Reworked Tacoma pickup draws attention, praise

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- I'm not a daily pickup driver, and generally speaking, I don't get overly excited about a bumper-to-bumper reworking of a midsize truck.

But it's hard to ignore the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma, star of a Super Bowl ad and winner of assorted "best buy" nods since then.

After a week in the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4X4 Double Cab, I confess that I now understand the hype.  It's not just hype.  It's a genuine triumph.

Let's count the ways on my tester: a muscular 2.4-liter turbo-4 engine, an off-road tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, a decidedly roomy bed for a midsize truck, crawl control, automatic high beams, road sign assist/recognition, a full boat of contemporary off-road equipment/systems and much more.

Sure, a generous package of optional equipment pushed the bottom line on my ride to $54,784, but knowing that most pickup buyers make their purchases for the long haul, it's worth the price.

All of this would be impressive as is, but the reworked Tacoma is offered in more than a half dozen trims.  And you get perks -- a turbocharged engine, most significantly -- across the board. Impressive? I should say so.

Getting down to basics, the Tacoma was a pleasure to drive.  Uncomplicated, feisty when needed and pleasantly quiet on the freeway.  I found the turning radius to be surprisingly compact for this vehicle segment, and the various equipment and conversion processes for off-road jaunts were quite easy to master.

Simply put, this is a "freshening" of your dreams, the way an extensive model reworking should be done.

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can offer: the new Tacoma is equally at home at the work site or on the town.