Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.The Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro was, without any doubt, the funniest vehicle on the course. A three-row family SUV, even one with skid plates and a shouty paint color, isn't normally the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "trophy-style track in the desert." Yet there I was in Grand Junction, Colorado, landing a Sequoia slightly sideways after a jump, waiting for that awkward, jerky correction that tends to follow when mass, gravity, and overconfidence all converge simultaneously. Instead, it just kept calm and carried on.That ultimately became the theme of Toyota's thrill-seeking "Fast Lines and Trail Signs" event. Toyota brought its latest TRD Pro models—2027 Sequoia, 2027 Tundra, 2026 4Runner, and 2026 Tacoma—to a tight, technical desert course built for the event by the boys at OLT 4×4. The course wasn't fast—we never really went much beyond 50 mph, and every lap included an instructor in the passenger seat—but it had enough of everything to prove what Toyota set out to prove.AdvertisementAdvertisementOver multiple waves across two whole weeks, Toyota's latest TRD Pro models repetitively tackled controlled slides, raised berms, meandering chicanes, high-point maneuvers, loose dirt, dust plumes, and jumps with real airtime. Not only did they deliver what every adrenaline junkie so desperately craves, but they also kept on doing it, over and over again, without so much as a blown shock or a black eye to show for it. The TRD Pro badge has always looked good on the side of a Toyota truck, but this course demonstrated that behind that badge is real backing—and that each truck wearing it has its own unique personality.2026/2027 Toyota TRD Pro ModelsToyotaThe TRD Pro Badge Means You're In For A Good TimeAfter driving Toyota's Trailhunter models through Colorado and Utah, the difference between the Trailhunter and TRD Pro nameplates became much clearer to me. Trailhunter is the long-distance adventure package: it's more singularly focused and more overland-adjacent. It wants to get you to camp, haul your gear around, and make rough travel feel less punishing and way more fun. TRD Pro is a bit rowdier than that. It's more interested in dune bashing, suspension compression, sliding around in the sand, and sending a heavy dose of adrenaline straight into drivers' bloodstreams.2027 Toyota Tundra TRD ProToyotaToyota's current 4Runner TRD Pro and Tacoma TRD Pro both use the i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain with 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, along with TRD-tuned FOX QS3 adjustable shocks and serious off-road hardware. For 2027, the Tundra and Sequoia TRD Pro models will feature newly designed, vehicle-specific FOX-enhanced QS3 shocks and a newly available Honeycomb color that's impossible to miss. Both are powered by the i-FORCE MAX hybrid V6 powertrain, which produces 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque.Thinking about selling your car? Get an instant cash offer online now. Click here to get started.2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD ProToyotaThe 4Runner Immediately Found Its Way Under My SkinI began the day in the Wavemaker Blue 4Runner TRD Pro, and it immediately felt like the most complete vehicle for the assignment. The 4Runner possessed the right blend of size, control, and comedy. It was substantial enough to make the jumps and slides feel incredibly dramatic, but not so big that every maneuver felt like negotiating with physics and mortality at the same time. In Sand mode and 4HI, it was eager without feeling loose, and the i-FORCE MAX torque gave it a punchy, effortless shove between obstacles.2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD ProToyotaAdvertisementAdvertisementOf the four vehicles, the 4Runner felt most confidence-inspiring. It also handled the landings best, at least from the driver's seat. The suspension took the impacts gracefully, the body stayed composed, and it generally came across as if Toyota had successfully calibrated it to feel just as fun as it did safe.Later on at Toyota's week-long event, we embarked on a Trailhunter expedition through Moab and western Colorado, and the 4Runner quickly became the vehicle I kept wanting to return to. On the trophy course, that connection blossomed almost immediately. Press on the throttle, hit a jump, lift off, stick the landing, rinse and repeat. It felt like a legitimately modern, tech-endowed SUV that somehow still stuck to the old-school 4Runner ethos: make sure the driver always feels like they chose the right tool, no matter the task at hand.2026 Toyota Tacoma TRD ProToyotaThe Tacoma Felt Like The Most Natural AthleteThe Tacoma TRD Pro should've been the obvious winner on a course like this, and for some attendees, it was the favorite. It's smaller than the Tundra, more of a traditional truck than the 4Runner, and it's quite naturally suited to being thrown around in the dirt. It felt eager to respond, simple to place, and happy to rotate when the course opened into controlled slide sections. Its size gave it a natural advantage over the larger Tundra and Sequoia here, and the suspension made landings feel far calmer than my mind had expected them to be. It's also the one that brought me closest to "code brown."Shopping for