2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4x4 Double Cab - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

Welcome a reinvigorated old friend

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

The vibrantly redesigned fourth-generation Toyota Tacoma pickup shares almost nothing but its storied name with its predecessors. This time around, what the Tacoma shares is its platform, which is now derived from that of its big brother, the Toyota Tundra. For those of us who have been testing mid-size Toyota trucks since the $11,000 Tacoma first arrived in 1995, the 2024 offering marks a welcome reinvigoration of an old friend that had become outdated. With the stability provided by its Tundra-based chassis, and the efficiency contributed by a new turbocharged four (which supplants the old V6), the 2024 Tacoma scores notable gains over the truck it replaces. Add in completely a revised and upgraded interior with a fully integrated foot-wide multimedia touchscreen panel, and you've got the makings of a compact pickup class winner.

The version we tested was further enhanced with a TRD Off-Road Premium Package, an $8,800 offering that bounced the truck's base price of $42,900 to $53,289 before delivery, tax, and licensing. In other words, you're looking at spending roughly five times more than you did for a first-generation Tacoma back in '95. If you are the adventurous type, however, the extra outlay for the TRD Off-Road kit will prove value and then some if you hope to conquer the Rubicon Trail or the slabs at Moab. The Toyota Racing Development (TRD) program for the Tacoma consists of trick monotube Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs and end-stop controls. Also available in the suspension department is a $1,230 Stabilizer Disconnection Mechanism (SDM) which unhitches the front sway bar to allow better chassis articulation over very rough terrain. The price of our Tacoma included this upgrade.

Toyota fits 17 x 7.5J machined alloy rims to each corner. BF Goodrich supplies the Trail-Terrain 265/70R17 rubber which carries a rock-hard treadwear rating of TW600. While these tires are perfect for street usage, you will want to upgrade to something stickier and more compliant for serious trail work. Even though the engine compartment has lost two cylinders with the demise of the V6, the new T24A-FTS turbocharged unit, which drives all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission, is capable of posting very stout acceleration times. The 0-60 sprint occupies just 7.2 seconds, while the standing start quarter mile run evaporates in 15.5 seconds with a terminal speed of 91mph. For a truck weighing in at 4,792 lbs., that kind of punch is both unexpected and quite welcome. Tow rating is 6,400 pounds thanks to an abundance of torque and the beefy Tundra platform.

We're really glad that Toyota's interior styling department has retained the "big knob" look of previous Tacomas. There's a term for this ethos which the hunting and fishing department calls "ruggedized." That's the exact look that Toyota has perfected with the all-business layout of the TRD cabin. The multi-faceted control knob that dominates the console between the seats measures a stout 3 inches in diameter, and is festooned with more detents (Tow/Haul; Drive Mode; MTS; DAC/Crawl) than the periscope of a nuclear sub. Toyota appends a matching pair of 3-inch knobs to the face of the dash to control cockpit temperature, and there's even a 2-inch volume knob for the infotainment system. All of this is a most welcome departure from the auto industry's current compulsion to bury controls in flat screens and provide thimble-sized, black-on-black volume knobs. And in case you momentarily forget what you're driving, just take a look at any of the Double Cab's four doors that are all emblazoned with 90-point TRD signature emblems.

Toyota is very accommodating when it comes to providing handholds for the passengers of the TRD Tacoma. The center console boasts a meaty raised grip which proves most helpful since the ride quality of the TRD-suspended model can best be described as very firm. Bouncy would be another way of looking at the Bilstein shocked suspension. There's also a handgrip allocated to the passenger side A-pillar, but none for the driver's side. When it became necessary for me to scrub the inaccessible windshield while standing inside the cockpit, I found the job complicated by the lack of a similar grip on the driver's A-pillar. Also, since running boards would interfere with the TRD's performance stance while trail running, Toyota does not provide them for this Off-Road special. As a result, if you're short, you'll free fall 6 inches when you exit the cab. I measured the distance from terra firma to floor height at 18 inches. So enjoy the slide, Shorty.

Done up in Blue Crush Metallic (no surcharge), the TRD Tacoma presents itself as stunning, massive, and practical. What we liked most about it was discovered inadvertently when we dropped the tailgate of the 5-foot bed. Instead of smashing down with a crash, it slowly motored its way to the open position. Better yet, when we thought we'd have a struggle raising this weighty door, we discovered that it lifts itself upright automatically!

2024 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD OFF-ROAD 4x4 DOUBLE CAB

• ENGINE: 2.4 liter inline-4, Turbocharged, DOHC, 16-valve, aluminum block and head, direct and port fuel injection
• HORSEPOWER: 278hp@6000rpm
• TORQUE: 317lb.-ft.@1700rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 19MPG City/23MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $54,784

HYPES: Brilliant New Interior

GRIPES: Buckaroo Harsh Ride

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman