Is the Toyota Tundra TRD Rally Worth the Extra Bling? We Find Out

Key Points

• The TRD Rally Package excels in off-road conditions, particularly on washboard roads and in low-speed crawling thanks to its Bilstein shocks, electronic aids and locking rear differential.
• While the TRD Rally Package makes for a versatile jack-of-all-trades truck, its additional cost over the TRD Off-Road Premium Package is primarily for cosmetic enhancements.
• The Tundra demonstrates strong towing performance even without the hybrid system, handling steep grades and freeway speeds with stability.

The 2025 Toyota Tundra is a strong performer, with its powerful 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 and available hybrid powertrain bringing a mountain of torque through the entire rpm range. When equipped with the new-for-2025 TRD Rally Package, the Tundra is a nostalgic off-roader, with subtle throwbacks to the Toyota Baja race trucks of the 1980s and 1990s. Fast forward to 2025, and I took the non-hybrid Tundra through a battery of off-road and towing tests to see where the TRD Rally Package excels today.

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What Is the Tundra TRD Rally Package?

• The TRD Rally Package for the SR5 includes all TRD Off-Road Premium features plus additional cosmetic and functional features, like Ivan “Iron Man” Stewart racing decals, yellow/orange stitching, dual-zone climate control, TRD exhaust and a 14-inch touchscreen.
• The package costs $8,660, a $4,750 difference from the TRD Off-Road Premium Package, which may appeal more to appearance-focused drivers or Toyota/TRD enthusiasts than pragmatic buyers.

The TRD Rally Package for the SR5 has everything the TRD Off-Road Premium Package has but adds a few additional features, both cosmetic and functional.

On the cosmetic front, there are tri-color Ivan “Iron Man” Stewart racing decals on the grille, front doors, tailgate and SofTex-trimmed seats. There’s also yellow and orange stitching on the seats, TRD leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

There are three non-appearance items, including dual-zone climate control, TRD exhaust and a 14-inch touchscreen.

The TRD Rally Package costs $8,660, while the TRD Off-Road Premium Package comes in at $3,910. That’s a difference of $4,750 for mostly appearance add-ons; perhaps a Toyota/TRD enthusiast may find that worth it. However, for the pragmatic driver, it likely isn’t.

Payload: Your Rating May Vary

• Actual payload measurements revealed 1,660 pounds, nearly 300 pounds more than the door sticker’s 1,380 pounds, due to the door sticker reflecting the lowest possible payload for the trim and the test vehicle not having all weight-adding factory options.
• This additional payload capacity is significant for families towing trailers or tradespeople hauling tools and supplies.

After hearing from owners that the actual payload may be different than what’s listed on the door tag for other vehicles, I opted to weigh the Tundra to let the scales tell the truth. To get an accurate curb weight, the vehicle must be empty of all cargo and have all fluids topped off, including fuel. The measured curb weight was 5,550 pounds, so taking the gross vehicle weight rating of 7,210 pounds and subtracting 5,550 nets a payload of 1,660 pounds. However, the sticker on the door read 1,380 pounds, nearly 300 pounds less than the calculated value.

I had some assumptions about why this may be happening, but it turns out I was completely wrong. According to Toyota, the payload listed on the door sticker is the lowest possible payload for that trim as it can be configured from the factory. The additional smaller yellow sticker indicating payload reduction is for dealer-installed accessories. In this case, the SR5 had weight-adding options like an air suspension and upgraded audio system that would reduce the payload. Since the SR5 TRD Rally I tested didn’t have all the options, it weighs less than the heaviest factory SR5 configuration. The difference here nets an additional 300 pounds of payload capacity. This matters for a family of five hauling their gear while towing a camping trailer or for those getting tools and supplies safely to a jobsite.

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Towing With the Tundra TRD Rally

• The 2025 Tundra SR5 CrewMax (5.5-foot bed) with four-wheel drive has a respectable 11,160-pound towing capacity, performing well on a challenging course with steep grades and various road conditions.
• Despite lacking the hybrid system, the 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 handled the load effectively, though engine braking on descents was less robust, and the absence of engine oil and transmission temperature gauges was noted as a minor negative.

The 2025 Tundra has a maximum towing capacity of 12,000 pounds in the rear-wheel-drive SR5 trim with the Double Cab and 6.5-foot bed. Our tester, the four-wheel-drive SR5 CrewMax with a 5.5-foot bed, is rated for a respectable 11,160 pounds of towing capacity.

This towing test course starts at around 4,550 feet in elevation and tops out at around 6,200 feet. It includes some around-town, freeway, highway and steep grades. Most of the climb is in a roughly 5-mile highway section that averages out to a steep 7% grade. There are sections much steeper than this and sections less steep.

The beginning of the test has an uphill freeway on-ramp where the speed limit is 70 mph. Depending on the trailer, I like to keep my towing speeds at around 65 mph; for this test, I do accelerate up to 70 mph by the end of the on-ramp. With the SR5 Tundra, reaching that speed wasn’t a challenge.

Despite not having the available i-Force Max hybrid setup, the 3.4-liter twin turbo V-6 had no issues pulling the trailer up the grade. There were only two times the lack of the hybrid system stood out. The first is when starting out from a dead stop. Below 2,200 rpm, the throttle feels a little dead, so I added more and more throttle. Once getting into boost, the rear tires would actually spin a little bit. We’ll get to the second negative when we head down the hill later.

