2016 Toyota Tacoma V6 Very first Review: More Modern, More Efficient, More Capable
Ever since Toyota’s little truck was actually little, it has earned a strong reputation for rock-solid reliability and rough, capable off-road spectacle. When it became the Tacoma, that reputation — and the size of the truck — grew. The Tacoma has a fantastic resale value, earning the top spot in Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Awards. It predominates sales in its segment — the current generation of Toyota’s midsize pickup makes up about half of all midsize pickup sales. But as fresh competition comes to the segment, and the Tacoma continued to age, it was time for an upgrade. And it got a big one for 2016.
The Tacoma already had a solid foundation. Its framework is harsh enough to treat fairly serious off-roading, and the truck manages to have a nice balance of being effortless to park yet suggesting enough room to carry five passengers and gear. Toyota retained the same framework design, using more high-strength steel, a budge that diminished weight while enlargening rigidity. The wheelbase is the same, but the truck is longer and broader. Toyota took advantage of the fresh dimensions to improve interior packaging, enlargening leg-, shoulder and hip room in the Access and Dual Cabs.
The Tacoma’s cool fresh look was inspired by Toyota’s off-road race truck heritage. While it still has visual cues that align with previous Tacomas, the fresh muscular, bold style sets it apart. LED daytime running accent lights are available and there are four wheel and tire combinations, ranging from 16- to 18-inch, and eight exterior colors, three of which are fresh.
We began our drive in the two thousand sixteen Tacoma by taking it on the roads near Tacoma, Washington. Our Dual Cab is powered by the fresh Atkinson cycle Three.5-liter V6 with direct and port injection (Toyota’s D4S system), which has a self-cleaning feature to liquidate deposits from the high-pressure fuel injectors. The V6 uses an all-new 6-speed automatic transmission and puts out two hundred seventy eight horsepower, forty two more than the previous Four.0-liter V6 did (with a nominal reduction in torque). Fuel economy is considerably better (the best is an estimated nineteen city/24 highway versus the best two thousand fifteen V6’s seventeen city/21 highway). Acceleration is strong and linear, and while mashing the throttle won’t snap your head back, there is a clear improvement in power over the two thousand fifteen model. The V6 is also available with a 6-speed manual. The Two.7-liter I4, still with one hundred fifty nine horsepower and fuel economy of nineteen mpg city/23 highway, carries over. Most 4-cylinder Tacomas will come with the 6-speed automatic, but a 5-speed manual is also available.
Switches to the suspension plus the tweaks to the framework make the two thousand sixteen Tacoma feel more planted and more stable on-road. Treating feels better, and the rail is comfy and compliant. The brakes, still discs in front and drums in the rear, use an all-new braking system that has a certain and linear feel.
The interior is much quieter than in the previous Tacoma, courtesy of the fresh acoustic windshield and use of more sound deadening material. The only downside is that losing the distraction of cabin noise makes it lighter to notice the sound of the tires on bad roads. The Tacoma has a fresh interior: there are higher-quality materials via, fresh gauges and multi-information display (you can see off-road settings, fuel economy and more here), and several fresh colors and materials choices, including available crimson weatherproof mesh inserts on the doors and dash on the SR5. However, whether you opt for the SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Pro or Limited, you will not be getting power seats.
Fresh convenience features set it apart from other midsize trucks. A rear tailgate camera comes standard, as does a handy (and easy-to-use) GoPro climb on, located to the right of the rearview mirror. Options include pushbutton begin, the very first in a midsize truck, Qi wireless mobile device charging, dual-zone climate control, power moonroof and an updated version of Entune audio and apps. The Tacoma retains its hidden rear-seat storage: in the Dual Cab, you can fold the bottom rear seat cushions forward, exposing the storage area. If you want a vapid blast space, pull the seatbacks down and you can haul fatter gear there.
