That old fashioned right foot approach equates to The Nathan Method

A TRD pro and ZR2... Ya.. we're all a bit jealous....

i'd really like to see this test with both trucks on the same tires... let's take the tire out of it. I think we can all agree the tire Toyota puts on the Taco from the factory isn't ideal.

So the taco has a snorkel... But highway tires lol. Makes sense.

I love how everyone is so excited over the Tacoma fogs LOL

All the Honda Ridgeline owners are watching this video and crying lol

Damn that Diesel Bison.... That’s is a one bad ass little truck....

So somebody further down the comments was saying the ZR2’s Independent front suspension could not have a real front locker locker, so I looked it up! It is a true Eaton E locker in the front and rear.

Hey Toyota! Put some decent off-road tires on your "Off-Road Pro" vehicles! The tires spec'd on these things are a complete joke.

I’ve noticed you guys seem to not use the ZR2’s off road mode. I forgot about it to sometimes but is very useful.

In the Toyota going up the hill you said "I'm not using crawl control." Then when it wasn't making it up the hill you said, "I'm takin it out of crawl control." ? So, did you start with it or without it?

you mean the truck with the mud terrains (duratracs are quasi mud terrains) did better in the mud than the truck with all seasons? shocked face. Toyota needs to put some real tires on its TRD pro models.

It sucks the Taco is one of the only trucks with a manual left

I replaced the original tires on my Toyota trd offroad with bf Goodrich ko2 tires and it made a huge difference. Places I had trouble getting through are so much easier now. I did loose about 1 mile per gallon on the gas mileage though.

9:41, "I'm not using crawl control" and then at 10:00, "I'm going to disable crawl control". I'm confused. Did you enable crawl control between 9:41 and 10:00 and withhold that information from the viewers? Or you choose not use a feature that could have helped you get over hill or is there another way to interpret what you said?

Either one would be cool to me. Hard to choose they both have advantages and disadvantages. I guess overall I would probably choose the Chevy to get the front and rear locker and better tires stock and more skid plates. I have a Toyota right now and it’s awesome and I love my manual transmission so I like that Toyota still has them .

It's like when people ask me which bourbon is the best. Everybody's tastes are different, so my favorite probably won't be theirs. If you like Chevy buy a Chevy. If you like the Tacoma buy the Tacoma. I think they are both great trucks. I have the Tacoma and the factory tires on the Tacoma really do suck for off-road.

TRD PRO is The Way to GO!

The front locker and diesel option really put the ZR2 ahead for me

I have a 2018 Tacoma off road that I got for 40k. I added rock sliders, aftermarket wheels and BFG KO2s all for another 3k. So that’s my choice.

The Nathan method never fails!

The Ranger being a Ford product, probably broke down on its way to this event.

Is this the first time that this guy has been off road? He talks about needing momentum and comes to a stop right before the hill in the Tacoma

I drove both trucks extensively before I made my purchase. To be clear I drove the ZR2 duramax , not the bison and the TRD Pro. In the end for me I chose the the ZR2. It was just more comfortable for me to drive. It pulled better and felt more solid. I’ve owned Chevy and Toyota trucks in the past. I think they’re both great in their own right. ZR2 just got it right this time for me. Can’t go wrong with either IMO.

I just traded my Colorado for a brand new Tacoma TRD off-road I really loved the Colorado but I absolutely hated the 8-speed transmission had all kinds of trouble out of it

This was a great video! Now I'm going to look at a Chevy, Great job on this video

I currently driving the Taco daily, but I love the ZR2B ... Simplicity is a must, and a simple switch of Tires and BAM! The Tacoma Wins! But I Still Would Love To Have Both!!!

Love how you quickly pan away from the fake hood scoop on the Tacoma and quickly mention the snorkel lol.

This is really light off-roading. All the extra drama is really unnecessary.

Am I the only person who like the regular ZR2 over the bison? Both great trucks but my money would go to the ZR2

What I took away from this: 1) Neither are anywhere close to being worth $50K (explains slowing sales on Tacoma Pros with snorkel option) 2) Tacoma has a way better approach angle. It would be just as good in the mud with the right tire. Doesn’t need a front locker but it’s not a lot to add front air locker. 3)Bison has a lot more undercarriage protection but it doesn’t have logical design setup for things like a shorter approach angle than a normal ZR2 (seriously wtf?) and the exhaust (having to worry about smashing it?) They both look awesome. I own a 2018 TRD OR and unless you can’t live without Fox shocks (not expensive upgrade on an Off-road), a hood scoop that doesn’t do anything, some “cooler wheels” that don’t help performance, leather with stitching, still doesn’t help performance, as well as a slightly better sound system, save $8-12k and get a TRD off-road. If you’re gonna go with a ZR2, $5000 May be a worthy upgrade but don’t ever expect any decent fuel economy. It’s not made for that. It’s a toy. At least the TRD Pro is somewhat practical and is still a comfortable daily driver. I love both for different reasons.

