With a vastly upgraded powertrain and revamped suspension, the Tacoma fares a lot better in efficiency than earlier than. We give it a degree for its distinctive off-road skill and one for its powertrains, for a 7 right here.
In all there are 4 powertrain selections within the 2024 Tacoma. The bottom engine in SR grades is a detuned 2.4-liter turbo-4 that makes 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. An 8-speed automated drives energy to the rear wheels or accessible four-wheel drive with a 2-speed switch case. It may be fitted with a 6-speed guide with the uprated turbo-4 however solely within the prolonged cab (Toyota’s Double Cab) configuration.
The uprated turbo-4 adopted from the Toyota Highlander three-row SUV comes on each different grade besides TRD Professional and Trailhunter fashions. It makes 278 hp and 317 lb-ft with the 8-speed automated, however with the 6-speed guide it’s restricted to 270 hp and 310 lb-ft to forestall axle windup. These engines pull with average power and a gentle turbo whistle that trails off above 4,000 rpm. Toyota’s programmed the transmission for fast, whip-smart shifts, and endowed the truck with progressive throttle and brake really feel that makes it simpler to drive easily in city climes. There’s little steering suggestions, although, and the engine can sound like a diesel; Toyota’s long-ago deftness with noise and vibration management has been parked. (Select the guide and also you’ll get a long-throw shifter with a ropey really feel and a excessive clutch uptake—however a hill-start function at the least makes it much less dramatic to launch in these conditions.)
A double wishbone entrance suspension and leaf-spring rear suspension carry over on SR, SR5 XtraCab, and PreRunner grades, however each Double Cab mannequin will get coil springs and a multilink rear suspension that makes the experience a bit calmer and passenger pleasant.
In all, these Tacomas max out at 6,500 kilos of towing capability, down 300 kilos from the earlier mannequin as a result of turbo-4 and general automobile mass. Payload capability has gone as much as a max of 1,710 kilos, although, from 1,115 kilos.
Is the Toyota Tacoma 4WD?
All fashions provide four-wheel drive, whereas some provide it customary. Solely the Tacoma Restricted hybrid has a full-time system, although; all others have a part-time system supposed primarily for off-road use.
That off-road mission is the place the hybrid drivetrain is available in to shine. It makes use of a 48-hp everlasting magnet synchronous motor and comes customary on TRD Professional and Trailhunter, and is obtainable on different trims. Paired with an 8-speed automated and 4WD with a middle diff lock, it makes 326 hp and 465 lb-ft and might tow 6,000 kilos.
These off-road fashions additionally include distinctive suspension tuning and off-road gear. The TRD Professional has Fox internal-bypass shocks with piggyback distant reservoirs, entrance seats with shock absorber changes constructed into the seat backs, an digital locking rear differential, an digital entrance stabilizer bar disconnect, and 18-inch black TRD Professional wheels with 33-inch Goodyear Territory R/T tires.
The brand new Trailhunter mannequin goals to be the overlanding rock crawler of the Tacoma TRD household. Its wheels are coloured bronze, and it has ARB Outdated Man Emu 2.5-inch monotube position-sensitive shocks with piggyback distant reservoirs, rock rails, LED fog lamps, an air consumption alongside the passenger A-pillar, a mattress utility bar, an air compressor within the mattress, plus different accessible equipment, corresponding to a rooftop tent.
Embrace the TRD Off-Street on this trio of specialists, and Toyota has tried to elbow out rivals just like the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison and Ford Ranger Raptor. On some stage, it has succeeded.
These vehicles have ample energy and with the coil suspension, a settled experience high quality with a lot much less of the side-to-side mattress hop that characterised the outdated Tacoma. However off-road, they arrive into their very own. The TRD Off-Street, for instance, sports activities 11.0 inches of floor clearance and strategy, departure, and breakover angles of 32.5, 22.5, and 24.7 levels, respectively. There aren’t many obstacles on most established trails that this Tacoma received’t be capable of deal with, although it’s restricted to 33-inch tires—and Toyota outfits it with 32-inch 265/70R17 BFGoodrich Path-Terrain A/T tires as inventory. With an accessible disconnecting sway bar and electronically managed off-road cruise management, the TRD Off-Street is a good response to daunting off-pavement challenges.
Even higher are the TRD Professional and Trailhunter, which may’t settle for 35-inch tires, however go all-in on excessive skill. The TRD Professional will get Mud, Filth, and Sand drive modes that allow it to fling round motocross tracks—with a set of shock-absorbed seats that scale back the impression behind the wheel. It has barely higher off-road angles than the Trailhunter, and just a little extra floor clearance—however the Trailhunter might be configured with the longer pickup mattress, which boosts its utility, and has the {hardware} for slow-going rock-crawling versus the TRD Professional’s extra Baja-blasting mindset.