Toyota’s midsize body-on-frame offerings are unbelievably popular. They provide great reliability, fit and finish, and unrivaled resale value (okay maybe not as good as say a Westy Syncro, but it’s still impressive). In the US the Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner draw the attention of hardcore rock crawlers, overland enthusiasts, and wide-eyed teenagers.
Decades after their US debut, Toyota trucks continue to attract everyday people to a cult of like-minded die-hard Toyota fans. Many of us first saw the transformation when a black 1985 SR5 Xtracab pickup took to the screen and stole Marty McFly’s heart. Granted McFly never lusted over the US built Tacoma, which hit the market in 1995. But the spirit is still there and countless people still daydream about taking a brand new Toyota 4×4 to the lake to sleep under the stars.
2016-Present
In a world of frequent automotive redesigns and every other model year tweaks, Tacoma fans were left waiting in the wings for just over a decade. Sure there were a few little changes along the way, but when Toyota released the 2016 model sales numbers indicated that it was time for a new Tacoma. In fact, in July 2016 Toyota sold over 111,000 Tacoma’s; almost doubling the sales of the next best selling mid-size truck.
The Good…
- Aggressive styling
- Crawl Control
- Available locking rear differential
- Anecdotal 300k mile stories will continue to prop up these trucks’ resale value
The not so good…
- It’s not a Hilux
- No diesel option
- The redesign fell a little short after a decade-long wait…Chevy Colorado (and its GMC twin) are growing in popularity
2005-2015
In 2005 Toyota’s small truck got fat. Compared to previous generations the completely new Taco was a bit more like a Chipotle burrito. It was larger in almost every dimension, inside and out. However, like comparing a street taco to a huge burrito; the new Tacoma came packed full of wonderful goodies.
The good…
- More horse power than its predecessor
- More elbow room for passengers
- Down hill assist on TRD off road
- Optional locking rear differential
- Composite bed
- 115 Volt / 400 Watt power outlet in the bed
The not so good…
- It’s not a Hilux
- Unable to squeeze through tight spaces like the older Toyota pickups
1995-2004
The good…
- Toyota finally brought the crew cab to the US (model year 2000-2004)
- Not as cumbersome as the models introduced in 2005
- It was the best thing ever manufactured in the California NUMMI Plant (This American Life has a great series on the NUMMI plant)
The not so good…
- You guessed it… it’s not a Hilux
- In retrospect naming a vehicle “Tacoma” in the mid 90’s wasn’t the smartest move
- Rusty frame recall (Google it… but by now those affected are either completely rusted out, were bought back by Toyota, or have had the frames replaced)
