2021 Toyota Tacoma Review
2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
MSRP: $44,325
Specs: 3.5 Liter V6 / 278 HP & 265 TQ
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Guy who did stuff: Yousef Alvi
This current generation Toyota Tacoma shouldn’t work in today’s world. Comparing it to the likes of it’s closest competitor, the Ford Ranger, it comes up short in almost every category. From horsepower, torque to fuel economy and even NVH…the Tacoma get it’s sculpted butt walloped!
“BUT.
.... you know what?
It doesn’t matter...”
Because, this Tacoma has something that no other midsize truck has right now…soul.
You can boil it down to how analog everything is in this Tacoma. From it’s gauges down to it’s HVAC controls, the Tacoma doesn’t suffer from the digitalfication (a word I just made up but will soon Trademark) of everything. It’s sheer analog nature is what makes this truck so damn special! Everything has a feel to it! From it’s buttons, knobs and down to the simple gear selector…the Tacoma has that warm physicality to it’s controls that breds an affection to it.
In other words, as the automotive world veers itself into that cold sterile digital display void, the simple act of twisting a physical knob or pushing a button becomes something special. Because that act is storing ‘touch, weight, feel, tacility and placement’ to your memory and muscles. It helps one to actually bond with a vehicle instead of learning a vehicle.
So, let’s go ahead and break down the 2021 Toyota Tacoma:
The Great
In its simplicity lays it’s greatest virtue. The Tacoma is one of the very few vehicles left that one can get in and just ‘drive’. There is no webinar to attend or a YouTube video to watch to figure out how to engage reverse…the Tacoma just lets you ‘do’. That all boils down to it’s complete lack of modern day digitalfication (that made up word of mine) of it’s controls. There is a knob, button or switch for most everything! In a world, where cursing a digital touchscreen is common place…the Tacoma stands in stark contrast. It’s a breath of fresh air.
Speaking of it’s controls…the steering is also a special slice of heaven. Because, like the rest of the truck, it’s a throwback to yesteryear with it’s blessed hydraulic steering rack. I don’t care how good an electric power steering system is…nothing can come close to the feedback a ‘hydro’ rack can give! You can feel everything that the Tacoma is doing from it’s steering…it is a constant stream of information that is subtly transmitting itself to the driver’s fingertips.
The Good
The drivetrain, on paper, doesn’t really stack up against the 21st century turbo’d goodness of it’s closest competitor the Ford Ranger but get the Tacoma on ‘boil’ it will scream to redline like no other truck today. Whereas the Ranger is all about low end torque, the Tacoma’s engine is all about high RPM power and instant throttle response. Lightly caress that throttle from a dig and that old-school combination of a N/A engine and short gearing works it’s magic to help leap the Tacoma off the line.
Then above 4k RPM, the Tacoma’s V6 engages it’s high lift cam and it will rocket itself to redline on a wave of induction noise. It’s, quite frankly, pretty effing fantastic! Sure, most of the my giddiness can be attributed to the tuner culture that I grew up in (love dat VTEC y0), but there is no arguing it is an old school charm that works!
The Bad
Unfortunately that lovely engine is mated to a transmission that missed it’s bus to the retirement home. Okay it’s smooth but that is it’s only redeeming quality. The 6 speed auto is just so slow to respond to anything! From engaging reverse, downshifting to pass someone to even changing up a gear…it’s an exercise in patience along with frustration.
The Ugly
…I got nothing. So here is a cat in sunglasses.
Overall
What do I think of the 2021 Toyota Tacoma overall? The Tacoma is the soulful alternative in a sea soulless drones.
