On the highway, the V6 Tacoma exhibits fine manners. It is reasonably quiet and copeswell with passing maneuvers and grades. Though nowhere near as economical (17 mpg
city, 19 highway in our test truck) as either of the less powerful engines, its
increased performance makes it attractive nonetheless.
For a pickup truck, the Tacoma rides well. The coil-spring front suspension copes well
with all but the worst potholes, and has enough travel to deal with off-road
obstacles. Like almost all pickups, the Tacoma's rear axle's leaf springs do best when
there's a load in the bed; with only a driver on board, the rear tends to react
noticeably to freeway expansion joints and similar small bumps, and hops up and down
over rough surfaces off road.
Tacomas with power steering (all V6s, and available with the 4-cyl. models) are easy
to drive. Maneuverability is good, but it's prudent to remember that Xtracab Tacomas
have a considerably larger turning radius (40.0 vs. 34.4 ft.) than their shorter
stablemates--not quite as handy in close quarters like parking lots.