2026 Toyota Tacoma

Name: 2026 Toyota Tacoma Review
Brand: Toyota

Release Date: Late 2025

Estimated Price: Starting around $33,000

The 2026 Toyota Tacoma's wide variety of cab and bed combinations is a plus for anyone shopping for a midsize truck. We also like the Tacoma's substantial off-road capability. But it does suffer from excessive interior noise and a lack of refinement compared to other midsize trucks.Read full review

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2026 Toyota Tacoma Review

Pros

Wide variety of configurations and trims to pick from
TRD versions are highly capable off-road
Strong power without a fuel economy penalty from available hybrid powertrain

Cons

Back seat isn't as roomy as some competitors
Engine gets noisy under hard acceleration

What's new

No major changes expected for 2026
TRD Pro's unique color choice for 2026 is Wave Maker blue
Part of the fourth Tacoma generation introduced for 2024

Overview

Written by automotive expert James Riswick

7/28/2025

The Tacoma, Toyota's popular midsize pickup, was fully redesigned for 2024 and, as such, we don't expect many changes for the 2026 model year. The Tacoma is the Japanese automaker's smallest truck, slotting behind the full-size Toyota Tundra. But the Tacoma is plenty capable, especially in TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro guise. It doesn't tow as much as some midsize rivals and the back row is a little cramped, but otherwise we think the 2026 Tacoma is a solid pick for a midsize truck.

Edmunds spotlight: Thoroughly modern

The previous Tacoma generation was getting long in the tooth before the 2024 Toyota Tacoma debuted. Thankfully, Toyota gave its midsize truck a major overhaul in the tech department. The optional 14-inch infotainment screen is large, clear and easy to use. The interior is modern and, despite the upgraded screen, still packs big knobs and buttons for everything from climate to audio controls.

Competitors to consider

There's never been a better time to buy a midsize truck. The lineup is stacked from the Ford Ranger to the Chevrolet Colorado to the Honda Ridgeline. If you're looking for a traditional body-on-frame truck with high towing and payload limits, you can't go wrong with either the Ranger or the Colorado. But the Ridgeline offers a smoother ride while delivering the convenience of a pickup truck's bed.

What’s it like to live with?

Edmunds' editors are fully testing a 2024 Tacoma TRD Off-Road with the standard 2.4-liter turbocharged engine. Check out our Tacoma One-Year Road Test page to learn about our real-world experiences with the Tacoma's fuel economy, performance, maintenance, comfort and utility. The 2026 Tacoma is a couple of years newer, but the majority of our impressions from our 2024 truck will still apply.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

Driven, tested, rated by automotive expert Kurt Niebuhr

Average

7.6

out of 10

We drove the 2026 Toyota Tacoma on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

8/10

How does the Tacoma drive? We tested a TRD Sport with the 278-hp output. It's peppy enough around town and strong enough to propel the truck to 60 mph in a respectable 7.6 seconds in our testing. We also tested a TRD Pro with the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain. It was only a bit quicker to 60 mph (7.4 seconds), likely because the added weight and off-road hardware largely canceled out the extra power. In either powertrain, the transmission shifts quickly and smoothly, with no unnecessary shifting or hunting for gears on hills.

We were also impressed by the Tacoma's on-road braking performance. The pedal is responsive but engages the brakes smoothly, making it a cinch to scrub off speed accurately at any speed. Handling usually isn't much of a concern to truck buyers, but the Tacoma's steering is light and accurate and it displays good manners on the highway no matter which trim you choose.

Depending on the trim level, the Tacoma's off-road prowess ranges from mediocre (due to a large but removable air dam) to formidable at both high and low speeds. Trick shock absorbers and clever traction control ensure this truck will excel in most off-road situations.

Comfort

7/10

How comfortable is the Tacoma? The Tacoma's wide and somewhat flat front seats offer comfort for people of varying sizes. The cloth seats in our test truck felt a little coarse, especially compared with the optional synthetic leather upholstery, but should prove plenty durable in the long run. The rear seats aren't especially roomy, which is typical of the midsize truck segment, and taller passengers felt the seat cushions were too low and short for longer drives. Be aware, if you opt for the TRD Pro, its complicated and large IsoDynamic seats all but eliminate rear seat legroom.

