2024 Toyota Tacoma

Now that the dust has settled on the long-awaited and much-hyped Tacoma redesign, it's easier to take stock of what's changed and how it stacks up. You've still got rear leaf springs in the base SR trim and all XtraCab models (including the PreRunner), but all other Tacomas get rear coil springs for the first time, so that's kind of a big deal. Gone is the outgoing Tacoma's groaning naturally aspirated V6, replaced by a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder in two states of tune, or else a burlier hybrid 2.4T if you want to go all out. The manual transmission lives on and is aimed at off-roading types, as it's only available in the Double Cab Short Bed 4WD configuration. Nothing we've said so far is likely to dampen enthusiasm for this reimagined Taco.

There are nits to pick, as always. The Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger both boast 7,000+ pounds of towing capacity, while the Tacoma tops out in the mid-6,000s. Despite the downsizing in the engine room, the new Tacoma is barely more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, although we'll grant that the 2.4T is a much more pleasant engine to operate with its generous low-end torque. And we're not sure everyone will be on board with Toyota's substitution of the two-door, two-seat XtraCab for the discontinued Access Cab, which had reverse-opening rear doors and rear seats that you could use in a pinch. The XtraCab is also only available in lower trim levels and only with the automatic, so if you like that body style, your options will be limited.

Overall, though, the new Tacoma looks to be a home run. You'll likely pay a premium to get into one versus a comparable rival, but given the Tacoma's famously high resale value, that's an easy stretch to justify.

Driving Performance: 8.5/10

The Tacoma's drivability is night-and-day better than it was with the old V6, which paired legendary reliability with distinctly unpleasant noises and a lack of torque at low engine speeds. Whereas the V6 needed 4,600 rpm to hit its peak torque figure of 265 lb-ft, the new Taco's turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder finds peak torque as low as 1,600 rpm. It's complicated, because that honor goes to the SR trim's lower-output 2.4T, which is rated at 228 hp and 243 lb-ft, whereas the higher-output 2.4T clocks in at 278 hp and 317 lb-ft, the latter hitting at 1,700 rpm.

Got that? There's more: If you get the manual transmission, you'll have a special version of the higher-output 2.4T that's rated at 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft. The manual's torque peak doesn't happen until 2,800 rpm, but in general it's safe to say that any 2024 Tacoma will feel like a torque monster at low rpm compared to any previous Tacoma. As for the hybridized 2.4T, a.k.a. i-Force Max, it gives you 326 hp, and its peak torque of 465 lb-ft also arrives at 1,700 rpm.

You know what? Let's do a table.

In short, while the old V6 technically matches the power output of the new 2.4T in its top tune, it's all about that torque and how early it hits. It'd be nice if the 2.4T were more than 1-2 mpg better than the V6 on the fuel-economy front (more on that later), but at least Toyota's giving you much-improved drivability at roughly the same level of efficiency.

Perhaps you noticed the lower rpm for the 2024 Tacoma manual's horsepower peak, by the way. That's actually the redline. Toyota's limiting the 2.4T to 5,400 rpm when the manual is specified, versus 6,300 rpm for the automatic, reportedly due to manual-specific NVH concerns. We don't know much more than that, but the manual will certainly feel like it's got more in the tank when you hit redline, given that the same engine doesn't achieve peak power with the automatic until 600 rpm later.

Anyway, for our money, the manual powertrain is the one to have despite the neutering at the top of the rev range. But even the base SR's engine promises much-improved responsiveness at idle and cruising rpm versus the outgoing engines.

No matter what's under the hood, every Tacoma offers generous ground clearance and excellent road manners for a truck, aided by the new electric power steering system, which provides a more precise feel at the helm. The new Tacoma is a peach to drive on any surface, pairing that maneuverable midsize feel with a newfound coil-sprung compliance that's as welcome on busted city streets as it is out on the trail.

Comfort & Interior: 7.5/10

The XtraCab's lack of a backseat may make more sense when you plop down in the Double Cab's rear quarters, seen above. It's not exactly cramped back there, but we wouldn't want to give up any additional legroom, which the old Access Cab certainly did. Up front, the driving position is a revelation compared to the previous Tacoma, as you no longer feel like you're sitting on the floor with your knees splayed out. The new coil-spring rear suspension — standard on all Double Cab Tacomas except the base SR — does seem to smooth out the unladen ride and make the Tacoma feel more supple on the road, although it's not like the XtraCab's (and SR Double Cab's) rear leaf springs make the ride unbearable.

Whether the new Tacoma feels upscale inside depends very much on which trim you select. The SR and SR5, in particular, make no bones about their entry-levelness — they're not bereft of features, but nor are they trying hard to impress. Step up to the Limited and above, however, and Toyota pulls out all the stops with standard niceties galore. The good news is that you can bridge that gap by adding options to desirable lower trims like the TRD Off-Road, which starts at $41,800 with the manual transmission. Don't like its standard 8-inch touchscreen? Add the 14-incher for $845. That only goes so far, though, as the SR, SR5 and even PreRunner are not eligible for the 14-inch upgrade.

