

2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro vs 2021 Ford F-150 King Ranch

The Ford F-150 is the best selling vehicle overall in the states and also the best-selling pick-up truck. The 5.0L V-8 on this truck makes more power compared to the Tundra and also gets significantly more towing capacity. The F-150 King Ranch gets the best interior in the truck segment while the Tundra is still miles behind in this department. The King Ranch sure is more expensive than the TRD Pro but the kind of experience it provides is unmatched by the Toyota and that $7k difference is totally worth it. 

2022 Toyota Tundra vs 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss

For starters, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 costs a little less than the Tundra but also has less power. Though the 10-speed transmission and spacious interiors make it a better option instantly. The interior is not so great but yea it's better than the ages-old Tundra’s cabin. The Chevy even gets the fuel economy thing sorted out, an area where Toyota fails miserably. Silverado seems like a really nice option to get while spending less.

2022 Toyota tundra vs 2021 GMC Sierra AT4

The Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 both are pretty similar trucks mechanically and on the inside but both have their unique designs. So, if you liked the Silverado for its performance and fuel economy and other things but the design isn’t in your taste, you can get the GMC Sierra which will have the same performance and interiors but looks more modern and premium. The advantages of the Sierra over Toyota are similar to the Chevy equivalent and yes it looks much better than both. 

The 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro has got some long overdue upgrades on the exterior and on the interior and that makes it a great modern truck. But the fuel economy issues and that lazy transmission might still bug the buyers. On the inside, the truck is adequately comfy but the top trims on other trucks offer much better quality. When there are superior options available like the F-150, Toyota shouldn’t just rely on reliability. The 2022 model changes a lot of things for this truck like the Twin-Turbo V-6 engine and better interior, otherwise, it was getting harder day by day to recommend this truck over the American classics.