That snorkel is ridiculous. I'd rather get the TRD off road. Over 10,000 cheaper, no snorkel and with just 5,000 in you could make it better than the TRD pro.

As a former owner of many Chevys the Tacoma will out climb the Chevy, because the chevy will be in the shop all day

Thanks Andre, I was waiting for this comparison for quite some time. Saw you and Nathan at the AEV booth in Flagstaff, but you were busily interviewing. Would have loved to say Hi. QQ: Why do you guys at TFL seem to activate lockers always so early where it is not needed yet at all? That's probably just me, but with my JK I try to avoid lockers until absolutely necessary. Never broken anything and especially in mud the vehicle goes where I want compared to with lockers, where the vehicle goes where it wants. Just my 2c as otherwise you guys are cool. Love the Ike gauntlet comparisons too.

I really enjoy your channel - keep up the excellent work!

Good review!

I drive a 2000 ZR2 which I bought new, now with 210k miles on it. Sure would be nice to upgrade to the ZR2 Bison!👌

These trucks are undeniably cool and I'm glad they exist. That said I'd still buy a Frontier Pro-4x with the 6spd and modify it to my liking.

Grab a shot of vodka andre, that was another awesome video.

Another Corona virus day inside and another great video to watch. Thank you.

Great comparison 👌

Now that I've been driving my Tundra for so long I don't think I could ever go back to ford/dodge/chevy. I know the gas mileage is on the low side but I haven't had not one problem at all. I can't say that white the other trucks I've had. I always had trans or turbo ( eco boost) and or electrical problems.

I love duratracs. I need to get new ones this year after 7 years with lots of hard off rod use.

My heart is devided🥺 but I would still buy the Tacoma. I know what these truck can do, they are popular for a reason. No one can tell you until you own a Toyota. My driveway is all Toyotas except the one company provided Ford. In my opinion Toyotas just keep surprising when put to the test.

I wish somebody would do a comparison of these 2 trucks using the *same* tires on each one. Every experiment needs a constant.

Who else noticed the Bisons exhaust pipe and spare dragging the mud due to lack of ground clearance at 2:22

I cross shopped everyone when I was looking for my new truck a few months ago. I didn't want the hassle of diesel, mainly because this state treats them the same as gas vehicles and on average diesel is 60 cents more a gallon... so there is almost zero benefit to having the diesel and you need inspections every two years after the initial 4 or 5 year sticker... so diesel was out. I eliminated the ranger almost instantly. It is nice... but they don't offer a crew cab long bed. That went out. I also think the outside is ugly but that's me. The ridgeline was also out. Just wasn't what I was looking for. It came down to one of the twins or the Tacoma. I drove the Tacoma and wasn't very impressed. It felt slower than the vehicle it was replacing... which had about 220k miles of me beating the absolute piss out of it and was confirmed to be down about 25 hp and about the same in torque from new. And then I drove the Colorado. I made a right turn off the lot and went down about 100 feet on one of the crappiest roads Jersey had to offer and basically asked where to sign. It felt like the trailblazer did when I got it. And I loved how that truck drove so to me it made sense. Are there things Toyota did better? Sure. But if it lasts 200k the way I drive then I'll be more than happy. A friend of mine had an 04 Tacoma when I had the 04 trailblazer too. The Tacoma started to kick his ass around 200k so they dumped it. The cost of ownership on the trailblazer was significantly less mile for mile than the Tacoma which we both found strange. The trailblazer is now a company vehicle running to our distributor picking up couple thousand pound loads. About half of its life was spent lugging around an extra 1500lbs of equipment in the cab. Can't really say I've had any bad luck with any of the big truck manufacturers... except dodge. They're just actual trash.

Toyota’s 4.0 liter was great that 3.5 is crap. I used to have the 4.0 but needed a bigger truck. ZR2 has taken over as mid size off road king in my opinion. Toyota May sell more but the better off-roader is the Bison.

I bought a gas ZR2 a few weeks ago, that front locker is VERY nice to have on the super rocky climbs we have here in southern Utah. It is also nice to have a different truck, you can barely throw a stick around here without hitting a Tacoma of some type. (not that they are bad trucks - there are just huge numbers of them)

I picked up the 2019 Canyon v6-4x4 extended cab base model, which came with a nice amount of features. I have Apple CarPlay, a pretty decent six speaker stock audio system, spray-in bedliner, tow package, those GM bumper steps are super useful, base model 16" wheels have very meaty tires. It rides nice, good power, very comfortable. Only issue I had was a deer ran full speed out from nowhere and smashed into the side of the truck. I now have a 2019 Nissan Frontier as a long term rental car right now, and while it is small, the turning radius feels worse, the ergonomics aren't that great, the center armrest is useless because it is too far back, the stock infotainment system is awful, and the bed is so tiny and shallow. It's easier to park in spaces, the seats a little more comfortable, the stock radio is pretty decent too, the quality of the handsfree phone is good, and while definitely not faster, the Frontier feel a lot better off the line than the Canyon (I believe the Frontier has much better torque down low).

