2025 Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma establishes itself as a go-anywhere, dependable midsize truck. This reputation was built on decades of quality and trail testing. Drivers take them to the desert, the campground, the trails, and everywhere in between. These trucks go off-road and then go to the job site when the weekend sunset fades away. This pickup shrugs off the demands put upon it and keeps going. Moving from a normally aspirated inline-4 or V6 to exclusively turbocharged 4-cylinder engines was a big change for the Tacoma, but this Toyota remains highly capable and tough. It also boasts excellent resale value and an available hybrid powertrain that offers 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, the most horsepower and torque in its class.

We’ve given it numerous awards; it has been a repeat winner of the Best Buy Award and Best Resale Value Award for midsize trucks. The Tacoma continues to be a bestseller and an excellent choice despite challenges from the recently redesigned Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Nissan Frontier — and yes, every competitor has been completely redesigned within the last few years.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize pickup trucks, including the Toyota Tacoma.

Following last year’s launch of the all-new generation, the 2025 model sees minor updates. The TRD Pro and Trailhunter get red front tow hooks. The Tacoma is available with a fourth pre-wired aux switch. There’s also a new color for the TRD Pro called “Mudbath.”

While the Tacoma starts in the low- to mid-$30,000s, the nicely equipped TRD Sport is a very popular choice that starts just over $40,000. The Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, and Nissan Frontier also start in that low-$30,000s ballpark, with the well-equipped GMC Canyon, unibody Honda Ridgeline, and Wrangler-based Jeep Gladiator all starting closer to $40,000.

Before buying a new Tacoma truck, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying.

Class-Leading Resale Value

Every year Kelley Blue Book has the Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value award for compact/midsize trucks – which goes back to 2003 – the Toyota Tacoma has won it. That best-in-class resale value continues for this generation.

The most popular trim levels of the Tacoma use a 278-horsepower turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. This engine is more refined than we had anticipated, and it also feels even more powerful than its horsepower and torque numbers suggest. Base model SR trucks use a 228-horsepower version of the same engine.

We’ve also driven the hybrid Tacoma, on- and off-road. For those who were sad to see the old V6 go away, know that the hybrid has loads of power, including plenty of low-end torque. That was especially helpful when we drove up steep inclines. The transitions from gasoline to electric were seamless. We don’t miss the V6, as the engine choices in the 2025 Tacoma have more than enough power. Acceleration is quick, and the transmission is very smooth, making driving intuitive and predictable. The truck does what you want, and it does it right now.

Most versions of the Tacoma come with rear coil springs, which help make the ride smooth and comfortable without feeling like you’re driving a car. The SR, SR5 XtraCab, and TRD PreRunner are the only variants that use leaf springs. Smooth is the theme here, and it continues with this excellent midsize truck’s braking feel and response.

Off-roading has been a part of Toyota truck history since long before it was called a Tacoma, so it should come as no surprise that the 2025 Tacoma is excellent off-road. It uses a combination of plentiful torque and a refined suspension to make traversing trails a pleasure. A well-equipped Tacoma can rival a Jeep over rough terrain. In addition to well-known trims that are part of the TRD family, there’s also the Trailhunter. This trim uses a lifted suspension with Old Man Emu monotube shocks, 33-inch all-terrain tires, Crawl Control (off-road cruise control), anti-roll bar disconnect, locking differential, air compressor, and a terrain monitor. This Tacoma is ready for overlanding right out of the box.

Fuel Economy

Generally speaking, the 2025 Tacoma achieves about 23 mpg combined, lower with off-road-specific trims. The hybrid gets the best fuel economy at 24 combined. Both the gas and hybrid engines’ fuel economies are best in class.

This generation of the Tacoma has made better use of space in the cab. The driving position and height feel natural for most drivers, which had been a rare weak spot for the previous gen. While you sit higher, it does not come at the expense of headroom — credit smart seat design for that. Speaking of seats, the TRD Pro uses IsoDynamic front seats, which have an internal shock-absorber system for added comfort when speeding over whoops and dunes.

