Three midsize pickup truck models were available in 2013: Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma. Today, the segment includes those models plus the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, and Jeep Gladiator, all of which got a redesign or a refresh for 2023 and 2024. And soon, Ram will join the fray with a new midsize truck.
Are the stakes high? You bet. And with the redesigned 2024 Tacoma, Toyota is taking no chances (though it still can’t tow more than 6,500 pounds).
Infused with more power, comfort, technology, utility, and capability, the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma is worthy of the model’s best-seller status. That’s my take after driving multiple versions of the 2024 Tacoma in Southern California.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Toyota offers the new Tacoma in 2-door XtraCab (extended cab) and 4-door Double Cab (crew cab) styles with a choice between a 5-foot or a 6-foot cargo bed and rear-wheel drive (RWD) or 4-wheel drive (4WD).
When the 2024 Tacoma goes on sale in December 2023, the trim levels will include SR, SR5, SR5 PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited. These trucks have a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and carry prices ranging from $31,500 to $52,100, not including the $1,495 destination charge.
In 2024, the lineup will add the TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims, each equipped with a more powerful turbocharged hybrid drivetrain. Tacoma TRD Pro and Trailhunter prices will be available closer to when those versions go on sale.
For this review, I drove the Tacoma SR5 in XtraCab ($39,400) and Double Cab ($40,900) format, each equipped with 4WD and a 6-foot cargo bed. I also went off-roading in a TRD Off-Road model with 4WD and a 5-foot cargo bed ($42,900).
The trucks were early-build pre-production models with many unfinished plastic interior surfaces. Though they all had optional equipment, Toyota provided only the base prices shown above, not including destination charges.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Though you can easily spot design influences from the larger Toyota Tundra full-size truck, the new 2024 Tacoma looks like a modern and technical evolution of the outgoing model. To my eye, it is more appealing than the Tundra, and its rugged, chiseled styling should age well.
Open the driver-side door and an industrial-flavored interior exuding purpose and utility greets you. Both Tacoma SR5 models had the smaller 7-inch digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment displays, but you expect them in the more affordable versions of a pickup truck. The TRD Off-Road included the larger 12.3-inch instrument panel and 14-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Fortunately, Toyota equips the Tacoma SR5 with sizable switchgear with intuitive white markings on a matte black background. In addition, the climate control knobs and associated toggle switches are large enough to use while wearing gloves. However, the small and slippery volume knob accompanying the 8-inch center display isn’t as helpful as the larger one Toyota provides with the 14-inch screen. Frustratingly, neither system offers a matching radio tuning knob.
Aside from the infusion of tech, the 2024 Tacoma is substantially more comfortable. Previously, the Tacoma forced you into a low and laid-back driving position. In the new Tacoma, thanks partly to the manual seat-height adjusters in all three test trucks, I enjoyed a tall and upright position behind the steering wheel.
The front seats feel more supportive, and the Double Cab’s back seat comfort improves, though legroom remains cramped. You can flip the Double Cab’s bottom cushion up or fold the seatback down to pack cargo into the cab.
Tacoma XtraCabs seat two people up front with generous storage space behind those seats. However, reaching items placed back there can be tricky because the truck lacks separate rear access doors. The XtraCab’s front passenger seat also folds flat for added storage or to serve as a work surface.
All 2024 Tacomas have practical interior storage areas, including a shelf in front of the passenger, a tray and a bin on the door panel, cup and bottle holders, and sizable glove and center storage compartments.
Toyota constructs the cargo bed out of sheet-molded compound, and it is deeper and roomier than before. A hands-free power tailgate is optional, and the Tacoma offers fixed and adjustable tie-down cleats, power outlets, bed lighting, and more. The maximum payload rating is 1,705 pounds, depending on the configuration and powertrain.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Every new 2024 Tacoma has a Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system with an 8-inch or 14-inch touchscreen display. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, features satellite radio, and includes complimentary trial subscriptions to several Toyota Connected Services plans. Wireless smartphone charging and a JBL premium sound system with a removable Bluetooth-enabled dashboard speaker are available.
The SR5 test trucks had the smaller screen, each with active connected service plans. Drive Connect is one of them, equipping the Tacomas with a cloud-based navigation system and a digital assistant able to respond to conversational queries and commands. Say “Hey, Toyota” to wake the assistant, and then you can perform various tasks using naturally spoken prompts.
It worked well, stumbling only when I said, in an urgent tone, “I need to go to a hospital!” The top destination shown on the display was a medical technologies company, not a hospital with an emergency room.
The Tacoma SR5 Double Cab came with the optional JBL sound system. In the past, I’ve found JBL speakers to sound muddy and bass-heavy, which was the case during this evaluation. The pop-out dashboard Bluetooth speaker is a great idea though, and it is easier to access than a similar feature in the Jeep Gladiator.
In addition to the infotainment systems, Toyota offers digital instrumentation, a digital key that lets you use your smartphone to unlock and drive the truck, a head-up display, a rearview camera mirror, and trailer-reversing driver-assistance tech. In addition, numerous camera-based features include bed-view, trailer-view, surround-view, and terrain-view functions.
