Overview & Reviews

Since its introduction in 1995, the Toyota Tacoma has been a mainstay of the compact and midsize pickup segments. The original Tacoma fell into the compact category, while the second-generation truck's 2005 debut marked the transition to midsize dimensions. Typical advantages to a new or used Tacoma include a variety of body styles to choose from, useful off-road abilities, strong resale value and a better than average reputation for reliability.

Downsides are few. Even when modestly appointed, this Toyota often costs more than competing trucks and prices are high on the used market as well. In addition, taller drivers might feel cramped inside the first-generation Tacoma's compact cab. Otherwise, the Toyota Tacoma is a very capable pickup that's highly recommended for nearly all truck shoppers.

User Reviews:

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  Tacoma 08 -- 2 wheel drive - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Swiss - July 28 - 10:00 am

  2008 Tacoma; purchase from Hunt. Bch. Toyota; driven ONLY in Calif. 1) Looks nice; good color; dark blue 2) Interior ;good color, dark gray 3) BAD Mileage; about 13 to 15 freeway 4) BAD Interior; easily dinged plastic 5) BAD Contract with dealership 6) BAD ; bait and switch; alarm sold me expensive/put in junk 7) Toyota motor corp is non responsive mfg is again not doing anything to deal with stalling & mileage & fraud ! Never again> no Toyotas a dangerous vehicle. Stay away from hb Toyota and Toyota products>>

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  Toyota Rocks! - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By balpreet - July 22 - 2:00 am

  Really solid build quality. Very smooth engine.

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  So far, so good! - 2010 Toyota Tacoma
  By CBinSantaCruz - July 20 - 6:40 pm

  I purchased a 2WD 4 cyl 4 speed auto Toyota Tacoma in June of 2010. Ive had this car for three months and have driven 7000 miles. I have two purposes for this truck. One is a daily commuter driving about 50 miles a day. The other is as my weekend warrior toy carrier mostly for car camping. As a commuter it works great. I get about 22 mpg in traffic going up a 4k ft mountain and back down the other side. As a weekend toy carrier it also performs well. I frequently drive on dirt roads and even with the 2wd it has performed well. I did get stuck in some sand once which made me want the 4wd. But I dont feel the extra money the 4wd costs is worth it for the type of driving I do.

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  Its a keeper - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By 2mtech - July 20 - 2:53 pm

  All around solid, dependable truck. Daily driver, 75 highway miles/day. Average 20-22 MPG. Traded an 03 Dodge Dakota for it, and what a difference. Not all good, sadly. As some have said here, the brakes are horrible and Toyota should be ashamed of them. The peppy 4.0L V6 makes the 3.9 in the Dakota seem like a 4 cylinder however, with excellent torque and high end power. Ride is good... its a truck, after all. Much more comfortable than the Dodge, and I love the dash/control layout. Once I wear out the atrocious stock Dunlop tires and replace with something decent handling will be great.

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  Good truck but I still miss my 90 Toy! - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Sparky - July 19 - 2:56 pm

  Weve had this for 6 months now. Had a 90 truck, so the size of this one put me off at first, but Ive adapted and my wife has to the creature comforts lacking in the 90, which is the main reason I HAD to get a new truck! We just finished a 1400 mile trip to the Eastern Sierras. A mix of freeway, hills, mountains and dirt roads. As others mentioned, fifth is pretty weak to maintain freeway speeds on steep inclines, so used 4th for that and everything was fine. As for mileage, got 27.2mpg for the entire trip. Think we could beat that on an all freeway trip to LA. Unless you really think you need 4WD, V6,A/T why haul all that extra weight around? At $4.25 a gallon it all adds up.

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  Everything I expected it to be - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By wooddorker - July 15 - 8:00 pm

  I waited 6 weeks for my ordered Radiant Red V6 4x4 Access Cab with TRD Off-road and towing. I dont have a single disappointment with this truck. My last Toyota gave be 300,000 miles of smiles. I expect nothing less from this one.

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  Great "Taco" - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By Tunanut13 - July 14 - 10:00 am

  This new "Taco" is tight, well crafted and fun to drive. I have previously owned a Ford Ranger and most recently a full size Silverado. My ranger explored many tight and rugged areas of Arizona and Montana but did not come close to the quality of this Tacoma. I suspect this Tacoma will be awesome off road. I opted for the V6 Tacoma after testing both engines. No comparison and necessary in the NC mountains. This vehicle is pretty small compared to my latest 02 Silverado but I was looking to downsize.

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  Very happy consumer - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By ne_yota - July 14 - 5:17 am

  My experience has been excellent. Zero issues to date (31,000 miles now). I collected every gas receipt since the purchase (6 miles rolling out of dealership), and averaged 20 mpg with a high of 22. Power has been very good. The Sport model suspension is perfect for high-way driving at speed. I have not experienced the issues that others provided here. The AC is almost too cold, no electrical issues, handles very good in the snow, accelerates very well onto the highway, and no body fit issues. The goal is 400,000 miles, and I dont feel that it is unrealistic.

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  Bad design - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By Craig - July 11 - 8:50 pm

  The 6 speed manual is a poor design, too many gears too close together to be of any use. 6th gear can easily be driven at 50 mph, what happened to an overdrive gear? The cigarette lighter that is disabled with the ignition off is a terrible design. What were they thinking, a cellphone charger will drain a 35lb battery?? Maybe in a few weeks! Why not engineer disabling when the battery gets low? By the way, dont think about charging a cellphone if you are doing stop and go. It really messes up the charging. Gas mileage is about 17 mph for highway driving on the V6. I have not heard of anyone doing better. The 110w outlet is useless, not enough juice to do anything useful.

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  Bullet proof truck - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By Pete Toyota (alias) - July 7 - 10:00 am

  The 2.7 liter 4 cylinder is underpowered at high altitude (5000 plus ft.) but my truck has had no repairs in the 59,000 miles I have driven it. I get about 22 mpg in town but less at 75 mph.