WASHINGTON– It used to be that if you wanted a small pickup truck, the top name was Toyota. But with GM putting up some serious competition, Toyota made the redo of their lucrative Tacoma truck a high priority.
Past and present Tacoma owners are very loyal. They usually keep their trucks forever or trade them in for a new Tacoma. This new 2016 model should inspire the same loyalty. The look of the TRD Sport model is tough and ready for anything, with a hood scoop and a more off-road looking stance than most pickups on the market. The front end styling is new this year and includes a larger grill that is more in line with Toyota’s current style. It’s not earth shattering, but current and past owners should be satisfied. It’s fresh enough to attract new lookers in the showroom.
There are other trim levels of the Tacoma that aren’t as macho looking. The exception is the TRD Off Road, with special suspension and wheels that are ready to go far off the beaten path. The bed has a neat cargo system with movable hooks, which helps when loading cargo and covering items you don’t want to blow away.
A makeover of the interior was much needed. Luckily, there has been improvement. The materials are better than previous models. There is still plenty of hard plastic but it does look better. The fabric seats are pretty good and the space is decent, but shorter drivers might have a problem seeing over the hood as the seat sits pretty low.
The rear bench seat offers adult-sized space with room enough for three. It will also fold up for more cargo space. The 7-inch screen for the NAV and rearview camera is a nice addition and it’s easy to use. There is even a wireless smartphone charging area for certain phones. For $35,000, the Tacoma is very competitive. It needs to be, as the GM models have very good interiors now.
Drivers will find a power boost under the hood from a smaller 3.5L V6, but with 278 horsepower, it’s a better engine than before. It seems smooth and quiet compared to the old V6. The fuel economy is a bit better, too. I managed 19.1 mpg over the week, slightly under the sticker of 20 mpg, but it did a good amount of work. The drive is a little loud at highway speeds but nothing annoying– just more truck-like with some tire and wind noise. I can’t complain about the ride. It’s maybe a bit more stiff than the competition but not rough or coarse.
The size is better for city driving and handles better in parking lots than a larger full-size truck, but this isn’t a tiny truck any more. It is fine for daily driving and also would be happy taking the off-road trail with an easy to use four-wheel-drive system and good ground clearance. It will take you as far as you want to adventure.
With a makeover inside and out and a smooth V6 engine with more power, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma is much improved. The concept that made this a sales hit hasn’t really changed, so look for this mid-size truck to stay popular.