1 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
2 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
One Loaded Taco
As far a we are concerned, best interior in a 4WD.
3 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
One Loaded Taco
While the wheelbase had us backing out of some situations, the Taco is as capable as ever.
4 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
One Loaded Taco
The Tacoma is one of those 4WD’s that seem to get inside your consciousness and take you on an adventure.
5 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
One Loaded Taco
Embossed logos on the tailgate are a nice touch.
Story & photos by Budd Stanley
Toyota’s 2016 Tacoma is packed full of new tech, but does it perform?
Welcome back to the fight Toyota. After eleven years of stalled development on the Tacoma we finally have an all-new truck ready to take the fight to Chevrolet, GMC and Nissan. The Taco has a new body, a new engine, new transmission, a new rear axle and it is brimming full of tech and new refinements. And its big, really big, I thought I was jumping into a half-ton pickup, but what I was sitting in is the largest mid-sized truck to ever be called ‘mid-sized’.
Appreciation for the design and style is in the eyes of the beholder. I for one love the Taco’s updated design; the embossed “Tacoma” logo in the tailgate pays homage to Toyota trucks of yore. The bold new blocky look carries forward with pronounced fender flares and intriguing trim lines. However, once you get to the fascia something starts to go wrong.
As we’ve mentioned before, Toyota has not done well in focus groups when Americans think of them as smaller to their domestic counterparts, despite actually being larger. To combat this, Toyota has puffed up the chest of the Tacoma to give it an even bigger presence. It’s an unfortunate design direction that makes the hood look like it rises up rather than slope down. It is so large and high, that great massive hood takes up 25% of the forward vision out of the windshield.
While the exterior might be a bit hit and miss, the interior is a home run. The driver is treated to a clean and simple dash that is as easy to navigate as it is pleasing to look at. It stretches horizontally across the cab giving the sense that the cab is larger than it actually is. The infotainment system works much like a tablet and is easy to use, something I’ve loathed in other vehicles. There is nothing I hate more than getting into a vehicle and trying to figure out the highly complicated task of switching a radio channel, or turning on the heat. Toyota’s system is refreshingly simple yet keeps up with modern tech and the wireless phone-charging pad is another nice touch.
Gauge cluster apps are quite handy and are programable to the driver’s preferences to give an abundance of pertinent information such as trip, fuel efficiency, range, time, temperature and infotainment settings. The HVAC readouts are little tucked away under the top centre stack, but other than that, I’m quite happy to proclaim the Tacoma’s interior to be my absolute favourite in the 4WD world.
Previous Toyota owners will be well versed with the Taco’s low seating position. Like a sports car, your legs stretch out more horizontal than nearly any other truck. Some people don’t like this, I for one find it helps create that “at one” feeling with the vehicle. When you sit lower down, the truck communicates better with your body, telling you how the suspension is loaded, where grip is being lost and the attitude of the chassis.
When the Tacoma was revealed at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, Toyota told me it would post competitive fuel efficiency numbers. I told them that 10L/100km on the highway is the magic number for new trucks. They told me I wouldn’t be disappointed. I told them we’d wait and see. And so now I have seen, and I am not disappointed. Toyota stayed true to their word and publish 10.5L/100km on the highway for the 4WD V-6 I tested.
These published numbers may not be as good as the competition, but I was able to beat Toyota’s numbers quite handily, posting a 9.9L/100km highway rating below 100 kmh and 10.4L/100km above 100 kmh. In the city I was getting just slighting higher than Toyota’s published 13.5L/100km rating with a best of 13.8. These competitive numbers all come thanks to an all-new 3.5L V-6. The new Atkinson Cycle engine produces 278 hp and 265 lb-ft, and now feeds a much more efficient 6-speed transmission. The results are good, however the Tacoma does like to shift quite often when in hilly terrain.
The tall, body on frame built Tacoma is surprisingly nimble on the tarmac. There is no doubting that the taller tires and softer swaybars give the Tacoma a little more lean in the corners, but the chassis provides a connected feel that inspires confidence. Case in point, while the majority of manufacturers switch to electronic power steering in the name of fuel efficiency, I have to applaud Toyota for sticking to the hydraulic system that gives so much more road feel to the drivers fingertips.
Off-road, the Tacoma is still just as capable as its predecessor, very agile with a 4WDrive system that offers up an incredible amount of grip. The lack of all-terrain tires, Bilstein shocks, electric locker and Toyota’s Crawl Control that comes standard on the Off-Road Edition didn’t hold this Limited spec Taco back. I was able to conquer some challenging terrain after a winters snow. 4-Low easily carried me up and over some impressively steep obstacles and only the Tacoma’s 140-in wheelbase left me backing out of a couple sketchy situations.
Toyota have pumped up the adventurous side of the Tacoma in their advertising. I usually like to call a company on false advertising, but before I knew it, I was climbing a goat track high into the mountains almost unconsciously. The Taco will actually do this to you. Its playful attitude will grab hold of you without notice and before you know it, a jaunt down to the coffee shop ends up on the top of a mountain in an undiscovered area of the backcountry. There is even a GoPro mount in the windshield so you can review how to get back down from your little adventure.
I have always been a fan of the Tacoma and have owned a couple through the years. With this very thorough redesign, I am happy to say that my love affair with the Taco continues. Toyota have improved every detail with the new truck, and have made great strides forward on the trucks weaker area’s to make this a truly competitive mid-sized truck in an ever increasingly competitive segment. I only wish it was a little smaller, but other than that, watch out GM and Nissan, the Tacoma is back on point.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- MSRP: $27,995
- Price as tested: $46,136
- Engine: 3.5L V-6
- Power: 18 0 hp, 265 lb-ft
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic
- Curb Weight: 1,975 kg (4,355 lb)
- Wheelbase: 3,571 mm (140.6 in)
- Ground Clearance: 238 mm (9.4 in)
- Approach Angle Deg: 29
- Departure Angle Deg: 23.1
- Ramp Breakover Angle: NA
- Wading Depth: NA
- Tow Capacity: 2, 721 kg (6,000 lb)
- Fuel Efficiency (L/100km): 13.1 City, 10.5 Highway, 11.9 Combined