If you know even the least about a Toyota Tacoma, you know that excellent resale value and durability are inherent. You probably also know that immense capability is baked into the long-running, best-selling midsize pickup truck.
The Tacoma has been fully revamped for 2024. This new generation sheds some aspects, like the V6 engine the Tacoma offered for decades. It debuts others, including an exciting hybrid powertrain option, fresh technology, and a new trim called the Trailhunter that comes straight from the factory ready for adventure.
After our initial testing of the Tacoma, we were so impressed that we named it our Best Buy Award winner among midsize trucks. We recently got to know it even better in the wilderness. There, the Tacoma enabled us to reach impressive heights (literally) and take us to places far beyond the range of internet connectivity and even electricity and running water, for that matter.
In the high altitudes outside of Denver, Colorado, we hunted trails in the new Tacoma Trailhunter and ventured off the beaten path in the Tacoma TRD Pro. Here are our takeaways from these most adventurous and capable versions of the Toyota Tacoma, each also powered by the potent i-Force Max hybrid powertrain.
If you're cynically wondering whether it was smart for Toyota to replace the Tacoma's venerable V6 engine with a 4-cylinder hybrid, let's immediately put any doubts to rest -- this powertrain rocks. We'd suggest you don't dare bemoan it until you've climbed a 12,000-foot peak accessible only by mountain goats or 4-wheel-drive (4WD) rigs like this one. That's exactly what we did as part of a two-day trek in Colorado's backcountry, where we slowly picked our way up and down craggy trails.
The Tacoma's i-Force Max heart, which combines a 2.4-liter turbo 4-cylinder engine and electric motor to make 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, barely flinched. That impressive torque number paid real-life dividends, easily getting us where we needed to go. The powertrain provided amazing low-speed grunt. And we did a lot of low-speed grunting, with most of our days spent in 4-low.
This has long been Toyota's most capable version of the Tacoma. It always featured off-road-specific hardware, higher ground clearance, beefy suspension and tires, and, of course, standard 4-wheel drive. The latest Tacoma TRD Pro boasts features like an adjustable Fox suspension, front sway bar disconnect, ARB steel rear bumpers, cold air intake, Rigid Industries LED fog lamps, and specialized IsoDynamic front seats.
Its list of features could go on and on. We haven't even mentioned all the things that come standard on a Toyota Tacoma, period. Those include a robust suite of safety and driver aids like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and Toyota's excellent Proactive Driving Assist feature.
In our time ascending and descending mountains, the Tacoma TRD Pro never broke a sweat. It easily clambered over rock-strewn trails, creeks, and all manner of terrain. In short, it's ready to get dirty.
Yet let's be real: Many of these trucks will also be used as commuters. And here, the Taco also works well. Its segment-first IsoDynamic seat, for all its intent in keeping you stable off-road (which it does), also provides comfort on the highway. Just know that there's a tradeoff for rear seat space. The IsoDynamic front seats are some seriously robust perches. Their hardware in back is thicker than the seats in other models, which eats into your rear-seat accommodations. For those up front, the seats do an excellent job of keeping you stable no matter how rough the terrain.
The Tacoma TRD Pro continues to sit at the top of the lineup, and at $65,395, including the destination charge, it is more than $30,000 beyond the price of the least-expensive Tacoma. But that coin brings a serious truck ready for serious off-roading straight from the factory. Yet, it's not the only monster in the new Tacoma lineup.
If the Tacoma TRD Pro is more geared for higher speed off-road runs, the new Tacoma Trailhunter is purpose-built to, well, hunt trails and go overlanding. We're talking about tackling extreme terrain that requires low speeds and airing down tires to get where you're going.
Emphasizing this point is a built-in air compressor in the bed, which we used before and after hitting the trails. For our adventure, we aired the tires down from 40 psi to 30 psi. Doing so was a snap with the Trailhunter's built-in compressor. It was a boon not just for our truck but also the other Tacoma models we were testing on this trip, because that's what friends do for each other. And when doing the kind of off-roading we did, it's always a good idea to bring friends and just-in-case provisions.
The air compressor hidden in the Trailhunter's bed isn't the only differentiator between this model and the TRD Pro. There are other physical traits that are impossible to ignore. One is the ARB sport bar in the back that's ready to mount a variety of gear.
Then there's that thing sticking out the passenger side that extends from the back of the hood to the top of the front window. Technically, it's known as a high-mount air intake, but those in the know call it what it looks like: a snorkel. It's standard on the Trailhunter and is another sign that this rig means business.
Also notable is that, unlike the TRD Pro, the Trailhunter can be had with a longer, 6-foot bed or the 5-footer, which is the only option for the TRD Pro. When you're overlanding, that extra space is a benefit for adding gear or a tent, and it's only $500 extra. Both models come standard -- and exclusively -- as crew cabs.
At $64,395, the 2024 Tacoma Trailhunter is just $1,000 shy of the TRD Pro, and for most buyers, the choice will come down to usage as much as it does looks.
We found the Trailhunter just as capable on our particular off-road adventure, but if you're bent on doing the overlanding thing (or just looking like you do), the Trailhunter rolls out the factory ready and warrantied to do it. We will note that the snorkel does create quite a bit of wind noise on the highway. From the driver's seat, it's not all that apparent, but sitting passenger side you'll definitely notice the whoosh.
After two days in two versions of Toyota's most off-road-ready Tacomas, we came away more than impressed. Yes, each comes with some compromises for the sake of their off-road prowess, but they are hardly alone in that. In fact, that seems part of the deal and even the appeal of such adventure rigs.
We are confident that either will get you to your destination no matter how remote. And being Toyotas, they will also bring you back.