Chevy Silverado Trail Boss vs Toyota Tundra TRD Pro: Which Is the Better $55,000 Truck?

We combine an off-road test with a drag race!

The Chevy Silverado Trail Boss vs the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro on and off-road. They are remarkably comparable and damn fine trucks. However…
(Images: TFLtruck)

Chevy Silverado Trail Boss vs Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

Not only are we taking Chevy Silverado Trail Boss vs the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro off-road, we’re drag racing them too! Come on, we know they’re not race trucks, but drag racing is FUN! Besides, the results were remarkably close.

These two trucks are surprisingly well matched. They cost about the same and they have similar off-road capabilities. While the Toyota relies on old-fashioned toughness and grunt, the Chevy shines with modern tech and contemporary athleticism. They truly appeal to different crowds, but we find both remarkably appealing.

Still, they both have a few issues.

The 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

The good ol’ Tundra has a 5.7-liter “I-Force” 381 horsepower that makes 401 lb-ft or torque. It’s connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. This is a very old-school set up, as we’ve been saying for years. The biggest downside to this old tech is its economy, the 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is rated at 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway.

Also, Toyota is one of the only truck builders that doesn’t offer some sort of locking rear differential in their “off-road” ready truck. That’s odd to us as they do offer a proper rear locker in their Tacoma’s off-road package.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss

Sure, the small displacement V8 in this Trail Boss isn’t as beefy and cool as the powerful 6.2-liter V8, but it IS the one a majority of buyers will get. This 5.3-liter V8 355 horsepower that makes 383 lb-ft of torque. It’s fed through a 10-speed automatic transmission. It has less horsepower and torque than the Toyota, but it has a modern transmission and an efficient engine. The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss is rated at 16 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

Off-road, we’ve never been that happy with the G80 automatic locking rear axle. Sure, it works quite well on the pavement and in light off-road situations, but it’s not so great in the rough stuff. It has to spin to truly engage and that has been an issue in some off-road situations. Why not just add a electronic locker like (almost) everyone else? Hell, they have one in the Colorado ZR2 – right?  

Check out this video and see how these trucks compare when tested in the Rocky Mountains AND on the drag strip!