Not wanting to miss out on the sport truck craze currently happening with the Detroit 3, Toyota has debuted the TRD Rally model of the Tundra. It’s a combination of nostalgia, muscular sound, and off-road credibility.
At a Glance
- Looks good, with nostalgic touches and credible off-road chops
- Equal to the TRD Off-Road, but with more nostalgia
- Abysmal fuel economy
- Decent highway drive quality
Right out of the gate the TRD Rally stands apart, especially for a Tundra. Toyota leaned hard into heritage styling cues, adding those tri-color red, orange and yellow stripes that are a nod back to Baja racing. These are integrated across the grille, doors, tailgate, wheel caps, and inside, with matching stitching and dash décor.
The Tundra TRD Rally doesn’t pretend to be the much more capable TRD Pro model and its price tag reflects that. Its engine is the same 3.4-liter V6 i-Force that powers most of the Tundra models and its packaging is about the same as the TRD Off-Road, but with faster-paced Bilstein shocks and a louder exhaust.
The package adds off-road cred through its visual presence with 18-inch TRD off-road wheels, all-terrain tires, Bilstein shocks up front, skid plates underneath, a locking rear differential, and some of the more rugged-looking gear you’d expect from a Toyota going out and about.
So, for light to moderate trails at reasonable speeds, the TRD Rally is legit. It’s not fully Pro level (rock-crawling, mud monster duty), but nothing about the Rally is a pose. It can pull its weight off pavement. This new Rally model is where Toyota wisely balances capability vs comfort vs cost.
On the road is where trade-offs show up, as they always do with off-road-inspired trucks. Even with all of the gear, though, the Tundra TRD Rally is pretty good on-road. It rides like most trucks, but with a little more road noise thanks to the more aggressive tires. The front shocks, made to absorb washboards and uneven terrain, do a pretty good job of absorbing the road as well. There is still bounce in the back, however, due to the Tundra needing to keep its truck-based capabilities intact.
Interior comfort is good thanks to SoftTex upholstery, decent (heated) front seats with power adjustment, good visibility, and modern infotainment. This isn’t top-end luxury, obviously, but it’s a solid interior. On par with the lower-end competitors it faces. The 14-inch touchscreen has a pretty good interface with typical Toyota quirks that aren’t too difficult to master.
The low cost has its downsides, of course. No running boards or easily-accessible grab handles for getting in and out, for example, and fuel economy is pretty abysmal. A trait most trucks suffer from once the off-pavement gear starts getting added on.
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
The 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally has a sticker price in the mid-US$60,000 range after delivery costs. Actual price will depend on a few options choices, but compared to the TRD Pro, which is about $10,000 more, that hits a sweet spot for capability and cost. Most of the Tundra’s competitors for the TRD Rally, such as the Ram RHO and the F-150 Tremor, are in that same neighborhood price-wise.
In the end, the 2025 Tundra TRD Rally is a very compelling choice for someone who wants a full-size truck, with real off-road chops, and doesn’t want to pay all the way up to a Pro. It gives enough rugged gear to be taken seriously, balanced with good comfort and a strong set of features. Versus the TRD Off-Road model, it’s got more nostalgia and details in return for spending a little more cash.
Product Page: 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally
