The Toyota Tacoma is better than ever — but may have lost what made it special

The base two-seat Tacoma SR XtraCab 4x2 starts at $31,590, while my range-topping Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab 4x4 test truck starts at $63,900.

Shipping fees and a few optional extras pushed the as-tested price to $68,093.

As a result, Toyota offers the Tacoma with a variety of front grilles and facias.

My favorite is the test truck's heritage grille, which evokes the look of the brand's iconic pickups from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

It has two cab types: a two-passenger XtraCab and a five-passenger Double Cab. It's also available with both a 5-foot and a 6-foot bed. Most of its rivals, with the exception of the Nissan Frontier, are available with only a five-passenger crew cab and a 5-foot bed.

That means it comes with a ton of special off-road goodies such as Fox adjustable shocks, a performance air intake, and massive 33-inch Goodyear all-terrain tires with 18-inch black alloy wheels. There are also beefed-up aluminum skid plates and underbody protection for the transfer case and fuel tank.

The seats feature a system of air-over-oil shock absorbers that absorb the impact of rough terrain on the occupants. A special air pump adjusts the firmness of the shocks.

My test truck was powered by a 2.4-liter, turbocharged inline-four-cylinder engine paired with a hybrid system consisting of a 48-horsepower electric drive motor and a small 1.87-kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack.

Together, they produce a robust 326 total horsepower and a whopping 465 pound-feet of torque.

A non-hybrid version of the same engine is available with 228 horsepower, 270 horsepower (manual transmission), and 278 horsepower.

My test truck boasted fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined, which aren't spectacular for a hybrid but solid for a high-performance truck of this size.

For all its excellence, the old Toyota Tacoma was a chore to drive. Its V6 lacked grunt, and the driving position was uncomfortable. This time around, Toyota has fixed both.

Power from the turbo four is strong and immediate, with the electric drive motor contributing an extra kick of torque.

Despite being a Toyota hybrid, the Tacoma retains its torque converter and conventional eight-speed automatic transmission. Thus, it drives nothing like a Prius or a Camry, which depends on an e-CVT to drive the wheels.

Instead, it feels more like a regular pickup with an aggressive auto start-stop feature. In fact, I actually forgot I was driving a hybrid at one point and went hunting for the button to shut off the start-stop.

The engine also makes a surprisingly throaty rumble and is one of the better-sounding four-cylinder engines on the market.

Traditional Tacoma interiors are pretty spartan. This one does a full 180. It's got every creature comfort you could ever want in a truck and a few you didn't even know you needed, such as seats with shock absorbers and a detachable JBL Bluetooth speaker.

What hasn't changed is that the cabin remains logically designed and easy to use.

The centerpiece of Tacoma's tech package is its massive optional 14-inch touchscreen (base models get an 8-inch unit) running Toyota's latest infotainment system, which is among the easiest to use on the market.

As a result, the back seats in my test truck would be uncomfortable for most adults. This is especially the case if the front seat occupants are taller than 6 feet.

There are also USB, 12V, and AC power sockets, and some models even have a built-in air compressor.

That trails the Chevrolet Colorado's 7,700-pound and the Nissan Frontier's 7,150-pound ratings.

The 2025 Tacoma is a great truck. Toyota fixed pretty much everything that held it back from my good graces with more power, improved driving dynamics, and updated tech.

But the Tacoma's success has always been built on delivering no-nonsense dependability at a reasonable price. It's the very reason my father purchased one a few years ago.

Power, tech, and luxury have never been its calling card.

In fact, they've caused the price tag to skyrocket to levels that may drive loyalists toward rivals.

As much as I like the fancy new Tacoma, I can't help but feel that they're diluting the secret sauce that made it so beloved.