Most Tacoma trims are Double Cab only and are rated to seat up to five people. There’s about an inch more legroom in the second row of the Double Cab than in the previous generation. The XtraCab seats two people; you won’t find a bench seat in the back. Instead, you have space behind those two front seats for storage.

The interior uses chunky knobs and angular beveled edges to emphasize the utility of the Tacoma. It’s an intuitive setup with plenty of modern features. A 14-inch infotainment touchscreen is available, as is a 12.3-inch instrument cluster. Other options include wireless charging and a 10-speaker JBL audio system.

The 2025 Tacoma is available with three body and cab combinations. The 4-door Double Cab has four conventionally opening full-sized doors. This is essentially a crew cab, and it’s available with a 5- or 6-foot bed. The 2-door XtraCab, which is basically a regular cab with extra space behind the seats, comes with a 6-foot bed. The XtraCab is the only 2-seat truck in its segment, and you can only get it as an SR, SR5, or PreRunner. Every trim either comes standard with a Double Cab or it’s available as an option.

The 2025 Tacoma looks awesome. Toyota squared off the rounded lines of the previous Tacoma. It’s still clearly a Tacoma, but it’s chiseled and industrial, with sharp LED lighting. Elements like wheel and tire combinations, ride height, black badges, and hood scoops differentiate the trim levels. Cool body mods include an available snorkel-style air intake, steel skid plates, and a grille that replaces the familiar logo with “TOYOTA” in uppercase letters.

Hybrid drivetrain
The i-Force Max hybrid, tuned more for power than efficiency, offers best-in-class power yet still delivers best-in-class fuel economy.

Off-Road assists
Toyota offers features like Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, and a terrain monitor to make off-roading accessible to drivers of all expertise levels.

TRD
For those who want to take their truck farther, TRD models are a way to get high-quality aftermarket components installed at the factory and included in your warranty. That saves a lot of time, trouble, and questions. And there are four different versions for four different levels of build.

Trailhunter
Off-roading doesn’t end at the TRD models. The Trailhunter shares some of the TRD Pro’s features but adds an integrated air compressor, steel skid plates, steel ARB rear bumper with hooks, a Rigid lighting package, and more. That makes the Trailhunter a terrific choice for overlanding.

Safety
The Tacoma has been something of a trailblazer, packing many driver-assistance features as standard. The 2025 model comes with updated versions of things like forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane departure alert with steering assistance, lane-tracing assistance, and adaptive cruise control.

JBL audio
Optional in a few lower trims and standard at higher levels, this system includes a removable Bluetooth speaker.

All three powertrains are based around a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Most Tacoma pickups use the version that has 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, which is backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission. A 6-speed manual transmission is available, which brings the power numbers down a touch to 270 hp and 310 lb-ft. The base SR’s version has 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque.

The i-Force Max hybrid drivetrain, which is optional in the TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited and standard in the TRD Pro and Trailhunter, has 326 hp (323 hp in the Trailhunter) and 465 lb-ft of torque. Four-wheel drive is available across the board.

Payload and Towing

To get the Tacoma’s maximum towing capacity of 6,500 pounds, look for the 278-hp engine and the XtraCab layout. The good news is that opting for the Double Cab, the most popular cab layout, will still get you 6,400 pounds of towing capacity. Hybrids can tow up to 6,000 pounds. The maximum payload capacity of 1,705 pounds is reached with a Double Cab hybrid, but for those who want a truck for carrying a payload, the value play is the SR, which can carry a payload of 1,500 pounds. Max capacities in this segment are the Chevy Colorado’s 7,700-lb towing capacity and the Ford Ranger’s 1,805-lb payload capacity.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Toyota’s new-car warranty lasts 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This coverage is typical for mainstream manufacturers. Scheduled maintenance is also included for the first two years or 25,000 miles, as well as two years of roadside assistance with unlimited mileage. Hybrid components have an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty, while the hybrid battery has coverage for 10 years or 150,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

The Toyota Tacoma is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick. Standard safety features included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection and Proactive Driving Assist that adds minor steering and braking inputs when necessary.