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2017 Toyota Tacoma: What's Changed


Most significant changes: New TRD Pro off-road model

Price change: Increases vary by model. For example, prices are up by $460 on the two-wheel-drive SR Access Cab (extended cab) and double cab (crew cab) models, $615 on the TRD Sport double cab and $1,345 on the four-wheel-drive SR5 double cab.

On sale: Now

Which should you buy, 2016 or 2017? 2016 (Unless you need the TRD Pro model, 2016s will be slightly less expensive)

A TRD Pro model joins the 2017 Toyota Tacoma lineup again in the double-cab, short-bed body style as the ultimate off-road version of Toyota's popular midsize pickup.

Standard equipment includes a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, four-wheel drive, 16-inch alloy wheels, Kevlar-reinforced off-road tires, upgraded front and rear springs and shocks, an aluminum front skid plate, LED running lights and fog lights, projector beam headlights, leather seats, front seat heaters, a navigation system and a power sliding rear window. The TRD Pro also comes with rear parking sensors and blind spot warning with cross traffic alert and a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

With a base price of $41,700 (including the $940 destination charge), the TRD Pro is the most-expensive Tacoma in the lineup. The TRD Pro is the third TRD trim level in the lineup, joining the less aggressive TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road trims.

Elsewhere in the Tacoma lineup, an SR5 Appearance Package includes color-coordinated fender trim, 16-inch alloy wheels and a power-sliding rear window on double-cab models.

Toyota has lavished more attention on the Tacoma in recent years than the full-size Tundra to better compete with the reentry to the midsize market of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. The Tacoma has been the best-selling midsize pickup truck for several decades, and it outsells its full-size counterpart, the Tundra, by almost 2-to-1.

The Tacoma does not offer a regular cab; it comes in Access Cab (an extended cab with rear-hinged rear doors) and double cab (crew cab with conventional rear doors). The base engine is a 159-horsepower, 2.7-liter inline four-cylinder and the optional engine is the 278-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. Both engines are available with manual (only 4x2s) or automatic transmissions (4×2 or 4×4).

Though the Tacoma has many things going for it, such as a reputation for reliability and durability and the off-road capabilities in the TRD models, some believe it has a cramped interior with hard-to-reach dashboard controls. In addition, the 6,800-pound maximum towing capacity is slightly less than the ratings for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, and the GM trucks have better fuel economy ratings and an optional diesel engine. The 2016 Tacoma TRD Off-Road took fourth place in our recent 2016 Midsize Pickup Challenge.

Cars.com photo by Angela Conners

 

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Rick Popely
Contributor Rick Popely has covered the auto industry for decades and hosts a weekly online radio show on TalkZone.com.
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