How the Tacoma rides will depend largely on which trim level you choose. Lower trim levels like the SR feel more like how you expect a basic truck to ride — a bit stiff. Higher grades offer more advanced suspension systems that help smooth out the ride. All Tacomas benefit from clearly marked and easy-to-use climate control systems. The buttons and knobs are large enough to be operated easily while wearing gloves.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? Aside from the rugged-looking interior styling, the center touchscreen is the most dominant feature of the Tacoma. An 8-inch unit is standard but our test truck had the upgraded 14-inch screen. It has easy-to-use menus and a sharp resolution that makes the optional surround-view camera system look great. While many new vehicles are moving toward virtual buttons, it's refreshing to find so many real buttons and switches in the Tacoma.

Getting into the Tacoma isn't terribly difficult, but the rear seats are a bit harder to access due to the limited amount of legroom. Opting for the TRD Pro and its unique but gigantic shock-absorbing seats all but eradicates any hope of carrying rear passengers in any comfort. Once behind the wheel, the driver enjoys a good deal of adjustability, especially from the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and there's plenty of headroom for tall drivers.

Technology

8/10

How’s the tech? Our test truck was equipped with the optional 14-inch touchscreen and it dominates the interior of the Tacoma. It looks a little out of place stuck atop the dash, but it packs a lot of features including wireless smartphone connectivity and helpful voice controls. The Tacoma is equipped with plenty of USB-C charge ports and offers wireless charging pads as an option. The near vertical nature of the wireless charging pads, however, raises some concerns about phones tipping over and losing their charging connection.

Standard on all Tacomas is a collection of advanced driver aids that include automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert, full-speed adaptive cruise control and more. We generally liked the helpful operation of the driver assist systems and found them neither overly cautious nor prone to false alarms.

Towing and Storage

8/10

How are the towing and storage? The Tacoma prioritizes storage and functionality. There are two cargo bed sizes and an available 400-watt household-style power outlet. Tacomas equipped with the hybrid powertrain get a boost to 2,400 watts. Inside, the Tacoma offers quite a few storage options. Front and rear doors are chock full of cubbies, as is the center console. There's a handy tray over the glovebox too.

If you opt for the XtraCab configuration, the area behind the front seats (though it's still only a two-seat truck) is filled with additional storage for larger items, making it quite practical for carrying things you'd rather not keep in the bed. In the four-door Double Cab, the rear seatbacks fold down and the seat cushions flip up to reveal additional storage.

Maximum payload capacity for the Tacoma is a pretty solid 1,710 pounds. Towing capacity is more average at 6,500 pounds when properly equipped — the Colorado maxes out at 7,700 pounds, for example — but the Tacoma should be able to pull most small to midsize trailers.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

Fuel Economy

8/10

How’s the fuel economy? No matter which Tacoma you select, fuel economy should be similar. We drove a four-wheel-drive TRD Sport, which gets a Toyota-estimated 21 mpg. We managed a slightly better 22.6 mpg on our evaluation route. Even though the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain is estimated to offer similar fuel economy, it does produce considerably more horsepower and torque than the standard engine. Of note, the Tacoma does not require premium gasoline.

Value

7.5/10

Is the Tacoma a good value? Toyota offers a wide range of Tacoma trims to better match various truck shopper needs and budgets. But lower-grade Tacomas make no effort to hide their lack of options, and their interiors are peppered with blank buttons and other signs of missing equipment. More basic Tacomas also lack the refinement of similarly equipped Chevy Colorados and feel much more utilitarian.

Warranties of three years/36,000 miles and six years/60,000 miles for bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage are about average for the segment. Toyota also includes two years of free maintenance and roadside assistance.

Wildcard

7.5/10

In most of its trim levels, the Tacoma is designed to be more of a workhorse than it is to be particularly engaging. But there's an underrated satisfaction to a vehicle that can do so much without trouble. The Tacoma's styling proved more divisive than we expected. Some of our editors like the aggressive look of this midsize truck, while others found it a bit cartoonish and over-the-top. The capabilities of the TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims go a long way toward backing up the Tacoma's aggressive styling, but there's something to be said for a no-frills Tacoma. It's almost an American institution.

Which Tacoma does Edmunds recommend?

Toyota hasn't released official information on the 2026 Tacoma as of this writing. We'll update our recommendation if anything changes, but based on last year's Tacoma, we suggest checking out the TRD Sport first. It has a smoother ride quality than the TRD Off-Road and still looks pretty cool. Of course, if you plan on regularly hitting up dirt roads and trails, something like the Tacoma TRD Off-Road or TRD Pro will be a more suitable choice.

2026 Toyota Tacoma

2026 Toyota Tacoma Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds spotlight: Thoroughly modern

Competitors to consider

What’s it like to live with?

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Towing and Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Tacoma does Edmunds recommend?

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