Tacoma Troubadour

Ever since Toyota introduced the new global architecture for body on frame vehicles, I’ve been dying to get seat time in in one of these trucks, especially the new 4Runner. While traveling to upstate New York on a recent business trip, I had the luck of getting an opportunity to drive the latest version of the Tacoma TRD off road. I jumped at the chance to give the updated Toyota a try, especially when given the option between this light truck and a minivan.

Riding on 32” BF Goodrich Trail Terrains and boasting the new 2.4L turbo i-Force engine without the optional “Max” hybrid system, the new Taco’s powerplant pumps out 278 hp when equipped with an automatic. Indeed, I planned to be riding in style on this work trip.

From the first press release of the new 4Runner, I was immediately obsessed with face-lifted Taco’s SUV sister. And though the photos of the updated Tacoma were only slightly less appealing, I found myself actually disappointed to find that the current Toyota design language didn’t appeal to me in person when draped over my rented 2025 TRD.

Though the 4Runner’s SUV shape lends itself to full voluptuous surfaces and more aggressive styling, the light-duty Tacoma seems overly swollen in some areas, and remarkably stubby in others. Although the updated front fascia is a welcome change, over-flared fenders and bulky surfaces contrast against an obviously compacted upper cabin. Despite my misgivings about the truck’s awkward looks, I still firmly believed that I would come away from this experience wowed by the changes, and even more eager to get my hands on a 4Runner.

Sadly, my lofty aspirations were far from the reality of trip with the Tacoma.

Climbing inside I was initially quite impressed with Toyota’s effort to update the interior. The dashboard, along with most other plastic surfaces, all felt much more premium than the long outdated previous model. The new 14” display asserted itself as the focal point of the cockpit; and wirelessly connecting CarPlay was a breeze as I placed my nearly depleted work phone onto the convenient wireless charging pad in the center console. I noted that the climate controls of the new model have remained intuitive, as I added bonus points for physical knobs for temperature, fan speed and volume control.

Focusing on the now digital gauge-cluster, I began trying to find the display and drive mode best suited to myself and the weather (which had been cold and dreary as of late, with a chance of sleet forecasted for the week). And that’s where my real troubles began.

The drive mode selector was far from user friendly, as it took repeated inputs and screen overrides to toggle out of the standard driving mode and engage any 4-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive settings. I found this to be discouraging for this Tacoma’s price tag. At $43,300 MSRP for this trim with only a few optional goodies, I was hoping for a more usable interface.

My disappointment felt founded when I reached for the gear selector and found that it was quite clunky. There was lots of slop in every gear position, and the shifter made an awful clack as it jolted from park into the driving gears. Next, an obnoxious screech came as the automatic parking brake released during the shift out of park. I was starting to rethink the minivan.

The light duty pickup was maneuverable enough as I worked my way out of the airport garage and onto the interstate, headed north towards prettier country and uglier weather. My initial on-ramp merge felt… off.

Though there was increased power from the previous model, my ride’s transmission seemed unwilling to make that extra power available when it was needed most. When pressed, the 8-speed gearbox refused to downshift with any hint of urgency. This problem would plague the truck for the remainder of the trip, adding to the overall theme of clunkiness.

Driving at highway speeds down the freeway was easy enough, as long as I didn’t ask the little truck to accelerate with any quickness. Avoiding shifts through the clunky gears became an unconscious priority as I worked to maintain a consistent speed. What’s more, the truck had a shakiness to it. Though much maligned with many enthusiasts, I don’t believe the turbo 4-cylinder to be the problem. In this case, always under throttle, a rattle could be detected in the rear end. Later in the trip, I would circle the truck several times and attempt to find something loose or out of place. Anything that could excuse what would otherwise be explained as a chink in the armor of the cult worshipped Toyota craftsmanship. I had no such luck.

As I stopped halfway to my destination for a bite to eat, I took a moment to explore the interior a little further. It was during this process where I found the now infamous glove box design. I stumbled upon in by accident, as I ran my hand across the surfaces on the dashboard I felt a sudden give beneath my fingers. What’s this? I pressed the dash gently once again, moving my hand down until *thunk* the door sank back towards the firewall by an inch.

I was impressed. Why had it taken until the year of our lord two thousand and twenty-five for an auto manufacturer to design a glove compartment in such a manner? How could we have come this far without this endearing, clunky little quirk? Of course, that extra inch of space would come in handy when stuffing two 6-footers into that side of the tiny cab. Sure, what’s one more piece to rattle around on this thing? I digress.

These impressions remained largely at the forefront of my time driving the Tacoma for the duration of my week in New York. Positives in the truck’s favor included ample visibility, a strong heater for cold northern mornings, and an impressive infotainment system that connected with ease on every startup. With a late flight home on Friday, I took some time to explore the area and got to drive backroads around Lake Saratoga. It was there that I found the more redeeming qualities of the Tacoma.

Surrounded by nature rather than traffic, I managed a much more leisurely pace through the twisted paths wrapped around calm waters. The truck got much lighter on its feet in this environment. It felt surprisingly chuckable when given the proper space and setup for a corner under power. I came away feeling like the driving dynamics were there for a fun light truck, if only the overall execution had been slightly more refined.

Ultimately, I found myself thinking about the value of a dollar while driving this truck. Sticker price on this model is the same as an F-150 in STX trim. For your money, Ford offers a full size truck with a much smoother ride and spacious interior. For the same $45,000, Ford's 2.7 liter eco-boost is more responsive than Toyota's turbo 4-cylinder. Aside from the die-hard Taco fan club, who buys the Tacoma? An average consumer who had driven the two would, likely, shop at their local Ford dealership. Only off-road does the mid-size Tacoma have an advantage, and I suspect that serious off-roaders are either looking higher up Toyota's tree of trim levels to the TRD Pro and Trailhunter models, depending on the kind of wheeling they want to do.

The Tacoma TRD Off-Road wasn’t a bad truck. It just wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. It blurred the line between the simple, affordable, and bulletproof ‘Yota's of old, and the more modern, pseudo-luxury vehicle that pickups have become in the U.S. If this truck’s run lasts nearly as long as the previous model, I fully anticipate that Toyota will make the necessary adjustments to refine both the styling and execution of the latest Tacoma.

For now, though, this iteration of the signature light truck has left me skeptical of the world’s largest automaker and their platform used across so many models. I’m hoping that the other models are a little more nailed down than the Tacoma and praying that my first spin in the new 4Runner will put my fears to bed.