Those tires are a big help. C’mon Toyota put some ko2.

Nice save with the Tacoma Andre. I would have to say I prefer a ZR2 over both here. You can add aftermarket skid plates and bumpers and still be money ahead. I probably would do neither because I would not be doing any off-roading that needs that. I could get by with the very base Nissan as far as that goes. I just like one over the other. I think it is ok to just buy for looks as well. It is a big part of my decision. I don’t think the location of the 4x4 controls in the ZR2 would matter after owning it for a month or so. No fun though if you are always jumping from one truck to another doing reviews though, I agree. I like the diesel as well. It is not a pain where I live. The cost is basically the same here (5 cents per US gallon difference) and it is easily found at most gas stations. The only difference is DEF, which is cheap and so easy to fill it is really almost not worth mentioning. I fill my wiper fluid more often. Just wish the ZR2 came properly equipped with 32 or 33 inch tires. Help with the looks (2” lift?) and clearance. Almost Always cheaper as part of the truck from the factory than aftermarket as well. Haha Keep em coming. It is nice to see the off-road comparisons getting better and better. Well done Andre!

Both great trucks but I will say in N Colorado I have seen a bison with a big discount on it whereas the Tacoma TRD Pro has an addendum of 4K.

Overall good video. But still biased in favor of the Bison. Clearly the Tacoma has a lot better ground clearance as the Bison was dragging several times where the Tacoma wasn’t . Tires are definitely the difference here, but doesn’t mean the truck is less capable. In fact most videos on KZfaq I’ve seen, the Tacoma goes up everything the front locked ZR2 does. Driver plays a major role along with knowing how to use the gadgets properly. Another thing not brought up is reliability of the vehicles, which factors into ownership costs and experience. And Taco has a manual!

Just needed better tires. I just bought the same trd pro 2 weeks ago and love it

The Chevrolet has the added benefit of not looking hideous.

The lockers really put the zr2 ahead of the Tacoma. If you can avoid using momentum and 'your right foot' you are less likely to damage your expensive truck. We saw the difference during the muddy hill climb. I'd take either one though. I have a Colorado LT (4 wd) and am looking for a easy trail capable rig.

"almost rolled down the hill" Why you gotta look like that , you be looking like you killed something.

Front and rear lockers if you have them your ought to be invincible offroad.

The only thing you were really comparing here is the tires, and I'm happy you called it out more than once. Throw some duratracs on the TRD pro and do a comparo. I'm sure neither would have had issues on that course.

I'd still take the toyota, you can always change the tires, but you can only hope that the chevy won't fall apart in 5 years

Bisons are awesome!

I think they are both great. I would go with the tacoma only thing i do not like is those tires, I would change those right away.

Very nice, thanks Andre

I could never pick between the two!

Tried and true tacoma for me everytime.

MTS needs to be engaged for the auto lsd to work for the front of the Tacoma or otherwise it defaults to open diff with lockers engaged. ECT PWR is also better for 4wheelin because the transmission holds the gears. Also, it is good to learn when to take traction control off.

ZR2 Bison is impressive.

All tacos have one issue.. "TIRES!" Haha but I love my 2018 trd off road 4x4 👍👍👍👍👍👍 I can always upgrade the tires 😎😎

Nice review, but with things like the muddy hill, try it without the lockers, then just the rear, then the front so we can see the differences these features makes. He's compare apples to apples and see the differences tires makes as well.

Not too many truck buyers are going to be interested in this kind of extreme (see what I can do) type of terrain. I'll take the reliability, resale and manual tranny of the Tacoma.

I want a ZR2, but I won't get the BISON because it's too expensive for me. But very nice truck nonetheless.

I'll still go for the Tacoma, just put a set of good tires and that's all you need!!!!

Great video Andre. Competition is a good thing and Toyota needs to provide an option for a front locker and better tires from the factory.

This video had so much potential

Howdy Andre’! IMHO I’m gonna go with the Colorado ZR2 Bison! As I own a new Colorado W/T Crew Cab 4x4, V6 I found on a lot with everything I need and nothing I don’t! After 3 y 9 months trouble free and 68,000 miles of adventure camping an commuting with a 2016 Colorado Z71,4x4, V 6 Ext Cab. My new one in white will be a nice blank canvas for building my own. The dealer installed the boron skid plates for me, that and with the Factory Tow Package, Convenience Package and Appearance Package all for just under 32k! All I need now are some high grade front Coil Overs and rear air bags with matching high grade rear shocks, so I will be able to tow my 22’ Travel Trailer nice a level! Then get some of those nice Goodyear Duratrax tires at least 32” tall. I must say something about that Tacoma, that Snorkle is cool, but with a fake air scoop on the hood too? Plus that truck needs some real tires! Those are just like the ones that came on mine!

