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Towing With the 2023 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 02 exterior towing profile scaled jpg 2023 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro | Cars.com photo by Matt Barnes

Before the heavily redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma was announced, we got perhaps our last crack at the previous-generation 2023 Tacoma and put it through its paces in a towing test. Despite being designed for off-road performance, the 2023 Tacoma TRD Pro’s towing capacity is a respectable 6,400 pounds. While not the highest in its class, this is a good rating for a mid-size pickup truck despite some lacking towing features.

Related: Breaking Down the 2023 Toyota Tacoma’s Towing Capacities

Like most other mid-size trucks, Toyota doesn’t offer a factory brake controller for the 2023 Tacoma, and there’s no Tow/Haul mode, but there is an “ECT PWR” (electronically controlled automatic transmission, power) button that holds onto gears a little longer. This reduces frequent shifting and provides for a better towing experience, and it’s something I put to the test while towing with the Tacoma up a snowy mountain. For 2024, Toyota will offer an integrated trailer brake controller and Tow/Haul mode, and you can read more about the changes in our preview.

Trailer and Route

The trailer in this test had a total weight of 4,650 pounds. That isn’t a significant weight for the Tacoma, but the trailer’s frontal area of nearly 80 square feet is; frontal area measures how much of the trailer is impacted by wind resistance, with excess frontal area increasing strain on the tow vehicle. In previous tests, vehicles towing this trailer have returned appreciably lower mileage when compared to much heavier trailers with lower profiles. The tongue weight of the trailer as tested was in line with Toyota’s recommended 9%-11% of trailer weight at 450 pounds.

toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 03 exterior tow hitch scaled jpg 2023 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro | Cars.com photo by Matt Barnes

The route is a short course that presents freeway, highway, flat ground and steep grades. The change in elevation from roughly 4,500 feet to just over 6,200 feet gives tow vehicles an opportunity to really work. There’s a short freeway section, with the remainder mostly four-lane roads with 45-55 mph speed limits and grades approaching 10%.

Connecting the Trailer

Installing a hitch into the Tacoma is straightforward and as simple as it should be. This should go without saying, but recent experiences in other vehicles have been problematic. In this case, we used a Fastway Flash Scale ball mount with a built-in scale that reads the trailer tongue weight. Toyota recommends a weight distribution hitch be used for any Tacoma towing a trailer over 5,000 pounds. This trailer was large in size, and I recommend a weight distribution hitch with sway control be used for just about any vehicle towing a travel trailer. (I’m a mechanical engineer and former product engineer for Progress Mfg. Inc. in Utah, makers of the Equal-i-zer hitch and Fastway Flash ball mounts.)

toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 28 interior backseat cargo scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 12 exterior rear angle scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 16 interior cargo scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 22 interior center stack display scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 25 interior backseat scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 13 exterior rear scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 18 interior specifications scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 15 exterior rear badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 14 exterior rear badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 08 exterior headlight badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 07 exterior front scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 10 exterior profile scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 11 exterior profile badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 09 exterior headlight badge jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 01 exterior towing front angle scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 02 exterior towing profile scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 04 exterior tow hitch scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 03 exterior tow hitch scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 05 exterior front angle scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 06 exterior hood badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 27 interior backseat cargo scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 26 interior backseat scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 24 interior overhead controls scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 19 interior engine scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 23 interior dashboard controls jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 20 interior steering wheel scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 28 interior backseat cargo scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 12 exterior rear angle scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 16 interior cargo scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 22 interior center stack display scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 25 interior backseat scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 13 exterior rear scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 18 interior specifications scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 15 exterior rear badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 14 exterior rear badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 08 exterior headlight badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 07 exterior front scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 10 exterior profile scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 11 exterior profile badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 09 exterior headlight badge jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 01 exterior towing front angle scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 02 exterior towing profile scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 04 exterior tow hitch scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 03 exterior tow hitch scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 05 exterior front angle scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 06 exterior hood badge scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 27 interior backseat cargo scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 26 interior backseat scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 24 interior overhead controls scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 19 interior engine scaled jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 23 interior dashboard controls jpg toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 20 interior steering wheel scaled jpg

Backing up the Tacoma to connect it to the trailer isn’t as easy because the backup camera is low-quality compared to just about everything else on the market today. It’s also offset from the center, which misaligns the trailer hitch and trailer. Once learned, it’s not a huge issue, but it’s always better to have a backup camera that’s centered on the hitch.

With no optional trailer brake controller, I used a wireless setup that has worked quite well for me in the past; it plugs into the seven-pin plug on the truck, with the trailer’s seven-pin plugging into it.

Towing Performance

With 278 horsepower and 265 pounds-feet of torque, the Tacoma has the numbers to tow this weight. Merging onto the freeway from an uphill onramp is a good test of the powertrain, and the 2023 Tacoma TRD Pro was able to reach freeway speeds before the end of the on-ramp, but it needed full throttle to do so. While on the freeway, the Tacoma’s six-speed automatic transmission hovered between 4th and 5th gear, downshifting for any incline. This increases fatigue over the long haul because the TRD Pro exhaust can drone a little, and shifting wears on the vehicle and driver.

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Climbing the steep grade required the Tacoma to put in some work, but it wasn’t overly stressful. Throughout the climb, the Tacoma needed to be above 3,000 rpm to keep speed. On the steepest sections at 10% grade, full-throttle applications increased speed, but only very gradually. With the engine revved up, the TRD exhaust is a bit noisy with a slight drone; this wouldn’t be comfortable for long trips, but it wasn’t overwhelming during my short test.

On the way back down the hill, the Tacoma maintained control overall. However, engine braking was unnoticeable. Maintaining a set speed required constant brake application. Manually shifting to a lower gear helps increase engine braking, but the Tacoma did not downshift for grade braking on its own even when the brake pedal was pushed.

Fuel Mileage

According to the truck’s onboard trip computer, fuel mileage for my route was 12.1 mpg. This is about 1.5% better than the 2023 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X I recently tested over the same course. Keep in mind this is a short test and many factors are involved in accurate fuel mileage testing. A more accurate comparison would require much farther distances and testing the vehicles at the same time in equal conditions.

toyota tacoma trd pro 2023 19 interior engine scaled jpg 2023 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro | Cars.com photo by Matt Barnes

Towing Takeaways

With a powertrain tuned for better fuel economy, the 2023 Tacoma TRD Pro feels like it’s working hard when towing. Torque and power are good but come on at higher rpm, and when you’re towing, low-end torque and a flat torque curve are desired. Lateral stability felt good with no sway incidents during my test. A factory trailer brake controller and programming in the transmission for better grade braking are two improvements that would significantly improve the Tacoma towing experience. We’ll find out if those features, offered on the 2024 Tacoma, help it tow when it goes on sale later in 2023.

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