Toyota Tacoma

The redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma adapts the platform from the latest full-sized Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV, and it borrows an optional hybrid powertrain from the Toyota Crown. Throw in several off-road-focused trim levels, some serious adventure-ready hardware, big screens, and the latest safety features, and the new Tacoma promises to be much more modern. There are two-door extended cab and four-door crew cab configurations; 5- and 6-foot beds; and rear- and four-wheel drive. There are several versions of the 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, ranging from 228 to 278, depending on trim and transmission. A 326-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged hybrid four-cylinder engine joins the line in spring 2024. The Tacoma has a full suite of standard active safety and convenience features, but BSW and RCTW are only optional.

Although Toyota billed the 2016 Tacoma as a redesign, this was by no means a clean-sheet, start-from-scratch effort. The Tacoma remains as rough and tumble as it has always been. Toyota's compact pickup features a 3.5-liter V6 hooked up to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine, which can be mated to a five-speed manual, is also available. Both two- and four-wheel-drive models are offered. Our four-wheel-drive V6 Tacoma delivered a good 19 mpg overall. Though the truck is tough as nails and delivers impressive off-road prowess, it's primitive. The ride is stiff, handling is ponderous, the cabin is very loud, and the driving position is awkwardly low. The modern connectivity features are welcome. 2018 models got the Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) as standard equipment, which includes forward collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Safety features such as blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning are available. For 2020, the Tacoma got a mild freshening that brought thicker glass to suppress noise, the availability of a power driver's seat and, finally, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Introduced for 1995, the compact Tacoma pickup is available in regular-, extended-, and, since 2001, crew- cab models, and with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive. Two four-cylinder engines-a 2.4- and a 2.7-liter-are offered, along with the more desirable 3.4-liter, 190-hp V6. Unlike most other Toyota offerings, the Tacoma was unimpressive in our tests. It jitters uncomfortably on smooth roads, and kicks and snaps on poor ones. The steering is slow and numb. Stopping distances are long without the optional antilock brakes, which can be hard to find. The cabin is quiet, but the seats are low and lack support.