a new car? Click here to get a great deal on your next vehicle. Powered by Carvana, no haggle pricing, 100% online.2026 Toyota Tacoma TRD ProToyotaComing into one jump in the Tacoma, I carried just a bit more speed than intended and caught some serious air. I hit the jump about 5 mph too fast, which might not sound like a whole lot, but the difference was substantial enough that the cabin went extremely quiet for a moment, my internal monologue quit forming sentences, my whole body suddenly became tingly and cold, and the instructor beside me remained far calmer than I deserved. The Tacoma just landed cleanly like nothing had happened and carried on, and that's what good off-road performance hardware does. Even when that devilish adrenaline rush persuades you to push just a bit above your own limits, the TRD Pro's even higher limits ensure that you learn your lesson but don't face severe punishment.2027 Toyota Tundra TRD ProToyotaThe Tundra Is More Aggressive Than EverI expected to enjoy the Tundra TRD Pro, but not necessarily admire it. Full-size pickups are usually ridiculous on tight courses—I should know; I've driven a Hemi-powered RAM 1500 Warlock on a go-kart circuit. They are heavy, bloated, cumbersome, and always one input away from reminding you that they were built to tow, haul, and off-road with an iron fist. The Tundra, on this tight and technical trophy-style course, of course, still delivered on the absurdity front, but it did so with a composure that gave it a surprising sense of belonging.2027 Toyota Tundra TRD ProToyotaAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the drift sections, it was one of the easiest vehicles to slide. Its size helped it here because every movement felt more gradual, giving me plenty of time to catch it and respond as the tail slid out. The Tundra felt closer than ever to being a Ford Raptor rival, not because it has suddenly become a Toyota-coded carbon copy of Ford's desert truck, but because it now feels far more comfortable being driven with some deliberate disrespect. Sliding the Tundra was, without a doubt, one of the standout highlights of the day. It wasn't delicate or especially tidy, but it was a huge yellow truck kicking up dust clouds and pulling off bunny hops in the middle of the desert for two straight weeks of seriously abusive driving.2027 Toyota Sequoia TRD ProToyotaThe Sequoia Was The Most Hilarious SurpriseThe Sequoia TRD Pro had no business being as entertaining as it was. On paper, it's the least natural fit for this kind of course—it's a full-size three-row SUV with family-hauling utility, a tall body, and enough mass to make you rethink your life insurance policy with each jump. But its contradictory nature made it feel absurd in the best way, and it came out on top as the most popular choice amongst attendees thanks to its tail-happy, confidence-inspiring attitude.The Sequoia slid better than expected, jumped better than expected, and landed with shocking grace. Even when I brought it down slightly crooked one time, it recovered easily and immediately. There was no dramatic snap or awkward bounce; it just landed, settled, allowed me to easily reposition it, and kept going. All of that made the Sequoia the biggest surprise of the TRD Pro group. The 4Runner captivated me most, but the Sequoia made everyone laugh the hardest. A huge family SUV tackling a trophy course is inherently ridiculous, but one handling it this acutely is both ridiculous and deeply impressive.2026/2027 Toyota TRD Pro ModelsToyotaSame Badge, Four PersonalitiesAfter a day at Toyota's custom-built trophy course in Grand Junction, my biggest takeaway was that no single TRD Pro model clearly dominated the others. The 4Runner was my favorite; the Tacoma felt like the most natural athlete; the Tundra was best for big, smoky, theatrical slides; and the Sequoia was the wild-card surprise. Each one expressed the TRD Pro idea differently, and yet all were tied to a similar philosophy.AdvertisementAdvertisementToyota's TRD Pro branding means a whole lot more than just a beefed-up suspension and some racy badges copied across four vehicles. Its meaning changes depending on the surrounding body. The Taco feels like a desert toy—like a dirt bike you can use to haul more dirt bikes. The 4Runner feels like an SUV that loves camping as much as it loves paragliding. The Tundra feels like Toyota is edging even closer to Raptor territory. And the Sequoia feels like it was built as a result of a dare.2026/2027 Toyota TRD Pro ModelsToyotaAgainst the Book Cliffs, with heat shimmering off the dirt and dust pluming behind each vehicle like the wind at the mane of a desert horse, the TRD Pro badge didn't feel so much like a trim level as it did a marker for an elevated plane of emotional sensation made available on a handful of otherwise very utilitarian vehicles.Don't mistake these for full-bore race trucks. They're all still road-legal Toyotas with warranties, active safety systems, and plenty of cupholders. But after a few laps on a purpose-built course in Western Colorado, they felt more alive than most off-road trims ever really get the chance to feel. The whole TRD Pro lineup proved a simple point: Toyota's off-road trucks aren't just built to be tough and durable—they're a damn great time, too.Autoblog aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.