Towing & Payload: 6.5/10

There's no way around the fact that the Tacoma falls short of the Colorado's and Ranger's maximum towing capacities — and the Jeep Gladiator's, too, if you're cross-shopping Jeep's truck. Note that the Tacoma Hybrid technically owns the top payload rating, though the non-hybrid Tacoma 2.4T is just five pounds behind. On the towing front, meanwhile, the Tacoma Hybrid is capped at 6,000 pounds, 500 less than the regular Tacoma. We should flag that the lower-output Tacoma SR trim's 3,500-pound towing limit could legitimately cramp some people's style; the Ranger, for example, is notable for offering its impressive max towing capacity from the base four-cylinder trim on up.

Among the non-hybrid Tacomas, check out the TRD Sport 4WD Double Cab Long Bed to see the full 1,700 lbs of payload capacity, while the SR5 2WD XtraCab Long Bed and the PreRunner will hit the spot if you want to see 6,500 lbs for towing. In terms of Tacoma Hybrid payload, while the TRD Off-Road Hybrid wins the prize at 1,705 lbs, it's the only hybrid model at 1,700 lbs or higher. Naturally, most Tacomas fall short of these figures, although the Hybrid lineup does tow 6,000 pounds across the board (except the long-bed Trailhunter at 5,950 lbs).

MPG & Range: 7.0/10

It's not that the Tacoma falls short on the fuel economy front relative to its rivals, but rather that the 2.4-liter turbo largely fails to move the needle compared to its V6 predecessor. The i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, not surprisingly, gets first place in this competition, but if you're looking at regular Tacoma 4x4s with the 2.4T engine, you won't be blown away by their fuel economy numbers. We picked the 2024 Tacoma's SR5 trim here to give it an extra mpg on the highway, but pretty much every non-hybrid Tacoma 4x4 is rated at the same 21 mpg combined. Similarly, the Limited trim is the Tacoma Hybrid's most efficient foot forward; the rest of the Hybrid trims check in at 23 mpg combined. By "AT" or "MT," incidentally, we mean automatic or manual transmission, in case that wouldn't have been clear.

Like we said, you'd hope Toyota would have gotten more out of that 1.1-liter downsizing, especially since the new Tacoma's automatic transmission has eight speeds to the old truck's six. Improving by a single mile per gallon relative to the previous-generation Tacoma V6 4WD is not a spectacular outcome, although there's a healthier 2-mpg improvement comparing manual to manual. Perhaps there are only so many miles you can squeeze out of a gallon in a midsize truck without hybridization. Just don't walk away thinking that the old Tacoma V6 was a gas hog and the new Tacoma 2.4T is a fuel miser by comparison.

On the range front, the best highway fuel economy in the Tacoma lineup is 26 mpg, which you'll find on all rear-wheel-drive versions of the SR and SR5 trims. Given the Tacoma's fuel capacity of 18.2 gallons, that works out to 473 miles of highway range if you run the tank dry. No matter which Tacoma you choose, a 400-mile tank on the highway should be gettable. In mixed driving, which takes city mpg into account, the Tacoma Hybrid naturally rises to the top with its official EPA range (based on combined MPG) of up to 437 miles, easily the best in the lineup. For the record, all models in the following table are equipped with automatic transmissions.

Technology Features: 8.0/10

To an extent, it's a tale of two Tacomas on the technology front: The ones with the 14-inch touchscreen (standard on Limited and above; optional in some cases below) and the ones with the standard 8-incher, which looks a bit sad embedded within its large gray plastic housing. If you want the 14-incher, you'll have to skip the SR, SR5 and PreRunner trim levels, none of which offer it even as an option — which is particularly odd in the PreRunner given that it comes standard with the fully digital instrument panel. You can add the 14'er to the TRD Sport or TRD Off-Road, and it's standard equipment on the fancier trims.

Regarding safety technology, every Tacoma comes standard what Toyota refers to as "Safety Sense 3.0," a package that includes adaptive cruise control (ACC) — a most welcome standard feature. ACC came standard last year, too, but the new 2024 Taco does its predecessor one better with standard lane-keeping assist, which combines with ACC to get you pretty close to autonomous driving, albeit with your hand on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

Possibly less welcome, depending on your perspective, are the standard lane-departure warning and forward collision alert systems with emergency braking, but Toyota does tend to calibrate these systems better than most, minimizing false alarms.

Value & Warranty: 9.0/10

How does this notoriously expensive midsize truck (never mind the reasonable starting price) get such a high value score? Simple: No truck holds its value like a Tacoma, so you'll be getting the most money back when it's time to sell. The factory warranty is nothing special, even if the 2-year/25,000-mile free maintenance program is a nice perk. But Toyota knows it doesn't have to pump up its warranty to give buyers confidence, and the Tacoma's resale value is akin to a warranty against depreciation. There's a ton of value on this truck's side.

X Factor: 9.0/10

We gotta hand it to Toyota for killing it with the new Tacoma's styling. The full-size Tundra is a cautionary tale in this regard; we're still not used to that styling after a few years on the market. But you could tell they nailed it with the Taco from the get-go. The desirability is extra with this truck because of how it looks, whereas its rivals are playing it safe. No other midsize truck will generate as much want in both casual and enthusiast shoppers.

Bottom Line

The new Tacoma offers a configuration for just about everyone, and that's a recipe we can heartily endorse. Sure, it'd be nice if the Access Cab were still available, or at least if the XtraCab weren't automatic-only and limited to the lowest trim levels. But at the end of the day, there are a lot of pluses here and very few minuses. This fresh Taco won't be loosening its grip on the midsize truck segment anytime soon.