Sunday Drive: Toyota adds Trail Edition to the already capable Tacoma line
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- The exterior of the new 2022 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition.
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- The exterior of the new 2022 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition.
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- The exterior of the new 2022 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition.
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- The bed of the new 2022 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition.
During the past couple of years, as folks have wanted to get out of the house, see the world and spend more and more time outdoors, the Toyota Tacoma has outsold its nearest competitor by a factor of 2-to-1. During a worldwide pandemic, that is quite a feat and a testament to the great mid-sized truck that it is.
We have always enjoyed our time with the smaller truck over the years, having had a few unique opportunities to take advantage of getting away into the back country, and this week was not different. About the only change this time was the trim level of the Tacoma that hit our driveway. This time out, we got into the SR5 with the new Trail Edition Package included. This made the truck more like the TRD Pro Edition, albeit at a lower cost.
Of course, as we would have expected, the Tacoma Toyota’s Safety Sense P comes as a standard addition across the entire line of Tacomas. This really adds a sense of safety to the truck, and we are glad to see Toyota taking the lead and adding it to all trim levels in the Tacoma lineup.
This feature adds a Pre-Collision System that also has pedestrian detection, a lane departure alert with a sway warning for when towing a trailer, automatic high beam headlamps, and a high-speed dynamic radar cruise control that is a must-have for us in any vehicle, if for nothing else than surviving in stop-and-go traffic.
We agree that from a pure safety stance, these systems cannot be beat and would definitely factor in making our decision when purchasing a mid-sized truck, especially considering the fact that they are available across the line and not an expensive additional item.
During our week with the truck, we were able to experience all the new features. We greatly enjoyed the radar cruise and, of course, the pre-collision warning. This latter feature is awesome when you’re running around town and your eyes slip from the road for a second. The truck would warn us if it felt we might not be braking soon enough when something or someone stopped or braked in front of us.
We did get in some real off-roading in the new Tacoma Trail Edition by taking it up Hobble Creek Canyon with the plan of heading up over Pole Haven behind Provo Peak and eventually dropping into Provo Canyon. Having not been on this route for a couple of years, it seemed like the perfect early November drive to test out the Tacoma on a dirt road and even some mud.
Turns out this is quite a climb, and we would definitely recommend a four-wheel-drive vehicle to make it the entire way. The climb from Hobble Creek to the top was a great adventure, with parts hitting an almost 17% incline as indicated by the added inclinometer and tilt gauge that come with the Tacoma in the 4.2-inch driver information screen.
The Tacoma handled it like it was part mountain goat heading up the rocky, dirt terrain with ease. We did stop at the top of the road on Camels Back Mountain, deciding it was getting two muddy to continue toward Provo.
Another great option we loved is how easy it is to get stuff in and out of the bed. It is lower on the Tacoma than on a larger truck, something we have to think about as we become more advanced in age. The new bed on the Tacoma comes with some other interesting features as well, including a deck rail system complete with tie points that allow items such as boxes, a motorcycle or a four-wheeler to be stowed with ease. There is also a built-in compartment for storing small items.
The Tacoma comes with a multiterrain select function that allows the user to help the vehicle understand the terrain and get the best possible performance during off- or on-road adventures. The rear differential is also electronic and can be locked into place from the cab, functioning in conjunction with the electronic transfer case. This makes the decision to go off road much easier to accomplish.
Under the hood, the excitement continues as Toyota has included an all-new 3.5-liter Atkinson cycle V-6 complete with Toyota’s D-4S technology and featuring both direct and port fuel injection. There will also be a four-cylinder version, but we would think most folks will opt for the more powerful version of the engine. The V-6 makes 278 horsepower and 265 foot-pounds of torque, enough to pull up to 6,800 pounds or haul up to 1,440 pounds in the bed.
Both engines are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with electronic shifting that delivers quick and easy shift points. The V-6 can also be mated to a new six-speed manual transmission. The new powertrain makes the Tacoma more powerful and fuel efficient than ever before.
Inside, the Tacoma offered way more than we expected from a vehicle that was designed to be taken off road in a very hard way. The new 8-inch touchscreen is sleek and easy to use, adding a real touch of luxury to the cab of the Tacoma, and it came complete with the Toyota Entune system that allows easy access to phone apps and traffic and weather information.
We enjoyed our week to the fullest with the 2022 Tacoma SR5 Trail Edition taking us to places we would not ordinarily go. We found it willing and able to make it with ease. Mid-sized trucks are a great way to go for those who don’t really need the size and energy of a full-sized pickup.
Base price: $35,305
Destination charge: $1,175
Price as driven: $41,193
