According to Andre: You’ll be surprised with what these two Toyota Tacomas have in common!
These two Toyota Tacomas have very little in common, but there still are few similarities.
Baby Yota is equipped with a 2.7 four-cylinder engine that makes a tiny amount of horsepower. Seriously, it’s kind of anemic. Still, it has decent gearing and (now) an outstanding suspension system that makes it remarkably capable. It also has updated, off-road-ready bumpers (and a winch), upgraded wheels, tires, and lots of overlanding extras. All in all, ‘Baby Yota’ is one of the best-equipped small pickup trucks you can find in this class.
A tale of two Tacos.
Okay, I admit, I wanted a rear locker installed, but the budget and the idea of keeping things simple got in the way. If you want to see Baby Yota take on the challenges of Moab, Utah – click (here).
The 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, on the other hand, is a beast right out of the box. Keep in mind, it does have an optional suspension upgrade that gives it a two-inch lift up front, and a one-inch in back. It was an expensive $1,550 upgrade, but the added height helps off-road – a lot. As Andre says, “It’s a completely different beast.” With a chunky V6 and a crew-cab setup, it can comfortably haul five people and a significant amount of gear.
Both trucks are remarkably rugged, but if you look at these vehicles next to each other, the modern Toyota Tacoma absolutely dwarfs the old Taco. Obviously, the modern model packs a lot of safety and efficiency technology that wasn’t available during the time of the old Tacoma.
In many ways, this is Andre’s final farewell to the little truck. We will all miss it. Still, it’s interesting to see how many things have changed, and what things remain the same.
