2026 Toyota Tacoma

There are five mid-sized pickups available right now but there’s only one that even offers a manual transmission – something that was once usually standard in pick-ups. The Ford Ranger, the Nissan Frontier, the Chevy Colorado and its GMC sibling the Canyon are all automatic-only.

If you still like to row your own, there’s only one choice.

The Toyota Tacoma.

What It Is

The Tacoma is a mid-sized truck available in two-door extended cab (called XtraCab) and four-door Double Cab configurations, with the two-door/extended cab version having a six foot bed while the four-door Double Cab comes with either a shorter, five-foot bed or (optionally) the longer six foot bed. All trims come with a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine in three different output levels (one of them hybrid-augmented).

The Tacoma is also the only currently available mid-size pick-up that’s still available with a manual transmission.

Prices start at $32,445 for the SR extended cab with 2WD; 4WD can be added as a stand-alone option. So equipped, the MSRP goes up to $35,645. The SR comes standard with the 228 horsepower version of the 2.4 liter four, an eight speed automatic, 17 inch wheels and LED headlights.

The SR5 gets a stronger (278 hp) version of the 2.4 liter four, along with an upgraded rear suspension (coil springs instead of the leaf springs that come with the SR) as well as a bed rail/moveable cleat tie-down system for the bed. The 2WD version lists for $36,535; with 4WD the MSRP increases to $39,735.

You can also get the XtraCab/six foot bed version of the Taco in TRD PreRunner form ($39,035). This one comes standard with 4WD and the more powerful version of the 2.4 liter engine, along with a lifted suspension, locking rear differential, skid plates, trim-specific 17 inch wheels, a digital main instrument cluster and leather trim.

The Double Cab is available in more trims – as well as the base SR and SR5 trims, with prices for those beginning at $34,105 for the former and $37,605 for the latter. In addition, there is a TRD Sport ($40,315) that’s eligible for the six speed manual transmission – paired with the 278 horsepower engine. It starts at $40,315 with 2WD (with the automatic) and the five foot bed or $40,815 with the six foot bed. If you want the manual six speed, it lists for $42,715 and you get the shorter, five-foot bed. The six speed isn’t available with the six foot bed – or with 2WD.

There are also TRD OffRoad ($40,315), Limited ($53,470), TrailRunner ($63,659) and TRD Pro ($64,650) versions of the Double Cab.

What’s New For 2026

The TrailHunter trim is new. It comes standard with the strongest (hybrid augmented) version of the 2.4 liter engine (326 horsepower) and additional off-road upgrades, including Old Man Emu shocks. rock rails and additional underbody protection, 18 inch bronze anodized wheels and 33 inch knobby tires, plus an ARB bed utility bar with removable panels.

What’s Good

Standard engine is much stronger than the previously standard engine.

You can still get a manual transmission.

You can still get a two-door (and a six foot bed).

What’s Not So Good

You can’t get the manual in the less expensive (2WD) trims or with a six foot bed.

Standard price has gone up by about $3k vs. the previous generation Taco.

No more V6 engine.

Under The Hood

The previous generation Tacoma was available with both a four cylinder engine and a V6 engine and neither of these engines were turbocharged (or hybrid-augmented). The formerly standard 2.7 liter four wasn’t very powerful – it made just 159 horsepower – but it was a durable workhorse and because it didn’t have a turbo, a Tacoma equipped with one cost less to buy and also less to keep as the years and miles rolled by – because there was no turbo or intercooler to go bad and need replacing. Also, the engine was under less pressure – literally – and that usually correlates with longer life. The non-turbocharged four cylinder engines that used to be standard in the Tacoma and all of is rivals were known to be almost unkillable, which made up for their being on the underpowered side.

The Taco’s previously standard 3.5 liter V6 was certainly adequately powerful (278 hp) and it was revered for being at least as durable as the 2.7 liter four.

Well, they’re both gone now – in favor of a smaller (but much stronger) 2.4 liter four that is turbocharged and also (in its strongest variant) hybrid-augmented).

The standard version of the 2.4 turbo’d four makes 228 horsepower – 69 more than the old 2.7 liter four – and also a lot more torque (243 ft.-lbs. at 1,600 RPM vs. 180 at 3,600). Gas mileage is slightly better than it was, in spite of the power uptick: 20 city, 26 highway vs, 20 city, 23 highway previously. However, the Taco’s maximum tow rating with this engine is still just 3,500 lbs., the same as it was for the previous generation with the much-less-stout 2.7 liter four. That’s odd, because the new four probably can competently pull more than just 3,500 lbs. (while the old 2.7 liter four was definitely close to the limits of what it could pull with a 3,500 lb. trailer hitched to the rear bumper).

More power – and towing capacity – is available if you opt for the 278 horsepower version of the 2.4 liter four. Note that this engine’s rated output exactly matches that of the old 3.5 liter V6. So also the max-rated towing capacity (6,400 lbs.) Fuel economy is also about the same: 20 city, 24 highway vs. 19 city, 24 highway with the old V6. It’s pretty obvious Toyota tailored the up-rated 2.4 liter four to mirror the output and capabilities of the old 3.5 liter V6, so that Taco buyers who want the output/capabilities of a V6 will be ok with a turbo’d four.

Another change is what’s bolted to the four. Both iterations comes standard with an eight speed automatic now; previously a six speed automatic was used. You can still get a a six speed manual, but only in higher-trim Double Cabs with 4WD. Still, the fact that you can get it gives the Taco a unique appeal over its automatic-only Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and Nissan Frontier rivals. By the way, the only of these four competitors that still even offers a V6 is the Frontier, which actually comes standard with one.

