2024 Toyota Tacoma First Drive Review
A ground-up redesign improves the Tacoma in nearly every way, but it still falls short in towing.
Christian Wardlaw
QuickTakes:
Toyota dominates the midsize pickup market. In 2022, the Toyota Tacoma outsold its nearest competitor by a factor of nearly 2.5:1, suggesting Toyota doesn't need to redesign it despite its advancing age. But time waits for no truck, so the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is new from the rubber to the roof.
Built on the same robust platform as the larger Tundra full-size truck, Sequoia full-size SUV, and upcoming Land Cruiser SUV, the 2024 Tacoma brings modern style and technology, added comfort and convenience, turbocharged gas and hybrid powertrains, and satisfying driving dynamics on and off the road. The result is a substantially improved Tacoma.
When the first wave of 2024 Tacomas roll into showrooms in December 2023, the lineup will include two-door XtraCab and four-door Double Cab styles, a 5-foot or 6-foot cargo bed, and seven trim levels. Prices range from the low $30,000s to the low $50,000s, not including the $1,495 destination charge.
In spring 2024, the TRD Pro and Trailhunter will join the lineup, and prices for these rugged off-roaders will be available closer to that time.
Christian Wardlaw
The New Tacoma Offers More of Nearly Everything
Toyota last redesigned the Tacoma in 2016. Eight years later, it remains mostly the same, which doesn't appear to bother buyers. Nevertheless, the all-new fourth-generation Tacoma's significant improvements make it the best version of the truck yet.
The styling is familiar, blending traditional Tacoma forms and proportions with Tundra-derived details. Several trim levels include a large front air dam to improve fuel economy, but you can remove it to maximize the approach angle or if you dislike the look.
Around the back, the Tacoma has a sheet-molded composite bed with more volume than before and a new optional power hands-free tailgate. Bump the activation switch on the taillight to drop it or use a knee to bump the bottom of the dropped tailgate to raise it. The bed offers a 400-watt AC inverter (2,400 watts with the i-Force Max drivetrain) as an upgrade.
An industrial interior theme conveys purpose and utility, and the 2024 Tacoma has a standard 7.0-inch or available 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel. It pairs with a standard 8.0-inch or available 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Christian Wardlaw
New seats provide an improved driving position. You don't sit on the floor anymore, splay-legged behind the steering wheel. Instead, you can raise the seat for improved outward visibility and proper thigh support. Unfortunately, the top left corner of the transmission console dug into my right leg while driving, certain to prove a pain point on longer trips. The Tacoma Crew Cab's back seat remains cramped but feels roomier overall.
Numerous camera-based technologies aid visibility when maneuvering, trailering, and off-roading. In addition, new towing tech helps you reverse with a trailer attached. The 2024 Tacoma also gets Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) as standard equipment, enhancing the truck's collection of advanced driving-assistance systems (ADAS).
Nearly all 2024 Tacoma models get a new turbocharged 2.4-liter i-Force four-cylinder engine making up to 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, depending on the trim level and transmission choice. An eight-speed automatic is standard, but you can get a six-speed manual gearbox with rev-matching, stall avoidance, and a clutch-start cancel function to help get the truck moving on an incline.
Christian Wardlaw
An i-Force Max hybrid powertrain arrives in spring 2024, supplying 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. It will be standard in the Tacoma TRD Pro and Trailhunter models and optional in TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited trims.
Toyota equips the XtraCabs with a traditional leaf-spring rear suspension, while Crew Cabs get a new coil-spring multilink rear suspension design for a smoother ride and more stable handling. Each trim level receives exclusive suspension tuning, and the Tacoma Limited features an adaptive damping suspension. A new front stabilizer bar disconnect system is available on selected models, enhancing articulation on challenging terrain.
In addition, Toyota swaps the previous Tacoma's archaic rear drum brakes for discs and upsizes the rotors on most models. Electric steering is also new.
According to Toyota, the 2024 Tacoma tows up to 6,500 pounds (XtraCabs with SR5 or TRD PreRunner trim) and carries up to 1,705 pounds of payload (i-Force Max). This is one area where the new Tacoma fails to impress when compared with the previous-gen truck and the competition. Perhaps that's why Toyota is pitching it as an "ultimate adventure machine."
