2011 Toyota Tacoma Review and Prices

By Chuck Giametta

2011 TOYOTA TACOMA BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Toyota Tacoma is the best pickup truck for you if you want a compact truck that deserves its cult following.  

• The 2011 Toyota Tacoma will not change significantly from the 2010 Tacoma. Celebrated for its toughness and off-road tenacity, Tacoma dominates the shrinking compact-pickup segment, commanding a nearly 40 percent market share and outselling the next-most-popular model, the Ford Ranger, by more than 2-1.  

• Should you wait for the 2011 Toyota Tacoma or buy a 2010 Toyota Tacoma? Buy a 2010 Tacoma. No major change to appearance, equipment, or features is likely for model-year 2011. And the 2010 Tacoma’s looks and engineering won’t go out of style for several years; the next big update probably won’t occur before model-year 2014.  

2011 TOYOTA TACOMA CHANGES

• Styling: The 2011 Toyota Tacoma will carry forward styling revisions brought on line for model-year 2009. They were the first updates since this generation Tacoma bowed as a 2005 model. Part of Tacoma’s appeal is variety. It offers three cab styles and three wheelbases – most rivals offer just two – and its crew cab is available with two cargo-bed lengths – most competitors have one. The 2011 Tacoma regular-cab will again ride a 109.4-inch wheelbase, seat up to three, and have a 6.1-foot bed. Toyota calls the extended-cab the Access Cab. It will repeat with a 127.4-inch-wheelbase and use the 6.1-foot bed. Access Cabs have small, rear-hinged back doors and seat four with help from two forward-facing rear jump seats. The crew-cab is dubbed the Double Cab. The 2011 Tacoma Double Cab will continue on the 127.4-inch-wheelbase with a 5-foot bed or on a 140.6-inch-wheelbase -- longest in the class -- with the 6.1-foot bed. Tacoma Crew Cabs have four conventional doors and a rear bench seat for five-passenger capacity. Double Cabs make up 53.5 percent of Tacoma sales, Access Cab 31 percent, regular cabs 15.5 percent. All Tacomas come in base-level trim and upmarket SR5 form, and all but the regular-cab are available in off-road-ready TRD livery. (TRD, or Toyota Racing Development, is the company’s in-house specialty equipment arm.) Also offered are PreRunner models in all three cab styles. PreRunners mimic the raised-suspension look of the TRD four-wheel-drive (4WD) models but come only with two-wheel drive (2WD). The tuner-inspired X-Runner is a 2WD Access Cab with a lowered sport suspension, aero lower-body trim, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Other models use 15- or 16-inch wheels, and the TRD is available with 17s. The 2009 styling revisions brought to all Tacomas LED taillamps and a grille painted gunmetal grey instead of black. TRD and X-Runner versions gained smoked headlamp trim. And Access and Double cabs got a new tailgate handle to accommodate their newly available backup monitor. Tacoma's inner cargo bed walls are made from sheet-molded compound for durability and resistance to dents and scratches.         

• Mechanical: The 2011 Toyota Tacoma is not due any notable mechanical changes. The 2011 Tacoma will again be available with a choice of two engines, a 2.7-liter four-cylinder or a 4.0-liter V-6. Both are dual-overhead-cam designs with variable valve timing. Expect 2011 Tacoma power ratings to carry over from the 2010 model, with the four-cylinder at 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque and the V-6 at 236 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. A dealer-installed TRD supercharger kit boosts the V-6 to 304 horsepower and 334 pound-feet and carries a 5-year, 60,000-mile factory warranty. The V-6 is standard on Tacoma Double Cabs and available on Access Cabs; it isn’t available on the regular-cab. Transmission choices for the 2011 Tacoma ought to repeat, too. Four-cylinder 4WD versions will come only with a five-speed manual, four-cylinder 2WD models will be available the manual or a four-speed automatic. V-6 Tacomas will repeat with a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed automatic, though the X-Runner has been manual only. Both engines mate with rear-wheel drive or with a part-time 4WD system for use only on slippery surfaces. The 4WD system has low-range gearing suitable for off-road use. Off-road ability is a Tacoma selling point, starting with its pure-truck body-on-frame construction and a suspension with coil springs in front and a rugged leaf-spring solid-axle in back. Just over half the Tacomas sold are 4WD models, and about 35 percent have the TRD package. Available on 4WD V-6 Access or Double cabs, the TRD Off-Road package includes a fortified and raised suspension, hill-start and hill-descent control, and a locking rear differential activated from an electronic switch in the cab. Manual-transmission 4WD Tacomas are also among the few modern vehicles that can be started in gear without depressing the clutch – a trick employed by off-roaders on steep inclines. Non-TRD Tacomas come with Toyota’s Automatic Limited-slip Differential. All Tacomas have front-disc/rear-drum brakes but come with antilock control and traction-control and antiskid systems, Equipped with a V-6 Tow Package, Access and Double cabs can pull 6,500-pound trailers. Maximum payload rating is 1,570 pounds.

