After a near Jurassic-era run of the third-generation Toyota Tacoma, the all-new fourth-generation is finally here. The Tacoma fanbase is a deeply loyal group, buying into the truck’s historically reliable and straightforward nature. For the new Tacoma, those two selling points are more of a question mark. Will this new truck with its turbocharged 4-cylinder and tech laden interior carry on the nameplate’s legacy? Only time will tell.
For now, and after a week of testing, we found the 2024 Tacoma to be an objective improvement in nearly every way over the previous generation. The Limited trim we drove was loaded with options and represented the top of the Tacoma trim chain — until the forthcoming TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims make their debut.
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Photo by Toyota
Price and value
The MSRP range for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma is $31,500-$52,100. It is available in six trim levels, with a suite of standard features. Some of the major differences in trim levels are noted below.
- SR: $31,500 See listings
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0
i-Force 2.4-liter turbocharged engine
Steel wheels
- SR5: $36,200 See listings
17-inch alloy wheels
Automatic dimming rearview mirror
Polyurethane steering wheel
- TRD PreRunner: $38,100 See listings
Composite front skid plate with underbody fuel tank protection
Electronically controlled locking rear differential
Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
- TRD Sport: $39,400 See listings
Coil spring multi-link rear suspension
18-inch TRD Sport alloy wheels
Leather-trimmed steering wheel
- TRD Off-Road: $41,800 See listings
Multi-terrain select, crawl control and downhill assist control
400-watt/120-volt bed-mounted AC power supply
Backup guide monitor
- Limited: $52,100 See listings
14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touch screen with 10-speaker JBL audio system
Integrated trailer brake controller
2400 watt/120 volt AC power supply
Our Limited tester priced out over $52,000 which felt expensive for what it was. Then again, every car is more expensive these days. The forthcoming TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims should easily crest $60,000 or more — as could the Limited trim when fitted with the soon-to-be-available iForce Max hybrid motor.
Toyota’s warranty coverage includes a 36,000-mile or three-year basic warranty and a 60,000-mile or five-year powertrain warranty. Complimentary maintenance is included for two years or 25,000 miles.
Photo by Toyota
Improved driving experience
Let’s face it, the previous generation Tacoma was sometimes a chore to daily drive. Its V6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission did not get along with its low-stress gearing, making for frequent shifts and unpredictable, lazy power delivery. All of that is gone now.
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Like it or not, all new Tacomas are powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, with some trims — such as the tested Limited — getting an available hybrid option soon. Initially, we were skeptical. The engine produces a fairly rough cadence and, upon first start up, had us wondering if we were just driving a lifted Corolla.
But then we drove it for a week, and we’re happy to report that it’s really good. The 4-cylinder produces predictable, responsive power and feels very well suited to daily driving. That 317 pound-feet of torque figure is especially enjoyable and makes getting to speed and passing much more streamlined than in the past.
Of course, part of the argument in going toward smaller, turbocharged 4-cylinder engines is fuel economy, and in our week of testing, we achieved just over 21 mpg in combined highway and city driving — which was exactly what we achieved when testing the 2022 and 2023 Tacoma TRD Pro trucks. Insert shrugging emoji here. Compounding the poorer than expected fuel economy is the small gas tank. At 18.2 gallons, you’ll be filling up frequently.
Everything else about the driving experience, from the handling to the rear coil spring suspension, felt much more dialed in this time around. From a daily driving perspective, this is probably the best the Tacoma has ever been. We can’t wait to drive the more powerful hybrid variants as they become available.
Modern and comfortable interior
While the previous generation Tacoma’s interior was perfectly usable, it wasn’t particularly comfortable or modern. That’s all changed for this new fourth generation, especially in the front seats. The entire dash looks and feels like a shrunken version of the Tundra’s, which is a good thing.
Photo by Toyota
Thankfully, Toyota has kept physical buttons around, and the knobs are chunky and easy to turn. The steering wheel, with its perforated leather, felt especially good in our hands; it’s made even better by the toasty heating functionality.
The front seats and driving position are also vastly improved. The last Tacoma kept occupants close to the floorboards, but Toyota has remedied that in this generation, probably due in part to customer feedback.
Speaking of seats, the front seats are excellent. Toyota’s SofTex material felt and looked high-quality, and the heating functionality was very warm. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rear seats. The last Tacoma wasn’t very accommodating in the rear and this new one felt even less so. Should the front occupants be taller than 5 feet, 9 inches tall, rear seat occupants won’t have much legroom. It’s very tight, which is unfortunate and unexpected given how large the truck is overall.
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One element of the Tacoma Limited’s interior that we found surprising was the choice of materials for the door panels and pillar covers. It’s a rubber-like plastic that feels akin to a kid’s toy and seems to scratch and scuff easily. It’s grippier than the traditional hard plastics of the past, but we don’t know that it’s an improvement, as it is a lateral move.
Lastly, one more major improvement is the infotainment system. It’s easy to use, and the enormous 14-inch touchscreen is, well, enormous — and maybe a tad overkill. Fingers crossed it never goes out as we imagine that could be quite the repair bill.
Photo by Toyota
Rugged exterior styling and functionality
Of the shortcomings of the previous generation, style was not one of them. The Tacoma has always looked awesome. With its lean and muscular body, the new Tacoma retains the essence of previous iterations but looks modern and thoroughly updated. It also looks and feels larger than you’re probably expecting, even though dimensionally it’s close to the previous generation.
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The Limited trim eschews the more off-road oriented styling cues found on the TRD Off-Road (and forthcoming TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims) in favor of more chrome and upscale trappings. It looks nice and will certainly appeal to buyers looking for something more understated among the trim lineup.
Final thoughts
The new Tacoma is excellent. It’s objectively an improvement over the previous generation in every way, especially in its daily drivability. It’s laden with technology and modern conveniences and finally feels every bit as modern as the best of the midsize truck competition — which Toyota buyers may or may not love.
Sure, we miss the tried-and-true V6 motors of years gone by, but the new turbocharged 4-cylinder and its 8-speed transmission function much better than what came before. Given Toyota’s legendary reputation for quality and reliability, we assume this will be the case with this new truck, but only time will tell.
Unfortunately, all that improvement comes with a price. While the previous generation’s Limited trim started at $42,850, it now starts at $53,595. You can get a lot of trucks for that money, especially used, and we imagine the coming TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims will shoot that number well above $60,000.
Still, the Tacoma has reentered an extremely competitive segment and is certainly a compelling option. Whether it is worth its price tag or not will be up to you.
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Highs:
- Much better suited to daily driving than the previous generation
- Comfortable front seats and ergonomics
- The powertrain feels modern and the low-end torque is appreciated
- Brawny styling inside and out
Lows:
- The rear seat space is very tight
- Fuel economy is not much improved over the previous generation
- Pricier than expected
FAQs
Who should buy the 2024 Tacoma Limited?
Anyone who wants to buy a new midsize truck should consider the 2024 Tacoma. It drives great, especially when equipped with its rear coil spring suspension. That said, if you’re regularly hauling adults or even kids in the rear seat, you’ll want to look elsewhere. Our small children were cramped and had a grand old time kicking the back of our seats.
Is the Tacoma fun to drive?
It’s not especially thrilling, but it is enjoyable to drive daily. It’s comfortable, decently powerful and has all the modern safety and technology features you could want.
*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.
About the author: Having owned everything from a DeLorean to an E46 BMW M3 and a Toyota Land Cruiser, Jason Bell is a lifelong car enthusiast who loves sharing his passions as a teacher, automotive journalist and social media manager. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press where he serves on the Board of Directors. Contact him at jasonbellcars@gmail.com.
