The
2011 Toyota Tacoma is a light truck that comes in a wide variety of configurations. It is equipped with 2.7-liter inline four-cylinder engine paired to a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission, or a 4.5-liter V-6 236 horsepower engine joined to a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission. It comes with rear-wheel and four wheel drive in all trims, including the X-Runner and Prerunner. The Tacoma even has a supercharged TRD configuration for off road travel.
The Toyota Tacoma is offered with a Double, Access, Xtra or regular cab and a variety of truck bed sizes. The X-Runner has an Access cab, a V-6 engine and a six-speed manual transmission. The suspension is lowered and a reinforced frame that improves rigidness. All of the standard safety features are included in all trims, and it comes with hill start/downhill assist too. EPA fuel economy rating is 17-20 mpg city/22-26 mpg highway.
New for 2011
For 2011, all regular-cab Toyota Tacomas now come with air conditioning. A new Convenience Extra Value Package for Tacoma Double Cabs, includes cruise control, sliding rear window, keyless entry, and audio controls on the steering wheel. New grilles are also available: metallic surround with gray bar on standard models, chrome surround with black bar for SR5 and Off-Road, and body color surround with matching bar for Tacoma X-Runner.
Essentials
Engines: 2.7L I-4, 4.0L V-6
Transmissions: 6-speed manual, 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, 4-speed automatic
Body Style: Truck
Trims: Base Regular Cab Pickup, Base Crew Cab Pickup, Base Extended Cab Pickup, Base Long Bed Crew Cab Pickup, Prerunner Crew Cab Pickup, Prerunner Extended Cab Pickup, Prerunner Long Bed Crew Cab Pickup, X-Runner Extended Cab Pickup
On the Outside
The Toyota Tacoma body has the more curves and angles than ever. You can get it with a higher ground clearance and more off-road capability, regular height, or a lowered street truck look. Wheel size for the Tacoma goes up to 18 inches.
From the Inside
Regular Cab Tacomas seat three passengers, Access Cabs seat four passengers, and Double Cabs seat five passengers. Standard on the Cabs are tilt/telescoping steering wheel, air conditioning, and power ports. Options include cruise control, rear heater ducts, and sport seats.
Driving Performance
As for performance, the sporty Tacoma X-Runner did a 0.89 g on the skid pad and went through the slalom at 65 mph. The Tacoma Double Cab went from 0 to 60 in 8.7 seconds, while the Prerunner did it in 6.8. The Double Cab stopped from 60 mph in 126 feet but the Prerunner needed only 122 feet.
Safety Equipment
Standard safety features on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma are driver and front-passenger airbags, with an advanced airbag system (on Access Cab and Double Cab models). Also standard are disc/drum brakes, ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, stability control, and traction control.
Gas Mileage
Regular Cab: 17-20 mpg city/22-26 mpg hwy
Access Cab: 14-20 mpg city/18-26 mpg hwy
X-Runner: 17 mpg city/21 mpg hwy
Double Cab: 14-16 mpg city/18-20 mpg hwy
Plusses
- Wide range of options
- Great handling
- Rugged performance
- Off-road capability
Minuses
- Ride quality
- Overdone appearance
- Not enough standard features
Rating
Versatile pickup making new inroads
People Who Like the 2011 Toyota Tacoma Also Like
- Ford Ranger
- Nissan Frontier
- Chevrolet Colorado