Sunday Drive: Off-road in a new Toyota Tacoma
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- Deanne pops out through the sun roof in the 2022 Toyota Tacoma on the top of the mountains west of Utah Lake.
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- We stopped for a photo opportunity in front of the old Sinclair station in Elberta, Utah.
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- Heading into the hills on the west side of Utah Lake in the new 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, it handled the day like a pro indeed.
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- An interior view of the new 2022 Toyota Tacoma.
We have always enjoyed our time with smaller trucks over the years, having had a few unique opportunities to get away into the backcountry, and this week was no different. This time out it was with a Tacoma equipped with the TRD Pro package from Toyota.
The Pro edition comes with all kinds of goodies that enhance the off-road prowess of the Tacoma. Skid plates, a hood scoop and Fox 2.5 internal bypass shocks with rear remote reservoirs add more depth and abilities when off-road. Couple those with the standard crawl control that the Tacoma is know for and there are not many places this little truck will not go.
Of course, as we would have expected in the Tacoma, Toyota’s Safety Sense P comes as a standard feature. 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 if 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 to survive in stop-and-go traffic.
We agree that from a pure safety stance, these systems cannot be beat and would definitely factor into our decision when purchasing a mid-sized truck. This is especially true considering the fact that they are available across the line and not an expensive additional item.
On the Saturday of our test week with the truck, we headed to the west desert for some great off-roading and ended up in Eagle Mountain in the early afternoon. At that point, we decided to take the Tacoma on a route over the mountains west of Utah Lake; however, this time we were doing it in reverse.
The drive took us over some great rocky terrain as we headed up into the mountains. We hit some 15% inclines with loose rocks that that Tacoma handled with ease. There were even a couple of rut-enhanced paths where it proved great to have the added skid plate up front as we made our way up the hills.
Dropping the Tacoma into low gear turns it into an awesome climbing machine. And with the included cameras that can be set to look down at the two front tires, it was much easier to navigate at low speed through really rough terrain or when we came upon a steep drop and couldn’t see over the front of the hood.
The Tacoma handled it like it was part mountain goat, heading up the rocky terrain with no problems.
Another great option we loved is how easy it was to get stuff in and out of the bed, as it is lower than a larger truck. This is something we must think about as we become even more age-advanced. The new bed in the Tacoma comes with some other interesting features as well, including a deck rail system complete with tie points that allows items like boxes, a motorcycle or a four-wheeler to be stowed securely in the bed. There is also a built-in compartment to store small items.
The Tacoma comes with a multi-terrain select function that allows the user to help the vehicle understand the terrain and get the best possible performance during an off- or on-road adventure. The rear differential is also electronic and can be locked into place from the cab (functioning in conjunction with the electronic transfer case), making the switch to off-road adventuring much easier to accomplish.
Under the hood, the excitement continues as Toyota has included an all-new, 3.5-liter Atkinson cycle V-6 available 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 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 will be paired to a six-speed automatic transmission with electronic shifting, which 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 provided way more than we expected from a vehicle designed to be taken off road in a very hard way while keeping the passengers in relative comfort throughout the experience.
A 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, traffic and weather.
We fully enjoyed our test week, with the 2022 Tacoma easily taking us to places we would not ordinarily go. Mid-sized trucks like the Tacoma are a great option for those who don’t need the size and energy of a full-sized pickup but want to leave ordinary roads behind and explore what lies beyond.
Base price: $48,640
Destination charge: $1,215
Price as driven: $50,733