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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  Made in America unlike GM - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By First Tacoma - January 8 - 7:54 am

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  Well designed and built, but underpowered - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Dave in Arkansas - January 6 - 12:51 pm

  Truck is solidly built. No rattles or squeaks, good audio, comfortable and quiet at highway speeds. However, the engine lacks low- end torque and this issue is exacerbated by very poor software mapping for the transmission. In an apparent effort to improve mileage, the transmission shifts quickly to keep the RPMs low as a result, the engine is always out of its powerband, making it feel even more sluggish. You can overcome this annoyance to some degree by putting it in Sport mode, or selecting the ECT mode. But you shouldnt have to do this. It drives like a slug unless youre very aggressive on the throttle. At highway speeds, the transmission is always hunting for the right gear. The engine is very noisy at all speeds. This is apparently normal and is due to its injectors and Atkinson Cycle function. It sounds like a diesel with 500k miles on it. Very annoying and disappointing for a truck this expensive.

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  Best 4Door Compact Crew (IMHO) - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By wsnoble - January 2 - 10:00 am

  The truck is great. The only thing I think Toyota can do is consider more HP from the V6 and use better quality seat fabric. Other than that this thing is great. This truck is teh swiss army knives on compact trucks and with Toyota build quality and reliability, it it quite clearly the best choice in the segment

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  Excellent Truck - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Northerner - January 2 - 4:46 am

  Overall very happy I bought this truck - Ive wanted it since I was 16, so its about time! After 2k miles, averaging 18 mpg, w/ a range of 15.5 to 21 for city/highway driving. Definitely rides like a truck. Very happy with 4x4 performance - safely got me & my friends to the mountain w/o any problems. Double cab rocks. Great engine. Not very comfortable on long highway rides - a 4 hour trip to Boston was not comfortable. A minor complaint: my right toe almost always hits the wiring harness directly above the brack pedal when I switch my foot from gas to brake (size 9.5 boot)...FYI. Again, though, very happy I bought this truck - it IS the vehicle that drives by you that you wish you had.

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  An Honest Review From A New Tacoma Owner - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Kyle M. - January 1 - 6:25 pm

  Let me start off this review by saying that I have never owned a Tacoma before or a truck. Also I have had my Tacoma for about 10 weeks now. I felt it was necessary to write a review to defend this truck. This is a great truck and I would recommend it, but lease it till they work out the bugs. First off, Ill start off with one of probably the most important questions, the mpg. I average around 20 mpg, doing about 60% city, 40% highway. If you do a lot of highway driving, my mpg meter has gone as high as 26mpg, as long as you dont drive like a jerk, you should get decent mileage. But when you buy a truck youre not buying it for the mpg, you buy it for versatility, otherwise go buy a Prius. Moving onto performance and ride quality. In terms of performance, I will admit acceleration can be a bit sluggish, especially when you need it. However, I find that if you turn the ect pwr button on or put it in sport mode, that does seem to loosen up the transmission a bit for better acceleration. Its no race car, but it still has ample passing power. In terms of ride quality, its relatively smooth, but when going over bumps it gets pretty rough, so ride quality is so-so. And to add to that steering is pretty responsive. In terms of the interior, I love it, its very simplistic but very nice and clean layout. I have cloth seats and theyre very comfy, and the infotainment centers touchscreen is very responsive and user friendly. In terms of sound system, I had heard Toyota speakers were garbage, but to be honest theyre actually pretty decent. Certain genres of music can be on the quieter side and require you to really crank it up. But overall, for the non-jbls they still have pretty decent bass. Last but not least, Id just like to add that, the backup camera makes parking the Tacoma even easier, as its nimble size makes it easier to get through tight spaces. The design is definitely a big improvement in my opinion. Overall I give it 4 stars, its a great truck, but still has its short comings, hopefully when my lease is up theyll make more improvements on the little things. Hope this review helped any future buyers!

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  2005 Access Cab Big Disappointment - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By A.S. - January 1 - 4:03 pm

  I purchased my 2005 Tacoma Prerunner with 4-cyl/5M new after doing a lot of research from forums, specification reports, and going on test-drives. This is the model that looks like a 4- wheel-drive and has an extended cab (they call it the access cab). I can now say after having it for 17,000 miles that I am very disappointed in it for two reasons: actual vs. posted fuel mileage and wind noise with the latter being the primary reason I am selling it. I wanted only one vehicle to commute to work and haul music equipment. It had to be of high quality, above 25mpg highway fuel rating, and have adequate storage space (I assumed the ride would be reasonably quiet as are competitors models).