The Toyota Tacoma is one of the most popular pickup trucks in America. It owes some of that popularity to the durability of the design, the high-tech features, and the low price. The included features make it one of the most capable off-roaders you can buy today and there are a huge number of options and model variants to choose from to suit the particular needs of each customer.
Some of the coolest features, ranging from towing capacity to sheer off-roading performance of one of the US's best-selling pickups are listed below.
10 Crawl Control
One of the best features for off-roading on the new Tacoma is its Crawl Control feature. This feature is an advanced multi-terrain system that automatically adjusts the throttle and brakes for better off-road navigation.
It has five low-speed settings, so the driver can focus on steering. These settings should be selected depending on what kind of surface the driver is on and range from rock and gravel in a downhill direction, to snow and sand on an uphill level, and everything in between.
9 Electronic Locking Rear Diff
For improved use off-road, Toyota has also fitted the Tacoma with an electronically locking rear differential and again, is mainly used for navigating rougher terrain with some added stability.
For low traction conditions, the Tacoma's rear diff can evenly distribute the engine power evenly to both of the rear wheels which is a useful feature for those who are navigating sandy areas and need the added grip.
8 Multi-Terrain Select
Keeping with the off-roading aspects of the Tacoma is the Multi-Terrain Select feature or MTS for short. This has 5 modes to select from, a little like the Crawl Control feature but works slightly differently.
This feature deals more with the throttle control and the traction control of the vehicle, minimizing wheel spin and helping the driver get out of difficult situations without getting stuck. It helps prevent the wheels from spinning too much causing the car to sink into the terrain.
7 Hill Start Assist
For navigating tough inclines in hilly or mountainous areas, Toyota has added a Hill Start Assist feature to the Tacoma. For those navigating particularly difficult terrain, this feature is essential.
It works by minimizing the roll of the vehicle on steep inclines when the driver is moving their foot from the accelerator to the brake. Without this, the Tacoma could roll backward, causing an accident.
6 Multi-Terrain Monitor
To give drivers of the Tacoma a better look at their surroundings, a Multi-Terrain Monitor has been added as a feature. Once again, this is best utilized in more demanding areas with difficult terrain.
Using the provided 8-inch display, drivers of the Tacoma can press a button to display the front, rear, and side-mounted cameras, giving the user an immediate view of any potential obstacles in the surrounding area.
5 Bilstein Shocks
Now, all of these off-roading features and helpful tools would be pointless if the Tacoma itself wasn't very good at off-roading. Luckily, Toyota has looked to Bilstein for the shocks on the Tacoma.
These shocks help deliver consistent high performance for when situations get tough and help soak up pressure and impacts in rough areas. This is partly down to them being developed specifically with off-road use in mind.
4 TRD Pro Version
The TRD pro is one of a few different variations of the Tacoma and is the most expensive and probably the best version. The Tacoma TRD Pro features a signature style and unrivaled performance.
The TRD Pro includes a ¼-inch aluminum TRD Pro skid plate, a Toyota heritage grille, Rigid Industries LED fog lights, 16-inch TRD Pro black alloy wheels, 2.5-inch FOX Internal Bypass shocks, and Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain tires.
3 Towing Capacity
Storage options for the Tacoma consist mainly of the rear as it is of course a pickup truck. But it can also be used to tow anything that can't fit in the back as well as any trailers you may want to transport.
Due to the powerful engine and the available tow package, the Tacoma can easily tow up to 6800 lbs of whatever you may want to haul. It can also hold a payload of around 1440 lbs for anything you can fit in the back.
2 V6 Engine
Speaking of the powerful engine, the Tacoma has a 3.5-liter V6 with roughly 278 hp. This is more than enough for general use and some basic off-roading for sure although, it won't be breaking any top speed records any time soon.
This engine is powerful enough and very efficient, which is perhaps the most important aspect for an off-roader built mainly for navigating rough terrain and isn't intended for track use.
1 Price
Despite some of the cool features and high-tech equipment available on the Tacoma, the price is surprisingly low. This is just one of the reasons the Tacoma is so popular among those looking to buy a pickup.
The cheapest SR model starts at just $26,400 which is incredibly low and the best edition, the TRD Pro, is priced at $44,325 which given the added extras that come with this variant, is not bad at all.