Toyota has made the Tacoma more capable and lighter to use. The lockable tailgate is damped, so it opens calmly and with ease. A fresh lockable 3-piece hard tonneau cover is available. Buyers still have a choice of 5- or 6-foot beds, but the bed is now deeper, so it can accommodate more cargo. Both towing and payload capacities are higher, the former is now 6,800 pounds up from 6,500, while the latter is 1,620 pounds, up from 1,500.
Off-road, the very capable Tacoma has fresh features that make trail rails less strained. Ground clearance is now 9.Four inches at the rear axle, up a bit from 2015. Cool fresh optional features, such as Crawl Control, works with the 2-speed transfer case to make for joy forays into the backcountry. With this, you set the speed (always low), and the system controls engine and brake torque at each wheel. You don’t touch the throttle or brake; Crawl Control takes care of it for you while you concentrate on steering. We used it on steep grades, both up- and downhill, and it worked beautifully. The fresh Multi-Terrain Select system, another very first in a midsize truck, lets you choose the mode based on the ground you want to drive on, including liberate rock, mud and sand, and rock.
The fresh Tacoma doesn’t make as dramatic a splash as the Colorado and Canyon did in 2015, but it doesn’t have to. It was already a strong competitor; Toyota worked on what needed to be improved, making a relatively old truck fresh again, and even more competitive. When it comes to cross-shopping the three newest members of the midsize truck segment, buyers will detect each has different priorities. The Colorado and Canyon have interiors that are more like a petite SUV or a crossover. They can tow a bit more; have better fuel economy and more horsepower in the I4 and V6. But the Tacoma offers fantastic resale value, tried-and-true reliability, excellent off-road prowess, better payload capacity and convenience and safety features that aren’t available in the Canyon and Colorado.
When it goes on sale in September, pricing for the two thousand sixteen Tacoma will commence at about $24,000 for the SR (the work truck), and the 4WD V6 Dual Cab will commence at around $38,000. People who like the current Tacoma will be thrilled with what Toyota has to suggest.
2016 Toyota Tacoma V6 Very first Review: More Modern, More Efficient, More Capable – Kelley Blue Book
2016 Toyota Tacoma V6 Very first Review: More Modern, More Efficient, More Capable
Ever since Toyota’s little truck was actually little, it has earned a strong reputation for rock-solid reliability and rough, capable off-road spectacle. When it became the Tacoma, that reputation — and the size of the truck — grew. The Tacoma has a fantastic resale value, earning the top spot in Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Awards. It predominates sales in its segment — the current generation of Toyota’s midsize pickup makes up about half of all midsize pickup sales. But as fresh competition comes to the segment, and the Tacoma continued to age, it was time for an upgrade. And it got a big one for 2016.
The Tacoma already had a solid foundation. Its framework is raunchy enough to treat fairly serious off-roading, and the truck manages to have a nice balance of being effortless to park yet suggesting enough room to carry five passengers and gear. Toyota retained the same framework design, using more high-strength steel, a budge that diminished weight while enhancing rigidity. The wheelbase is the same, but the truck is longer and broader. Toyota took advantage of the fresh dimensions to improve interior packaging, enlargening leg-, shoulder and hip room in the Access and Dual Cabs.
The Tacoma’s cool fresh look was inspired by Toyota’s off-road race truck heritage. While it still has visual cues that align with previous Tacomas, the fresh muscular, bold style sets it apart. LED daytime running accent lights are available and there are four wheel and tire combinations, ranging from 16- to 18-inch, and eight exterior colors, three of which are fresh.
