Toyota Tacoma TRD Professional vs Nissan Frontier PRO-4X: Off-Highway Awesomeness

Two of the very best off-road vehicles round

The 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Professional and Nissan Frontier PRO-4X are remarkably succesful off-road pickup vehicles. Each look distinctive in comparison with their lesser brethren, are extra succesful on paper than the vehicles they substitute, and each have a historical past of reliability. They’re additionally essentially the most (or practically essentially the most) costly variations of their platforms, however are not the very best in school. The Ford Ranger Raptor, Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, and GMC Canyon AT4X AEV are simply pretty much as good, if not higher, in some ways.

Nonetheless, the Frontier and Tacoma are compelling options, with distinctive items that may be simply seen. I used to be fortunate sufficient to not solely take each off-road, but in addition dwell with each vehicles day-to-day, back-to-back. For my cash, one among these two merely makes extra sense, whereas the opposite is the stuff desires are fabricated from. Let’s take a look at each earlier than we get to which one makes extra sense.

The 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X: severe bang-for-your-buck

The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X waltzes into 2025 with just a few modifications. There’s a restyled bumper, grill, and entrance headlights, which look a bit extra aggressive. New wheels and the brand new “Afterburn Orange” non-compulsory coloration are all a part of the PRO-4X bundle. Nissan received the memo and made tilt and telescoping steering normal. There may be extra normal tech, which incorporates security upgrades and adaptive cruise management, a bigger, well-placed 12.3-inch infotainment display screen as a brand new possibility, and normal wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The tow score has been elevated to a extra aggressive 7,150-lbs. Seating now has extra lumbar management selections as effectively.

Nissan continues utilizing the 310 horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 that makes 281 lb-ft of torque. It is paired to a 9-speed automated transmission and an old-school 4×4 system, one that features an electronically locking rear diff. The facility numbers are nearer to the non-hybrid TRD Off-Highway bundle than the way more highly effective TRD Professional from Toyota, nevertheless it’s the highest and solely powertrain obtainable from Nissan. The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X is rated at 17 mpg metropolis and 22 mpg freeway.

In contrast to some other pickup truck on this class, the Nissan Frontier gives a King Cab possibility, which supplies you the selection of getting a smaller and cheaper cab configuration; sadly, it isn’t obtainable within the PRO-4X trim. What’s non-compulsory on the PRO-4X is the mattress size, with the usual mattress at 59.5 inches in size and the lengthy mattress at 73.3 inches in size. Not each competitor gives a couple of mattress size, however Toyota does, in some circumstances.

The Nissan Frontier PRO-4X begins at underneath $45,000 and tops out simply over $51,000. Imagine it or not, that is a little bit of a discount in comparison with some, and one among Nissan’s strongest promoting factors, together with its driving really feel. You see, regardless of the PRO-4X packing much less tech, no turbochargers or hybrid methods, it is likely one of the sweetest of the group to drive each day. The maneuverability is great, the steering weight is excellent (if you happen to like a heavy steering really feel), and it feels smaller behind the wheel.

Toyota Tacoma TRD-Professional: a tech monster

The Toyota Tacoma was fully renewed in 2024, so the modifications this yr are minimal. The TRD Professional continues to be the king of the hill amongst different Tacomas, together with its i-Pressure MAX powertrain. There are actually 4 auxiliary switches, a brand new “Mudbath” exterior coloration for the TRD Professional, and the bumper tow hooks are actually purple. That is about it. Oh, and it has a decrease tow score than different Tacomas with a complete of 6,000-lbs, which is on the decrease finish of the competitors.

The Tacoma’s powertrain is a little bit of a beast. It’s a part of the i-Pressure household, which consists of turbocharged hybrids. On this case, it is a 326 hp turbocharged 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder that makes 465 lb-ft of torque when mixed with an electrical motor, thus making it a hybrid. An 8-speed automated is the one transmission supplied with the i-Pressure setup, however you may get a 6-speed handbook on the non-hybrid Tacomas. That is additionally the one pickup that gives that transmission in the US. The EPA charges the Tacoma TRO Professional at 22 mpg metropolis and 24 mpg freeway.

