Road Test: 2010 Toyota Tacoma 4×4 Double Cab V6 TRD Sport
[svgallery name="2010_Toyota_Tacoma_pics"]Not-so-tiny truck
Is Toyota's so-called midsize Tacoma all the truck you really need?
By John LeBlanc Despite the politically correct movement to small, fuel-efficient cars, gas-guzzling full-size pickups still make up a large portion of new car sales in North America. And it's not just our friends south of the border who like trucks. Depending on the month, Ford's F-150 can be the best-selling vehicle -- car or truck -- here in Canada. To take on the likes of the F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram in this lucrative segment, Toyota introduced its second-generation Tundra in 2008, its first real full-size truck. But the Japanese automaker hasn't forgotten its small pickup roots that started with the first Hilux compact pickup that washed ashore in North America during the late 1960s. For those customers who don't want or need a full-size model, Toyota still offers the Hilux's modern-day successor: the mid-size Tacoma. Developed and styled by Toyota's heavy-duty truck division, Hino, the now five-year-old Tacoma shares its platform with a number of other Toyota products including the 4Runner and FJ Cruiser SUVs. And just like its big brother Tundra, you can get your Tacoma in more flavours than what Baskin-Robbins offers in frozen treats. It starts with the $21,355 4x2 (rear-wheel drive) Access Cab, basically a two-door with suicide doors for better -- ahem -- access to a pair of rear seats. It's powered by a 159-hp and 180 lb.-ft. of torque 2.7-litre inline-four. Add a 4.0-litre V6 (with 236 hp and 266 lb.-ft.), two proper fully-opening doors, room for five, a five-speed automatic, and four-wheel drive, and you end up at the top of the Tacoma food chain with our $31,845 4x4 Double Cab V6 tester. Comparatively, that's more expensive than comparably-equipped mid-sizers like the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon and Dodge Dakota, and about the same as a Nissan Frontier, but less than the Honda Ridgeline. But keep in mind a full-size Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4x2 SR5 (with a 310-hp V8) starts at just $32,040. The only extras our top-line tester had was the $5,110 Toyota Racing Development -- or TRD -- Sport package. Don't be fooled. Equipped as such, the TRD option doesn't turn your Tacoma into a NASCAR truck contender. Its main benefits are for hauling and off-roading purposes. Upgraded engine, chassis and transmission bits bump towing capability to 2,948 kg (6,500 lb) almost twice that of the base model's towing capability and 1,500-kg more than a V6 Tacoma sans TRD package. A Class IV trailer hitch with seven-pin wiring harness is also included. Even with all these nearly full-size pickup capabilities, the Tacoma's 9.9 L/100 km highway fuel economy rating is a good reason to get one: that's about 30 per cent better than a Tundra Double Cab. The Tacoma's advantage lessens in the city, with a 13.4 L/100 km rating, compared to the Tundra's 14.0 L/100 km.
While the Tacoma Access Cab claims room for four, the rear seating area is better suited for use as an enclosed storage space. If not as roomy as the Ridgeline, the Double Cab Tacoma really can seat five in relative comfort. Interior styling, fit, and materials are similar to what you find in a Camry -- a step up from the GM, Dodge and Nissan mid-size trucks, but a definite step below the admittedly pricier Honda. The Tacoma's telescoping steering wheel is a big plus in accommodating different-sized drivers, and most of the centre console controls are big and chunky (i.e. better to use with work gloves or winter mitts). There are a few missteps inside, though.
The Double Cab's rear seats do fold. But you have to flip the bottom cushion up first. Then remove the headrests. Then fold down the backrest onto the floor. Then take a nap. It's only a one-flip process in the Frontier and Ridgeline. The other big ergonomic flaw is the driver's position. Instead of the tall-in-the-saddle seating position we've come to expect in a pickup (and like the FJ Cruiser) the Tacoma's front seats are set too low, forcing you to stretch your legs out like you were in a Supra Turbo. And if you need to park in tight urban spaces, just remember, between the lengthened cab and extra-long bed, the Tacoma Double Cab ends up being over a foot longer than the stubbier Ridgeline.
If you order a Tacoma Double Cab V6 with a manual transmission, you're limited to a five-foot bed length. Go with the autobox like our tester, and the bed grows to six feet. Go figure. All Tacoma beds are made from a stiff, durable plastic that is bolted directly to the frame, effectively acting as a bedliner. Also adding functionality are movable tie-down cleats, and a 110-volt outlet that's part of the TRD Sport package.
As a stern workhorse, the Tacoma succeeds. Just don't expect anything from the fun-to-drive department. Oh, it goes down the highway in a straight-line fine enough - zero to 100 km/h takes a respectable 7.0 seconds. The ride is smooth and quiet on good pavement. Its steering is light and relatively accurate. But large frost heaves or potholes send vibrations through its chassis and steering column like a bass drum. And like its body-on-frame mid-size rivals, it rolls in tight turns and takes a while to settle down if a turn has a bump in it.
However, if you've been paying attention so far, for the reasons you would buy a truck -- towing and carrying -- the top-line Tacoma is an excellent tool. But if you don't need all of its near-full-size pickup capabilities, and are used to the refinement and handling of a car, the unibody Honda Ridgeline is still the way to go.
If we leave the more expensive, more car-like (yet less truck-capable) Ridgeline out of the equation, there are plenty of arguments to get a Tacoma 4x4 Double Cab TRD Sport over its body-on-frame mid-size rivals. Its overall build quality and refinement are far ahead, while it isn't lacking in room or the qualities pickup buyers who need to tow or carry are looking. And its highway fuel economy may save you a bit at the pumps over a full-size truck.
We do take issue, though, with the mid-sized Tacoma's price. Generously optioned as our example was, it's tempting to go the whole hog and look towards what some consider a "real" truck, like the roomier and even more truck-capable Tundra.
2010 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 Double Cab V6
WHAT WE LIKE: Capacious and functional rear cargo bed, comfortable ride, full-size truck-like towing capacity.
WHAT WE DON'T: Low-slung front seating position, full-size truck-like pricing, full-size truck-like fuel economy in the city
Base/As-tested price: $31,845/$36,955
Type of vehicle: 4WD, mid-size four-door pickup truck
Engine: 4.0L, 24-valve, DOHC V6
Power/Torque 236 hp/266 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Fuel consumption (city/hwy/as-tested): 13.4 / 9.9 / 14.8 L/100 km
Competition: Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier
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