2024 Toyota Tacoma

It's Monday, which means you'd normally be finding a new Luggage Test here on Autoblog. Sadly, I had several vehicles in February that didn't need luggage testing, which means I have nothing to toss six suitcases into today. But that doesn't mean I can't offer up an alternative ... I think it's safe to say that the Toyota Tacoma is better known for the places it can take you than the stuff that it can haul. It's more of an adventure rig than a work rig ... well, except for all the old ones running around Southern California with beds filled to the brim with lawnmowers and rakes.  So, instead of seeing if this 2024 Tacoma TRD Off-Road with the 5-foot bed can live up to its billing on a dirty, rocky trail, I decided to indeed put it to work. I had been wanting to install a drainage rock creek for some time, and having the new Tacoma seemed like the perfect opportunity. I wouldn't need as much rock as I did when I maxed out an F-150 building a rock garden/dog run in Portland, so it seemed like something the Tacoma could handle.  Still, I had to be careful. We are talking about rocks here. Luckily, Patagonia Building Supply here in Agoura Hills, Calif., could tell me exactly how much the rocks in question would weigh. The 10 75-pound bags of river rock was obvious, as were the two 50-pound sacks of pea gravel. The bigger rocks I picked out were then priced per pound, so I'd know exactly how much they'd weigh. The grand total was 1,111 pounds.  The Tacoma's maximum payload is listed as between 1,380 and 1,705 pounds for the 4x4 Double Cab. I'm honestly not sure where the TRD Off-Road falls in that range, but the important thing was that my rock amount was well south of the bottom number. I also weigh considerably less than 269 pounds.  Loading at Patagonia couldn't have been easier ... in that I anticipated doing a lot more lifting. The nice chap working there pulled up with a forklift, raised a pallet up to bed level, climbed onto the bed and moved the bigger rocks in one at a time. I helped too, cause I was there. We were very careful in putting them down because this was a pre-production unit with flimsy scratch-prone black plastic inside and outside the truck. I'm assuming that includes this bed lining, because if this is the production lining, it must be more robust than it seems. Either way, it survived unscathed. We then loaded the 12 bags of other rocks aboard, which was more than enough to sag the Tacoma's butt toward the ground. Apart from the nose noticeably being pitched upward and with less suspension compression over a speed bump, I can't say I noticed much of a change in the way the Tacoma drove. True, I didn't do full-throttle acceleration run, but neither the powertrain nor the suspension seemed …
Full Review
It's Monday, which means you'd normally be finding a new Luggage Test here on Autoblog. Sadly, I had several vehicles in February that didn't need luggage testing, which means I have nothing to toss six suitcases into today. But that doesn't mean I can't offer up an alternative ... I think it's safe to say that the Toyota Tacoma is better known for the places it can take you than the stuff that it can haul. It's more of an adventure rig than a work rig ... well, except for all the old ones running around Southern California with beds filled to the brim with lawnmowers and rakes.  So, instead of seeing if this 2024 Tacoma TRD Off-Road with the 5-foot bed can live up to its billing on a dirty, rocky trail, I decided to indeed put it to work. I had been wanting to install a drainage rock creek for some time, and having the new Tacoma seemed like the perfect opportunity. I wouldn't need as much rock as I did when I maxed out an F-150 building a rock garden/dog run in Portland, so it seemed like something the Tacoma could handle.  Still, I had to be careful. We are talking about rocks here. Luckily, Patagonia Building Supply here in Agoura Hills, Calif., could tell me exactly how much the rocks in question would weigh. The 10 75-pound bags of river rock was obvious, as were the two 50-pound sacks of pea gravel. The bigger rocks I picked out were then priced per pound, so I'd know exactly how much they'd weigh. The grand total was 1,111 pounds.  The Tacoma's maximum payload is listed as between 1,380 and 1,705 pounds for the 4x4 Double Cab. I'm honestly not sure where the TRD Off-Road falls in that range, but the important thing was that my rock amount was well south of the bottom number. I also weigh considerably less than 269 pounds.  Loading at Patagonia couldn't have been easier ... in that I anticipated doing a lot more lifting. The nice chap working there pulled up with a forklift, raised a pallet up to bed level, climbed onto the bed and moved the bigger rocks in one at a time. I helped too, cause I was there. We were very careful in putting them down because this was a pre-production unit with flimsy scratch-prone black plastic inside and outside the truck. I'm assuming that includes this bed lining, because if this is the production lining, it must be more robust than it seems. Either way, it survived unscathed. We then loaded the 12 bags of other rocks aboard, which was more than enough to sag the Tacoma's butt toward the ground. Apart from the nose noticeably being pitched upward and with less suspension compression over a speed bump, I can't say I noticed much of a change in the way the Tacoma drove. True, I didn't do full-throttle acceleration run, but neither the powertrain nor the suspension seemed …
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Retail Price

$31,500 - $52,100 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 2.4L I-4
MPG Up to 21 city / 26 highway
Seating 2 Passengers
Transmission 6-spd man w/OD, 8-spd auto w/OD
Power 228 - 278 hp
Drivetrain four-wheel, rear-wheel
Curb Weight 4,145 - 4,485 lbs
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