I recently purchased the 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and for this post, we will be looking at some of the major updates of the 2020 TRD Pro vs the 2019 TRD Pro. This post will be most helpful to those who have a general understanding of the trim in the first place.

Let’s first start with the exterior. For my personally truck, I went with the Super White finish. Toyota has been releasing exclusive colors for its TRD Pro line of vehicles and this year’s is Army Green. I actually had the chance to pick between this Super White and two other Army Greens but went with this because it’s my favorite. To me, the Army Green is nice but it’s nice for now. It’s not a color that I can see myself liking years down the road. I’d rather go with a neutral color and I did. I’m happy that I went with Super White. One thing to note about the Army Green finish is that it is currently only available for the various TRD Pro vehicles and Toyota tends to release the special colors for other trims later in the life cycle. It’s also been said that these special colors hold their value better than other colors so if this is something that interests you, Army Green may be the way to go for this year.

In terms of aesthetics, the exterior of the new 2020 Tacoma is largely the same as the 2019 and other 3rd gens. The shape of the body is the same but we’ve been getting minor upgrades to go with it every year. Five years into the cycle and I have to say, the Tacoma is really starting to look like a complete package. It’s just unfortunate that many of the advertised upgrades of the 2020 Tacomas are optional. The only trim that comes with everything that’s new as standard is the TRD Pro.

One of the big exterior upgrades for this year is the new LED headlight with sequential LED turn signal indicators. It is mind-boggling that in 2019, the Tacoma still has halogen headlights and realistically even in 2020. Although these headlights are a nice addition, they are only standard on the TRD Pro. On other trims, it’s about a $500 upgrade but can be packaged with other things for better savings. Because they were so heavily advertised, you would think that the new LED headlights are standard but guess again.

In terms of the rear taillights, it’s pretty much the same except for this year, it has darker interior accents compared to previous years. This is minor but I appreciate it because it really adds to the aesthetics of the truck, especially with the Super White where there is a black and white theme.

The next upgrade is going to come from the wheels. At a quick glance, the 2019 and 2020 TRD Pro wheels do look very similar but the 2020s come with some subtle refinements. In general, the spokes look skinnier because Toyota added some extra cutouts and negative space. The wheel is now also more matte as compared to the shiny finish of the 2019. These minor changes do add up. I personally think that the 2020 wheels look much better than the 2019 and is probably the best looking factory Tacoma wheels ever. For stock rims, these are very acceptable and attractive. Aside from looks, there are some benefits to these new rims. They are now 4.2 lbs lighter per wheel. This equates to 16.8 lbs total for the set. This isn’t a huge difference, but any weight reduction is welcomed in my opinion. This means that there is less that the truck has to haul around, less wear and tear and this will very incrementally help with fuel economy in the long run.

The final upgrade that we’re going to look at in terms of the exterior is the Smart Key. With the Tacoma, if the key fob comes in close proximity to the door, the door actually detects the key fob and allows you to lock/unlock the door without needing to press the buttons of the key fob. Just reach for the handle and the door unlocks. Press the striped lines on the handle and the door locks. This was previously only attached to the driver's door. With the 2020, this extends to the passenger door. This just makes this feature more encompassing and useful. I actually appreciate this because I do find myself reaching for the passenger door of the 2019 only to forget that it won’t automatically unlock and I have to find the key fob.

Moving on to the interior, we get some additional welcomed upgrades. One thing that people have been asking for, for a long time, is the power-adjustable seats. The driver side gets 10 way adjustable with 2 way lumbar support while the passenger is still fully manual. This is another one of those mind-boggling things about the Tacomas. For the price that you pay for these trucks, even in 2019, the only option you have is manually adjustable seats so the addition here is greatly appreciated. I’ve heard a few people even say that they couldn’t stand driving pre-2020 Tacomas simply because they couldn’t get the seat into a comfortable position. Hopefully, this new power seat will be able to help some of those people.

Another upgrade is going to be to the new 8-inch infotainment system. The unit itself is different in design from the 2019 and is more in line with other newer Toyotas. With this unit, we have a lot more raised physical buttons vs the flat/flushed buttons of the past. The aesthetics may be different but the firmware and user experience are pretty much the same. This system still runs off Toyota’s Entune and that hasn’t changed all that much through the years. To me, this isn’t the best looking UI out there and it’s time for Toyota to update the entire system if they want to keep up with the competition. It’s just a good thing that Toyota FINALLY added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to this system so we can connect our phones and get something that’s much more pleasing to look at and more intuitive to use. I’m an iPhone user so I can only account for Apply CarPlay. Again, this is one of those things that’s hard to believe that it took this long for us to get. It should be noted that although CarPlay is a nice addition, it still requires a wired connection. To me, this is counter-intuitive because the Tacoma comes with a wireless Qi charging mat. So, you can charge your phone wirelessly but if you want to connect it to CarPlay, you have to use a cable. It just seems redundant and unnecessary. Wireless CarPlay is something that Toyota already employs in other vehicles and for the price of the TRD Pro, they really should’ve included it.

Lastly, with the interior, the 2020 TRD Pro comes with newly designed floor mats. They probably perform about the same as in previous years, but these new mats do look a lot better.

Next, let’s talk about some of the upgraded technology that comes with the 2020 TRD Pro. A highly advertised feature is the new Multi-Terrain Monitor. This comes with a front-facing camera and more cameras on either side view mirror. These cameras are used in conjunction with the rear camera to create a 360-degree bird’s eye view of the Tacoma. This is useful for an offroader because it allows you to see completely around the vehicle and can help you navigate around obstacles without getting hung up. When on road, this feature can be very useful when moving around parking lots or tight spaces like a garage. This is an extremely useful feature but the downside is that Toyota didn’t make the effort to upgrade the cameras and screen to provide higher resolution. You can make things out but don’t expect to get a sharp video feed. Also, if you get a Tacoma with this system, make sure to use and get used to it because I find that there is some distortion and the way that your surrounding is displayed can be misleading. For example, the screen may show that you’re right on top of an object, but it’s really a foot away. Again, get used to the system and understand how it works or you may cause some damage to the truck.

2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro | Major Upgrades. .jpg

Another new feature for the 2020 TRD Pro is the inclusion of Toyota Remote Connect and other Connected Services. Remote Connect is Toyota’s auto-start system with mobile app integration. This allows you to start/stop the Tacoma from the smart key fob without actually being in the vehicle by pressing the lock button 3 times. On a cold winter day, this is going to be an extremely welcomed feature. If you don’t have the key fob around, you’ll still be able to access these features with the mobile app. You can start/stop the truck, lock/unlock the doors and even track the vehicle’s location. If someone happens to steal your truck, the likelihood of retrieving it is going to be so much higher. Of all the 2020 upgrades, this may be my favorite. The only bad thing about this is that it is actually a subscription service. The truck comes with a 1-year trial, but after that, the service costs $80 a year or $8 a month. That’s a huge bummer considering that aftermarket options cost about $400 and is a one time cost.