Tacoma TRD Off-Road - Did it Get Better With a Turbo?

We’re living in a time where Toyota has given us a brand new Tacoma that’s 1) TURBOCHARGED… 2) 4×4… and 3) available with a STICK SHIFT. Let that soak in, because that’s the trifecta, right?! Marty McFly’s dream truck! Seriously – tell me that’s not early-90’s Toyota rad-energy rebottled. Granted at 3x the price (we’ll get to that). But I’m choosing to look at this from a glass-half-full perspective. Because from the 4x4s to the GR performance models, Toyota is fighting heroically to keep the spirit of vehicles alive… amidst a broader automotive industry that seems dead-set on taking the driving out of driving.

New Tacoma 2.4-liter turbo…

From highways to 2-lanes, I had zero gripes with the performance of the ~275hp turbocharged 4-cylinder in the new Tacoma. By nearly all accounts, it feels better than the V6 it replaces. It feels more responsive, lighter on its toes, and boostier (obviously). The 2024 Tacoma surges up to speed like a wave is pushing it forward… rather than an anchor pulling it back. All I towed was a stand-up jet ski, so not sure if that counts lol, but the new Tacoma handled it effortlessly. If there’s one criticism, it’s that (on start-up & low speeds) the turbo-4 doesn’t ‘sound’ as robust as the 3rd generation Tacoma… stock that is. All around though – it’s a better driving experience. We have a 2015 4Runner TRD Pro in the family (not the one pictured; that’s my friend’s). And I know a lot of the Toyota 4×4 nation is drawn to the durability & reliability of the non-turbo Toyota V6 & V8 engines… and I get that. Turbos do add potential fail-points. But glass-half-full, they also add a level of fun & engagement that I feel compliments the ownership experience of a Toyota 4×4. I fell in love with this truck.

Living with the new Tacoma…

The new Toyota Tacoma has big shoes to fill. And just like every Tacoma before it, the newest 4th-generation Tacoma still fits like your favorite hoodie. It’s just an easy-going, easy-driving, capable, good-guy truck. I feel like the interior of the new Tacoma compliments the exterior well. Tacoma interiors never felt particularly rugged to me. The last generation wasn’t too bad. But before that, they always kinda felt like Camry interiors in truck bodies. The new Tacoma interior, however, is properly beefed-up & well suited… with a nonintrusive implementation of tech that still uses REAL knobs/dials. I found myself thinking – it’d be nice if the backseats & bed were each 10-inches longer (a long bed is available on some models). But on 2nd thought, that’s also where great vehicles historically get all muddied up: When they keep getting more-&-more obese & compromised until they lose the original appeal. The Toyota Tacoma is a compact/midsize tough truck… that’s what it is & what it should be. And that leads me to this point: It’s not the size, it’s the price that I personally find a little hard to justify…

The new Tacoma is not too small, it’s just too much…

Everything has gotten expensive, I get it. But it doesn’t change the fact that prices of the new Tacoma now potentially surpass its intended audience. In other words, by the time many people get to a place where they can budget for a new Tacoma 4×4… they probably need the bigger Tundra. Midsize trucks historically carved out a cool niche because they’re highly capable at an affordable price-point. But when a nicely-trimmed Tacoma is more than halfway to 100k, how will that market change? It may become hard to justify. Or maybe – the full size trucks have gotten so even more expensive, that it will lead buyers to the more affordable midsize market… which now costs as much as the full size trucks just 4 years ago lol.

The glass-half-full side of that coin, however…

Is that the lower spec 4×4 Tacomas have become refreshingly appealing, especially for purists and enthusiasts. See – we’re all drawn to the sizzle of the fancy/top models in the lineup. But all these factory performance options (on top of inflation & everything else) have shot prices into the stratosphere. Spec-out a Tacoma TRD Pro or Trailhunter, and you’re at 65k fast. And while those editions are awesome, there’s also the argument that they’ve strayed way off-course from the original Tacoma mindset/concept… which is tough, functional simplicity. If you know how to hunt the lineup of new vehicles, there is still value to be found. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, you can buy a turbocharged, 4×4, non-hybrid, stick-shift (or auto) Tacoma at the lower/mid end of the price spectrum – about $43,000. Sure it might not have FOX shocks, full lockers, & suspension in the seats. But maybe we don’t need all that stuff after all. Maybe it kind of loses the plot. And maybe that’s what the aftermarket’s for. Maybe just hit the gas pedal like your granddaddy did lol.

The fact that Toyota now •forces you into a hybrid• if you want the new Tacoma TRD Pro or Trailhunter…

That actually opens up a huge door. Not necessarily for hybrids… but for all the buyers who DON’T want the complexities of a hybrid truck. Because it makes the lower models more attractive. I’ll say it again: You can get your new Tacoma 1) turbocharged, 2) manual transmission, 3) 4×4… and it’s NOT the most expensive Tacoma on the lot. That sets the stage for a ton of aftermarket excitement & opportunity, and I’m 100% here for this.