Should You Take the 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Off Road?

The 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road is better-equipped than many of its peers for real offroading action.
Written by Mary Alice Morris
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road took the prowess of the Tacoma and tacked on its popular off-roading package which enabled enhanced performance and distinctive badging for the model. It’s not fit for the most extreme off-roading, but it has a respectable range that you can enjoy off the average beaten path. 
It’s nice to find a vehicle that wears many hats—something you can drive to work, something you can haul heavy loads with, and something you can enjoy off-road. The Toyota Tacoma checks all these boxes and more. 
Jerry
, the
car insurance
comparison shopping super app, is here with your guide to everything about off-roading in the 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road. We’ll look over its relevant dimensions and performance specs and share some comparable models to consider—stick around to the end to figure out how to save money on your
Toyota Tacoma insurance costs
.
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Can the 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road go off-road?

It sure can. The Off-Road package isn’t just in name only—it equips the 2010 Tacoma with offroad accessories and parts to make it a good contender if you’re looking for a used pickup truck to take out in the wilderness. 
With a starting price of $15,345, the 2010 Tacoma TRD Off-Road won’t set your budget back too badly. Although it’s 12 years old now and lacking some of the modern features you see on newer vehicles, the off-road equipped Tacoma TRD features progressive-rate front springs, 16-inch alloy rims, and Billstein shocks, which make it a little bumpy on the highway but great for the trail. 
Here are some of the key specs that make the 2010 Tacoma TRD Off-Road a great vehicle to get out and explore in:

Ground clearance

Ground clearance is one of the first specifications you want to look at when shopping for an off-road vehicle. It’s not as simple as “the higher the better.” It’s somewhat of a balance between getting enough ground clearance to ride smoothly over rocks and obstacles, without offsetting your truck’s center of balance. 
The 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road has a nice ground clearance of 9.4 inches. That means there are 9.4 inches between the ground and the lowest part of the Tacoma TRD Off-Road’s chassis. You can smoothly pass over large rocks, stumps, and other objects in your way when you head off-road. 
The ideal ground clearance range for off-roading is between 8.8 and 10.8 inches. That gives you enough space to clear your path while not leaving you as vulnerable to tipping over when you take on uneven ground or a tight corner.
To give some comparisons from its contemporaries, the 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road has a ground clearance that’s a full inch higher than the 2010
Ford Escape
, and just 1/10 of an inch lower than the 2010
Nissan Xterra

Torque

Next on your spec list is low-end torque. Your vehicle’s torque tells us the measurement of its rotational force, or to be super technical, the “oompf” that goes into thrusting your vehicle forward. It’s not about speed, but power. 
And when you’re off-roading, you want more power in the lower gears. This helps you crawl over and out of rugged terrain at a slow pace. It’s the grinding force that can get you out of a tight bind. Ideally, an off-road vehicle should show high low-end torque between 2000 and 4000 RPM. 
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road doesn’t exactly shine in this category. It gets 180 lb-ft of torque at 3800 RPM. It’s not that this isn’t powerful, it’s just not up to par with serious off-roading ability, and it’s in the high range of RPM for low-end torque. 

Tires

When the 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road came out, it was equipped with a set of BF Goodrich Rugged Trail Tires. Now, 12 years later, whether it has those tires or not is probably entirely up to you. All tires need to be swapped out by 10 years, no matter how little they’ve been worn down. And off-road tires tend to wear down faster than others. 
But if you’d like to get a new set for your Tacoma, you need to know the tire size is P215/70R15.

Drivetrain

Off-road enthusiasts will argue about whether rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive is better, but the 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road is strictly a RWD vehicle. Don’t be discouraged—it offers some real benefits over AWD in certain situations. It may not offer all the traction that you get with AWD, but RWD is more reliable because it endures less wear and tear, gives you more control over your handling, and has better power transfer to the wheels. 

Angles

Finally, we need to look at the Tacoma’s approach angle and departure angle. Here’s what that means:
  • Approach angle: This is the maximum angle of incline that your vehicle can take on headfirst without interference.
  • Departure angle: This is the maximum angle of decline that your vehicle can descend going forward without interference. 
This is where the 2010 Tacoma makes up for its lackluster low-end torque. It has an approach angle of 35° and a departure angle of 26°

Off-road rating: Rough and ready

To simplify all these specs,
Jerry
uses what we call the DIRT rating system, explained below:
Rating
Meaning
Description
D
Don’t Try It
Vehicles better suited to highway conditions
I
In a Pinch
Vehicles that can handle off-road conditions in certain circumstances
R
Rough and Ready
Vehicles designed for casual off-roading
T
Trail Boss
True off-road vehicles capable of tackling a range of terrain
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The 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road earns an R rating. It’s approaching the T rating, but the low-end torque means it’s just shy of being a true trail boss—although you can comfortably take it out for most off-road excursions. 

The best off-road alternatives to the 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road

If you’re not settled on buying a 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road, we’ve rounded up some other options for you to consider. Here are our suggested alternatives:
Alternative
Model
Price
Description
Best affordable alternative
$17,540
The 2010 Nissan Frontier received high marks for off-roading upon its release, but it’s powered by a smallish 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that only gets 152 horsepower.
Best expensive alternative
$31,490
Despite being nearly a decade old, the 270-hp V6 Toyota 4Runner has held an impressive amount of resale value.
Best mid-priced alternative
$25,155
Here’s another V6 option that gets a decent 236 horsepower and is suitable for off-roading.
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How to find affordable car insurance for off-road vehicles

Off-roading is a lot of fun, but the downside is that it’s expensive. You’ll inevitably spend more on fuel, tires, maintenance, and parts if you take your truck out off-roading very much. But you can seek out savings to compensate for that with help from
Jerry
.
Using the Jerry app is the fastest and easiest way to find
cheap car insurance
, whether it’s for your off-roader or your daily driver. Just download the app, answer some basic questions, and let Jerry handle all the legwork and paperwork. It only takes minutes from start to finish, and the average Jerry user saves more than $800 a year on car insurance!
“I was looking for a liability insurance plan for my truck until I can afford more coverage.
Jerry
made it simple to shop around for the best deal for me. Thank you!” —Jake L.
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