While driving the TRD Off-Road on a mountain trail, the terrain cameras (Multi-Terrain Monitor) came in especially handy when cresting a steep hill and lining up to drive across a section strewn with boulders. They provide low forward and rear views of the trail and show what’s happening at each wheel to help you avoid slicing a tire sidewall on a rock.
Every 2024 Tacoma also has Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), representing a significant leap forward regarding advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). With TSS 3.0, the Tacoma includes the driving-assistance and collision-avoidance technologies you expect to find in a modern vehicle, and then some.
Highlights include forward-collision warning with pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist detection. The lane-keeping assistance system is better at recognizing markings and objects that define the lane, and lane-centering assistance is new to the Tacoma. When used with the adaptive cruise control, it provides a hands-on Level 2 semi-autonomous driving-assistance system.
In addition, when using the lane-centering assistance system, the Tacoma has an automatic emergency stop assistance function that recognizes an unresponsive driver and can bring the truck to a safe stop. Proactive Driving Assist is also a part of TSS 3.0, offering gentle automatic braking and steering during everyday driving to provide an added measure of safety.
During the evaluation, I used all ADAS features in various driving situations. On a multi-lane freeway, the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance worked well, though light traffic on the straight section of the highway posed no significant challenges. Otherwise, the ADAS proved discreet except for the regularly active Proactive Driving Assist system, which I ultimately turned off.
Note that blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning is standard on all 2024 Tacomas except the SR. They are part of an option package with that base version of the truck.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
All three of my test trucks had a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine generating 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and a part-time 4WD system. A 6-speed manual transmission is available, with a slight power reduction and altered horsepower and torque peaks. With Limited trim, the Tacoma offers an automatic 4WD system.
Exclusive to Double Cab 4WD models, a hybrid drivetrain based on the turbo four supplies 326 hp and 465 pound-feet of torque. It will be standard with TRD Pro and Trailhunter trim.
The Tacoma’s 4WD system pairs with Multi-Terrain Select, which offers settings such as Dirt, Mud, and Rock to enhance the Tacoma’s off-roading capability. The maximum running ground clearance is 11 inches, and the Tacoma offers up to 34.4-degree approach, 26.1-degree breakover, and 26.1-degree departure angles. Owners can remove the front air dam from Tacomas that include one.
For 2024, Toyota trades the previous Tacoma’s rear drum brakes for discs. In addition, the brakes are larger and more capable, and the truck gets a new electric steering system.
Toyota says it has specifically tuned the ride and handling for each Tacoma trim level. The XtraCab models have a leaf-spring rear suspension and ride more like a traditional truck. The Double Cab models boast a coil-spring multi-link rear suspension and supply a smoother and steadier ride. The Tacoma Limited has an adaptive damping suspension.
A front stabilizer bar disconnect system is also available on the 2024 Tacoma, improving wheel articulation on dramatically uneven surfaces. The TRD Off-Road test vehicle had one, adding stability on the most challenging sections of the trail. I also used the CRAWL Control (off-road cruise control) and Downhill Assist Control (hill-descent control) systems, which made tackling steep and rocky terrain easier.
On the road, the SR5 XtraCab’s conventional leaf-spring rear suspension and shorter wheelbase made it ride and handle like a traditional truck. In addition, the turbocharged engine effortlessly accelerated the Tacoma onto the freeway, squirted it through holes in city traffic, and climbed a mountain grade. The engine sounds good when revved and doesn’t lack power.
The SR5 Double Cab offers a smoother, more composed ride thanks to its coil-spring, multi-link rear suspension. Its added length also makes it less agile and maneuverable. Otherwise, it feels just as powerful and satisfying to drive.
Brake pedal feel, response, and modulation are dramatically better than the old Tacoma. Step on the brake pedal and the 4-wheel-disc setup bites without delay, and they don’t grab or feel inconsistent as you push harder for more stopping power. The improvement is substantial.
Similarly, the electric steering requires less muscle to turn, yet offers a superior connection to the road, and the thick-rimmed wheel feels good in a driver’s hands.
Toyota didn’t offer a towing opportunity, but with a maximum tow rating of 6,500 pounds, this activity isn’t the 2024 Tacoma’s forte.
The truck also misses the mark regarding fuel economy. Toyota estimates the SR5 4WD will get 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving, regardless of cab style. My test trucks averaged 19.6 mpg, but the driving varied from sea level to more than 1,650 feet in elevation. I would expect a better number in areas without mountains.
In 2022, the Toyota Tacoma outsold its nearest rival by a factor of 2.5. It dominated the midsize truck segment despite its lack of refinement and sophistication. Considering its appeal and success, Toyota could have let the old Tacoma ride. But there is too much at stake to risk gambling it all away. So, the company deeply invested in the 2024 Tacoma redesign, and it shows. Based on a day spent driving numerous versions of the new Tacoma, I predict the model’s continued dominance of its segment.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran automotive journalist with nearly 30 years of experience test-driving vehicles. He began his career at Edmunds and now owns Speedy Daddy Media, Inc., an automotive content creation company serving several automotive publishers. In addition to JDPower.com, his work has appeared in numerous new and used-car buying guides, newspapers, and automotive industry trade journals. Google him to learn more.
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