With decades of production and millions of units sold, the Toyota Tacoma has established itself as the standard for compact pickup trucks. Its influence may be seen in the way that manufacturers have responded by developing their own similar midsize pickups. The Toyota Tacoma comes with two cab sizes, two bed lengths, and the option of rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Toyota’s Tacoma double cab model offers a winning amount of value.
It’s no surprise that the Toyota Tacoma is the most popular midsize truck in America. The vehicle looks attractive and has a solid reputation for dependability. The features sound great before you get behind the wheel but are even more impressive once you’re driving it.
Standard trims may seem a little compact, but it’s perfect for those who don’t want too big of a truck. The TRD Pro offers sophisticated off-road suspension, and the TRD Pro model’s trail readiness will thrill off-road fans.
The base engine in the Tacoma is a 2.7-liter inline-four that generates 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. It may be combined with a six-speed stick or automatic gearbox. All basic models come with rear-wheel drive and may be upgraded to all-wheel drive. The automatic gearbox improves fuel efficiency from 19/22 mpg with 4WD to 20/23 mpg with RWD, according to the EPA.
An optional 3.5-liter V6 with 278 horsepower and 265 lb-ft is offered. It is coupled to either a conventional rear-wheel drive (RWD) or an optional all-wheel-drive (4WD) gearbox with six gears. Tacomas equipped with this engine and automatic gearbox take roughly 7.0 seconds to reach 60 mph. The EPA estimates that driving efficiency will be 19/24 mpg with RWD and 18/22 mpg with 4WD when using the automatic gearbox. TRD Pro trims with a manual gearbox get 17/20 mpg combined fuel efficiency.
The Tacoma received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. When tested by the IIHS, Tacoma trims that were equipped with LED headlights earned a ‘Top Safety Pick’ designation. All models of the Tacoma come with TSS (Toyota Safety Sentence), an active safety suite, and driver-assist features. The safety tech includes blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Overall, the Tacoma gets points for its proven reliability and value, high-quality construction, and the TRD trim’s good off-road capabilities.