2025 Toyota Tacoma

As a midsize pickup, the 2025 Toyota Tacoma is the smallest truck in the carmaker's lineup, slotting under the full-size Tundra. If a Tundra seems just too big or expensive, the Tacoma could very well be what you want. It's perfectly capable of hauling medium-size loads or pulling a midsize travel trailer or boat. Off-road capability is a particular focus for this latest Tacoma as well, with the TRD PreRunner, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims all being tailored to specific kinds of terrain. Alternatively, you can just use your Tacoma for cruising around town, which it's perfectly able to do as well.

Full-size trucks have gotten huge in the last decade, far exceeding what many truck shoppers need. The Tacoma scales things back to a more manageable size, making it not just easier to drive but also more economical. Meanwhile, it still has plenty of capabilities for work or play, and the engines introduced for 2024 seriously increase the Tacoma's reach. The base turbocharged four-cylinder and the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain produce significantly more power than the outdated engines from the last generation and are more fuel-efficient.

Toyota isn't the only manufacturer that's making a big return to the midsize truck class. Its chief rivals are just as new, including the recently redesigned Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Ford Ranger. If off-roading is your goal, the Jeep Gladiator is an excellent alternative as well. Read our test team's Expert Rating to see how the Toyota Tacoma stands out in a competitive field.

Our team lived with a 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road for one year, driving it for 20,000 miles in the process. Since there are no major changes for 2025, it will give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of ownership; read our full One-Year Road Test page for all the details.

The Tacoma's seats were hugely supportive while being supple and comfortable at the same time. The interior felt better built than other midsize trucks, like the Chevy Colorado, and though there was still plenty of hard plastic to be found, our truck held up better than our year-long Colorado test truck over time. Plus, it was just so usable — the knobs for the temperature and volume were nice and big, there was a ton of storage for small items, and the outward visibility was the best of the bunch.

We didn't love the Tacoma's big infotainment screen, but we didn't hate it, either — we just wish it was better integrated into the cabin and that its tech suite was as good as Chevy's Google-backed system. The Taco's gauge cluster showed a ton of usable information and could be customized in dozens of different ways to suit any particular driving situation, like pitch and roll when we were off-roading.

Speaking of off-roading, when we took the Toyota off-road alongside a Chevy Colorado and Ford Ranger, the Tacoma won most of the tests. Yes, $55,240 as-tested is a lot for a Tacoma, but there's almost no need to stretch for a Trailhunter or a TRD Pro model (which can reach nearly $70,000) when the TRD Off-Road feels like a top-spec truck. We don't even think you need to go with the hybrid engine because this turbo-four cylinder delivers power just fine.

So where did the Tacoma go wrong? Even though power from the turbo-four was great, the truck's fuel economy fell well short of the EPA's estimate. We only saw 18.7 mpg over the course of a year, when the EPA says we should've been getting 21 mpg. We know Toyota made the move away from the V6 for power and efficiency, but it's really only gained one of those things. Furthermore, the back seat of the Tacoma was, frankly, a joke. Anyone who sat back there was crammed in like a sardine.