How To Improve a Tacoma

A Victory & Reseda preview of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma

Any vehicle can do what you ask it because it can…

A pretty bold statement if you ask. There’s more to it when you consider its purpose and intended use, as well as your purpose and intended use.

A pickup truck is engineered and designed to do more than just provide basic transportation. Some more than others. Full-size pickup trucks are made to do much more with greater capacities. Even more with a Heavy-Duty pickup truck.

You’ve probably noticed some stirrings down in the mid-size pickup truck class. After the new Nissan Frontier, General Motors came out swinging with a pair of improved trucks, powered by a very mighty turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Ford just recently introduced a greatly improved Ranger – one that have been running around Australian and European home improvement centers for a few months or so.

Toyota knew that in order to maintain its segment sales leadership in North America, it had to deliver on a completely new and improved mid-size pickup truck – period. Its loyal customer base and potential conquest prospects looking to downsize from their overpriced and oversized rigs. 

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma is the response we have been waiting for. 

The response was to create a better Tacoma from the ground up. Starting with a high-strength boxed steel ladder frame that was adopted from the current Toyota Tundra. The new frame will house several new components and drivelines that will form this new generation model. 

One of those big changes can be found on almost every trim level starting from the SR5 with a new rear suspension set-up. The rear independent coil spring multi-link set-up was developed with delivering superb on- and off-road ride and handling. 

Power starts with an i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Depending on trim level and transmission, there is a tune to this engine that is engineered for purpose. A six-speed manual gearbox is available on select models, whereas an eight-speed automatic  transmission will be widely available across the lineup. 

In addition, the Tacoma becomes the first mid-size pickup truck to offer a hybrid driveline. The i-FORCE MAX adds an electric drive system to the turbocharged four-cylinder engine – good for 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. This driveline is available on most trim levels, but standard on the new Trailhunter and TRD Pro models.

A rear-wheel drive Tacoma still exists. It is part of a Pre Runner model, which returns to the Tacoma lineup this year. However, you will find that most models will be equipped with one of two four-wheel drive systems – a part-time and full-time system. You can select a low ratio for better traction management when needed. If you get your Tacoma with 4WDemand, they’ll add a limited-slip differential in the back. CRAWL Control is also available on select 4WD models, making getting through tougher terrain easier. 

What you will see, touch, and feel is an all-new design inside and out. Some may point out some evolutionary elements, it is a completely new Tacoma. You may also notice a lot of influence from its bigger sibling – the Tundra – from steering wheel design and controls to the new 14-inch infotainment touchscreen that will dominate some of the Tacoma’s higher trims. 

On paper and from first sight, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is already a very improved vehicle. However, there needs to be proof that it really is exactly that. That means driving one.

On a snowy morning at Road America, we did exactly that. 

Wait…Road America? In a pickup truck? During a late March snowstorm?!?

You read exactly that.

Just to ease your mind, were able to take it around Road America’s property, outside of the gates into the neighboring community, However, our focus was the off-road course that was created on site. 

The Tacoma I drove was an SR5 Double Cab with 4WDemand. It is the more value-oriented model without being completely stripped to the core. Mechanically, it came with the new rear suspension and the 278-horsepower version of the i-FORCE engine with 317 pound-feet of torque and the eight-speed automatic transmission. This configuration is rated for a maximum tow rating of 6,400 pounds. 

The SR5 is also equipped with plenty of features that will make life easier. For example, my tester had the 10-speaker JBL FLEX audio system, which includes a portable Bluetooth speaker. Even though you control the infotainment system though an 8-inch touchscreen, you can still make things loud as you go through the rough stuff. 

Again, I focused on what the Tacoma SR5 can do in a weather situation. The key to this is the combination of the 4WDemand system and the Firestone all-season tires shod on a set of 17-inch alloy wheels. Combined they delivered on the grip and ride that went beyond expectations. The Tacoma was indeed showing great leaps in improvement so far. 

The off-road course cemented the deal. You had snow on top of dirt and mud on an open field with one big hill to climb over. This tester did not come wither CRAWL Control or the Downhill Assist Control, which would make the hill maneuver an easier task. However, it managed the entire course extremely well, even with some manual inputs to the throttle and brake on some tougher spots.

What really won me over was the overall execution. The Tacoma no longer feels incomplete. It now has the right power, throttle response, braking power, and off-road performance we expected from a Toyota. It also had better head room inside the Double Cab, improved controls and seats, along with a design that fits perfectly for its intentions. 

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma is available with a choice of eight grades for the Tacoma – each with a completely different personality and an appropriate level of equipment. There is also a choice of two cabs and bed lengths – creating three available configurations. Pricing for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma starts from $31,500. Our SR5 Double Cab 4WD tester was estimated to come in at $44,970.

It is worth repeating at this point that the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is a marked improvement from where it was last year. It is a solid machine that can do a lot more than you ask of it. It does so with confidence, strength, and a high degree of satisfaction.

Your next experience in a Toyota Tacoma should be with this new version. If you’re like me, you’re probably curious about the i-FORCE MAX and how it will further enhance the Tacoma’s experience. If you cannot wait for one with the hybrid driveline, the Tacoma with the i-FORCE turbo is a good starting point for a great mid-size pickup truck experience. 

It packs one big element that a truck owner should embrace: The fun factor. That’s how you keep loyal customers coming to your product – such as the Toyota Tacoma. 

DISCLAIMER: Vehicle, travel and event logistics provided by Toyota Motor North America

All photos by Randy Stern