Toyota’s 2024 Tacoma: Your Next Off-Road Adventure Awaits!

Not the official truck of Takoma Park, however —

The TRD Pro trim even comes with seats fitted with shock absorbers.

Kristin Shaw
– Dec 18, 2023 5:24 pm UTC

Enlarge / Yes, pickup trucks are used in work situations, but they’re also bought by people who want to drive them off-road.

Kristin Shaw

Between a new platform and the model’s first hybrid powertrain, the redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma is full of interesting tidbits and both off- and on-road enhancements. The refresh has been a long time coming, as the last time Toyota updated the Tacoma was for model-year 2015.

The Tacoma line began in 1995 as a US-specific version of the global HiLux. Even Back to the Future‘s Marty McFly coveted a black 1985 Toyota HiLux SR5 Xtra Cab, and it appeared in his garage, complete with a kangaroo bar, off-roading lights, and more.

By design, the new Tacoma is larger than the last generation, sharing a platform with the full-size Tundra. Today, the 2024 Tacoma is more fuel-efficient than its smaller predecessor, notching between 20 and 26 mpg (9–11.8 L/100 km) in the gas-powered versions—a 1995 HiLux ranged from 14–22 mpg (10.7–16.8 L/100 km). We’re waiting to see what the hybrid powertrain earns from the EPA; the difference in mpg may be modest, but the horsepower quotient is impressive.

Enlarge / Toyota will sell you a range of different Tacoma trims, many of which can handle some rough stuff. The TRD Off-Road grade is the most specialized.

Kristin Shaw

In the last few years, the popularity of off-roading has soared, and the segment has exploded, with accessories becoming a cost center for manufacturers, too. The 2024 Tacoma is available with over 100 off-roading accessories, all covered by the same warranty as the truck. At the truck’s launch, we had an opportunity to test it off the tarmac.

More options, more off-road upgrades

Toyota didn’t spare any bells and whistles for the new Tacoma, basing the infotainment system on the new Tundra’s much-improved setup and adding a coilover rear suspension option over leaf springs. Each trim level has a suspension tuned specifically to its grade, including high-end Bilstein shocks for the TRD Off-Road grade.

The differences are evident after driving several trims on a test run in California. Limited trim buyers can choose an available adaptive variable suspension that adjusts to road conditions on the fly; the ride is noticeably smoother than its model siblings. On the other end of the spectrum, the TRD line carries progressively tougher shocks to save your back and neck muscles when powering over dirt and rock obstacles.

Toyota

At the top of the line is the Trailhunter grade, which is equipped with an Old Man Emu suspension by ARB. The Australian suspension setup is designed to increase the range of motion to make off-roading more comfortable—and,

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