Toyota tends to keep its truck designs intact for a while, so it is a big deal when they get redesigned. It may be an even bigger deal when the Tacoma is redesigned because even at the end of its long design cycle, it has been, by far, the best-selling mid-size pickup in the industry. The redesign for the 2024 Tacoma was comprehensive, with a new structure, new engines, new suspensions, and, of course, all-new exterior and interior styling. Of the eight available grades, the first off-road-focused grade is the TRD Off-Road. Above it lies the TRD Pro and the new overlanding-focused Trailhunter. MotorTrend looked at this most popular Tacoma off-road grade, and Valley Hi Toyota offers this brief account of their report.
Obviously Better
Motor Trend felt no need to keep the reader in suspense. Under a headline that describes the TRD Off-Road as “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” came this sub-head: “Toyota’s midsize pickup is a dramatically better truck than before, in nearly every measure.” They go on to point out that while the exterior styling of the truck looks similar to the previous model with some added Tundra elements, the engineering changes are far more dramatic: “Rarely has a redesigned vehicle looked so much like its predecessor while driving so much better.”
Powertrain Praise
Topping the spec sheet changes is the replacement of the previously 3.5-liter V6 with the turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-4. Its 278 horsepower matches the V6, but torque rises from 265 to 317, and thanks to the turbo, it reaches that peak at a low 1,700 rpm vs 4,600 rpm for the previous engine. Also helping is the new quick-shifting 8-speed transmission replacing the former 6-speed unit.
Motor Trend’s testing revealed 0-60 acceleration of 7.2 seconds. It’s a 0.4-second improvement over the previous model. They add that the additional power is much more noticeable in everyday driving, where all that peak torque is pretty much always at hand.
Impresses On and Off-Road
While SR, SR5, and PreRunner models retain the rear leaf spring suspension that adorned all previous Tacomas, the TRD Off-Road benefits from a coil spring multi-link arrangement, which includes remote-reservoir Bilstein Monotube shocks. This improves body control over the road, further helped by the new, quicker-responding electronically controlled power steering. While the ride remains firm, the truck has improved on-road ride and handling, which is notable since it will likely spend most of its miles on pavement.
The TRD Off-Road wears BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A tires, which Motor Trend states that all but the most die-hard off-roaders will be “hard-pressed to find a tire with a better balance of on-road refinement and off-road gumption.” The tires also helped the Tacoma stop from 60-0 in 114 feet when lengths of 120s and 130s are typical for the category.
While towing capacity remains at 6,400 pounds, the payload improved by 300 pounds to 1,447 overall. When it comes to acting on its name, the publication found the TRD Off-Road adept in mud and sand. The Crawl Control feature was useful in modulating speed on boulder piles, and the optional electronic front anti-roll-bar disconnect feature helped provide the articulation to keep both front tires on the ground.
Cabin Compliments
When it comes to where you will spend your time with the truck, they note the 14-inch touchscreen dominates the view more than in the previous model. Tundra Wireless smartphone mirroring was welcome, and the digital instrument panel gets their thumbs up with “clear, modern graphics with enough layouts and style themes to please any driver.” They also note that the cabin fits tall drivers better than the past model.
Motor Trend concludes that while recent Tacoma buyers may have been more interested in the model’s sterling reputation than comparative specs, the new Tacoma can compete on its specs alone. Nor do they doubt any change to its reliability. So Motor Trend likes the new Tacoma. If you are considering a mid-size truck, looking at the Tacoma is a must, and the best place to see them is Valley Hi Toyota.
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