Cruising on the freeway, the Tundra was very stable and planted. For this test, I specifically avoided using a weight-distribution hitch because I didn’t want the added stability of weight distribution or sway control to mask vehicle behavior for testing. Even with a standard adjustable-height ball mount, the Tundra felt planted and secure while towing at freeway speeds.

After exiting the freeway, the test continues on a four-lane highway with regular traffic signals. This section tests acceleration and braking, which can sometimes be more sudden than expected when a signal changes. Again, the Tundra performed very well in this section. I’m a major advocate for factory trailer brake controllers, and the one in the Tundra didn’t disappoint. Just remember that all Toyota vehicles equipped with a trailer brake controller require the feature to be enabled by selecting a trailer in the driver information center. If this isn’t done, the trailer brakes cannot be turned on while driving.

The next section is the steep climb and return down the mountain. As seen when merging onto the freeway, the long climb was no issue at all. The truck was able to hold 4th gear and stay under 3,000 rpm for nearly the whole climb.

On the way back down, the factory trailer brake controller was a blessing. When descending with a load, the engine braking performance of the Tundra isn’t great. This is the second negative of not having the hybrid setup, which uses regeneration to charge the batteries and slow the vehicle on downgrades. In all honesty, that doesn’t seem to make a huge difference in this test, as the hill is long enough that most non-plug-in hybrids I’ve tested have topped off their batteries well before the bottom of the hill.

Despite a very positive drive overall, there are a few negatives. This falls mostly on the gauges. There are no engine oil nor transmission temperature gauges that I could find. While the truck will likely notify the drive of any issues, it’s always nice to keep an eye on these temps. If a driver sees them rising early, they can take efforts to reduce the load on the truck by slowing down, downshifting, holding a gear, etc.

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Tundra MPG

• While towing over this 30-mile course, the Tundra averaged 9.3 mpg. This is on par with many of the gasoline-powered tow vehicles tested and not much better than the V-8 counterparts.

Off-Roading With the Tundra TRD Rally

• The TRD Rally Package includes essential off-road features like Bilstein shocks, skid plates and all-terrain tires, with the electronically locking rear differential and electronic aids (Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, Downhill Assist Control) being the most beneficial.
• While excellent on washboard roads and in low-speed crawling, the truck’s large dimensions make it less competitive than some rivals and less suited for extreme rock crawling compared to dedicated desert runners.

The TRD Rally Package brings all the off-road goodies offered in the TRD Off-Road Package, like Bilstein shocks, skid plates, TRD Wheels and all-terrain tires. However, the two most beneficial features in the TRD Off-Road and TRD Rally Packages are the electronically locking rear differential and the suite of electronic aids that include Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control and Downhill Assist Control.

Side note: While the electronic aids are mostly software related, they have led Toyota to develop more precise and smoothly operating antilock braking systems. This is apparent when comparing a previous-generation Tundra’s Crawl Control to the latest Tundra’s version. The current generation has a much smoother and quieter operation.

High-Speed Off-Roading

When rushing out on a weekend to get to that secret fishing hole, the suspension setup of the TRD Rally eats up the washboard with unexpected serenity. TRD has tuned the Bilstein shocks and suspension superbly for these conditions. I was pleasantly surprised that even unladen the truck remained planted over most high speed sections.

Getting into the really rough stuff with large bumps, it becomes very clear that this isn’t a desert runner. The TRD Rally requires much slower speeds than the TRD Pro over this type of terrain.

Rock Crawling

The hardware is all there for slow-speed crawling. Climbing steep, undulating grades isn’t an issue in the Tundra TRD Rally. Crawl Control works as advertised, with the brake-based limited-slip system getting torque to the wheels that need it and responding very quickly as the terrain changes. Using MTS is effective, with clear differences in throttle response and in the brake-based limited-slip aggressiveness matching the desired performance for the terrain mode selected.

The negatives for this truck are prominently due to its large dimensions; it has a 21-degree approach angle and 24-degree departure angle.

In my opinion, the best Toyota trim/package level for off-road enthusiasts who are going to modify their vehicles are the TRD Off-Road and the Rally. While the TRD Pro has better performance, adding a lift kit and changing the suspension geometry will negatively affect the benefits from the high-end shock and suspension package the TRD Pro brings.

Overall Takeaways

• The TRD Rally Package is a versatile and enjoyable option, offering strong towing performance, sufficient payload for weekend warriors and excellent dirt-road handling.
• The primary value of the TRD Rally Package’s additional cost lies in its cosmetic appeal rather than functional improvements over the TRD Off-Road Premium Package, making it a jack-of-all-trades pickup.

The TRD Rally Package is a fun package both functionally and cosmetically. Towing stability and performance remain strong even with the off-pavement-tuned suspension. The actual payload is sufficient for the weekend warrior, and the dirt-road ride is excellent for well-maintained forest and fire roads. The additional cost of the TRD Rally Package over the TRD Off-Road Premium Package isn’t worth it functionally, but for the added cosmetics, many may find it beneficial.

Find a 2025 Toyota Tundra for Sale:

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