Road Beat: 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road - What makes it so popular?

Toyota Tacomas are almost an institution, perhaps the best-selling mid-size pickup ever. In 2017 Tacoma sales were about 200,000 and owned over 50 percent of the market and for 2018 total Tacoma sales are 20 percent higher, looking at a 250,000 in sales for 2018 and still holding over a 50 percent market share. That is remarkable. Tacoma is a true default brand as its stellar reputation of quality and reliability is at the top of the mind of just about every mid-size truck buyer.

Tacomas are considered by many customers at bullet proof, maybe howitzer proof. Toyota small pickups were originally conceived as compact trucks, but the Tacoma, they have grown into a true mid-size pickup now stretching out to 212 inches while riding on a 127-inch wheelbase with a Double Cab long bed (74 inches) measuring 226 inches on a 141-inch wheelbase. And width is 75 inches. These numbers are now within inches of some full-size trucks. Tacomas are not small.

Styling is boxy, crisp and aggressive with strong fenders, a beefy front end and a deep 19-inch cargo bed. It looks like a tough truck and in my TRD 4X4 with 18-inch alloys shod with 265/60 series off road tires, climbing into the cabin was an accurate description of the method of ingress. This is not a small or mid-size vehicle. It feels big!

Powering this third generation Tacoma is Toyota’s 3.5L DOHC, 24 valve, direct and port injected with all the bells and whistles V-6 that belts out 278 hp at 6,000 rpm and 265 pounds of twist at 4,600 rpm. It transmits power via a six-speed automatic tranny and a two-speed center differential. The second gen Tacoma used a 4.0L engine of 42 less hp and equal torque and didn’t benefit from direct injection now used in the 3.5L V-6. The new engine provides more performance and better fuel economy.

Weighing in at 4,425 pounds, the tranny works hard to extract performance. Zero-60 mph requires a reasonably quick 7.61 seconds. Passing performance numbers from simulated passes of 50-70 mph acceleration were 3.91 and 5.73 seconds on a level highway and up a 6-7 percent grade. Certainly, decent numbers and responsive acceleration, but not quite as quick as most V-8 powered full-size models, including the small engine (4.6L) V-8 Tundra which at 310 hp and an extra 1,200 pounds of curb weight puts out slightly better numbers than the Tacoma, by a couple of tenths of a second in each performance parameter.

The throttle is strong but it requires deft work by the tranny constantly downshifting. In my round trip to Carson City over the Sierras, the tranny was continually shifting at even the slightest depression of the throttle. If you are into hunting, this tranny will make you happy. At least it was butter smooth most of the time, but there were occasions of jerking when abrupt throttle changes were made at low vehicle speeds.

Fuel Economy is rated by the EPA at 18/22/20mpg city/highway/combined and that’s about what you can expect. My Tacoma averaged 22 mpg in my 200 rile round trip to Carson City and at a steady 70 mph in a two way highway run, the Tacoma averaged 21.5 mpg. Overall in 600 miles of aggressive driving 19-20 mpg was the norm. In other words buying the “smaller “ truck will only net you a couple of mpgs over a “full-size” truck. The fuel tank is a large 21 gallons.

Handling for a tall truck is still quite sporty. With the TRD package the rear suspension gets upgraded from leaf springs to 2.5 inch Fox internal bypass coil-overs which does improve the overall ride and handling. Track is wide at 64 inches but the steering is a bit slow at 3.64 turns lock to lock. Turning circle isn’t bad at 40 feet. Wide tires give the Tacoma good grip and the suspension controls body lean, but it won’t keep up with a true sporting sedan or probably a well sorted out Camry, for that matter. On the plus side it handles accurately as is the steering.
If you like jittery, you will love this truck. It’s not harsh it just jiggles over road imperfections. On smooth roads it is very smooth, but you will feel the bumps. Yet its payload is only about 1,200 pounds as its GVWR is just 5,600 pounds. Maximum tow capacity is 6,400 pounds and I would expect that to be a struggle. I would advise against racing busses when towing at its near maximum.

Safety is covered with plenty of airbags and ABS plus all the other acronyms. It did come with lane departure warning. Another nice feature are the auto-dimming headlights.

Comfort is good with good seats front and rear and high-quality interior surfaces. Instrumentation is complete with a big speedo and tach flanking an info center and trip computer.

The pickup bed was five feet long but width at its maximum point is 57 inches with 42 inches between the wheel wheels. Adequate for most people but not even close to a short bed full size pickup.

Pricing for my TRD Off Road 4X4 started at $36,115 plus $995 for delivery from its San Antonio assembly plant. The TRD off road package added another $2,625, the Technology package added $770 and the TRD skid plate was $499. A few other items brought the total to $41,267, a stiff price for a stiff ride. But its not called an “Off Road” for exactly nothing.

Specifications
Price $41,267 all in
Engine
3.5L DOHC, 24 valve directed and port injected V-6 278 hip @ 6,000 rpm
265 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,600 rpm
Transmission
Five speed manual
Six speed Manual
Six speed torque converter automatic
Configuration
Longitudinal front engine/ rear wheel drive/four-wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 127.4 inches
Length 212.3 inches
Width 75.2 inches
Height 7.6 inches
Ground clearance 9.4 inches
Fuel capacity 21.1 gallons
Track (f/r) 64.0/64.2 inches
Weight 4,425 pounds
GVWR 5,600 pounds
Tow Capacity 6,400 pounds (properly equipped)
Steering lock to lock 3.64 turns
Turning circle 40.6 feet
Co-efficient of drag 0.386
Performance
0-60 mph 7.61 seconds
50-70 mph 3.91 seconds
50-70 mph uphill 5.73 seconds
Top speed Triple digits
Fuel economy EPA rated 18/22/20 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 19-20 mpg in rural driving. 22-23 mpg on the highway at legal speeds.