2025 Toyota Tacoma

Pros

• A huge number of changes and settings.
• Off-road, TRD models are very capable.
• The hybrid engine provides power and fuel efficiency.

Cons

• The back seats are smaller than some rivals.
• When you accelerate swiftly, the engine make a noise that may be heard.

What about how the Tacoma is driven? Because of its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Tacoma’s previous V6 engine won’t affect its driving or carrying ability. Try a 278-horsepower TRD Sport. For our tests, it was strong enough to get the truck to 60 mph in a reasonable 7.6 seconds, and it’s fun to drive every day. Don’t change speeds or bother with the transmission while climbing hills—it works quickly and smoothly.

We were also very happy with how well the Tacoma could stop on the road. Braking is smooth and the pedal moves swiftly, so slowing down at any speed is effortless. The Tacoma’s steering is crisp and light, and it does great on the highway, even though most truck buyers don’t care about how it handles.

A large air dam that may be removed affects the Tacoma’s off-road capabilities by trim level. It can improve at high and low speeds. This car handles most off-road conditions thanks to its upgraded traction control and clever shock absorbers.

What kind of comfort does the Tacoma offer? The front seats, which are big and mostly flat, can accommodate people of all kinds. While the optional synthetic leather seating felt nice, the cloth seats in our test truck were a bit rough. They should last a long time, though.As with other midsize vehicles, the back seats might be roomier, and taller riders complained about the low seat cushions for extended rides.

What trim level you get will affect how the Tacoma moves. At base level, like the SR, the ride is tougher, as predicted. Higher classes have sophisticated suspension systems, improving ride quality. All Tacomas have simple temperature controls that are easy to find. The buttons and switches are large enough to use without gloves.

How is the interior? Besides the tough-looking cabin, the Tacoma’s main touchscreen stands out the most. The normal model has an 8-inch screen, but the one in our test truck has a better 14-inch screen. Clear and simple controls make the extra surround-view camera system look better. The Tacoma features many genuine buttons and switches, which is excellent since many new cars employ virtual ones.

The Tacoma is easy to enter, although the back seats have insufficient headroom. The tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel gives drivers many options. Tall drivers will have ample space.

What’s wrong with the tech?The majority of the interior space of the Tacoma is occupied by the 14-inch touchscreen that was an option on our test truck. Despite its odd appearance, this dashboard accessory is packed with important functions including wireless smartphone integration and the capacity to respond to voice commands. The Tacoma is compatible with wireless charging mats and features numerous USB-C charging ports. However, there are those who are concerned that the nearly vertical design of wireless charging mats can lead mobile phones to topple over and disconnect from the charger.

Adaptive cruise control at all speeds, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and other cutting-edge driver assistance systems are standard on every Tacoma model. The driver assistance systems performed admirably on the whole. They wouldn’t have been too careful or prone to sending out unnecessary warnings.

How do you store and tow things? Utility and storage are very important to Tacoma. The cargo bed comes with a 400-watt plug like the ones you find in homes. It comes in two sizes. The hybrid engine in the Tacoma makes the output go up to 2,400 watts. The Tacoma has a lot of storage space inside. The center panel, front, and back doors are crammed with storage. A helpful tray covers the glove box.

When you set up the XtraCab, even though it only has two seats, there is a lot of extra space behind the front seats for bigger items. This makes it easy to move things that you don’t want to put in the bed. The backs of the four-door Double Cab seats fold down, and the pillows flip up to make more room for storage.

The Tacoma can haul 1,705 pounds, which is a lot. When properly loaded, the Tacoma can pull an average of 6,500 pounds, while the Colorado can pull up to 7,700 pounds. This should tow most small to medium trailers.

How much fuel does it use? All Tacomas should achieve similar gas mileage. It was a trip in a TRD Sport with a four-wheel drive. Toyota says it will get 21 mpg. A somewhat improved 22.6 mpg was achieved on our test drive. The hybrid motor has a lot more horsepower and torque than the regular engine, but it should use about the same amount of gas. In particular, the Tacoma doesn’t need special gas.

Is the Tacoma reasonably priced? Toyota offers several trim levels so that buyers can find one that fits their wants and budget. However, low-quality Tacomas don’t try to hide the fact that they lack many choices; their interiors are full of empty buttons and missing equipment. Basic Tacomas feel a lot more useful than similarly equipped Chevy Colorados, but they lack the grace of those cars.

Industry standard bumper-to-bumper coverage is three years or 36,000 miles, and powertrain coverage is six years or 60,000 miles. Toyota provided two years of free maintenance and roadside assistance.

Most Tacoma trims are workhorses, not pleasure cars. The pleasure of having a car that does so many things well is underappreciated. We were surprised that Tacoma’s looks caused more disagreement than we thought they would. Some of our writers thought the aggressive look of this midsize truck was a bit much, while others thought it was silly and over the top.

As of this writing, Toyota hasn’t said anything public about the 2025 Tacoma. If anything changes, we’ll let you know, but based on last year’s Tacoma, we think the TRD Sport is the better choice. For a fair price, it has a good mix of comfort, off-road ability, and road amenities. The crew cab has only one four-wheel drive mode, but it also has a manual engine and a short or long bed.

Types of Toyota Tacomas

The Toyota Tacoma is a medium pickup truck that comes in two different styles: the Double Cab, which has four doors and room for five people, and the ExtraCab, Two doors, two seats, and tons of storage beneath the seats. The extended cab features a 6-foot bed, while the crew cab has 5 or 6-foot beds. Toyota has eight different trim options for the Tacoma. They are Trailhunter, Limited, TRD Pro, TRD Off-Road, SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, and TRD Sport.