Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Ram Power Wagon Bring Brute Force to Chicago

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Jeff Perez 

                               

                                   

Some might say the Chicago Auto Show ain’t big enough for two rugged off-roaders. Well, actually, it is. That’s why both Ram and Toyota debuted their most rugged vehicles to date in the Tacoma TRD Pro and Power Wagon. But which will actually be the better choice of the two?

 

Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

 Engine: 3.5L V6
Horsepower: 278 (est.)
Price: $36,000 (est.)

Toyota has done this before. The new Tacoma from factory already comes equipped for the trail. But given an upgraded TRD suspension, and some other off-road bits, the Pro Series makes the already rugged pickup even more so.

Under the hood is a 3.5-liter V6. Having driven the new Tacoma, we can say it may not be the most desirable of engines, but it gets the job done all the same. Off-road prowess—we assume—is about as good as it gets in today’s current crop of lightweight pickups.

 

Ram Power Wagon

 Engine: 6.4L V8
Horsepower: 410
Price: $58,000 (est.)

Power…power…POWER WAGON. As intense as it is—and always has been—a surprisingly small amount off-road enthusiasts actually enjoy the brute that is the Ram Power Wagon. But why? Though it is big and heavy, it’s still as capable as many of today’s modern off-roaders.

To really play up its off-roading persona for 2017, though, Ram pulled out all the stops in Chicago, and lifted the Power Wagon to a new level (literally). An even more capable suspension, a more powerful V8, and a more rugged look to top it all off.

Compare and Contrast

Comparing these two vehicles may sound silly to some, but the general idea is the same. A pickup truck that can conquer trails and look good doing it. While the Power Wagon will be gratuitously more expensive than the TRD Pro (we assume), it does have a number of features that the Tacoma doesn’t.

The Tacoma, on the other hand, is lightweight, affordable, and actually pretty handsome. For what it’s worth, these might be the best two pickup trucks for the money. Problem is, we won’t be able to solve this squabble until we actually drive the two trucks. We can only ask: which one would you choose?