Our Take on the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport
This is a big, big deal. The Toyota Tacoma is one of the most beloved mid-size pickups ever created, and the one that everyone wants to beat. It's also not a truck that gets updated frequently, but for 2024, the Tacoma is all-new. The Taco rides on the Toyota Global New Architecture F (TGNA-F) platform that underpins the new Sequoia, Tundra, Land Cruiser, and Lexus GX and LX.
It's a fair bit more expensive than its predecessor, around $3000 depending on trim, but it offers far more refinement and modernity than the long-running third-generation model. Yet, it still retains the rugged Toyota truck feel that have made these things so beloved.
What's New
Basically everything. Frame, engine, transmission, interior, exterior, etc. Of course, much is shared with other Toyota products, but here, you'll be hard-pressed to find much, if anything, carried over from the old Tacoma.
Where before Tacoma buyers had a choice of naturally aspirated inline-four or V-6, the new Tacoma has just one engine, a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in two states of tune. The base Taco has 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, while the SR5 and above have 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed manual remains an option on some trims, but the vast majority of Tacomas will be sold with a new eight-speed automatic. (Manual Tacomas see an ouput reduction to 270 hp and 310 lb-ft torque.) A hybrid version that ups output to 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque is on its way, too, and will be standard on the TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims.
Inside, the interior is thoroughly revised with all models getting a digital gauge cluster and a central infotainment screen running Toyota's latest—and much improved—software. Larger exterior dimensions also freed up some interior room, so the new Tacoma is far less cramped inside, and mercifully, the seats no longer feel like they're mounted just inches above the floor.
Except for the entry-level SR, all Tacoma double-cabs get a new coil-spring suspension that greatly increases refinement.
Pros
- New turbocharged engine provides much-needed boost in low- and mid-range torque and pairs wonderfully with eight-speed automatic.
- Interior is much improved in terms of space and refinement.
- It's still a Toyota truck.
Cons
- Ride on this TRD Sport trim is firm.
- Engine feels and sounds rough.
- Big price jump over the old Tacoma.
Performance, Engine & Horsepower
Toyota was late to the turbocharging party, but now, it's phasing out V-6s across many of its popular models in favor of boosted 'fours. The Tacoma gets the i-Force 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder used throughout the Toyota lineup, but with a number of tweaks to better prepare it for truck duty. The base transmission is a new eight-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual is available with the SR, TRD Sport, and TRD Off Road 4x4 double-cab trims.
Our tester was a rear-wheel drive TRD Sport and thus had the automatic. Toyota doesn't have any acceleration figures for the new Tacoma yet, but we can say that this truck unladen feels plenty quick for all normal use cases. Better yet, the new turbo engine delivers its maximum 317 lb-ft of torque at 1700 rpm, so there's ample grunt at all times. Contrast this with the old V-6, which delivered its 265 lb-ft peak torque at 4600 rpm.
The engine itself is not the last word in refinement. It sounds rough, and some vibrations come through the cabin, but maybe that just gives it a more truck-y character. It's only really an issue under hard acceleration, when you stretch beyond 3000 rpm on the tach. The transmission is very smooth, however, and it doesn't have any of the sluggish-shifting issues its predecessor suffered from. Like the engine, the eight-speed transmission is a big step forward for the Tacoma.
MPG
Fuel economy varies by trim, but generally speaking, the new Tacoma's four-cylinder gets about the same gas mileage as its predecessor, though some variants have lower MPG figures. This 2024 TRD Sport 4x2 is EPA rated at 19 city/23 highway/20 mpg combined, while the 2023 equivalent gets 19 city/24 highway/21 combined. That said, the new Tacoma is a larger vehicle than its predecessor, and the four-cylinder offers a lot more performance than the old V-6, so it's a fair tradeoff. Still, the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon and 2024 Ford Ranger both offer better fuel economy, as does the V-6-powered Nissan Frontier.
Of note, a hybrid Tacoma is on its way, sporting a similar drivetrain as the new Tundra, albeit with the inline-four in place of the larger truck's V-6. We don't know what sort of economy the hybrid will offer, but we expect it to do better while offering more performance.
Test Drive
We drove this pre-production 2024 Tacoma over a course of a few days in and around New York City—where Road & Track is headquartered—and out into the suburbs and country north of the city. The truck excels in most environments.
While the new coil-spring rear suspension hasn't transformed the Tacoma into a luxury sedan, or even a Honda Ridgeline, it does bring big benefits in ride quality, and daily livability. This TRD Sport version has stiffer suspension that undoes some of this work, however, so it might be worth looking at an SR5 model instead. Otherwise, the Tacoma is very refined while still providing a familiar truck driving experience.
