It’s time to put the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma to the test. Did Toyota do enough to keep the Tacoma well ahead of the competition? Let’s take this most affordable new Tacoma SR 4×4 for a first test drive to find out.
2024 Toyota Tacoma
First up, let’s talk price. All pickup trucks are getting more expensive these days, and the new 2024 Tacoma is no exception. The outgoing 2023 Tacoma had a starting sticker price of $28,600 + $1,495 = $30,095. The all-new 2024 Tacoma starts at $31,500 + $1,495 = $32,995 for a two-wheel drive. While the destination charge stays the same, the price of the truck goes up $2,900. What are you getting for this price increase? Actually – you get a lot!
The truck I am driving here is a base Tacoma SR 4×4 with an automatic transmission. The base SR is not available with a manual transmission. The 4×4 system adds $3,200 to the price of the truck.
New Powertrain
All new Tacoma trucks get a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but the power levels vary. We are not talking about the new Tacoma Hybrid here because these do not go on sale until later in the Spring of 2024.
Here is how the power output breaks out.
| Power | Torque | |
| Tacoma SR (base w/ Auto Trans.) | 228 hp @ 6,000 rpm | 243 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm |
| Tacoma (w/ Manual Trans.) | 270 hp @ 5,400 rpm | 310 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm |
| Tacoma (w/ Auto Trans.) | 278 hp @ 6,000 rpm | 317 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm |
The truck I’m driving in this review has the base power output. The powertrain is mechanically simplified and the power out is lower than others. Nonetheless, I found this version of the turbo-4 to have enough oomph to carry two people up and down the hills near Malibu, California. Notice how the maximum torque is available at 1,600 rpm. This gasoline engine feels a bit like a small turbo-diesel.
Toyota did not offer an opportunity to tow any trailers or carry any payloads during this first drive event, so this will have to come a little later.
The 8-speed automatic pairs well with this engine in the base SR trim or in other Tacoma trims that have a higher power output. I did not feel like I needed a 9-speed or a 10-speed automatic in this truck. We will have to test and confirm the fuel economy ratings when we get one of these trucks to Colorado very soon.
Here are Toyota’s 2024 Tacoma mpg estimates. The EPA certification has not been finalized as of this writing (Nov 28, 2023).
These are some class-leading or class-matching efficiency numbers. The outgoing 2023 Ford Ranger 2WD was rated at 21 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. The new 2024 Ford Ranger has a rating that is one mpg lower than that. Our testing could never match these EPA Ford Ranger ratings, so we will have to see how the new Tacoma stacks up in the real world.
Old Complaints
There are two main complaints about the current Toyota Tacoma that many hoped would be addressed with the new generation of the truck: interior room/sitting position & powertrain smoothness/delivery. I can confirm that the 2024 Tacoma corrects both.
I am about 6’3” tall, and I fit in the 2024 Tacoma driver’s seat much better! There is a lot of adjustment and I can get very comfortable. The new turbocharged engine and the new 8-speed automatic are a great team. It’s also a lot of fun to drive the new 6-speed manual, but the manual transmission character is very different. The 1st gear in the manual is fairly low, and the redline is near 5,500 rpm. I felt like there was not quite enough rpm range to really “stretch the legs” in first gear. Nonetheless, I am very thankful that the manual transmission remains. It’s still very fun to row your own gears and feel very connected to the truck.
Payload and Towing
It’s great to see that Toyota improved Tacoma’s payload capability on most trim levels and configurations. On the flip side, Toyota did not add any more towing capacity to the new truck.
We will have to compare apples to apples at a later time, but the 2024 Tacoma gains on average 100-150 pounds of payload capacity over the outgoing truck. The maximum towing capacity is still near 6,500 lbs. Competitors such as the Chevy Colorado and Jeep Gladiator are rated to tow up to 7,700 lbs. The Ford Range is rated to tow up to 7,500 lbs.
Another item to watch is the new smaller fuel tank. The outgoing 2023 Tacoma had a 21.1-gallon fuel tank. The new tank holds 18.2 gallons. While the new truck’s fuel efficiency is a bit better, the overall driving range may suffer a bit under certain driving conditions. Once again, we need to test this in the real world.
Price
Here is how the rest of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma pricing breaks down. Please add $1,495 to the starting MSRP you see in the list below.
We do not have any pricing information, official mpg estimates, or driving impressions for the new Tacoma Hybrid lineup.
Please take a look at allTFL.com for an off-road review of the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road with a manual transmission and an automatic transmission!
