For 16 years, the Toyota Tacoma has sat atop the midsize pickup truck gross sales charts thanks partly to its sterling status and glorious resale worth. Even because the midsize truck class has grown in recent times to to incorporate a reborn Ford Ranger and new Jeep Gladiator, the Toyota continues to rule the roost with a Tacoma lineup that encompasses greater than 30 configurations all providing beauty, loads of utility and correct on- and off-road capabilities. And after spending every week with what’s now a 6-year-old truck, I am reminded once more of all of the issues that contribute to the Tacoma’s lasting enchantment. 

Rugged appears to be like

Although the current-generation Tacoma is getting outdated, it is nonetheless a sexy rig. The blockier appears to be like are much more beefed up on my TRD Off-Street tester with a really cool Military Inexperienced paint job and contrasting black fender trim. Throw in slick 16-inch wheels wrapped in meaty Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Journey tires, black tube steps and TRD skid plates, and this truck appears to be like greater than able to play within the grime.

Contained in the Taco, the squared-off sprint continues the rugged design theme, and far of the cabin is constructed from acres of arduous, properly grained plastics which might be straightforward to wash and may look good for years to come back. Don’t fret, it is not all arduous plastic on a regular basis, with key touchpoints just like the steering wheel and shift knob wrapped in leather-based and armrests lined in padded vinyl. The entrance seat cushions are agency and their minimal bolstering permits them to accommodate a wide range of physique varieties.

As a shorter 5-foot, 6-inch particular person, I’ve zero issues with house or discovering a snug seating place behind the Tacoma’s wheel, nevertheless, I can see why my taller co-workers have had points right here. There’s not a ton of headroom in both row and rear legroom in my Double Cab tester is not palatial. Once more, if 4 or 5 Jon Wongs have to go someplace, they will be superb. 4 or 5 Craig Coles or Andrew Kroks, nevertheless, goes to be a special and fewer comfy story.

Space for storing is admirable with massive door pockets, middle console cubbies, a decent-sized middle armrest console, mammoth glove field compartment and a pair of hidden bins beneath the rear seat’s decrease cushions. In fact, there’s the 5-foot-long mattress out again, fitted with a molded liner and tie-down bedrail that’ll absolutely come in useful for dwelling enchancment provide or flat pack furnishings runs.

Satisfactory tech

Most Tacoma fashions function an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Base Tacoma SR fashions are the one ones that do not have this display screen and as a substitute get a 7-inch unit, whereas goodies akin to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa are lastly commonplace throughout the board. As well as, my tester comes with a JBL audio setup, navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth.

Nothing particular to take a look at, but it surely’s obtained commonplace Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

The TRD Off-Street’s 8-inch touchscreen does take a noticeable second to change between menu screens and calculate navigation routes. The menu layouts themselves are easy to work via, however removed from visually riveting. My favourite side of the system is that Toyota maintains the bodily shortcut buttons that flank each side of the display screen to simply get to essentially the most used menus like the house, audio and map screens.

To juice up any good gadgets, the TRD Off-Street has a 12-volt outlet and wi-fi cost pad on the base of the middle console, whereas there are USB-A and USB-C ports within the middle armrest. Sadly, backseat passengers haven’t any energy ports inside straightforward attain.

On the protection tech entrance, the Toyota Security Sense suite of options is commonplace subject on all Tacomas. That features automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise management, lane-departure warning and auto excessive beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts can be found as choices and put in on my TRD Off-Street.

The Tacoma’s cabin has a wide range of energy factors up entrance, however nothing inside straightforward attain in again.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

Rides like a truck

Toyota presents two engines within the Tacoma, with a base 2.7-liter I4 churning out 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque offering ample energy. The TRD Off-Street and different larger trims include a 3.5-liter V6 making 278 hp and 265 lb-ft. The V6 presents ample grunt off the road however feels essentially the most energetic from roughly 3,500 rpm on up, making straightforward sufficient work of expressway merging and passing. And when it is time to do actual work, my take a look at truck can pull as much as 6,400 kilos with a payload ranking of 1,155 kilos.

Traditionalists will probably be happy to know that Tacomas will be had with a six-speed guide transmission, however my tester is outfitted with an non-obligatory six-speed automated that helps return a far-from-spectacular EPA-estimated 18 mpg within the metropolis and 22 mpg on the freeway. In actual world testing, I noticed 19 mpg.

For essentially the most half, the gearbox returns fluid, quick-enough and well-timed shifts becoming for a pickup. Nevertheless, often a rogue, clunky downshift occurs when slowing down and getting again on the throttle earlier than coming to a whole cease.

Bilstein shocks give the Tacoma TRD Off-Street a leg up when venturing off pavement.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

The spotlight to the Tacoma TRD Off-Street is all of the {hardware} to make it deal with higher, effectively, off-road. That listing contains part-time four-wheel-drive (two-wheel-drive can also be obtainable), a locking rear differential, specifically tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, Goodyear tires, hill-start help and Crawl Management that is primarily low-speed off-road cruise management to let drivers concentrate on steering via rock obstacles. 

Sadly, the extent of my off-roading entails rolling on unpaved heaps, however I can say that it’s not half dangerous on highway. Certain, issues get uneven over bumps earlier than the physique recovers and round corners the Tacoma does not noticeably flop round. The steering is direct (for a truck), the brakes are robust and grabby at first and there is some tire noise to talk off, however all informed, the Tacoma is  fully cheap for every day drives. If on-road experience high quality is a high precedence, perhaps do not buy the TRD Off-Street trim. Or perhaps go purchase a Honda Ridgeline as a substitute.

How I might spec it

As a lot as I really like the appears to be like of the Tacoma TRD Professional and the cool issue of understanding it may go nearly anyplace off highway, the $45,000 base price ticket hooked up to the king-of-the-hill mannequin is steep. As a substitute, I might persist with an Military Inexperienced TRD Off-Street Double Cab with four-wheel drive and a 5-foot mattress like my take a look at truck. I might even hold the automated transmission since it might be a every day driver, with a worth that begins at $38,705 together with vacation spot. 

This Tacoma TRD Off-Street as-tested stickers for nearly $47,000.

Jon Wong/Roadshow

From there, I will throw on a $2,790 Premium Audio and Navigation bundle that additionally contains the Expertise Package deal for must-haves akin to blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, nicer audio system and LED headlights to switch the usual Tacoma halogen setup. To additional costume the skin and add perform, I need the $469 oval tube steps, $499 TRD entrance skid plate, $160 black emblem overlays and $129 mudguards. And at last, inside I will pony up $169 for all-weather rubber flooring mats, bringing my Tacoma’s backside line to $42,921. Removed from low-cost, but it surely’s cheaper than the $46,894 truck pictured right here.

True to its roots

Whereas some on the Roadshow employees proceed to be baffled on the Tacoma’s recognition, I believe I’ve an excellent understanding of why it is so profitable. Apart from reliability and resale, the Tacoma is an easy and simple truck. It appears to be like like a truck, drives like a truck and presents respectable towing and hauling capabilities, whereas packing sufficient creature comforts to make it livable. Nothing extra. Nothing much less.