The TRD Professional doesn’t supply a protracted mattress, nor a distinct cab configuration. In reality, all i-Pressure hybrid powertrains solely include the crew-cab, short-bed configuration. As I discussed earlier than, the towing on the TRD Professional is way decrease than different Tacomas, and that is partially because of the superior off-road underpinnings. Extra on that in a second.

The Tacoma TRD Professional feels fully completely different than the Frontier PRO-4X. It looks like a a lot bigger, extra highly effective truck. In some ways, it’s. The short-bed Tacoma is about 4 inches longer than the short-bed Frontier. On the identical time, the 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X lengthy mattress has an total size of 224.1 inches. The Tacoma TRD Professional is extraordinarily fast in visitors and has significantly better maneuverability than the truck it changed. It has lighter steering than the Frontier, and it feels such as you’re driving one thing bigger than it truly is. Talking of bigger, the bottom worth for a Tacoma TRD Professional begins at just below $64,000. Absolutely loaded with each bundle, you are approaching $90,000.

How are they inside?

That is extra about their off-road prowess, however the inside performs a job in a few of that. Proper off the bat, the Nissan’s inside feels a bit cheaper, particularly the door panels which can be uncomfortable to relaxation your arm on. Toyota’s design is extra cohesive and thematic, and it includes a 14.0-inch middle touchscreen with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. It’s extremely clear to have a look at, however there is a little bit of a studying curve to grasp the UX. Toyota additionally has the Iso-Dynamic seating, which implies that the entrance seats have their very own suspension methods. This works when pounded onerous off-road, nevertheless it kills off the choice of getting again pockets.

The entrance seats within the Nissan are very comfy, however the again seats are a bit tight for adults. Comparable in measurement to the Colorado/Canyon, they sit upright, providing mediocre leg room. Nissan’s total design is easy and rugged, however not as attention-grabbing as Toyota’s structure. All the buttons and switchgear are logically positioned and straightforward to make use of, with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster positioned between analog gauges.

Very completely different off-road setups

Sure, there isn’t any doubt that the Toyota Tacoma TRD Professional is a greater hardcore off-road automobile. The two.5-inch FOX Inside Bypass QS3 shocks with rear piggyback-style distant reservoirs, and its Multi-Terrain Choose (MTS) system are its highlights. Fox additionally equipped the inner floating piston hydraulic bump stops. It has Crawl Management, Downhill Help Management, an electronically managed locking rear differential, and a Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism (SDM) on the TRD Professional. That is earlier than we go into the sheer quantity of under-body armor and the 33-inch rugged-terrain tires on 18-in. wheels. Moreover, there’s the IsoDynamic Efficiency entrance seats with dampening system – which work, however are a little bit of a pricy gimmick from my perspective.

It feels so succesful and so composed underneath stress that I discover the Toyota Tacoma TRD Professional to be top-of-the-line excessive velocity dune-running pickup vehicles on the market. The mix of the facility, suspension, and complex 4×4 system are leaps and bounds past the Nissan’s capabilities. Articulation is fairly good, nevertheless it lags behind the competitors. Nonetheless, the Nissan can go practically all over the place the Tacoma goes.

The 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO 4X has all-terrain Hankook Dynapro AT2 tires, Bilstein off-road suspension system work effectively collectively, and permit the Frontier PRO-4X to climb aggressively when combined with the rear locker. Sadly, its 8.6 inches of floor clearance might be a problem when rock crawling, or going over uneven terrain. The Tacoma TRD Professional has 11.5-inches of floor clearance, which is much better off-road.

Ultimate ideas

This is the deal: the Tacoma TRD Professional is a tremendous truck with an amazingly big price ticket. I needed to preserve asking myself, “Is that this Toyota Tacoma TRD Professional $20,000 higher than a Frontier PRO-4X?” I merely do not assume it’s. It is barely extra environment friendly, sooner, and has way more off-road tech, however I do not assume it is that significantly better off-road. To place it one other manner, if it had been my cash, I believe the Frontier makes extra sense total.