Review
Introduction
The current-generation Toyota Tacoma enters its second year of production with few changes. Built on a traditional body-on-frame platform, the Tacoma shares its underpinnings with the Toyota 4Runner and FJ Cruiser SUVs. Far larger than the compact pickups of the recent past, the Tacoma could now be considered a mid-size pickup, and it slots into the Toyota pickup-truck lineup below the full-size Tundra.
Toyota offers three cab sizes in the Tacoma. Regular-cab models are the most basic, offering only a small amount of space behind the front seat and a four-cylinder engine. The next step up is the Access Cab setup with small rear doors, room for cargo behind the front seat, and two small jump seats. Double Cab models get a full back seat with full-size rear doors and only come with the V-6 engine. Regular-cab and Access Cab models come with a 6.25-foot bed; the longer Double Cab offers a 5.0-foot bed and the longer 6.25-foot bed.
Two engines are available in the Tacoma. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine with 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque is the base engine and powers the regular cab and the Access Cab. An available upgrade on the Access Cab and standard on the Double Cab is a 4.0-liter V-6 with 236 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Properly equipped, V-6 models have a 6500-pound towing capacity. Four-cylinder models come standard with a five-speed manual and offer a four-speed automatic at extra cost. Six-cylinder models can be had with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, except PreRunner Double Cabs, which only get the five-speed auto. Both engines offer optional four-wheel drive; rear-wheel drive is standard.
Tacomas come in a variety of flavors, from basic work truck to the off-roader look of 2WD-only PreRunner versions to the sporty X-Runner. Toyota claims that the V-6–only X-Runner sprints from 0 to 60 mph in fewer than seven seconds and can pull a sports-car-like 0.90 g on a skidpad. V-6 models are quick to accelerate; four-cylinder models offer fuel efficiency at the expense of speed. Structural rigidity in the Tacoma isn’t as good as it is in its platform-mates 4Runner and FJ Cruiser. Large bumps send shivers through the Tacoma in a most unsatisfying and trucklike way. Furthermore, the brakes feel unresponsive and slow to react. The Tacoma offers good steering and a pleasant ride.
Tacoma competitors include the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, GMC Canyon, and Honda Ridgeline.
Verdict
The Tacoma is a good mid-size pickup that is available in a variety of guises to suit virtually any pickup buyer’s needs, and all benefit from Toyota’s reputation for quality and offer good value. Although it doesn’t drive as well as some of its competition, the Tacoma should still be considered a top choice in the mid-size body-on-frame pickup-truck segment.
Click here to read our full review of the Toyota Tacoma.
Click here to read our latest comparison test involving the Toyota Tacoma.
Click here to read our 40,000-mile, long-term test of the Toyota Tacoma.
What’s New for 2008
For 2008, the Tacoma offers a Rugged Trail Off-Road package on V-6 models with white, black, or silver exteriors. The package consists of a locking rear differential, progressive-rate front springs, Bilstein shock absorbers, an anti-roll bar, 16-inch aluminum wheels, black fender flares, a skid plate, all-weather floor mats, and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) graphics. Otherwise, the Tacoma is unchanged for 2008.