Thumbs up for extended cab with a six foot bed option with the ZR2.

TRD with street tires? Unfair!

Be sure to use A-TRAC as well as the rear locker in the Toyota's, it definitely helps in the front vs it just being open and the rear locked

I just got a 19 TRD Pro with the GoodYear Wrangler tires. There is good news and bad news for the Wranglers. Good news is that they perform the same in Mud, snow, wet roads and sand. The bad news is the suck in all of them..

Lets look at Quality of build and future resale Values.Hmm?

Truck comparisons should always be made with all the same tires

You can tell Andre isn't a hard core wheeler. He about shit himself when the trd climbed up the rut. Lol. He was in no danger at all he could have drove down the side of the hill it bounced up on with no issues. That was funny. 😂

People arguing about the tires miss a couple of points. The ZR2 has front and rear lockers. The rear locker can be used in 2wd, Toyota rear locker is 4low only, and you need to stop, neutral, engage 4low, then lock rear. My experience has been a locked rear in 2hi or 4 hi helps avoid needing 4 low locked in the first place. The Toyota crawl assist appears to be a gimmick when the engineering cost versus a front locker is considered. I am a Tacoma fan but I believe ZR2 beats the Pro. The Bison package may be worth it if you want a factory skid plate, winch mount option but the aftermarket usually surpasses factory in that realm.

Then how come the video at the end the driver didn’t have any issues going up? I think it was driver error my Tacoma off road can go just about anywhere with these stock tires

That desert air-intake seems a bit much- considering the stock tires.

I like the real world comparison videos.

The fact that Mid sized truck will run you 40k-50k with options is sickening!!

Front locker and diesel gonna out perform all day. That being said I’d still pick tacoma for reliability. Do another run with the same tires too I mean come on.

When does the TFL Team get to do the Gauntlet Towing Test with the Chevy Colorado AEV Bison?

I can't help but think that you'd be better off building your own rig than paying thru the nose for these factory off road specials. 4wd/Crew Cab/V6/4WD SR Tacoma is $32,000. TRD-PRO is $45,000 Colorado LT V6 gas 4wd crew cab aprox $35,000, with diesel its $41,000 Colorado Bison MSRP with diesel $51,000 I'm also thinking your local dealer will give you a way better deal on the lower trim trucks, those top trim models they might have just a few allotted to the dealer and they usually sell for or very near MSRP.

Those are the worst tires, on the Tacoma, to do off-roading on wet areas. Had similar experiences like yours, here in WA state, so I got rid of the tires at 2K miles. Didn't want to risk it anymore. Got the Toyo Open Country, and it was like night and day difference. A front locking differential would definitely help in some situation, but I am able to do most terrains with just the limited locking front differential. Tires, tires! Makes a lot of difference compared to all terrain. And, when you air down some more, it is quite close to locked 4x4 system.

Bison Crawled up the mud hill like nothing.

Can’t believe that Taco is 50k. You can get the regular ZR2 for 44k. And you still get the better tires, rock rails, lockers, leather, and disc brakes lol

In 1988 my Landcruiser was purchased, 33 years later she's still rattling along beautifully. That's my problem... the Toyota name, reliability and quality in making offroad trucks. Hence why I purchased a 21 Tacoma Pro.

Exhaust brake is unheard of in Australia unless you have a truck (commercial vehicle). I think all cars could benefit especially downhill. I love it. ZR2 if I was living in USA. One Powerball.

I'd really love to see you guys do a comprehensive comparison of the front traction control systems on the Taco OR/Pro, Ranger FX4, Gladiator, and ZR2. A lot of people are ignorant to the fact that the taco has a brake simulated locker, and I think even fewer know the ranger does. Try some obstacles in the Jeep or ZR2 with both lockers vs rear vs none. Jeep's own brake lockers do a pretty good job, and I assume Chevy has a similar system. C'mon guys. Do some homework, and give your viewers some actual information.

Tacoma’s have a great reputation for lasting a long time and the aftermarket scene is great for them . The competition hasn’t provided a long lasting vehicle . Off road or not . Not many people at all need the comforts of lockers or crawl controls . So the sales for a Tacoma will out do the competition due to reliability over all not their capability off roading . These reviews show a few miles of a vehicle doing things many owners will never do . The other 98% of mileage is done on pavement .

The dorkel snorkel is ridiculous

Great video! Looked like a lot of fun! I would personally go with a diesel bison but I do love the tacos new blue color and manual transmission