Christian Wardlaw
The 2024 Tacoma Boasts Improved Acceleration, Ride, Handling, and Off-Roading
Toyota invited me to drive the 2024 Tacoma in Malibu, California, where I evaluated a two-wheel drive TRD Sport ($39,400 base price, plus destination) and a four-wheel drive TRD Off-Road ($42,900 base price, plus destination).
Both trucks had the turbocharged 278-hp 2.4-liter i-Force four-cylinder engine. It sounds good when revved, feels strong when accelerating, and effortlessly powers the Tacoma up mountain grades and onto fast-flowing freeways.
I assessed fuel efficiency with the TRD Sport, which averaged 19.8 mpg on a city, highway, and mountain driving route. Toyota estimates this version of the Tacoma will get 20/24/22 mpg in city/highway/combined driving when equipped with rear-wheel drive.
The TRD Sport has sport-tuned suspension for better handling on pavement, while the TRD Off-Road has Bilstein remote reservoir shocks with end-stop control valves for increased damping force as the suspension reaches full compression. The TRD Sport felt firmer on the road without a distinct handling benefit during testing, so I preferred the TRD Off-Road's more compliant ride.
Christian Wardlaw
Both trucks convey a more substantial sense of structural rigidity and feel better planted on the pavement than the old Tacoma. The electric steering is easier to muscle for parking and offers improved on-center feel and off-center response. The new four-wheel-disc brakes supply superior pedal modulation and stopping power compared with the old Tacoma's.
As for critical off-roading measurements, Toyota reports the Tacoma offers 34.4-degree approach, 26.1-degree breakover, and 26.1-degree departure angles. In TRD Off-Road spec, the truck boasts 11 inches of running ground clearance.
On trails, the Tacoma TRD Off-Road demonstrated impressive wheel articulation after the front stabilizer bar was disconnected. The low-speed, off-road cruise control system (Crawl Control), in combination with the Multi-Terrain Monitor cameras and a Downhill Assist Control system, seemed to effortlessly handle steep and rocky terrain. In addition, by switching the Multi-Terrain Select system to Dirt or Sand, the Tacoma churned across loose surfaces with little to no wheelspin.
Christian Wardlaw
Toyota Gives the 2024 Tacoma an Injection of Modern Technology
Crawl Control is a helpful driving aid off-road, but the standard TSS 3.0 collection of the latest ADAS from Toyota stands ready to assist you during the daily grind. It improves upon and adds several new features to the truck, including lane-centering assist, emergency stop assist, road-sign assist, and a proactive driving assist system that can automatically brake and steer without using adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are not standard but remain available.
Though traffic was relatively light, the ADAS proved effective during testing on a multilane freeway. On a coastal highway, the tech worked well, too, displaying improved refinement compared with previous iterations of Toyota Safety Sense.
Additional driving-assistance features include numerous camera-based visibility aids. A highlight is a Multi-Terrain Monitor for off-roading, which provides a forward view of the terrain plus visibility at all four wheels to help avoid slicing a sidewall on a rock.
In the cab, the new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system offers two touchscreen sizes; wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity; and multiple connected service plans, including access to a vehicle locator, automatic collision notification, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and a digital key allowing you to use a smartphone to unlock and drive the truck.
An active subscription to Drive Connect includes a cloud-based navigation system and a conversational digital assistant. Wake it up by saying, "Hey, Toyota." Then, request information, directions, a radio station change, and more. It works well, but after the complimentary three-year trial subscription ends, you'll have to pay to keep it, or you can just use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto instead.
The standard sound system is decent but unremarkable. The optional 10-speaker JBL sound system delivers its typical bass-heavy muddiness, but it comes with a removable, portable Bluetooth speaker mounted atop the dashboard's center.
Christian Wardlaw
With the 2024 Tacoma, Toyota to Face More Competition Than Ever
With the redesigned 2024 Tacoma, Toyota takes its midsize pickup truck to the next level, making it more worthy of its commanding sales lead than in recent years.
However, the Tacoma faces new competition in the form of a redesigned 2024 Ford Ranger, and both the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are recent redesigns with impressive capabilities. In addition, Jeep has updated the 2024 Gladiator, Honda added a TrailSport version of the 2024 Ridgeline, and Nissan is trading on nostalgia with a Hardbody version of the 2024 Frontier. A new midsize truck from Ram is also on the way.
Toyota provided the vehicle for this 2024 Tacoma review and paid for meals during the evaluation period. The Tacomas were early-build, pre-production models with some unfinished plastic pieces inside the cab and in the cargo bed.
