Barreling through a washboard rough patch of dirt road, the Tundra easily glides over the bumps and provides a cushy ride. But this isn’t a TRD Pro. In fact, the SR5 trim ranks just one above the base SR. It offers spartan amounts of luxury and nearly no off-road equipment.
Yet, courtesy of the $8,660 TRD Rally Package, I’m rolling on 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires mounted. I have Bilstein shocks absorbing the shocks and skid plates protecting sensitive hardware underneath.
Inside, the same package adds heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, too. And Toyota mounts the larger, 14.0-inch center display, replete with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — not to mention robust voice command functionality. You also see controls for Mutli-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, and Downhill Assist Control. To get the TRD Rally Package, you have to start with the larger CrewMax cab, the shorter 5.5-foot bed, and four-wheel drive.
I spent a few days bombing around a gray and a bit snowy Michigan winter to feel out the heavily equipped, lower-end Tundra. I wanted to find out if the TRD Rally Package is a good way to equip the Tundra. Or, would you be better off starting with a higher trim?
In short: Equipping the 2025 Toyota Tundra SR5 with the TRD Rally Package moves it one huge step toward TRD Pro levels of off-road prowess. It also provides plenty of extra comforts inside. And, even so equipped, costs quite a bit less than the Pro. You do lose a bit of on-road precision and deal with worse fuel economy. But, for those looking for a less-expensive, more adventure-ready truck, the compromises are well worth it.
2025 Toyota Tundra SR5 With TRD Rally Package
- Vehicle: 4-door, 5-seat, pickup truck
- Dimensions: 233.6" L x 80.2" W x 78.0" H, 145.7" wheelbase
- Cabin & Bed: CrewMax cabin, 5.5 ft. bed
- Powertrain: Twin-Turbocharged 3.4L V-6
- Power: 389 hp/479 lb.-ft.
- Transmission/Driven wheels: 10-speed automatic transmission/four-wheel-drive
- MPG: 17 city, 22 hwy, 19 cmb
- MSRP base price: $52,955 (including $1,945 Destination charge)
- MSRP as tested: $62,442
Pros
- Nicely equipped for more confidence when heading off-road
- Large center display offers quick operation and ease of use
- Stout engine and quick shifting transmission work well together
- CrewMax offers NBA player-worthy legroom for both rows
Cons
- Fuel economy numbers underwhelm in the modern era
- 18-inch, all-terrain tires hurt on-center steering feel
- A Tundra Limited offers more luxury and costs less
What’s in the TRD Rally Package?
A lot.
A standard Tundra SR5 comes with the less roomy double cab and rear-wheel drive. Yet, Toyota only offers the TRD Rally Package on an SR5 with the CrewMax cab and 5.5-foot bed equipped with four-wheel-drive, which adds $2,050 and $3,000, respectively. That puts the starting point at $52,955.
From there, tack on $8,660 for the package. It’s expensive. On the other hand, doing so adds mechanical equipment, styling changes, and interior comfort.
Mechanically, you get 18-inch TRD Off-Road alloy wheels with Michelin LTX Trail all-terrain tires. Toyota then bolts up Bilstein shocks and tunes the suspension to better handle off-road duty. Mudguards and skid plates help protect the truck’s body and vitals a bit.
From there, technology helps out. This starts with an electronically controlled locking rear differential. It also includes Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, and Downhill Assist Control, all of which make it easier to traverse whatever comes your way. Finally, a TRD exhaust makes everything a bit louder and more fun.
To add a bit of flair, you get four tri-color (yellow, orange, red) decals. One on the grille, another on the tailgate, and two more on the front doors. Inside, you see a red TRD engine start button, TRD shift knob, TRD steering wheel, and aluminum pedals.
Toyota also ups the niceties with power-adjusting, heated front seats taking the place of manually adjusting cloth seats. They are upholstered in a synthetic material called SofTex and include tri-color stitching to mimic the decals outside. Toyota throws in a heated steering wheel, too. Instead of the SR5’s standard single-zone climate control, you get a dual-zone setup. And the larger 14.0-inch center display takes the place of the standard 8-inch screen.
