It’s time to put the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma to the world’s toughest towing test – the Ike GauntletTM. We are maxing out the new turbo Tacoma with a 6,500-pound trailer. We are comparing it directly against a new turbocharged Chevy Colorado. This Tacoma TRD Off-Road model is a close competitor to the Colorado Trail Boss. They are both basic off-road models in their respective families.
Ike GauntletTM
This is the world’s toughest towing test because we use Interstate-70 which crosses the Continental Divide at an elevation of 11,158 feet above sea level. It’s an 8-mile stretch of the highway with a maximum Interstate-allowed 7% grade.
2024 Toyota Tacoma
The Tacoma is all-new for this year. It’s built on a new TNGA-F platform that also underpins the new Toyota Tundra, Toyota Sequoia, Lexus LX600, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Lexus GX550. The frame is fully boxed. The TRD Off-Road model has a multi-link coil-sprung rear axle and Bilstein shocks.
Under the hood is a new 2.4-liter I4 turbocharged engine that is rated at 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700 rpm when it’s paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s mated to a 3.58-to-1 rear axle ratio. There is an option to get a 6-speed manual transmission, but the engine’s output will be decreased to ( 270 hp and 310 lb-ft to match ).
The cab is taller than before to accommodate a more comfortable driving position. The wheelbase grows by about 4 inches over the previous generation of the Tacoma, but the overall length of the truck remains identical to what it was. New Tacoma’s track width is a bit wider than before, but the door width and cabin width are about the same as before.
This new Tacoma TRD Off-Road has a maximum payload rating of 1,200 lbs and a maximum tow rating of 6,500 lbs.
The truck you see in this video belongs to TFLtruck. It’s our latest long-term tester. We paid a sticker price for it, which was $45,300.
2024 Chevy Colorado
2024 is the second year of the all-new Chevy Colorado. The redesigned truck came on the scene last year. I was one of the first people in Colorado to take delivery of my new 2023 Colorado pickup truck in April of 2023. The truck you see in this video belongs to me and I paid just around $41,000 for it. Since purchase, I added a TurboMax high-output tune, rear mud flaps, and a soft tonneau cover.
If you were to configure and order this exact Trail Boss truck for 2024, it would cost you $41,805.
All 2024 Colorado Trail Boss 4×4 trucks are equipped with the 2.7-liter TurboMax high-output I4 engine with 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Colorado uses a 3.42-to-1 rear axle ratio.
The Colorado Trail Boss has just over 1,500 lbs of maximum payload and 7,700 lbs of maxing towing rating.
Spoiler Alert: here are all of the results and our ratings from the Ike GauntletTM comparison. Scroll just a little further down to watch the video if you haven’t already.
After this comparison, I wanted to go home in the new Tacoma TRD Off-Road. However, I tow a nearly 6,000 lbs boat/trailer in the summer. This Tacoma’s 1,200 lbs of payload and 6,500 lbs is not quiet enough for my trips to the lake. I will keep my Chevy Colorado for now.
