“David get in your car and drive to the airport,” my former editor-in-chief Patrick George told me over the phone. “Wait, what?” I replied. “I don’t have time to explain, just go.” So I hopped into my 1996 Jeep Cherokee XJ five-speed and blasted down I-75 towards Detroit Wayne airport. While I was in the car, Patrick called me back. “I just got us an invite to the new Toyota Tacoma press drive. It’s tomorrow in Tacoma, Washington.” Hot damn!
That was an exciting launch for me because it was a vehicle that our readership actually cared about, unlike the car I’d previously written about, my first-ever review: the 2016 Hyundai Tucson. What’s more, it was at the 2016 Toyota Tacoma launch that I met chief engineer Mike Sweers, who informed one of my early Deep Dives, which really helped me make a name for myself in this business.
Anyway, that review was published on my 24th birthday with the headline “The 2016 Toyota Tacoma: A Spicy Taco That Doesn’t Taste All That New.” To this day I wonder why we didn’t use the word “Fresh” instead of “New,” but in any case, the vehicle — despite its new Crawl Control feature meant to help you get unstuck if you’re bogged in sand or dirt — felt like it was very much a tiny step from its predecessor (in typical Toyota fashion).
Still, it was a good, capable, and ultimately reliable machine as the world would find out, but it wasn’t perfect, with many folks complaining about efficiency and ergonomics. In any case, a new Taco is upon us, and it does indeed seem “Fresh.” With a new four-cylinder turbo replacing the old V6 and an eight-speed automatic instead of a six-speed (a six-speed stick stays around, thank goodness!), and also a new platform shared with the Land Cruiser, Sequoia, and Tundra — the new Taco seems promising.
I’m driving the vehicle near Malibu TODAY. In classic fashion not dissimilar to what happened eight years ago, we managed to get the invite only yesterday. I better get up from bed and hit the road! Let me know what you’d like to know about the new Tacoma!
How many tacos will fit in a new Taco?
The shrimpbarrow is neat and all, but the Taco Taco is what I crave.
And hard shell tacos vs soft shell…
I realize it’s too late but maybe you can make a few calls-I’d love to know actual payload numbers for various trims and configurations. Any thoughts on forward visibility? I’ll also echo comments below and ask whether that chin spoiler will damage anything if it gets caught, or is it just a matter of replacing a few push pins? I did like that the old Tacomas and frontiers were the last trucks that actually looked inclined to do truck stuff-high door sills and good approach angles. Kinda disappointed that they have a f250 style pavement scrapper, although I’d reluctantly deal with it for the mpg (if it didn’t get ripped off pulling in my driveway).
I wanted to like the previous Tacoma but a disappointing amount top out around 1000 lbs, which just is not enough for a crew cab truck marketed towards outdoors types.
Will I fit in this one? The last one, my head was smashed against the ceiling even with the seat lowered all the way.
Can you still bolt a ball to the rear bumper (for towing a U-Haul trailer) like I could do with my ’09? Or, do you need to go the receiver route?
Wish Toyota would make one that was actually good on gas. Believe this will only get “Hybrid Max” treatment, which is not to maximize economy. Wonder what real world returns will look like.
I’d love to see a factory tune option for efficiency. I know they won’t do it, but it would be great.
Did you drive the Leaf to the event, and if so how do you plan to return to Santa Monica?
Will it blend?
Paid for by Blendtec, makers of fine blenders.
Taco smoke, don’t breathe this!
Is there anything actually interesting or even competitive compared to the ZR2 or Gladiator?
Can you get the four door long bed with a manual transmission?
As a Gen3 owner, I’d love to know whether or not the new one will be worth the upgrade. Some tangible and intangible criteria:
How quickly can you plow a 2000 sq ft driveway with 6″ of snow with that air dam?
I wonder how far a 5-foot-tall person needs to stand so they can be seen in front of the grill.
Or inversely, how tall do you have to be for the driver to realize they plowed into you and are dragging you around like a self-driving Cruise?
What is the MPG hit when that huge chin aero dam is removed or ripped off.
Why is it so massive?
How does it handle on-road? The 2022 I got to drive felt like an old truck, almost no different from my sister’s 2005 and my old 1998…
Did they do anything about the seating position, or does it still feel like you’re sitting on the floor?
And on that note, how is the visibility over the hood?
