Toyota’s good at many things, and one of them is taking one vehicle and giving you several variations that are different from each other while occupying the same space. That becomes very obvious when you lay eyes on the 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally.
Toyota invokes its Baja racing heritage with the iconic red, orange and yellow stripes placed at various points on the 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally.
When you hear the name Toyota Tundra TRD, visions of a white and red off-road-ready behemoth and all the fun that can be had in it spring to mind. However, the TRD Rally, which is new for 2025, changes all that. First, it invokes its Baja racing heritage with the iconic red, orange and yellow stripes placed at various points on the truck, and then you realize this is a different vehicle.
Toyota is so good at taking something good and making it gooder. The TRD Rally isn’t the TRD Pro, but it is oh-so-capable and in Celestial Silver with the aforementioned tri-color heritage accents splashed about, I like it better.
Of course, it’s ready to head off on any adventure you want with 18-inch TRD off-road wheels with unique center caps, all-terrain tires, Bilstein shocks and skid plates to give this truck legitimate off-road chops. Add in an electronically controlled locking rear differential, Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control and this truck proves it’s ready to go just about anywhere.
Getting there
The TRD Rally isn’t the TRD Pro, but it is oh-so-capable and in Celestial Silver with the aforementioned tri-color heritage accents splashed about.
And by the way, once you get to off-the-beaten-path, you won’t need to worry about having enough oomph to get around — the go matches the show. Our tester was powered by an i-Force twin-turbo V6 using dual overhead cams and 24-valve cylinder heads to produce 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.
You can upgrade it to an i-Force Max hybrid with 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque, but I’m not sure it’s necessary beyond “because I want to.” Both motors are matched with a 10-speed automatic featuring a sequential shift mode, uphill/downhill shift logic and TOW/HAUL driving modes.
While the TRD Pro is known for its rough-and-ready capabilities, the TRD Rally hangs right with it. The TRD Off-Road package are a slew of off-road upgrades that enhance off-pavement exploration. Multi-Terrain Select offers adjustable settings to help control wheel spin on a variety of terrain.
Crawl Control functions as a low-speed, off-road cruise control that allows the driver to focus on steering while the Tundra maintains one of five selectable speeds. Downhill Assist Control helps the driver navigate tricky slopes by limiting the speed of the vehicle as it descends.
Lets haul
Our tester was powered by an i-Force twin-turbo V6 using dual overhead cams and 24-valve cylinder heads to produce 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.
If you need to bring equipment, a camper or a boat, good news, the TRD Rally is ready and able. Toyota provides a plethora of technology aimed at making towing easier and safer.
That starts by making everything easier to see. The available Panoramic View Monitor uses cameras to display a top-down view of the truck on the available 14-inch display on the dashboard.
Views include the rear truck bed to check on cargo, a rear split view to show what’s nearby on each side of the trailer, and a hitch view to assist with trailer connecting.
New for 2025 is the wireless trailer camera system. This option offers an enhanced towing experience with increased visibility and is only available as a factory-installed option.
Simply charge and attach the pre-paired Wi-Fi camera to the rear of your trailer and seamlessly stream a live view from behind your trailer on the digital rearview mirror. Camera playback can also be viewed on the multimedia screen.
Tech time
That 14-inch screen does more than make it easier to see what’s going on as you motor along.
That 14-inch screen does more than make it easier to see what’s going on when you tow. It’s also the interface for all of the convenience technology you’ll use whether your off on an adventure or simply making the commute home from work.
In addition to simply being large, it’s crisp and clear and offers the touch functionality so many of us are accustomed to courtesy of tablets and smart phones, such as pinch and zoom functions. That said, Toyota doesn’t give away the simplicity its trucks are known for. A large knob allows you to turn up (or down, you buzz killer) the volume on the sound system.
All of the climate controls can be changed with a simple press up or down of a button, which is nice when making changes while driving — at slower speeds, of course — so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road … or two-track for that matter.
Just because you’re in a rugged beast, you don’t have to give up all of the modern amenities found in so many of today’s vehicles. The virtual Intelligent Assistant available through a Drive Connect trial or subscription provides an easy-to-use virtual companion that is more advanced and personalized than ever before.
Using simple wake-up phrases such as “Hey/Hi/Hello/OK Toyota” make connection easy and seamless. Intuitive and natural VA responses allow for audible replies by the user, creating a human-like conversation experience.
The TRD Rally features the tri-color heritage scheme through out the truck, including the front and rear seats.
Cabin cruiser
In addition to looking cool, the Tundra TRD Rally is a great ride — even when just prowling the parking lot looking for a place to park. Although it was while doing just that I discovered the turning radius on this beast is … lacking. It doesn’t show up all the time, but if you’re in a tight parking lot, it can make it tougher to slide the truck into a spot on the first time.
That said, I did manage to account for that in future parking attempts in similar spaces. Although the TRD Rally is set up to handle rough terrain, it handled the mottled and pot-holed roads near my home without any problem.
More importantly, the SofTex covered seats feature the red, yellow and orange color scheme on the seat backs, adding to the overall cool factor inside the cab. Those same seats were very comfortable and supportive. I took the TRD Rally on an extended drive and never felt jostled and I didn’t have to do the OMG-get-me-out-of-this-cab stretch after a two-hour and 20-minute drive.
The cabin features an impressive array of storage spaces. I was surprised to see a phone charger wasn’t available in our test truck. However, there is a pad where you can store two phones, which is very convenient.
Toyota trucks always seem to have an amazing amount of storage available to passengers.
The requisite USB charger was on the dash, just above the pad, but I had to turn my phone upside down to use it. I do know that the pad does house a charger in properly equipped vehicles, it was just that our test model didn’t have one.
Would I?
With all of that capability and the cool specialized heritage call-backs, it’s a great-looking truck. Something of a sleeper really … at least compared to the can’t-miss-it TRD Pro. The TRD Rally is $51,010 before you add the “Rally” part.
That costs an additional $8,660. When you add in wheel locks, floor mats and the TRD Performance filter, the number rises to $62,442. Did I mention how often Toyota also provides value for what you get? That’s certainly the case here. If I was in the market for a full-size off-roader, this one would definitely be under heavy consideration.
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