Not included here, but 1794 and higher trims of Tundra now come standard with seat massaging too, if you want all the fancy.
Tundra Powertrain
Unchanged since the fourth-generation Tundra arrived in 2022, a twin-turbocharged, 3.4L V-6 continues to churn out 389 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 479 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. It bolts up to a 10-speed automatic transmission and sends power to either the rear- or all-four wheels. If you get four-wheel drive, you also get a two-speed transfer case, which allows you to choose between two-wheel-drive, four-high, and four-low.
Limited and higher trims can instead choose a hybrid version of the engine, which adds a 48-horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque electric motor and a 1.87kWh battery pack. Altogether, this powertrain delivers 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque before sending it on to the same transmission and drivetrain.
But the base setup proved plenty to motivate the Tundra. The 10-speed automatic delivers both sharp launches off the line and low engine-speed highway cruising. And, when you floor the throttle, the Tundra gets straight to work, shoving you into the seatback and holding you there. The transmission shifts quickly and keeps you in the powerband, making quick work of freeway entrances or quick sprints on a lonely two-lane.
Keep your right foot light and the Tundra returns decent fuel economy, though, the TRD Rally Package suffers a bit here. Officially, you get 17 mpg in the city, 22 on the highway, and 19 combined. But even at sustained highway speeds, I struggled to maintain 19 mpg.
To be fair, cold weather hurts fuel economy, and Michigan stayed in the 20s during my time in the truck. But, I bet the all-season-tire-equipped standard SR5 would perform considerably better in the fuel economy department.
Driving On- & Off-Road
Despite the Bilstein shocks, different suspension tune, and all-terrain tires, the TRD Rally Package largely feels the same as other Tundra models on the road … with a few exceptions.
First and foremost, you get a fantastic ride. Courtesy of 70 series tires and the different shock tune, the Tundra handles expansion joints and potholes with zero trouble. You almost seek out bumps in the road, just to taunt them in their defeat.
Unfortunately, those same attributes hurt the feel of the truck when cruising straight down the road. You feel a bit of a dead spot as you drive. And, even as you initiate a turn, it takes an extra moment for the truck to respond. Nothing about it feels dangerous; the truck never wanders. But it feels less sharp than other Tundra trims.
Of course, the same setup pays dividends once you leave the pavement. I did not get the chance to truly take the TRD Rally Package off-road. But I traveled down a nice stretch of narrow, bumpy, rarely used dirt roads, with a few nice patches of ice and snow dotting the surface throughout. Here the same tire and suspension come alive, handling washboard stretches with aplomb.
The Rally Package feels at home off the pavement and gave me confidence that it could handle quite a few proper trails.
2025 Toyota Tundra SR5 With TRD Rally Package Review Summary
Aside from the TRD Rally Package, my test truck included a few accessories (bed mat, $224; floor mats, $199; and a few other small items) and cost $62,442. Not cheap, certainly. But quite a bit less than the full-boogey, $74,455 TRD Pro. And the Rally Package adds just enough to make it stand out in a crowd.
The decals outside look cool and several TRD trinkets inside add a bit of color to an otherwise gray machine. And that’s of course on top of the added off-road equipment and luxuries. But I struggle with how many people want that collection of look-at-me, luxury, and off-road.
If you only want the extra capability, Toyota sells the TRD Off-Road Package. It costs $2,125 and gets you all of the mechanical gains of the Rally Package, minus the TRD exhaust. Or maybe you want more comfort inside too, well you can also get the TRD Off-Road Premium Package. It costs $3,910 and adds the off-road goodies, as well as power-adjusting heated seats, dual-zone climate control, and the like.
Personally, I would opt for the Limited trim Tundra — get an even nicer interior — and stick to on-road truck activities. It’s still a few grand less than the SR5 with the Rally Package.
But again, those decals do look cool. And with the general popularity of trucks these days, perhaps enough buyers want exactly what Toyota now offers. Think of the TRD Rally Package as the one-stop, superstore shopping of packages. Tick one box on the order sheet, and you get a comfortable truck on-road, a capable truck off it, and a nice-looking one everywhere.