We took the Tacoma on a wooded gravel road through New York's Clarence Fahnestock State Park, as can be seen in the pictures here. This was not challenging terrain by any means, but my colleague Mack Hogan off-roaded in a TRD Off-Road and found the Tacoma as capable as ever.
Still, it's the Tacoma's newfound on-road refinement that's the big story here. This was always a capable pickup, but never a pleasant daily driver. Now it is, and it's changed the calculus for mid-size pickup buyers.
Pricing
As we said earlier, the new Tacoma is quite a bit more expensive than the old model, though this comes with more performance and a lot more refinement. The entry-level model is the SR XtraCab 4x2, which starts at $32,995 ($2900 more than the 2023 equivalent), while the top of the heap is the $53,595 DoubleCab 4x4 Limited (a whopping $8670 more than the 2023 model).
This TRD Sport DoubleCab 4x2 at $40,895 is pretty close to the middle in terms of pricing, though we don't know the sticker of this particular truck as Toyota hasn't released option pricing yet.
The 2024 Ford Ranger has a higher base price than the Tacoma, but Ford doesn't offer an extended-cab version like Toyota. Comparing double-cab versions, the Ranger costs $34,160 while the Tacoma starts at $35,195. The 2024 Nissan Frontier generally costs a little less than both the Tacoma and the Ranger. Honda and GM are meanwhile yet to release prices for their 2024 mid-size pickups.
But with the Tacoma, you'll have to consider that demand will be significant, and at least initially, it could be hard to find one for MSRP. On the flip side, previous Tacomas have held their value incredibly well, and there's no reason to believe this one won't.
Interior
Toyota set us up with a pre-production example and a lot of the trim pieces were not final production spec, so we can't really comment on the quality of materials here. Still, it's clear to see that this cabin is a huge step up above the old Tacoma's, with all the modern tech you could want and a lot more space inside.
Comfort
We talked about ride quality already, so we won't reiterate here, but Toyota's done other things to improve the comfort too. The new interior goes along way towards making the Tacoma a better daily driver, and notably, the seats aren't mounted quite so slow to the floor anymore, so the driving position is excellent. The cloth seats in this TRD Sport model aren't the softest or most supportive, but the adjustable lumbar is welcome here.
Again, it's not a luxury car. You really need to step up to a half-ton pickup if you're looking for top quality materials and an ultra-smooth ride, but the Tacoma more than meets the expectations for this more utilitarian segment.
Technology
Here's where the Tacoma takes another leap forward. All versions of the truck get a digital gauge cluster, while the PreRunner and above all get a great 12.3-inch unit that offers a ton of configurability. An 8-inch central infotainment screen is standard, while a huge 14-inch central screen is available on the TRD Sport and Off-Road and available on the Limited. Our tester had the larger screen and while Toyota's infotainment system isn't the fanciest, it works well, and the graphics and menu structure feel up-to-date. Naturally, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and most versions feature wireless connection.
Storage
The Tacoma offers a choice of either five- or six-foot bed, and all but the base SR come with standard sliding tie-down hooks. Wheel-well intrusion into the bed is minimal, too, and some higher-level trims even come with a power up-and-down tailgate. Inside, the rear seats fold up to allow even more storage, and there are a lot of clever places to put your stuff in the front. Each door has two levels of storage, and the center console has a great spot for two phones to sit vertically and a bag hook in the passenger footwell.
Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hasn't released crash-test results for the 2024 Tacoma yet, so we can talk about. We can, however, discuss the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system which comes standard on all Tacoma models and includes a ton of useful active safety tech. There's adaptive cruise control, steering assist, pre-collision braking, and more. The active systems work well for easing the stress and tedium of highway trips.
One of the stranger systems is Proactive Driving Assist (PDA), which actually starts to slow the truck down if there's a car ahead. I didn't know the system was activated at first, and it felt like the car made a downshift to a very low gear and there was a lot of engine braking, but it was just grabbing the brakes to better match my speed to the traffic ahead. It's certainly not for everyone, but you can deactivate it through a menu in the gauge cluster.
Wrapping Up
I wouldn't say the Tacoma is a truck transformed in the transition from third to fourth generation, but it is a huge leap forward. That's perhaps exactly what it should be. The Tacoma was already beloved by legions, and these improvements will help it win over new fans without alienating the true believers. It might not be as affordable as it once was, but it's a hard truck to argue against.
From:
Chris Perkins
Former Senior Reporter
A car enthusiast since childhood, Chris Perkins served as Road & Track's engineering nerd and Porsche apologist.
