Road Review: Favorite mid-size truck: Toyota Tacoma

Even though the roads seem to be a sea of crossovers, with a steadily increasing number of hybrids or electric vehicles, trucks are still the kings of the road. The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in America for as long as anyone can remember, and here in Colorado, people still tend to like their true four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles.

One of the most popular 4WD vehicles AAA Colorado AutoSource helps members find is the Toyota Tacoma, a mid-size pickup truck that’s definitely worth a gander for a its value proposition and superior off-road capability.

Most appealing

• Thanks to an impressive 9.4 inches of ground clearance (about 2 inches more than some competitors!) on all models, the Tacoma is built to go off-road and handle any terrain. It also manages to drive rather quietly and nimbly on the city streets.
• A vast truck bed covered in an easily-cleanable hard plastic and full of myriad hooks, handles, and other storage features makes this one of the most pragmatic truck beds in its class.
• A towing capacity of up to 6,800 that puts it near the top of its class.
• In 2018, Toyota added a suite of standard active safety features – the Toyota Safety Sense package – that includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and road sign assist. This creates an active safety ensemble in the Tacoma that is often only seen in higher-priced vehicles and keeps the driver and vehicle occupants as safe as possible.

Room for improvement

• The cabin is not overly spacious, with the rear seat in the crew cab models really only suitable for small adults or, better yet, children. The seats are all relatively unimpressive in their comfort level as well.
• The design aesthetic would be best described as lacking, even on the higher-trim levels. While the infotainment system and other in-cabin technology are user-friendly, the whole experience would benefit from the addition of some tangible design energy.

Best for who?

With six different models to choose from and a variety of available option packages, the Tacoma possibilities are almost endless. It’s a truck best for practical consumers who don’t need the bulk of a full-sized pickup and don’t care much about design, but simply want a very capable truck that’s also versatile and fun to drive. The 2019 Toyota Tacoma starts at $25,700.

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2019 Toyota Tacoma. Courtesy of Toyota

We also got to spend some time in a Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium. If you like the idea of a pickup truck, but don’t necessarily want one, and need a more family-friendly vehicle, the 4Runner is a great option. Unlike a crossover, which is built on a car’s chassis, the 4Runner remains a true body-on-frame 4WD, just like a pickup truck. However, it adds a slew of creature comforts like comfortable seating, quirkily oversized knobs and buttons to amp up the style quotient in the cabin, and an improbably smooth driving experience. This all combines to create a terrific option for buyers who enjoy comfort with the possibility of keeping it wild and crushing the off-road from time-to-time. The 2019 4Runner starts at $35,110.