Tacoma

Make
Toyota
Segment
Sports Car

The Toyota Tacoma is the fourth best-selling truck in America, sitting behind the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, and Ram 1500. It crushes the midsize competition in terms of sales, though we will have to see how it handles a new challenge from the Jeep Gladiator. Looking at the configurator for the 2019 Tacoma, it isn't easy to figure out which trim level is right for you. So we decided to take a moment to explain the different trim levels so you'd know exactly which one to shop for. It is worth noting a 2020 Tacoma is on the way and will finally add Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so if you aren't in a hurry to buy a new truck, we recommend waiting.

SR and SR5

The Tacoma SR and SR5 trims sit near the bottom of the Tacoma range in terms of pricing and available options. If you want a more basic truck, these are the two you'll be choosing from. Both of these trim levels come with a base 2.7-liter four-cylinder producing a wimpy 159 horsepower and there's also a 3.5-liter V6 producing a meatier 278 hp. The four-cylinder comes exclusively with rear-wheel-drive while the V6 is exclusively four-wheel-drive on these two trims.

You can get an SR trim as an access cab with a six-foot bed (pictured below) or a double cab with a five-foot bed. The SR5 trim adds the ability to get a double cab with a six-foot bed. For $25,850, the base SR includes Toyota Safety Sense, a rearview camera, deck rail system, skid plates, and USB ports. Stepping up to the SR5 trim for $27,625 adds an Entune infotainment system, multi-information display, fog lights, and tire pressure monitor.

TRD Sport

Our tester was a TRD Sport, which is the most on-road-oriented of the TRD trim levels. This one is considerably more expensive than the two base trims - starting at $33,800 - but includes a standard V6 engine with RWD or 4WD going out through a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual.

The TRD Sport also adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a wireless phone charger, passive entry, and limited-slip differential. Ours was a double cab with the six-foot bed but an access cab and five-foot bed are also available. If you don't care about going off-road, this trim level finished in Cavalry Blue (pictured below) is the one we'd choose.

TRD Off-Road

The TRD Off-Road isn't drastically different from the TRD Sport but does have some different appearance options and content. It is a bit more expensive at $33,800 but includes crawl control, multi-terrain select, a locking rear differential, Bilstein shock absorbers, and knobby tires. You can tell a TRD Off-Road from the Sport based on its contrast fenders, different wheels and tires, and TRD 4X4 sticker on the bed.

Limited

The Limited trim is by far the most puzzling option in the Tacoma range. It costs $37,490 and includes blind spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, a moonroof, and 18-inch alloy wheels (most of which are optional on other trim levels). It is only available as a double cab with a five-foot bed and can be optioned with RWD or 4WD with an automatic only. Since the Tacoma isn't a very comfortable truck, we don't recommend this "luxurious" Limited Trim.

TRD Pro

For those who like to go off-roading almost every weekend, the TRD Pro is the Tacoma to look at. The TRD Pro is the most expensive - starting at $42,660 - and some are even being sold with dealer markups. Opting for this version of the Tacoma adds a trim-specific grille, automatic climate control, TRD Pro badging, fox racing shocks, and high-performance exhaust. You can only have it as a double cab with a five-foot bed but you can pick between a manual or automatic (you know which to choose). The TRD Pro even has an available snorkel so it doesn't choke on sand.