Earlier this year Toyota introduced an all-new TRD lift kit designed for the Tacoma pickup. This kit, intended for four-wheel-drive, crew-cab, short-bed, V-6 models only (excluding the TRD Pro) utilizes Bilstein monotube shocks to elevate the front of the Tacoma by up to 2 inches, while the rear gets 1 inch of additional height from a cast-iron lift block. Rear dampers are also from Bilstein and increase from the factory 1.5-inch diameter to a more robust 2-inch diameter shock. Also included with the kit is a new TRD Pro-inspired grille, and a new Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) millimeter-wave sensor, and support bracket. The kit costs just $1,450 before labor (which is about 4 to 5 hours) and is available now through Toyota dealers.
Related: 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro First Drive
To give this new lift kit a thorough shakedown, Toyota invited us along on a two-day adventure through the Rocky Mountains. Full disclosure, it also brought along 2022 Tacoma TRD Pro and 2022 Tacoma Trail Edition trucks, so our time was split between the three models. The TRD lift kit will fit just about any four-wheel-drive Tacoma, but ours were installed on 2021 model TRD Off-Road trucks.
Our first observation was that these models are in desperate need of larger tires. As the only lift kit validated by Toyota to be compatible with Toyota Safety Sense, it was performed with the factory-size tires. Never ones to leave well enough alone, however, we could see the lift kit easily accommodating a +1 or +2 tire size over the factory 265/65R17. Something in the 32-33-inch range would be amazing.
With our one small gripe out of the way, it was off to the trails. Thanks to the lift, the Tacoma's approach, departure, and breakover angles all improve significantly for most four-wheel-drive models. The caveat, of course, is that TRD Off-Road models already come from the factory with a slight lift (1 inch in front and 0.5 inch in rear), so the gain on these models is less than, say, an SR5 would experience. That said, the lifted 2021 Tacoma TRD Off-Road trucks got down the trail with the same amount of ease as they ever had. We never risked bashing the bumpers, and the rockers were safely up and out of harm's way thanks to the additional altitude. The lift kit's Bilstein monotube shocks provide a ride quality that was shockingly similar to that of the TRD Pro's larger Fox dampers when traveling down slow four-wheel-drive trails. And they gave a fabulous highway ride, as well.
The TRD-lifted 2021 Tacoma TRD Off-Road trucks crawled over every obstacle with ease and were comfortable while driving on the highway. Thanks to the TRD lift kit being validated by Toyota, we never experienced any odd handling or electrical system glitches. The TSS systems all worked flawlessly, as did the truck's Crawl Control. There have been far too many instances over our decades of playing with lifted trucks where the increased height or aftermarket components doesn't play nice with the vehicle only to end up with an odd handling quirk or a dash full of warning lights. This lift kit is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty (1 year/12,000 miles if installed after the truck is purchased). For just $1,450 plus installation (installation should cost between $500 and $1,000, depending on dealer), it's a downright bargain. If you're in the market for a modest lift for your third-generation, four-wheel drive, crew-cab, V-6, short-bed Tacoma, look no further.
