Toyota Tacoma Price and specs
Overview
The Toyota Tacoma is a pickup truck made by the Japanese car company Toyota since 1995. The first-generation Tacoma (from 1995 to 2004) was a small pickup. The second generation (from 2005 to 2015) and third generation (made since 2015) models are medium-sized pickups. The Tacoma won Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year award in 2005.
As of 2015, the Tacoma was sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Bermuda, and New Caledonia. In most places around the world, people buy the Toyota Hilux instead of the Tacoma.
The name “Tacoma” comes from the Coast Salish people’s name for Mount Rainier in the state of Washington.
The Tacoma was introduced in the US in February 1995 (with a market release in March 1995) as a replacement for the Toyota Pickup (which was the name used for the Hilux in North America). Compared to the Hilux, the Tacoma is designed with more focus on ride quality, handling, comfort, and safety instead of toughness and load capacity. The design aims to better meet the needs of the US and Canadian market, where pickup trucks are used as personal vehicles rather than for business, farming, and off-road activities.
What’s new in 2024
The Tacoma is completely redesigned for the 2024 model year, marking the fourth generation of the mid-size pickup truck. Along with getting a version of the body-on-frame TNGA-F platform shared with the recently updated Toyota Tundra, the new Tacoma has improved engines, more modern features, and a wider range of trim levels. This includes the newly introduced Trailhunter, which is made for people who enjoy overlanding.
Exterior
The size of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is 212-226 inches long, 74-75 inches wide, and 71-72 inches high. You can choose 16-inch, 17-inch, or 18-inch wheels, along with 10 exterior colors.
Interior
Inside, the redesigned Tacoma makes big improvements in both design and layout. The dashboard uses nicer materials and has high-resolution screens and traditional buttons. Most Tacomas have a 7.0-inch digital display for the gauges, but the TRD Off-Road models and higher trims have a larger 12.3-inch all-digital display. A head-up display is standard on the Limited models and higher, which also come with heated and cooled front seats. Every model now has a higher seating position and more headroom, so the driver no longer feels like they are sitting on the floor.
A more adjustable steering column makes the truck more comfortable for more people. Like the previous model, the 2024 Tacoma is available in extended-cab (called XtraCab) and crew-cab (called Double Cab) styles. The XtraCab comes with a six-foot cargo bed, while the Double Cab can have either the six-foot bed or a shorter five-foot bed.
Engine
Engine
A turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine powers every Tacoma. The engine comes in two versions. The base 228-horsepower turbo four is only in the entry-level SR. The rest of the lineup gets stronger i-Force versions with up to 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque.
Transmission
The engine pairs with either an eight-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual. Rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are both available.
Performance
All Tacomas have a body-on-frame construction, but there are two types of rear suspensions. The SR, SR5 extended cab, and the TRD PreRunner have old-fashioned leaf springs, while the rest have coil springs. We drove the nonhybrid Tacoma and were impressed with its improved on-road comfort, especially the models with new coil springs, which offer a much better ride than those with leaf springs.
The Tacoma with the 278-hp engine can go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds. Around town, the powertrain gives plenty of power, and highway merging and passing are easy. Since the Tacoma is built for off-road adventures, the off-road models have the equipment to go almost anywhere.
Capacity
The maximum towing capacity for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is 6500 pounds. It can also carry up to 1705 pounds of cargo. The hybrid model (reviewed separately) has a towing limit of 6000 pounds and can carry up to 1709 pounds of cargo.
Fuel Efficiency
The EPA estimates the two-wheel drive Tacoma’s fuel efficiency at up to 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway; with four-wheel drive, it’s rated up to 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. These numbers aren’t much better than the previous Tacoma, which had a V-6 engine. On our 75-mph highway fuel economy test, the TRD Off-Road model we tested got 22 mpg.
Safety Features
The 2023 Toyota Tacoma comes standard with forward collision alert, lane departure alert, and adaptive cruise control. It also includes a rearview camera, automatic high-beam headlights, forward automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection.
Competitors
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma and its hybrid version have other trucks to compete with. These trucks include the Ford Ranger Raptor, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, and Jeep Gladiator. We know the ratings for the Tacoma and its hybrid, but we don’t have ratings for the other trucks. You can check out photos and more details to compare them with the Toyota Tacoma models.
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