2023 Toyota Tundra Hybrid

The extra power in the Tundra Hybrid makes the truck feel surprisingly quick in a straight line. The powertrain is also incredibly refined, as the way the electric motor brings additional power over the V6 feels effortless. The hybrid also brings gas-free driving at speeds below 18 mph. Despite coming with a V6 engine and an electric motor, the Tundra Hybrid sounds spectacular, almost like it’s packing an eight-cylinder engine, but most of that is just synthetic noise that’s being piped into the cabin. It’s loud, but it definitely sounds good.

The hybrid powertrain in the Tundra Hybrid helps the pickup get better fuel economy figures than the non-hybrid model. With rear-wheel drive, the Tundra Hybrid can get up to 22 mpg combined, while the regular Tundra is rated at 20 mpg combined. The Tundra Hybrid isn’t efficient as the Ford F-150 Hybrid (25 mpg combined), Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Diesel (26 mpg combined), or Ram 1500 Diesel (24 mpg combined), but it gets close.

Brimming With Tech. The first trim that’s available with the hybrid powertrain is the Limited, which comes well-equipped with some of Toyota’s latest tech features. While the standard Tundra makes do with an eight-inch touchscreen, the Tundra Hybrid starts things off with an enormous 14-inch central touchscreen. Additionally, the Tundra Hybrid trades the regular tundra’s 4.2-inch instrument cluster display for a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Automakers have started to fit trucks with large screens, but the 14-inch unit is the largest one available in the class. The Silverado 1500 gets close with its 13.4-inch touchscreen, but the Tundra Hybrid’s screen is larger than the F-150’s 12-inch unit and the Ram 1500’s 12-inch screen.

Beyond the Tundra Hybrid’s large screens, the truck impresses with its standard features that include a “Hey, Toyota” virtual assistant, a Wi-Fi hot spot, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and a nine-speaker audio system. The best thing about the Tundra Hybrid’s tech features is that all of this equipment comes standard. The pickup is available with a 10-inch head-up display, a wireless charging pad, and a 14-speaker audio system.

Top Trims Feel Luxurious. With Toyota starting the Tundra Hybrid off at the Limited trim, the electrified truck doesn’t feel like a work-oriented pickup. The Limited comes with synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, 20-inch wheels, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Step up to the Capstone and things get really luxurious with 22-inch wheels, power-deploying running boards, sound-reducing front windows, leather upholstery, and a panoramic sunroof.

In addition to coming with premium materials and upscale convenience features, the Tundra Hybrid has a roomy cabin. The available CrewMax body style brings a cabin that’s as roomy as a midsize SUV with 38.5 inches of rear headroom, 41.6 inches of rear legroom, and 60.5 inches of rear hip room.

Still Trails Rivals. Toyota’s designers decided to give the Tundra Hybrid a bold design. The pickup truck’s front end is polarizing to say the least, with an enormous grille that takes up 90% of the space on the front end. It’s a confident design that helps the Tundra stand out, but it could turn some buyers away.

The Tundra has always trailed rivals like the F-150, Silverado 1500, and Ram 1500 when it comes to towing capacity and it’s a similar situation with the Tundra Hybrid. The electrified pickup can tow up to 11,450 pounds and has a maximum payload capacity of 1,680 pounds. The F-150 Hybrid offers up to 12,700 pounds of towing capacity. Nearly every other full-size pickup truck in the segment offers more towing capacity than the Tundra Hybrid.

The off-road-ready TRD Pro is only available with the hybrid engine. With 18-inch TRD wheels, 33-inch tires, heavy-duty skid plates, a 1.1-inch front suspension lift, Fox suspension dampers, a locking rear differential, and Crawl Control, the TRD Pro is the most capable Tundra available. Against competitors like the F-150 Raptor, Ram 1500 TRX, and Silverado 1500 ZR2, the TRD Pro isn’t nearly as capable off-road and doesn’t offer the same level of performance.

Final Thoughts. The 2023 Toyota Tundra Hybrid isn’t cheap and its hybrid powertrain doesn’t bring remarkable fuel economy figures. Plus, it doesn’t offer the same towing or payload capacities as rivals, while the rugged RD Pro trim isn’t as capable as other pickups in the class. What the Tundra Hybrid does offer is a punchy V6 powertrain, a premium interior, high-tech features, and a refined ride. The hybrid powertrain may be a pricey upgrade, but it results in the best Tundra.

The only other full-size hybrid in the class is the Ford F-150 Hybrid. It has a hybrid powertrain that makes up to 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque, can tow more cargo than the Tundra Hybrid, can act as a generator, and is more efficient than the Toyota.

The Ram 1500 isn’t available with a full hybrid powertrain yet, but it’s available with mild-hybrid powertrains. The 1500 stands out for its high-end interior, comfortable ride, and upscale styling. The Ram 1500 TRX is incredibly capable off-road and comes with an insanely powerful supercharged V8 engine.

Check prices for the 2023 Toyota Tundra Hybrid