• Features: The 2011 Toyota Tacoma roster of features isn’t likely to see any major expansion, though it’ll remain competitive. Regular cabs are very basic trucks. They come with a tilt/telescope steering wheel, but are not available with such features as power windows and locks; air conditioning is a stand-alone option. Access and Double cabs have those amenities as standard, plus front bucket seats with a center console. Double cabs also get standard power mirrors. Tacoma offers a plethora of option packages for its Access and Double cabs. The Access Cab Convenience Package, for example, adds cruise control, remote keyless entry, power mirrors, sliding rear window with privacy glass, and steering-wheel audio controls. Tacoma isn’t available with leather upholstery or a navigation system, but standard on the X-Runner and optional on Access and Double cabs is a rearview camera that displays on a portion of the inside mirror; it shows objects behind and is useful when backing to a trailer hitch. The SR5 Package available on Access and Double cabs bundles styling and comfort features, including color-keyed overfenders and front bumper, chrome grille surround, chrome rear bumper, and intermittent windshield wipers. Inside, SR5 Tacomas get upgraded trim and leather wrapping for the steering wheel and automatic-transmission shifter. Audio options include a premium JBL system with seven speakers and subwoofer. Access Cabs with the premium system mount a 7.9-inch 65-watt subwoofer on the bulkhead wall between the rear jump seats. Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity is included with the upgraded audio systems, but iPod interface is limited to an auxiliary jack; USB linking is not available. All Tacomas have torso-protecting front-seat-mounted side airbags and head-protecting curtain side airbags. The curtain bags are designed to deploy in both side collisions and when sensors detect an impeding rollover. In recognition of tilt angles experienced off-road, Tacoma includes a switch to temporarily disable the rollover sensors.

2011 TOYOTA TACOMA PRICES

• Toyota won’t announce 2011 Tacoma prices until shortly before the vehicle goes on sale, but they’re not likely to increase markedly over model-year 2010 levels. (Prices in this review include the manufacturer’s mandated destination fee. Toyota’s fee for 2010-model trucks was $800. Note that Toyotas sold in some Southeastern and Gulf states are supplied by independent distributors and may carry different destination fees.)

• Based on 2010 pricing, expect the 2011 Toyota Tacoma regular-cab models to start around $16,300 with 2WD and around $20,400 with 4WD.

• Estimated starting price for the 2011 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab is around $20,400 with 2WD and the four-cylinder, and around $25,900 with 4WD and the V-6. The 2011 Toyota Tacoma X-Runner Access Cab should start around $26,600. Expect the 2011 Tacoma PreRunner Access Cab to be priced from around $17,300 with the four-cylinder, from around $22,700 with the V-6.

• Estimated starting price for the 2011 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab is about $24,800 with 2WD and about $27,000 with 4WD.

• Toyota says 68 percent of Tacomas sold are V-6 models, and that the most-popular configuration is the 4WD Double Cab, at approximately 20 percent of all Tacoma sales. Some 80 percent of Tacoma buyers choose automatic transmission.

2011 TOYOTA TACOMA FUEL ECONOMY

• Official 2011 EPA mileage estimates were not been released in time for this review, but the 2011 Toyota Tacoma’s fuel-economy ratings should not change from the 2010 model’s. That’s good news for four-cylinder Tacoma buyers.

• Tacoma’s four-cylinder models ranked among the most fuel-efficient compact pickups in 2010 EPA ratings. The only rival with higher EPA ratings for 2010 was the Ford Ranger with a 143-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, 2WD, and a five-speed manual transmission; it was rated at 22/27 mpg (city/highway).

• The 2011 Toyota Tacoma four-cylinder 2WD model repeating its 2010 EPA numbers would rate 20/26 mpg (city/highway) with manual transmission, 19/25 with automatic. The four-cylinder 4WD model, which comes only with manual transmission, would again rate 17/22 mpg.

