2005 Toyota Tacoma Pickup Reviews & Ratings

All of the newest trucks in this class have decent interiors, but the quality of Toyota's interior materials seems just a little better than that of the other midsize pickups. The dimpled material on the dash and upper panels and the textured material on the lower dash and door trim look and nice; it's hard plastic, but it looks soft. The cloth upholstery is decent in the SR5 trim. Not everyone loves the perforated silver plastic used for the center stack, though. Solid cup holders are provided in the center console area.

The Tacoma offers a comfortable driving position. We found the bucket seats on the uplevel models comfortable, though the seat bottom could be bit longer and have more thigh support. The seats in our SR5 were manually adjustable; lumbar adjustment was provided but there was no adjustment for seat height or the angle of the seat bottom; the power seats available on the new Nissan Frontier have these features. The front seatback on some Tacoma models flips down to form a tray table or to make room for long objects, a nice feature. And big mirrors afford a good view rearward.

The switchgear is easy to operate and everything is where you expect it to be. Big rotary knobs make it easy to adjust cabin temperature even with gloves on; the knobs are electronic, so they're easy to twist. The radio is fully integrated into the upper center stack and it's easy to operate, though the display is nearly impossible to read through polarized sunglasses. CDs sound good through the JBL speakers.

The back seats in the latest generation of crew cabs are far more habitable than those of older trucks. And the rear seat in the Tacoma Double Cab is particularly comfortable for the class, offering good leg room and shoulder room and decent headroom. The seatback is angled back slightly, making it more comfortable. A younger rider should be okay to ride across the state back there and even adults won't complain too much on short trips. The rear windows go all the way down.

The rear seat area in the Double Cab good for carrying cargo as well. The back seat is split 60/40. Flip the seat bottoms forward and fold the two sections down to form a flat platform for gear. It takes two hands to do this and you first have to remove the headrests, a hassle though Toyota has provided a place to store each headrest. The seatbacks are hard, and form a sturdy cargo floor. It's not a bad spot for a dog, better than the bumpy floors in the Nissan and Dodge, but it's a big jump down.

The Access Cab has rear seats, but they're pretty hopeless for humans. It's best used for small cargo that you don't want to put in the bed.

We'd prefer a handbrake lever to the prehistoric pull-out handbrake that comes with manual transmissions. Automatics come with a foot-operated parking brake.

The new Tacoma offers more power, better handling and improved refinement over earlier models. The track (the distance between left and right wheels) on the 2005 Tacoma models is four inches longer than that of the 2004 models, and the wheelbase is five or six inches longer. Even so, the chassis are more rigid and the trucks are more maneuverable than before. They ride nicer than before. And off-road models offer better capability and increased comfort over rugged terrain than before.

The new V6 engine feels refined and delivers responsive performance. Using variable valve technology, the double overhead-cam 4.0-liter V6 produces 245 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque, a 55-horsepower increase over the old 3.4-liter engine. More to the point, the Toyota V6 is more powerful than the five-cylinder engine in the Chevy Colorado or the V6 in the Dodge Dakota. The V6 works well with the five-speed automatic, and it's our first choice. The automatic is super smooth and very responsive, quickly downshifting when you mash the throttle, and it offers five ratios to better keep the engine at the proper revs. The six-speed manual transmission is easy to shift. First gear is a low gear and it seems like a stretch between first and second gears. Toyota recommends 91 octane gas for the V6. Preliminary fuel-economy estimates were 17/21 for a V6 4x4 Double Cab with the five-speed automatic.

The new 2.7-liter VVT-i DOHC four-cylinder engine produces 164 horsepower and 183 pound-feet of torque, about average for the class but more than the old overhead-valve V6 in the Ford Ranger. Toyota recommends 87 octane. Preliminary fuel-economy estimates were 22/28 mpg City/Highway with the five-speed manual.

The Tacoma handles well, with surprisingly little body roll (lean) in corners and it feels steady in sweeping turns. The Tacoma feels big on the road when compared with older compact pickups. In fact, it is big, wider and longer than previous-generation models. Parking a long-bed crew cab pickup is particularly challenging. The Tacoma Double Cab long bed requires 44 feet to complete a circle, nearly four more feet than a Double Cab short bed. We'd vote for the shorter bed unless we really needed the long bed. A base Tacoma Regular Cab boasts a turning circle of less than 37 feet.

On pavement, the 4x4 and TRD models seemed smooth and refined. The TRD 4x4 is smooth and highly capable off road. The TRD suspension is excellent on rough, rugged terrain. It handles well on rough dirt trails, something we learned while charging up a ski run at Alyeska. It never bottomed on the rough terrain even when we pushed it well beyond socially acceptable standards. The Tacoma TRD model easily handled an off-road course that featured steep ascents and descents, moguls and a log step. We'd feel comfortable in tackling just about anything in one of these. And all of this is accomplished in relative comfort. These trucks don't generate as much uncomfortable head toss as earlier 4x4 compact pickups.

Switching into 4-wheel drive and 4WD Lo is as easy as twisting a rotary knob. We tried to confuse it by switching the knob around and succeeded. The low-range lights wouldn't turn off until we stopped, shut it off and restarted, the old Microsoft reboot.

The Tacoma's brakes are smooth and easy to modulate and can bring it to quick halt without drama. The rear brakes are drums, however, less desirable than the rear disc brakes that come on some of the other pickups in this class.

The X-Runner is a lot of fun to drive and handles like a sports car. It corners flat and generates lots of grip in corners. We drove it hard up a hill climb and were not able to reach its limits. It tracks well and is very stable in tight corners even when spinning the inside rear tire under full throttle. The ride is firm, but seems to ride better than our recollection of the SVT Lightning. However, we didn't care for the feel of the clutch pedal, the steering was vague on center, and there was that inside rear wheelspin. Wind noise seems higher in the X-Runner than in the other models. But this is a tight, sporty truck. There's no cowl shake. The exhaust sounds cool. If you want a truck that can hang with a sports car, then look no farther.

Regular Cab, Access Cab (extended cab) and Double Cab (crew cab) body styles are available. All come with six-foot beds; Double Cab is available with a six-foot bed or a five-foot bed.

The 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine comes with a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The 4.0-liter V6 is available with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. Both engines are available with two-wheel drive or part-time four-wheel drive.

The base Tacoma, a 4x2 Regular Cab, comes standard with anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and brake assist, a full-size spare, AM/FM/CD four-speaker sound system, tachometer, coolant temperature gauge, digital clock, two powerpoints, fuel warning light, dome lamp and rear mudguards. Access Cab and Double Cab models add more standard features, including bucket seats and a center console. Double Cabs get upgraded seat fabric and power windows, mirrors and door locks. Access and Double Cab models also get upgraded audio systems, including an AM/FM radio with an in-dash six-CD changer and six speakers; Double Cabs also offer a JBL premium audio system with seven speakers, including an amplified subwoofer. Both audio upgrades feature steering wheel audio controls.

Options revolve around five packages: An Enhancement Package for the 4x2 Regular Cab adds air conditioning and styled steel wheels. The Convenience Package for the 4x2 Regular Cab adds cruise control, remote keyless entry, and power windows, door locks and mirrors. The SR5 Package bundles styling and comfort features, including color-keyed overfenders and front bumper, chrome grille surround and chrome rear bumper, center console, intermittent wipers and upgraded interior features and trim. In Access Cab and Double Cab models, the SR5 package also adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter.