Which Toyota Tacoma Is Right for You?

The Toyota Tacoma is one of the most popular midsize trucks on the road, making it a fantastic option for a wide range of drivers. Toyota offers numerous trims and a variety of options for you to choose from with the Tacoma, so it’s worth taking a little time to figure out which model is right for you before you head to Performance Toyota, your favorite Toyota truck dealer. It can be easy to assume that the differences between these trims are pretty minimal, but in many cases, your choice can have a tremendous impact on the kinds of features and overall performance you get with your truck. Let’s take a look at some of the options you have to choose from and the trim levels available for the Tacoma to figure out which one will best meet your needs.

Engine Options

One of the most important considerations you have when looking at the 2023 Toyota Tacoma is which engine you want since you have two available to you. Some trims will let you choose either engine, while others come with a specific powertrain, which is worth keeping in mind as you look at your overall options. The standard option is a 2.7L four-cylinder engine that delivers 159 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. This might not be a huge amount of power, but since the Tacoma is a midsize pickup, it should be more than enough for a wide range of tasks.

If you’re looking for greater power in your Tacoma, then Toyota has you covered with a second available engine, which comes standard on some of the higher trims. This is a 3.5L V6 engine that delivers 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, providing you with a fantastic driving experience and lots of power to handle anything you throw at it. Both of these engines make for a great truck, but this available V6 is the way to go if you’re looking for a midsize pickup with exceptional overall performance.

Transmission and Drivetrain Options

Along with two different engines for the 2023 Toyota Tacoma, you also have two different transmission options. The standard one on many Tacoma models is a six-speed automatic transmission, which is highly responsive and a great choice if you want an easy driving experience. If you prefer to have more control over your vehicle, then there’s an available six-speed manual transmission. Manual transmissions have become surprisingly difficult to find on trucks these days, making this a very attractive prospect for many drivers.

Many Tacoma models come with rear-wheel drive as the standard option, giving you 4×2 performance that works well for getting around town or reaching a job site. If you need improved traction and capability, however, then you can choose an available 4WDemand part-time four-wheel drive (4×4) for the Tacoma. This gives you greater performance on dirt roads or in rough weather that can make maintaining control more difficult and is perfect if you want a Tacoma to take off-road or for reaching worksites out in the wilderness.

Cab Size and Bed Length

You have two different options for the size of the Tacoma’s cab, along with two options for its bed length, which you can combine as you see fit on some trims, though others are limited to certain configurations. There’s an Access Cab that gives you seating for up to four passengers, along with a Double Cab that offers five-passenger seating and greater space in the back seats for your passengers to stretch out a bit. You can also choose either a five-foot bed or a six-foot bed, which are both about the same width, but the longer size provides you with greater cargo space and allows for larger items to easily fit into your truck’s bed.

Tacoma Trims

SR

We’re not going to be able to get into every detail of all six trims for the Tacoma, but we’ll hit a few major points on each of them. The SR is the starting trim for this midsize truck and is a great option if you’re shopping on a strict budget and still want amazing features inside and out. You can choose either engine with this trim, along with 4×2 or 4×4 engineering, and it’s available with either bed length along with both cab sizes. The SR comes with skid plates to protect the engine and front suspension, plus Toyota Safety Sense, which includes a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. You also get a seven-inch infotainment display with a six-speaker sound system, a 4.2-inch Multi-Information Display for the driver, and standard air conditioning.

SR5

If you like a lot of the standard features but want a bit more, then the SR5 is a great choice, as it also lets you pick from both engines, drivetrains, and numerous configurations. The SR5 has an eight-inch infotainment system with a six-speaker sound system, plus a leather-trimmed steering wheel with mounted controls and a remote keyless entry system. You get a number of available upgrades with the SR5, such as front dual-zone automatic climate control, a ten-way adjustable driver’s seat, and 16-inch dark gray alloy wheels.

TRD Sport

The first of several TRD trim options, the TRD Sport gives you a number of impressive upgrades, including the V6 engine standard, while still letting you choose from other configuration options. Impressive features like Toyota’s Smart Key system, a fabric-trimmed ten-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and Qi-compatible wireless charging pad are all standard on the TRD Sport. You also get 17-inch machined alloy wheels, a leather-trimmed shifter lever, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror to make for a great driving experience.

TRD Off-Road

If you’re interested in a midsize truck that you can take on the trail, then the TRD Off-Road certainly lives up to its name. It comes with Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select terrain management system along with Crawl Control that’s perfect for low-speed maneuvering while going off-road. It also comes with Bilstein shocks designed to handle whatever you throw at them, plus advanced safety features like a Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.

TRD Pro

For truly extraordinary off-road performance, the TRD Pro is the best Tacoma out there thanks to amazing features inside and out, like a Multi-Terrain Monitor that gives you a better view of the trail around you. You get the V6 engine and 4×4 engineering standard, along with a 1.5-inch front suspension and 0.5-inch rear suspension lift. This trim also features a TRD Pro front skid plate, Goodyear Kevlar All-Terrain tires, and unique TRD Pro badging inside and out.

Limited

If you’re looking for a premium experience with the finest features possible, the Tacoma Limited is the way to go, thanks to standard highlights like leather-trimmed heated seats. You also get 18-inch polished alloy wheels, a power-sliding rear window with privacy glass, and LED headlights and fog lights. The Limited includes a premium Infotainment system with Dynamic Navigation and a JBL sound system with a subwoofer and amplifier for an amazing auditory experience when you’re behind the wheel.

Which Tacoma Meets Your Needs?

You can see that there are a lot of options here for you to enjoy, which makes it easy to put together the perfect Toyota Tacoma with everything you’ve been looking for. Whether you prefer exceptional power, fantastic off-road capability, or sophisticated comfort features inside, Toyota has you covered. With so much available, it can be tricky to narrow things down and decide on exactly what you need, which is when it helps to have someone by your side to assist you in figuring everything out. Call or come visit us at Performance Toyota to learn more about the Tacoma, and we’ll help you decide on which options perfectly meet your needs.

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