I got the wild hair to cheat on Jeep and drove a 2020. I REALLY wanted to like it, but I could not get past how you sit in one. It felt like driving a camry with a lift kit, and even at 5’10, I felt like forward visibility was lacking, and would be spooky on a trail.
I lusted after the 3rd gen Taco when they came out, till I drove one. As you note, the driving position is terrible, as is the 3.5/6AT combo. I still think they’re great looking trucks, better than this new one in fact, but I’d never want to own one.
I could get past the driving dynamics, I look at them as the AK47 to the Jeep’s AR15. Something different from what I was used to, but the allure and reputation for being unkillable had me so ready to pull the trigger. My Jeeps have been good to me, but people just go on and on about how reliable these trucks are.
Turns out, in my case it doesn’t matter that a truck can run for a million miles If I don’t like driving it after 30 miles.
I think that reputation is just legacy when it comes to the 3rd gen Tacos, they have their share of issues. The first gen Taco is the one to get. You still deal with the cramped driving position, but it’s a legitimately small truck so it makes sense. I had one as a Truro rental years back, and I loved driving it, for under 2 hours at a time anyway.
Trouble with that is the toyota tax on top of the 90’s truck tax. If we’re talking small/midsize trucks from the 90s The Nissan Hardbody is the pick. I had a 98 4×4 5 speed, and it was just an outstanding truck. 90 percent of the reliability, 100 percent of the capability, 50 percent of the price.
Can I get a back blade to match the front plow? 😀
How does the TRD Sport drive and does the air dam look as stupid in person as it does in photos?
Are they prepared to produce this in numbers (on both powertrains) so that we aren’t paying “market adjustments” for the entire first year and most of the second. I ask because it seems Toyota is restricting/under-production on most other popular models, leading to wait lists and “You want it? This is the non-negotiable price.”
Can you check many school kids can fit in its front blind spot?
Front and Rear legroom with base seats
On road manners
MPG
“Let me know what you’d like to know about the new Tacoma!”
How quickly will it rust out compared to my old Tacoma?
How much shrimp can it haul?
How many kittens can fit in the cab?
Will rats find the wiring tasty?
Will the cute girls at work go out with me if I buy it?
Will it fill the gaping hole I feel inside?
To answer your questions (very unseriously):
Just as quickly, though you can opt for the Rust Belt Package to get a head start if you are not in a rust-prone area.
Depends on the configuration of both the pickup and the shrimp. In addition to payload capacity differences, you will find cloth seats absorb cocktail sauce much more efficiently than leather, though the perforated leather will allow shrimp juices to drain into the ventilation so you can always remember what you’ve done.
For safety, you are only allowed four kittens in the cab, so that each one can have its own seatbelt. If you can teach one to drive, you may increase this to 5.
If you aren’t attracting as many rats to your wiring as expected, Toyota will sell you a genuine OEM cheese spray for only $75 per can. You’ll need 4 cans to achieve proper coverage.
Please have the cute girls from your work contact me and I will appropriately screen their interest in you, as well as their interest in me.
It will fill the gaping hole inside until the release of the next generation of 4Runner. As long as you keep buying Toyota products, you should be fine.
See this is the kind of cutting edge journalism we expect.
Indeed. People pay good money for lower quality product and here we are throwing it at each other for free. Yay Autopian!
If you buy more cheese spray, will it impart greater rust resistance on the frame after the wire treatment is complete??
Yes, it should impart greater rust, especially on vehicles already equipped with the Rust Belt Package. You’ll get that well-used truck credibility with virtually no effort!
It’s funny, they made such a big deal of the “crawl control” on the 2016 launch, but it’s been available on 4Runners since 2010. My 2013 Trail Edition has it.
And good ‘ol Mike “drum brakes are better” Sweers. Glad he was off this project.
HOLY AIRDAM, BATMAN!
I generally am pretty on top of things Toyota but I’ve admittedly been a bit out-of-the-loop on the new Taco so far. I’m really curious which models will be offered with the stick, and how they’re geared.
Seriously its like the thing has grown an especially offensive chinstrap. Would be interested to know how much efficiency that monstrosity actually adds.
Side note and not really a question: I feel that the TRD Offroad (as always) will be the sweet spot, as you get the manual, Bilstein shocks and the locker. It also gives you rear coils vs the standard leaf springs for a nicer ride. Plus, you know that there will be cheap takeoffs from the Overland model (Trailhunter) and the TRD PRO such as that lovely ARB rear bumper, etc. Exciting times to be a Toyota fan.