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Toyota’s aging midsize truck has been replaced at long last — and the new version is as good as we’d hoped.
Jonathan Harper
By Tyler Duffy
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Taxes and death may be life’s only certainties, but America’s fervent Toyota Tacoma obsession sits just below that threshold. The midsize truck has never felt more dated — the current generation entered production in 2015. It faces tougher competition in its segment than it has before. Yet the Tacoma is more popular than it has ever been.
Toyota sold nearly 237, 323 Tacomas last year. In Toyota world, the Tacoma outsold the Corolla, the Highlander and the entire Lexus SUV lineup. Compared to its “rival” midsize trucks, the Tacoma moved more units than the Chevy Colorado, Jeep Gladiator and Ford Ranger … combined.
Toyota could have punted to the EV era with the Tacoma, giving the existing truck a subtle exterior refresh and a larger touchscreen and otherwise letting it be. That more-or-less-the-same Taco would have kept right on selling. But as with the Tundra and Sequoia SUV, Toyota aimed higher with a comprehensive refresh.
For 2024, the Toyota Tacoma is moving to a new platform, known as TNGA-F. It’s swapping out its V6 engine for gas and hybrid four-cylinder options. It’s getting a modern eight-speed automatic transmission, and upgrading to a coil-sprung rear suspension. And because one apex predator TRD Pro off-road pickup wasn’t enough, Toyota is adding the Tacoma Trailhunter overlanding model. And, yes, there’s a slick new exterior and a gigantic 14-inch touchscreen.
Toyota brought me out to Malibu, California to drive the all-new 2024 Tacoma on- and off-road for a day. It was a preliminary tasting of the new truck; Toyota did not have any hybrid models for us to sample (so, no TRD Pro or Trailhunter, which are hybrid only). The trucks also had pre-production interiors with panels of shiny, ungrained plastic. But it was enough of a sample to know Toyota succeeded.
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The 2024 Toyota Tacoma: What We Think
Tyler DuffyThe 2024 Toyota Tacoma is a giant leap forward. It has a better engine and transmission, and handles considerably better on and off the pavement thanks to its new platform and suspension. The interior is more modern and luxurious. It did just about everything you might have expected, except grow bigger and — at least in straight gas-engine form — become markedly more efficient. For the first time in a long while, the Tacoma is a thoroughly modern truck.
As with the previous generation, I think the TRD Off-Road model is still the sweet spot, offering compelling looks and enough capability without jacking up the price too far. That said, I would (and possibly will) wait for the hybrid engine, which should set a new benchmark for Tacoma performance (326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque) and efficiency.
The 2024 Tacoma handles way better on the road
Tyler DuffyThe press trip location can indicate how confident a manufacturer is in its new car. Toyota chose Malibu, home to supercars, steep grades and about the curviest mountain roads you can find. So, yeah — Toyota is pretty bullish on the new Tacoma. It wasn’t the optimal tool for that task — I’d have opted for an MX-5 Miata — but the truck held its own surprisingly well.
As with the new Tundra, the TNGA-F platform gives the Tacoma a more rigid frame and better body control than its predecessor. The new coil-sprung multilink suspension replaces the leaf springs (on double cab SR5 and above) and delivers a smoother, more refined ride.
The Tacoma’s steering is less onerous than before, and the brakes are more responsive. Cornering feels more perfunctory and less like an event. The ride felt far less bouncy over bumps. It’s night and day better than the old truck. I’d even call the 4×2 PreRunner chuckable — to the extent one could call a Tacoma that.
Don’t pour one out for the V6 engine — the four-pot is better
Tyler DuffyI drove several 2024 Tacoma trim levels. Each was fitted with the 2.4-liter iForce gas engine — the de facto base engine, unless you’re getting a barebones SR trim. It packs 270 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque (52 lb-ft more than the outgoing model). And it’s potent, torque-y and pretty darn good.
I praised pretty much the same engine in the Grand Highlander for muscling me up a mountain without fuss. The powertrain did the same thing in the Tacoma, a truck that used to start whining if you even glimpsed a slight hill. There’s ample power in reserve for highway passing; the truck felt so unstrained I (quite often) found myself exceeding the posted 55-mph limit on the PCH without realizing it.
The only drawback to the new setup is that — at least with the non-hybrid version — it’s not that much more efficient. A 2024 Tacoma 4×4 earns 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, improvements of one mpg over the previous generation. The trucks being hooned around by car journalists and climbing mountains were seeing closer to 15 mpg.
The hybrid should pack significantly more pop and could deliver some game-changing efficiency numbers. That said, Toyota has not confirmed that yet.
Go for the automatic transmission this time around
Tyler DuffyThe six-speed automatic transmission was the outgoing Tacoma’s weakest point. It was slow to downshift, hunted for gears and seemed downright confused much of the time, especially on the highway. Hell, the older five-speed in the 4Runner is nicer … as is just about every transmission fitted to a new car in the past five years.
