The Toyota Tacoma is famous for having many trims and packages to choose from. The current lineup includes eight standalone trims, many of which are geared toward off-roaders or branded with the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) moniker. A trim that shares both traits is the TRD PreRunner, which was introduced as part of the Tacoma’s fourth-generation debut in 2024 and carried over for 2025.
When news broke of the TRD PreRunner, some people—especially those familiar with the Tacoma’s past—rejoiced and quickly went to find more information about it. Others let out a collective “huh?” and wondered why it was necessary when the Tacoma already had the TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and TRD Pro (and was also adding the Trailhunter). That second group is who this article is for. I’ll answer the question of what the 2025 Tacoma TRD PreRunner is and who should be looking at this truck when they’re trying to find a Toyota Tacoma for sale.
Revisiting the Original Tacoma PreRunner
To understand why the 2025 Tacoma TRD PreRunner is a big deal, we need to dig into the truck’s history. The Tacoma debuted in 1995 as a compact pickup, replacing the generically named “Toyota Pickup” for American customers (the Toyota Pickup is still sold in global markets as the Hilux). Toyota carried over several trims from the previous model, including the DX and SR5.
In 1998, Toyota added the Tacoma PreRunner to the mix (later joined by the S-Runner, which was replaced in 2005 by the X-Runner). Using the PreRunner name was an in-joke on the truck design. In off-road racing, a pre-runner is the vehicle that teams use to travel the course before an event to learn the layout and determine their approach without risking damage to the race truck. Pre-runner vehicles are plenty capable of driving over the terrain in question but don’t need to be as powerful or extensively modified as the competition vehicle.
The Tacoma PreRunner embodied this to a tee. It took the suspension, tires, body style, and many other elements from the 4×4 Tacoma variants. Owners could also get the 150 hp 2.7L inline-four or 190 hp 3.4L V6 engine like on the 4x4s, and they could even add the all-new TRD Off-Road Package, which included a locking rear differential. However, the PreRunner was a rear-wheel drive truck rather than a 4×4. This matched the RWD vehicles used by racers as pre-runners since many “trophy truck” classes still don’t allow 4×4—the theory being that RWD trucks are more dependent on driver ability than a 4×4.
The PreRunner Vanishes…and Returns
Toyota continued offering the PreRunner for more than 15 years, carrying it over to the second-generation Tacoma in 2005 and adding a TRD Sport option package. Over the truck’s run, the philosophy remained the same: a truck that was off-road-ready but with RWD. When the third-generation Tacoma arrived in 2015, though, Toyota sent the PreRunner to the scrapyard, replacing it with a TRD Pro Package—which became a standalone trim two years later, along with the TRD Off-Road and TRD Sport.
One generation away was enough because the nostalgic calls were answered in 2024 when the TRD PreRunner appeared as a fourth-generation Tacoma. Here are the nuts and bolts of the new TRD PreRunner and what it holds for prospective pilots.
What You’ll Find on the 2025 TRD PreRunner
When you know the PreRunner’s background, it’s easy to see its influence on the new version. The 2025 Tacoma TRD PreRunner is slotted third in the Tacoma lineup, ahead of the SR and SR5, but just behind the TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road (as an aside, it says something about the Tacoma’s development that what were once the top-end trims are now considered the baseline).
The 2025 TRD PreRunner has the most advanced non-hybrid tune of Toyota’s i-FORCE 2.4L turbo-four engine, producing 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Like the original PreRunner, the truck is only available in RWD. It’s also only offered with a six-foot bed and a two-door, two-seat XtraCab, the latter of which is the same as the early PreRunner (the area behind the seats is set up for storage).
On the plus side, the TRD PreRunner has a base curb weight of only 4,200 lbs. That’s 450 lbs less than a comparable TRD Off-Road and a whopping 1,210 lbs less than the Trailhunter, giving you some added spark to bound over dunes. It also achieves the Tacoma’s maximum towing capacity of 6,500 lbs. Mechanically, the TRD PreRunner uses an independent double-wishbone front and leaf spring rear suspension like other RWD Tacomas but has several off-road upgrades, which include:
- An electronic locking rear differential.
- Tokico twin-tube front shocks with a lifted front suspension.
- BFGoodrich all-terrain tires mounted on 17-inch special-edition alloy wheels.
- A full-size spare tire and wheel.
- Composite underbody protection for the fuel tank.
- Driver and passenger-side front tow hooks.
Like all 2025 Tacoma trims, the TRD PreRunner has LED headlights, daytime running lights, fog lights, and bed lighting with a deck-rail bed attachment system. Inside the cab, you get some treats that aren’t available on the lower trims, such as a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, leather-trimmed steering wheel, and automatic climate control. An eight-inch infotainment touchscreen is included with standard Toyota features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a subscription-based AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot, and the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 driver assistance suite.
A trim-specific TRD PreRunner Upgrade Package includes several other useful features. This add-on gives you wireless charging, a HomeLink universal transceiver, front and rear parking assistance, digital key capability, and an integrated trailer brake controller.
Who Should Be Interested in the TRD PreRunner?
When you add it up, who is the 2025 Tacoma TRD PreRunner aimed at? Based on all the factors, I think six types of people should seriously consider the TRD PreRunner as their next truck.
- People who want some goodies for casual and midlevel off-roading, especially on sandy and loose terrain, but don’t need the full loadout of features or full-time 4×4 seen on the TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter.
- Those who are newer to off-roading and want to build experience for a few years before graduating to the more advanced truck models.
- Anyone who lives in a more remote area and requires a solid, functional truck they can use to navigate dirt roads during the work week and cut loose a little on the weekend.
- Drivers who have a limited budget but want a taste of the off-roading life. The TRD PreRunner has a base price of $38,120, while the TRD Off-Road starts at $41,800, and the Trailhunter and TRD Pro soar past $60,000.
- Professional and serious amateur racers who need a genuine pre-runner truck to familiarize themselves with courses and want a recent purpose-built model.
- Old-school truck enthusiasts who crave a retro RWD off-road truck that they can manhandle on tougher terrain, and that leaves room for customization and upgrades.
The PreRunner Rides Again
Having so many trims allows the Tacoma to fill many niches in the truck community. With the 2025 Tacoma TRD PreRunner, Toyota returns to the RWD off-road racing niche that it served for so long with a new truck that includes the latest Tacoma engine, chassis design, and technology. Consider it a happy in-between to the barebones Tacoma trims and the ones with all the latest bells and whistles. The TRD PreRunner isn’t for everyone, but the audiences Toyota is catering to will certainly appreciate having it available.
