Toyota's trucks are rarely a disappointment. The company's truck plants have been made famous for their lean manufacturing proficiency and build quality. This week, we have the newest Tacoma to look over. Our test truck comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and the standard 3.5-liter V6 engine. Being a "Sport" model, it is effectively the middle-tier offering for the Tacoma. However, our truck came outfitted with enough extras to bump the sticker price close to $40,000.
This was the first opportunity I have had to drive a Toyota Tacoma in a very long time.
The things I liked most about it was the ride. It was very smooth over bumpy roads and potholes. It was both smooth in town and out on the highway. I also liked the interior materials and instrument layout. The bed and hard cover were really great as well.
Now for the things I was not crazy about. Even though it had the V6 with the 6-speed manual transmission, it seemed like you had to work really hard to extract the power out of it. Speaking of the transmission, the shifter knob was never tight and constantly turned in your hand.
Other than that, it was a great truck that would be great for off-roading and for light hauling duty.
My review of this pickup basically echoes Rick's feelings. It was a great truck with good balance. The massive hood definitely gives you the impression of driving a larger truck, but the handling and interior space is at the level you would expect from a medium-sized truck.
It definitely doesn't seem to have the get-up and go that we've become accustomed to in new trucks.
Other than that, I was a big fan of the Tacoma Sport. I greatly appreciate the manual transmission. You don't see that too often in modern trucks.
If i was optioning one out for myself I would probably not select some of the items that drove the sticker price up so high, like the Premium and Technology packages.
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