We embarked our drive in the two thousand sixteen Tacoma by taking it on the roads near Tacoma, Washington. Our Dual Cab is powered by the fresh Atkinson cycle Trio.5-liter V6 with direct and port injection (Toyota’s D4S system), which has a self-cleaning feature to eliminate deposits from the high-pressure fuel injectors. The V6 uses an all-new 6-speed automatic transmission and puts out two hundred seventy eight horsepower, forty two more than the previous Four.0-liter V6 did (with a nominal reduction in torque). Fuel economy is considerably better (the best is an estimated nineteen city/24 highway versus the best two thousand fifteen V6’s seventeen city/21 highway). Acceleration is strong and linear, and while mashing the throttle won’t snap your head back, there is a clear improvement in power over the two thousand fifteen model. The V6 is also available with a 6-speed manual. The Two.7-liter I4, still with one hundred fifty nine horsepower and fuel economy of nineteen mpg city/23 highway, carries over. Most 4-cylinder Tacomas will come with the 6-speed automatic, but a 5-speed manual is also available.
Switches to the suspension plus the tweaks to the framework make the two thousand sixteen Tacoma feel more planted and more stable on-road. Treating feels better, and the rail is comfy and compliant. The brakes, still discs in front and drums in the rear, use an all-new braking system that has a certain and linear feel.
The interior is much quieter than in the previous Tacoma, courtesy of the fresh acoustic windshield and use of more sound deadening material. The only downside is that losing the distraction of cabin noise makes it lighter to notice the sound of the tires on bad roads. The Tacoma has a fresh interior: there are higher-quality materials via, fresh gauges and multi-information display (you can see off-road settings, fuel economy and more here), and several fresh colors and materials choices, including available crimson weatherproof mesh inserts on the doors and dash on the SR5. However, whether you opt for the SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Pro or Limited, you will not be getting power seats.
Fresh convenience features set it apart from other midsize trucks. A rear tailgate camera comes standard, as does a handy (and easy-to-use) GoPro climb on, located to the right of the rearview mirror. Options include pushbutton embark, the very first in a midsize truck, Qi wireless mobile device charging, dual-zone climate control, power moonroof and an updated version of Entune audio and apps. The Tacoma retains its hidden rear-seat storage: in the Dual Cab, you can fold the bottom rear seat cushions forward, exposing the storage area. If you want a vapid blast space, pull the seatbacks down and you can haul thicker gear there.
Toyota has made the Tacoma more capable and lighter to use. The lockable tailgate is damped, so it opens calmly and with ease. A fresh lockable 3-piece hard tonneau cover is available. Buyers still have a choice of 5- or 6-foot beds, but the bed is now deeper, so it can accommodate more cargo. Both towing and payload capacities are higher, the former is now 6,800 pounds up from 6,500, while the latter is 1,620 pounds, up from 1,500.
Off-road, the very capable Tacoma has fresh features that make trail rails less tense. Ground clearance is now 9.Four inches at the rear axle, up a bit from 2015. Cool fresh optional features, such as Crawl Control, works with the 2-speed transfer case to make for joy forays into the backcountry. With this, you set the speed (always low), and the system controls engine and brake torque at each wheel. You don’t touch the throttle or brake; Crawl Control takes care of it for you while you concentrate on steering. We used it on steep grades, both up- and downhill, and it worked beautifully. The fresh Multi-Terrain Select system, another very first in a midsize truck, lets you choose the mode based on the ground you want to drive on, including liberate rock, mud and sand, and rock.
The fresh Tacoma doesn’t make as dramatic a splash as the Colorado and Canyon did in 2015, but it doesn’t have to. It was already a strong competitor; Toyota worked on what needed to be improved, making a relatively old truck fresh again, and even more competitive. When it comes to cross-shopping the three newest members of the midsize truck segment, buyers will detect each has different priorities. The Colorado and Canyon have interiors that are more like a petite SUV or a crossover. They can tow a bit more; have better fuel economy and more horsepower in the I4 and V6. But the Tacoma offers fantastic resale value, tried-and-true reliability, excellent off-road prowess, better payload capacity and convenience and safety features that aren’t available in the Canyon and Colorado.
When it goes on sale in September, pricing for the two thousand sixteen Tacoma will embark at about $24,000 for the SR (the work truck), and the 4WD V6 Dual Cab will begin at around $38,000. People who like the current Tacoma will be thrilled with what Toyota has to suggest.