• If the 2011 Tacoma with the V-6 repeats 2010 EPA estimates it would again be mid-pack among compact pickups. The 2011 Toyota Tacoma V-6 fuel-economy ratings would be 15/18 mpg for 2WD versions with manual transmission, 17/21 for 2WD models with automatic. The 2011 Tacoma V-6 4WD versions would rate 14/18 mpg with manual, 16/20 with automatic.

2011 TOYOTA TACOMA RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Toyota Tacoma should begin arriving at dealerships in autumn 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE TOYOTA TACOMA

• The compact-pickup class has fallen on hard times. First came a sales hit during the prosperous, truck-crazy 1990s. Buyers discovered that heavy incentives and stiff competition in the full-size category enabled them to purchase a big pickup for a price near, or below, that of a compact.

• The economic downturn of the late 2000s delivered a second blow, gutting the entire truck market of casual-use buyers and freezing spending by commercial users. Compact-pickup design stagnated, and sales decline as a category outpaced that of big pickups. Compact sales were off a sobering 43 percent for the first half of 2009, compared to a 36 percent year-over-year drop for the full-size class.

• Tacoma sales were off nearly 37 percent during 2009, but it was doing better than most compact pickups. Credit a loyal owner base and Tacoma’s hard-earned status as an aspirational purchase that doesn’t shout, “I can’t afford a full-size pickup.”

• Still, compact-pickup development has slowed dramatically as automakers put their resources into other vehicle categories. Notable is how crossovers that use car-type chassis are rapidly replacing pickup-based, body-on-frame SUVs. Carmakers can no longer squeeze those additional profits out of their small-truck platforms.

• For its part, Toyota released a redesigned or re-engineered compact pickup on average every 5 years between 1975 and 1995. It’s introduced just two generations since then: the all-new Tacoma that replaced the Hi-Lux pickup in model-year 1995, and today’s Tacoma, which was launched as a 2005 model.

• But slow development is better than none, and while other automakers dither about staying in the compact-pickup game, Toyota shows no signs of abandoning the field. Nonetheless, don’t expect this second-generation Tacoma to receive further mechanical or styling changes of significance. That’ll have to wait for the next step in its evolution. Some industry observers peg the third-generation Tacoma for a model-year 2012 introduction, others say look for it during late 2013 as a 2014 model.               

2011 TOYOTA TACOMA COMPETITION

• Ford Ranger: Talk about old, Ranger’s basic design dates to model-year 1998, and it doesn’t even offer a crew cab body style. Yet cut-rate pricing and periodic updates have kept it No. 2 – albeit a distant No. 2 -- behind Tacoma in compact-pickup sales. It’s a handsome truck, and Ranger owners are happy with its reliability. This Ford actually rates ahead of Tacoma in customer satisfaction surveys of initial quality and long-term dependability. Tow rating is 6,000 pounds, payload 1,260. Ranger’s apparently not long for this world, with the 2011 or 2012 model likely to be the last. Ford apparently is considering replacing it with a model based on its global compact-pickup platform.

• Nissan Frontier: Redesigned for model-year 2005 and Tacoma’s chief rival for tough-guy attitude and raw-boned credibility as a factory-ready off-roader. Frontier eschews a regular-cab body style for an extended-cab King Cab and a Crew Cab; the crew offers both long- and short-bed boxes. A stout chassis, confident handling, and available amenities such as leather upholstery and a sunroof help offset the demerits of a rear seat that’s cramped even by compact-pickup standards. Towing maximum is 6,500 pounds, payload 1,484. Next redesign won’t happen before model-year 2013 or later.

• Honda Ridgeline: Real truckers sneer at this crew-cab-only interloper because of its crossover-type unibody construction, all-independent suspension, and standard all-wheel-drive instead of time-honored rear- and four-wheel-drive. But no pickup this side of a full-sizer matches Ridgeline for interior room and comfort. And few of any size equal its on-road refinement. This U.S.-built Honda comes only with a V-6 that surprises with its performance. Its single-length cargo bed boasts a pickup-exclusive in-floor lockable “trunk.” Towing is an acceptable 5,000 pounds, payload a competitive 1,546. Base prices start near $30,000, but a comparably equipped competitor isn’t much less, and Ridgeline excels in owner-satisfaction surveys. Now if Honda can only do something about the wonky styling; maybe the redesign set for model-year 2012 will help.