There’s one more option to consider – if you buy a Double Cab Taco. These are available with hybrid-augmented drivetrain that Toyota calls i-Force Max. It pairs the turbo’d 2.4 liter engine with a battery pack and an electric motor to provide an increase in on-demand power to 326 horsepower (and 465 ft.-lbs. of torque) while also reducing fuel consumption by cycling the gas engine off as often as possible as when the Taco’s not moving or during deceleration/coasting. When the engine is off, the battery powers accessories. The hybrid’s mileage – 22 city, 24 highway – is slightly better than that of a Taco with the non-hybrid, 278 hp iteration of the 2.4 liter four but because of the additional weight, the max tow rating goes down a bit to 6,000 lbs. Also, the hybrid drivetrain is only available with 4WD and with the automatic transmission.

On The Road

When the Taco was a small (compact-sized) and inexpensive truck, it drove like one. It wasn’t bad. But it was bouncy and light-feeling. You sat close to whoever was riding shotgun, too.  That’s what you got for the money. The current Taco has the beefy, solid feel of a full-size truck (by early 2000s standards) it almost is full-sized in every way except width – and even that’s close.

The thing is, early 2000s full-size trucks were a nice size – and so is the current Taco. It’s big enough to not feel small but not so big it feels huge – as current full-size trucks are. The Taco can be driven comfortably in between the cement abutments at a bank drive-through and you’re not so high up off the ground that you can’t reach down to get your hands on the tube that goes through the vacuum chute to the teller inside. It doesn’t hog up so much space to either side of the cars parked beside you at the supermarket that you can’t open the doors all the way to get out/in (at least, not without denting the sides of the car parked next to you.

In a word, it is manageable.

This is the appeal of the thing. It’s a real truck – not a toy truck. But it’s not a monster truck, either.

Or a slow truck. Even with the standard (228 hp) version of the 2.4 liter turbo four, the current Taco can get to 60 in about 8 seconds. The previous generation Taco with the 2.7 liter four (159 hp) needed about 11 seconds. That’s not just a big difference; it’s a big real-world difference. (The difference between a given vehicle that can get to 60 in say 5.8 seconds vs. one that takes 5 seconds is about half a car length’s difference at the end of a drag race; a three second difference is a much bigger difference).

With the stronger (278 hp) version of the 2.4 liter four, the 0-60 time goes down to about 7 seconds. The hybrid makes the run in about the same time (the extra power is offset by the extra weight).

It’s the manual that makes all the difference, though – since the Taco is the last truck in the segment that offers this option. Quantifying this is not as easy as noting 0-60 times. In fact, the 0-60 times quoted for the manual-equipped truck are a few tenths slower than with the eight speed automatic, which shifts smartly, without ever missing a shift 0 which happens sometimes when you shift yourself. That said, shifting for yourself is just fun – and that kind of fun is only available in the Taco.

SR5 and higher trims have a coil spring rear suspension that noticeably smooths out the ride on rough roads, but even with the the leaf spring set-up in the SR the ride control is vastly better than it was when the Taco was a compact-sized truck.

At The Curb

It’s not an exaggeration to compare the current Taco to the full-size trucks of the early 2000s. The two-door SR5 with the short (five foot) bed is 213 inches long and the Double Cab with the six foot bed is 226.2 inches long. For reference, back in 2001, a full-size (half-ton) Tundra SR5 was 217.5 inches long. It was also 70.7 inches tall and 75.2 inches wide. The 2026 “mid-sized” Taco stands 73.8 inches tall and is 76.9 inches wide. The lifted TRD PRO versions are taller. So tall, in fact, that I was only just barely able to raise the hood and get the prop rod that holds it up in place – and I’m a 6ft 3 dude with long arms.

Still, it’s manageable. A step ladder or old bucket to stand on is not needed to get at whatever you put in the bed and you don’t need running boards to climb up into the cab. Getting in and out is about as easy as getting in or out of a current crossover. Once inside, there’s room enough that you don’t feel crowded. Again, it feels very much like being in a full-size truck from the early 2000s. You’re up high, but not monster truck high – and you don’t have to worry about smacking mirrors with another truck coming down the same road you’re on, in the opposite direction.

Outside, it looks rugged – not steroidal. If we were talking gym talk, the Taco would be the guy who’s naturally built. Current full-size trucks look juiced and angry. Cartoonishly so. Their huge blunt faces and hyper-macho stances give off a copdpiece vibe. The Taco’s for the person who doesn’t want that look or need the over-the-topness of current full-size trucks.

The Taco’s bed is made of a lightweight composite material that doesn’t dent. But it does crack.

The Rest

The one thing the new Taco hasn’t got is an affordable price tag. Even the base SR with just 4WD is already south of $35k; the tested Double Cab/4WD model with the TRD off-road upgrades was south of $55k. Back in 2001, a full-size Tundra listed for $20,895. Yes, really. And – yes – inflation. But still. There is no denying that trucks – like everything else – have gotten a lot more expensive. Yes, they’re a lot nicer. But what does that matter if you can’t afford them?

It’d be interesting to see how well a basic, work truck iteration of the current Taco priced around $25k would sell. Give it a non-turbocharged engine that’s powerful enough, along with a six speed manual and maybe AC and that’s it. Skip the power windows and locks and the extra-cost electronica. Lots of people might like that a lot. Without doubt, lots of people could afford that a lot more than a starting close to $33k truck.

The Bottom Line

The new Taco is a very different truck than previous Tacos, which has its good and its bad points. Mostly, it comes down to whether you can afford all the good points.

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