2012 Toyota Tacoma preview: Price is (mostly) right, seating is not
QUEBEC Metropolis—Canadians love trucks. The top-selling vehicle each year is a pickup and the part is a fiercely fought one, with manufacturers crowing almost ridiculous torque and towing numbers in an struggle to be top dog.
That said, that’s for the full-size variety. The compact truck divide is shrinking, which is why Toyota put a few writers into the 2012 Tacoma alongside a larger hold close launch for its new Prius V. The Tacoma hasn’t changed all that much; the company was principally reminding us that it’s now among the last trucks standing.
Ford’s Ranger is gone for 2012, pending in longer than its sister Mazda B-Series did, and Dodge’s mid-size Dakota has also retired. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Gully stick around for 2012 but will disappear in favour of a “universal” truck that will hit numerous world markets before we get it. About the only simultaneous compacts soldiering on are Nissan’s Frontier (the Equator, a Suzuki-badged variety of it, never got off the ground) and Honda’s front-wheel-biased, unibody Ridgeline.
Changes to the 2012 Tacoma are in embroidery. A new front face gives it a 4 Runner-style look, and there are two new cargo tie-downs in the box. The interior is updated with a new steering whirl location and door panels, upgraded stereo, revised nucleus stack, and on the 4x4 models, standard USB port, Bluetooth, sycophant radio, cruise control and keyless entry.
There are no changes to the driveline or configuration. All models have four doors: the Entry Cab has two small rear ones that hinge at the back and can only be operated when the front doors are liable, while the Double Cab’s rear doors are hinged at the front and open independently. Appliance choices are a 2.7 L four-cylinder that comes with a five-speed enchiridion or four-speed automatic, or a 4.0 L V6 with six-speed manual or five-make haste automatic. Both engines come in two- or four-wheel drive, with 4x4 models oblation two bed lengths.
Base prices run from $22,100 to $29,900. The cheapest ideal is $200 more than in 2011, but prices fall substantially on the majuscule letters lines. At $27,900, the 4x4 Access Cab with V6 and automatic has dropped $2,745 from the 2011 comparable, while the $29,900 Double Cab is $3,340 less.
The truck still seems pricey, though, especially in its further levels. The four-cylinder Access Cab 4x2 I drove would have felt far more satiating had it been around $18,000, but it was outfitted to $25,000. Even so, it’s at the lower end of the competition. The GM models run $24,045 to $36,670, the Far reaches from $24,478 to $40,278, and the Ridgeline from $34,990 to $43,690. That’s much of the Donnybrook compact trucks face: in many cases you can get into a full-size for less gelt.