2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Review

Toyota includes many interesting features on the Tundra, including a powerful V8 engine, a few needed driver-assist features, and a cool slide down rear window. These are nice, but ultimately the total package isn’t as nice as you’ll find on the competition — even with the infotainment upgrade.

The 2020 Toyota Tundra fills its role as a capable and work truck or a ready for fun in the mud truck, but it doesn’t match up with the competition as a daily driver.

I spent a week testing the Tundra TRD Pro and remain impressed by the strong 5.7L V8 engine and exhaust. When it comes to hauling and loading cargo, the Tundra served me well, helping me clean up after a storm swept through and took out many trees in the area.

Driving the 2020 Tundra

The 2020 Tundra is equipped with a 5.7L V8 engine capable of delivering 381 horsepower and 401 lb.-ft of torque. This delivered good acceleration off the line and strong performance, plus the exhaust sounded good. The six-speed automatic transmission shifted smoothly and did a good job of knowing which gear I wanted to be in.  While I didn’t approach the towing capacity it was very capable while hauling downed tree limbs and debris on a small trailer.

On the road, the ride quality isn’t at the same level as the competition, but off-road there is a lot of capability. Taking it through a ravine and up a steep hill I felt in control and like I was barely scratching the surface of what I could do. The TRD Pro model includes skid plates to protect important parts of the truck, a lift, and upgraded suspension as well as better off-road ready tires.

The Tundra is capable of 1.730 pounds of cargo and is capable of 9,200 to 9,900 pounds of towing capacity depending on the TRD Pro configuration you choose. Other trim levels with the Tow Pan tow up to 10,200 pounds.

Fuel economy is rated at 13 mpg in the city, 18 mpg highway and 15 mpg combined. During testing, these numbers were very close to what I observed. While competitors don’t have great fuel economy either, they are better than the Tundra. The 38-gallon fuel tank does reduce the need for frequent stops and is a nice standard feature on the TRD Pro.

2020 Titan Interior & Features

The Tundra interior is spacious for everyone, but the design isn’t as fresh as the competition and the seats aren’t ready for a long road trip. It’s not a bad interior, but it’s one that you need to decide you want — especially if you are living in this truck for hours each day.

There are a lot of small storage areas in the front and a decent center storage area, but there are no tricks here.

The backseat is very spacious, which is great for hauling friends. the seats fold up to let you use the area for cargo, but there is no fancy under-seat storage or fold-out platform to make the surface completely flat. When the competition is full of storage tricks, this is another sign of the Tundra’s age.

There is no trick tailgate like GMC or RAM, but the bed is still capable and there are multiple tie-down points to secure cargo. I used it to haul wood and as our base of operations while cleaning up a ravine.

The Tundra’s rear window does offer a trick that the competition doesn’t have. The rear window slides down to deliver a very open-air truck experience when you roll all the windows down and open the sunroof.

Tundra Tech & Safety

I’m excited that the Tundra now includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on most trim levels. This tech upgrade makes it easier to stay connected, get to your location, and listen to your music while you are on the go. Most users will want to rely on these options instead of the stock Entune system. The screen is easy to see and responsive. There is a built-in WiFi hotspot option if you need to stay connected on the go and

There is only one USB port in the Tundra, which you’ll use for CarPlay or Android Auto, but there are two other USB charging ports in the front. And there are three 12V power points that you can use to keep other gear and passenger devices charged.

From a safety standpoint, Toyota earns good marks for including Safety Sense P on all the Tundra models. This includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and automatic emergency braking. The adaptive cruise control helps on long trips, but keep in mind that it is not full speed, so it’s designed for cruising on the highway, not in stop and go traffic in the city. Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is not part of this safety package, but you can get it on higher trim levels.

Is the 2020 Toyota Tundra Worth It?

The 2020 Toyota Tundra is worth buying as a capable work truck, and for fans of the Toyota badge. It’s competent, powerful, and is good at many truck things. The price also matches up well with the features, which play into the value of the Tundra.

The 2020 Tundra SR starts at 3$3,425 plus destination, and the Tundra TRD Pro as tested is $53,525 before $1,495 destination.

For buyers looking for a work truck, fans of the TRD Pro capabilities, and budget-conscious buyers the Tundra makes a lot of sense, even when stacked up against the competition’s newer options.