What's New
What's new with the 2021 Toyota Tacoma? Nothing, not that it really needed any freshening up. Despite being one of the most dated options in the midsize truck market, it remains the best-selling midsize truck year in and year out.
Why?
Credit Toyota's sterling reputation for dependability as well as the Taco's masculine looks and adventurous aura. For many buyers, those factors alone outweigh the more compelling spec sheets of competing trucks.
Choosing Your Toyota Tacoma
The Tacoma is available in six trim levels: SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro. Pricing starts at $27,245 including destination for the base SR model and climbs to $45,170 for the TRD Pro.
Engine Choices
Motivating the SR and SR5 is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. A 3.5-liter V6 is found in all other models, and it's optional on the two lower trims a well. The V6 much better suited to moving the Tacoma, especially a loaded-up example.
Engine Type | Horsepower | Torque | Max Towing | Fuel Economy (Combined) |
2.7L 4-Cylinder | 159 hp | 180 lb-ft | 3,500 pounds | 21 mpg |
3.5L V6 | 278 hp | 265 lb-ft | 6,800 pounds | 21 mpg |
The four-cylinder mates up to a six-speed automatic transmission that drives the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive is available as well. A six-speed automatic remains the most common transmission with the V6, but Toyota continues to offer a six-speed manual on the three TRD trims.
Maximum towing capacity of 6,800 pounds trails the competition by at least a few hundred pounds
If the depressing power numbers didn't deter you from the four-cylinder already, the gas mileage should be enough to do so. As noted in the chart above, the tepid four gets the same combined fuel economy as the much more powerful V6. It also can't haul or tow nearly as much. Leave the base engine for fleet buyers and cheapskates and step up to a V6 model.
Passenger and Cargo Capacity
Two cab styles and bed lengths are offered. Access Cabs get two partial rear clamshell doors and a compromised rear seating area, while Double Cabs offer four full-size doors and a more car-like back seat. All but the top two trims are offered with both cabs.
The most popular Tacoma is the four-door Double Cab, which can seat five. However, the three rear passengers must make do with just 32 inches of leg room, which falls well short of what's offered by the four-door Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger. Access Cabs cut that down to a mere 24 inches of leg room, equivalent to the tightest third-row seats of crossovers and SUVs.
A 5-foot bed is mandatory with the Access Cab, but Double Cabs offer both the 5-foot and a 6-foot bed. The 5- and 6-foot beds are sized the same as the competition.
Safety Features
Toyota's Safety Sense suite of safety features is standard equipment on all the company's products, including the Tacoma. The suite of features comprises automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control.
Additional safety kit like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view camera come standard on Limited and TRD Pro trims.
To keep safe on the trails, a multi-terrain monitor is available on the TRD Off-Road and is standard on the TRD Pro.
Connectivity
Base Tacoma trucks make do with a 7-inch touchscreen display that comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All other trims get an 8-inch screen, and navigation is included on Limited and TRD Pro trims. All trucks get Bluetooth, three USB ports, and wi-fi hotspot capability.
The base Tacoma SR is sparsely equipped by any definition. Its short list of amenities includes cloth upholstery, 16-inch wheels, power windows and locks, and heated mirrors.
Remote keyless entry is $240, and an $840 SX Package blacks out the trim. The Utility Package lopes off $1,780 from the MSRP by eliminating the back seat and rear wiper and swapping out the body-color bumpers and trim for unpainted plastic pieces.
Compared to the SR, the SR5 tacks on a 4.2-inch driver information display, chrome bumpers, fog lights, keyless entry, and the 8-inch touchscreen.
The only options are a $650 tonneau cover and a $685 Appearance Package that includes dark gray 16-inch wheels and color-keyed overfenders.
Along with its upsized V6 engine, the TRD Sport gets dual-zone climate control, a 120-volt outlet in the bed, and wireless charging. Heated seats are also standard on Double Cabs only.
Optional is the $1,280 Technology Package, which includes LED headlights and fog lights, audible parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The same package with a tonneau cover is also offered for $1,935.
The next tier of TRD is the TRD Off-Road. Its standard content includes a 10-way power driver's seat, electronically-locking rear differential, and machined 16-inch alloy wheels. Four-wheel drive models also come standard with a multi-terrain drive mode selector.
The Limited is as luxurious as the Tacoma gets. More chrome slathers the exterior, and larger 18-inch wheels fill the fenders. Full LED lighting, a power moonroof, premium audio, navigation, a surround-view camera, and leather upholstery are all standard.
The only option is a $1,000 Nightshade package that blacks out the exterior.
The priciest Tacoma mixes in the luxuries of the Limited with a slew of hardware that showcases the best of Toyota's TRD team. It gets Fox internal-bypass shocks, the multi-terrain drive mode selector, skid plates, a cat-back exhaust, a multi-terrain monitor, and 16-inch black alloy wheels.
Compare Tacoma Trims Side-By-Side
Normally, we'd say shy away from the pricier 2021 Toyota Tacoma trims, especially given how dated it is versus the competition. But depreciation hardly affects these trucks, so it's easier to justify buying one of the more expensive models. Regardless, our favorite option is the TRD Off-Road, which is a fine balance of daily driver and trail rig.