2024 Toyota Tacoma Limited Review: Taco Bout a Good Truck

2024 | pickup trucks | toyota | toyota tacoma

Written by Paul Strauss | June 23, 2024

2024 Toyota Tacoma Limited Review: Taco Bout a Good Truck

The Toyota Tacoma first debuted in 1995, with the last-generation model having seen seven model years of action. For 2024, the Tacoma got a top-to-bottom redesign, from its design to its platform and drivetrain. While I’ve always enjoyed Toyota’s mid-size pickup, the fourth-gen model provides notable upgrades and improvements over 2023 and earlier models.

2024 Toyota Tacoma Limited Rear View

Toyota offers the Tacoma in eight grades and with three different engine setups. The line-up starts with the base Tacoma SR, with the SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, Trailhunter, and TRD Pro, each adding features and capabilities. The Limited model I drove is more sporty than rugged in its appearance, though it still has the chiseled, athletic look that’s become synonymous with Toyota trucks of late. The Limited has more chrome bits than others, including its grille and lower fascia, mirror caps, exhaust pipe, and wheels, making it look more upscale and urban than the Tacoma’s more rugged and workhorse variants. The Tacoma Limited is also the first time I’ve seen power running boards on a mid-size truck. I’m not sure it’s tall enough to warrant running boards, but it’s a nice premium feature.

While all 2024 Tacomas have a 2.4-liter turbocharged I4 engine, the i-FORCE MAX is the one to get if you want maximum torque. This hybrid drivetrain produces 326 total system horsepower and 465 lb-ft. of torque. The base SR model’s engine only produces 228 horsepower and 243 lb-ft. of torque, while the mid-grade i-FORCE engine makes 270 to 278 horsepower and 310 to 317 lb-ft. of torque. The Tacoma Limited starts with this engine, but the one I drove was upgraded to the beefier i-FORCE MAX. The hybrid engine can tow 6,000 pounds, while the regular i-FORCE has a slight advantage and can tow 6400 to 6,500 pounds depending on trim. While most new Tacoma’s have a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, the SR, TRD Sport, and TRD Off-Road are available with a 6-speed manual for those who prefer to row their own gears. There are some rear-wheel drive grades, but everything above the TRD PreRunner comes exclusively with four-wheel drive.

While it has two fewer cylinders than the outgoing model’s top-end engine, the hybrid drivetrain is significantly more responsive and offers much better fuel economy, too. The old 3.5-liter V6 offered about 48 fewer horses, 200 fewer lb-ft. of torque, and got just 18 mpg combined, compared to the new hybrid’s 24 mpg EPA number. Overall, I’ve been impressed with this engine, having recently experienced it on the new Land Cruiser. One thing I did notice with the Tacoma was a more aggressive than usual feeling, like engine braking. When I took my foot off of the gas, the truck decelerated rapidly, much like the regenerative braking system on an EV. After doing some research on the subject, I found it possible this was caused by Proactive Driving Assist. This safety feature automatically slows the vehicle down when approaching obstacles or other vehicles. This feature can be disabled, but I didn’t figure this out until after I wrapped up my loan.

The four-wheel drive system offers a two-speed transfer case with three selectable modes: low-range, high-range with locked center diff, and full-time four-wheel drive. In Normal mode, the Tacoma’s independent suspension is pretty softly tuned, providing a comfortable ride on a variety of road surfaces. The Limited gets an adaptive variable suspension system, which tightens things up nicely when you set the drive mode to Sport+. As you’d expect from a body-on-frame truck, there is some body roll but nothing noteworthy. The electronically assisted power steering system isn’t too light, so you feel like you’re in control, though it’s not exactly sporty. There’s good insulation in the cabin, keeping road noise down, and I didn’t encounter any squeaks, rattles, or other unwanted sounds.

I’ve not spent time inside other 2024 Tacoma grades, but the Limited’s interior is very nice indeed. It’s got a hefty and substantial style befitting a truck with some nice material design choices to give it an upscale look. The Limited’s seats are wrapped in smooth and easy-to-clean SofTex synthetic leather, and there’s a neat faux wood material on the dashboard and door trim that looks almost like forged carbon fiber. Grab handles on the doors and center console have a grippy texture that reminded me of a circuit board. The front seats have 8-way power adjustments, heating, and ventilation and are more comfortable than prior-gen seats, offering a much-improved driving position for tall drivers. The steering wheel also provides more adjustability than before.

The Tacoma Limited’s dashboard is capped off by a large 14-inch diagonal touchscreen backed by the Toyota Multimedia system. I was pleased with the responsiveness of this system, and I like how well both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are integrated. In addition to wireless support for those phone ecosystems, there’s a wireless charging dock for your phone. Toyota’s interior design team has resisted the urge to reduce buttons and knobs in their cabins, and I appreciate that. I much prefer tactile inputs for things like climate, volume, and vehicle drive modes, and I’m happy to say all of these have physical controls. I really like the chunky knob design they went with, too. The glove box is on the smaller side but has a handy tray above it that is handy for storing a phone. There are also cutout storage pockets in the doors that are placed higher than most, making them easier to use and see what’s inside.

Other tech features include a 360º surround camera system, a head-up display, and a digital rearview mirror. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 comes standard, and the truck also has a Class-IV towing hitch, a trailer brake controller, and a trailer blind spot monitor. The higher-grade Tacomas also get a 10-speaker JBL audio system that kicks out good volume throughout the cabin. The overall sound quality is crisp, with good highs and mids, though I found it to be a little lacking in the bass department, even though there’s a subwoofer behind the rear seats. One unique feature that comes with this audio system is a portable JBL Flex Bluetooth speaker that pops out of the dashboard. When docked, it functions as the truck’s front center speaker and automatically recharges.

Toyota markets the Tacoma Double Cab as a 5-passenger vehicle, but I found the back seat to be quite cramped. I’m 6 feet tall, and with the front seats set for someone of my height, my knees were firmly pressed against the seat backs. So, if you’ve got taller front-seat passengers, the back row is best reserved for kids or a dog. On the other hand, if you can slide the front seats forward a bit, the back is more comfortable. If you do manage to sit in the back, a pair of USB-C charging ports and a 120-volt AC outlet are available for your use. The rear seats can fold forward. There’s only a small amount of storage behind the right seat, as the left side houses the subwoofer.

Thanks to a more efficient box design, the short bed has more cargo space than last year’s model. Previously, the bed width between the wheel wells was 41.5 inches, but that’s increased to 44.7 inches this year. You’ll still need to set 48-inch sheet goods on top of the wheel wells, but there are cutouts behind them that you can place a board into to keep things level. The Tacoma Limited is only available with a 5-foot bed, so if you want the longer 6-foot bed, you’ll need to consider the SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, or Trailhunter.

The bed has several handy features, including a durable factory liner, a tie-down rail system, lighting, a covered 120-volt outlet, and small storage boxes built into its walls. The one on the driver’s side has a USB-C and 12-volt charging ports inside, so you can juice up your phone while tailgating. The Limited grade also has a power liftgate, which can be opened or closed with the press of buttons on the side of both taillamps.

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma is a substantial upgrade from the last generation model. It handles better, offers greater front-seat comfort, has a more powerful and efficient drivetrain, and benefits from the latest Toyota technology. Its new design is even bolder than before, and there are more grades to choose from. Demand for the Tacoma has always been strong, and with the improvements Toyota made this model year, I have no doubt that they’ll have trouble keeping these trucks in stock.