Tacoma Double Cab a right-sized pickup

By Mark Savage

Published: April 5, 2011

Photo by Toyota

Photo by Toyota

Pickups have grown through the years, like every other vehicle, some now being nearly as long as a semi-trailer.
But so-called compact pickups, like the tested Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, are really closer to the more manageable sized pickups of 20 to 30 years ago. These smaller pickups are more economical both to buy and operate if you’re after a pickup that will haul boxes, plants and building materials on a weekend and you’re not a farmer or construction worker needing the size and grunt of a full-size truck.

Tacoma is a darned pleasant drive too. This one giving you a full rear seat and four doors so that four adults can easily fit inside, or five, if one is of moderate size. Our black test truck was a 4x4 model with a 4.0-liter VVT-I V6 that creates 236 hp and will tow up to 6,400 lbs. So the Tacoma can handle a trailer with two snowmobiles.
The engine is plenty strong and gets you up to highway speeds easily via a 5-speed automatic that shifts smoothly, in fact better than some cars I’ve driven.

Handling is decent too, the truck corners well and with its four-wheel drive system is good in snow. Steering is easy with a moderately heavy feel to the wheel, although there’s a fair amount of play in the wheel too.
Ride is typical truck with some bounce over large bumps and dips in the road. The test truck added the TRD (bad acronym) Off-Road Extra Value Package for $4,850 and included virtually everything you could add minus a laptop and a kitchen sink. From a performance standpoint the main additions include off-road tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, a locking rear differential, R-rated BF Goodrich tires and a skid plate.

There’s also a $650 tow package that gives you extra oil coolers, a heavy-duty battery and upgraded alternator along with a towing hitch and electrical hookup. That’s a must for snowmobilers.

Braking comes from discs up front and drums in back, a typical truck arrangement. Anti-locks are standard as are traction and stability control. All worked fine, but the brake pedal in the test truck required more pressure than I was expecting, probably due to those rear drums.

Overall Tacoma checks in at 4,155 lbs., at least 1,000 lbs. less than most large pickups. And if you’re taking it off-road (that’s why you got the package!) you’ll have 9.3 inches of ground clearance.
The truck’s moderate weight aids fuel economy, which is rated at 16 city and 20 mpg highway by the EPA. I got 17.1 in about 60% city driving.

Inside, Tacoma is pleasant and roomy, the test truck with gray cloth seats, upgraded via that pricey Off-Road package. These seats are well formed, supportive and comfortable enough to drive cross country. The driver’s seat also has a knob to adjust the lumbar support.

Photo by Toyota

Photo by Toyota

Photo by Toyota

There’s a black leather-look dash and textured metallic trim on the center stack, also part of the Off-Road package. The lower door and dash are gray to give the interior a lighter and somewhat more upscale look.

Toyota’s dash is both simple and functional with good controls and large knobs and buttons. Radio and phone controls are located on the steering wheel hub and the wheel is a manual tilt/telescope model.

There are three main dash gauges with orange numbers that are easy to see, although the orange sort of wears on you at night. Toyota adds some extras too, like a small coin tray in the dash under the 4-wheel-drive knob. There’s also a bin with two cupholders in front of the shifter, a pen holder and another cupholder just in front of the center armrest/storage bin.

Overhead is good lighting and an outside temperature gauge and compass, again part of the big option package. Visors are super thick with extenders.

Other goodies in the Off-Road package include a fancy JBL stereo, fog lamps, remote entry, cruise control, variable speed wipers, a sliding rear window (without defroster), a leather-wrapped steering wheel and satellite radio (for 3 months). The test truck also added daytime running lights, a bargain at $40, and a few other options.

All those extras moved the Tacoma from its reasonable $27,025 starting price to a less manageable $32,772. That includes a $810 delivery charge, and a $950 manufacturer discount.

Like all pickups there are about a million ways to configure a Tacoma, starting with a base regular cab model with 159-horse I4 engine and manual transmission for $20,220. Adding automatic moves that to $21,350 and moving up to an Access Cab model, meaning there are two small rear jump seats with small doors that flip out to give access, pushes the starting price to $23,490. Adding an automatic costs $900. A V6-equipped Access Cab model starts at $25,045, but now you’re getting close to the Double Cab and it’s much more useful full-size rear doors and seat.

The test truck’s bed was decent sized for hauling, again if you’re not into giant loads on a regular basis. It’s also a good height for loading and unloading, although shorties like me will notice there’s a bit of a step-up to crawl aboard. Still, it’s way less than in a full-size pickup.

If you require a pickup, the Tacoma is just the right size for a daily driver. It’s easy to maneuver, comfortable, capable and won’t cost you a quarter-ton either!

Tacoma Double Cab a right-sized pickup

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