We have to go back to 1954 to find the first pickup-style truck from Toyota. The Toyopet Truck RK was its first mass-market truck, later renamed the Toyota Stout. It didn't sell very well in the USA. The Toyota Hilux, introduced in 1969, enjoyed more success, demonstrating that Americans would buy Toyota branded trucks. The popular Tacoma mid-size pickup truck was first introduced in 1995 and has gone on to be a top seller. Its bigger brother, the Tundra, showed up in the 2000 model year, replacing the T100. Toyota's branding team started offering Toyota Racing Development "TRD" sport packages on the Tacoma starting in the mid-1990s. A few years later, TRD trim levels started to appear for the Tundra, and have proven quite popular ever since.
All this is relevant because Toyota loaned me a 2025 Toyota Tundra SR5 TRD Rally 4x4 edition, which proved a delightful drive for the week I was able to enjoy it, even though a snowstorm and sub-zero arctic freeze. The truck was a cheery Magnetic Gray Metallic, but you'll notice in many of my photos it was dirty from snow and slush:
You can see the road dirt on the door panels; it was a rough patch as some miserable weather traveled through our mountainous region here in Colorado! The good news is that it was ideal conditions to try out the 4x4 features and capabilities of the truck. It might have the 70s-inspired tri-color racing marks, but at its heart, this is a truck ready to go off-road at any moment. Indeed, the most useful controls in the Tundra were on the center console:
Two-wheel drive with a high-range gear ratio, then 4H and 4L for general terrain and particularly challenging environments. The 2H is rear-wheel drive and it had a really tough time with even a small amount of snow and ice, as you would expect. Heavy vehicle + rear wheel drive = little control. It was easy to switch into 4H which instantly improved the drive experience. However, I did experience a common challenge with a part-time 4x4 system: The truck did not like being in 4WD and turning tightly.
As a result, I found that when I was parking in snow, I had a dilemma: 4H was needed for traction, but to be able to easily maneuver, I had to be in 2H so the system didn't bind up. (What's actually happening is that the front and rear transfer case coupling outputs are locked, which forces both axles to rotate at the same speed). You know when you're in this situation too, as the vehicle jerks rather alarmingly. Try to make a tight u-turn in 4H or 4L and you'll swear the drivetrain is protesting, though it's actually just balancing out torque buildup.
With that said, the drive experience overall was quite good. I kept switching drive modes to maximize agility, and felt safe on ice, heavy snow, wet and dry pavement. The extensive parking camera system also made it a breeze to park this big boy in even tight spots.
Part of that was simply that the infotainment display screen is huge on this model, a whopping 14" display that's glorious, and doubly so for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. It's the biggest screen Toyota makes and is in most of the new Tundra trim levels. Coupled with a very nice 9-speaker audio system, it made driving quite a pleasure.
Notice the red TRD accents on the steering wheel and gearshift. Reasonably subtle, but enough that it livened up an otherwise pedestrian black dashboard. Then again, who notices anything beyond that infotainment screen? At least, unlike Tesla and similar designs, the Tundra retains all of its buttons and switches to ensure drivers who don't want to dive headfirst into the new world of digital-only vehicle controls are still fully in control of their vehicle.
This is well illustrated by the classic climate controls:
Having said that, controls do tend to be spread out on this truck: Drive mode options are on the center console (as shown earlier) but there are also some on the control row behind the gear shift. And the steering wheel heater? That's tucked onto a button panel by the driver's left knee, a placement that makes it probable many owners don't know it's even an option.
The main gauge display was surprisingly old school with a tiny display tucked into the middle. The 2025 Toyota Tundra SR5 is a heavy truck, powered by an i-Force 3.4L twin-turbo V6 putting out 389 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission. No surprise, it's not very fuel efficient, as shown above. EPA ratings for this configuration are 17//22, but I averaged less than that. Likely a combination of cold weather and being in 4x mode rather than the more fuel efficient 2H drive mode.
The steering wheel controls were remarkably symmetric, to the point where it was a bit confusing what controlled which feature. I never did figure out how to change the center gauge display screen into different modes! Did you catch that audio volume and track controls are on the left, but the infotainment mode control is on the right side?
After reviewing a long parade of vehicles with poor rear legroom, I have to admit it was a delight to find that the Tundra has a lot of rear legroom. Indeed, the above picture was taken with the driver's seat all the way back (I'm a tall driver) and there was still plenty of room for another big adult. My son owns a Toyota Tacoma and was instantly jealous of the rear space and comfort in the Tundra, and with good cause; his Tacoma has a fraction of the legroom.
The Tundra offers three different bed lengths, 5.5 feet, 6.5 feet, or a roomy 8.1 feet. This test vehicle had a 5.5 foot bed with an excellent, rugged liner. The rear tailgate has a power open/close feature, which was handy. You can even open it from the driver's seat, ideal for inclement weather. Towing capacity is a respectable 11,400 pounds, and max payload is 1800 pounds (but ya gotta factor in passengers too, before you overload it).
I really liked my time with the Tundra SR5 TRD Rally truck, to be candid. It was great for the miserable weather, starting up immediately in sub-zero temperatures and keeping me safely on the road regardless of conditions. The roomy interior, excellent sound system, and enormous infotainment screen added up to a great drive experience, and everyone who climbed into it extolled its spaciousness and design. If you're in the market for a truck, love Toyota reliability, and need something bigger than the Tacoma, this is unquestionably one to check out on your next shopping adventure.
2025 Toyota Tundra SR5 TRD Rally 4x4 Crewmax, with a twin-turbo V6 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. BASE PRICE: $51,010.00. Options Included: TRD Rally Package, Spare Tire Lock, Wheel Locks, Performance Air Filter, Carpet Floor Mats, Ball Mount, Bed Mat. AS DRIVEN: $62,442.00.
Disclaimer: Toyota loaned me the Tundra for a week in return for this candid write-up. This article originally appeared on PlanetDave.com with the title The Surprisingly Spacious 2025 Toyota Tundra SR5 TRD Rally Truck and is republished here with permission of the author.
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