The Tacoma’s new eight-speed transmission is a dramatic and decisive upgrade. It operates in the background, and feels natural and effortless. There’s no lag in which it ponders whether to downshift, how many gears to downshift with and perhaps the existential meaning of downshifting. As Steve Jobs used to say, it just works.
And in a world where the Tacoma has a modern automatic transmission, there really isn’t much of a case for getting the six-speed manual. I took a 30-minute cruise in the TRD Sport with it. The stick isn’t bad, but it has a long throw, and is hard to modulate smoothly at low speeds. Plus, it makes off-roading more stressful. There doesn’t seem to be much point to the masochism.
The TRD Off-Road Tacoma should be tough enough for most
Jonathan HarperToyota didn’t give us a Bronco-level off-road gauntlet for the new Tacoma; that may be coming for the TRD Pro and Trailhunter. But we did drive a reasonably tough mountain track — I was told the 4×2 trucks couldn’t make it up for pictures — with events showing off the truck’s rock-crawling capability, flex and articulation.
The TRD Off-Road Tacoma plowed through it without breaking a sweat. Crawl control and a series of off-road modes make it straightforward to operate, once you’re in the right mode. And a sway bar disconnect helps the truck handle more extreme movements more comfortably.
One option I would select — if you plan to take your Taco off-roading — is a terrain camera. My truck didn’t have one, and the Tacoma’s boxy front end popped up and left me blinded a lot of the time. I traversed the rock event without really seeing said rocks. That’s fine when you have a Toyota spotter in the passenger seat; it would be way more stressful without one.
The interior is an improvement, though it’s still a bit tight
Jonathan HarperI am reserving my full judgment on the Tacoma interior until I have a spin in a customer-spec vehicle. The Tacomas we drove were pre-production versions with a lot of bare, shiny plastic that won’t be there when the trucks go to owners. But it’s clear Toyota has made some sensible upgrades.
The materials feels nicer, and the driving position feels more natural. The design borrows heavily from the new Tundra, including an available 14.0-inch touchscreen (8.0-inch was an upgrade in the 2023 model). And you still get big, chunky and very convenient controls, as in all the best pickup trucks.
The one issue Toyota couldn’t really resolve is space. The Tacoma isn’t a full-size truck, and there just isn’t a ton of space in the back seat. I was able to sit behind myself at 5’11” — but there’s not much leg room horizontally. And I suspect there may be some issues with rear-facing car seats.
Yeah, that air dam isn’t a hot look
Tyler DuffyOne of the first things I noticed at the Tacoma’s launch event was the front air dam fitted to every truck that wasn’t a Trailhunter or a TRD Pro. It’s functional, helping to reduce the truck’s considerable drag by funneling air away from the front wheels. It also looks, from a distance, like your Tacoma grew a neckbeard.
I can offer two pieces of good news on that front. The Tacoma performed well enough on efficiency testing to remove the dam from the TRD Off-road, allowing you to do the off-road stuff unimpeded. And for trucks that do have the air dam, it’s removable with basic tools — you just unscrew nine bolts. I suspect a large percentage of owners will do that the day they bring the truck home and conveniently forget where they put it.
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma: Alternatives
Tyler DuffyThere are several other midsize truck options on the market. GM just revamped the Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon twins with a potent 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder and a two-inch lift on most trucks (including every Canyon). Ford just unveiled the new Ranger lineup, which now includes a Ranger Raptor. There’s also the recently refreshed Jeep Gladiator.
In terms of fellow Japanese brands, Nissan offers the new Frontier … which borrows heavily from the old Frontier … which was ancient. Honda also sells a unibody midsize alternative, the Ridgeline.
Like the Ford F-150, the Tacoma can use its sales volume as an advantage over competitors. The Taco is a top priority on the development front. And it has enough buyers for Toyota to explore niches and offer thoughtful, differentiated trucks “for everyone” up and down the price range in a way that other manufacturers can’t.
I’d also argue that the Tacoma is less competing with other midsize trucks and more trying to pull Tacoma-curious customers who don’t need a truck from buying something more sensible and boring. This truck will certainly do that.
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma
Tyler Duffy- Starting MSRP: $31,500
- Powertrain (as tested): Turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four; 8-speed automatic; 4×4
- Horsepower: 270
- Torque: 317 lb-ft
- EPA Gas Mileage: 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway
- Ground Clearance: up to 11 inches
- Max Towing: 6,500 pounds
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More Toyota and Lexus Cars We’ve Driven
Tyler Duffy- Toyota Crown
- Toyota Grand Highlander
- Toyota Prius Prime
- Toyota GR Corolla
- Lexus RX
- Lexus TX
- Lexus RZ
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