The Toyota vehicle portfolio has changed a lot over the years. They've done just about every type of vehicle there is, and you could lead lengthy discussions about what type of vehicle Toyota is the best at. Some might say it's indestructible family sedans and SUVs, like the Camry and the RAV4, others might say it's for their legendary sports cars, like the Celica and the Supra.
If there is one type of vehicle that Toyota has always been good at, it's pickup trucks. What people in North America knew simply as the Toyota Pickup, the rest of the world called it the Hilux, and it's still one of the most successful global pickup models. Unfortunately, Toyota retired the name in the States in the 90s, to make room for a truck that would cater more to American tastes. That truck was the Tacoma, and in 2005, the second generation Tacoma hit the scene.
2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma
- Four-cylinder and V6 engines
- Available 4WD
- Three cab types
- Engine/Motor: 2.7-liter four-cylinder / 4.0-liter V6
- Horsepower: 164-245 hp
- Torque: 183-282 lb/ft
- Drivetrain: RWD/4WD
- Transmission: 5-speed manual / 6-speed manual / 4-speed automatic / 5-speed automatic
- MSRP: $14,315 (base when new)
- Cool styling
- Immortal powertrains
- Surprisingly capable
- Difficult to find low-mile examples
- Interior is a bit spartan
- Manual transmission is pretty rare
The Second Generation Tacoma Was A Major Improvement
Right from the get-go, the main idea behind the Tacoma was to provide the North American truck buyer with a vehicle that would suit their needs and tastes better. While the Pickup/Hilux was a work truck through and through, the Tacoma would offer more comfort features, as well as stronger powertrains and a larger overall size. 2005 brought along the second generation Tacoma, which took things a step further. It offered even stronger powertrains, it got even bigger, and as a result, more capable.
While the previous generation car had a few things in common with the Hilux/Pickup, the Tacoma spun off into its own thing. The second generation car shared its underpinnings with the 4Runner, and also the retro off-roader underdog FJ Cruiser, which Toyota should bring back. The second gen Tacoma was significantly bigger than the previous generation, and it gained new styling with some more distinctive details.
The front end featured a unique, trapezoidal grille design. This was before the days before Toyota would spell out its name on the front grilles on some of its models, but it's still a more distinctive look. Below the grille, there's a big bumper, which could be either painted or unpainted, depending on the trim level. The headlights also got a little more shapely, while the side gained larger wheel arches and new alloy wheel designs.
Overall, while still unmistakably a pickup truck, the second generation Tacoma was definitely more distinctive than the first generation, and also a lot more modern. A facelift model came along later in the production run, which brought a redesign to the headlights, the grille, the front bumper, and some major changes came to the interior as well.
Toyota offered the second generation Tacoma with several different trim levels, along with three cab configurations, regular, the extended Access Cab, and a double cab. It also offered two different bed lengths. It competed with other mid-size pickup trucks of its time, including the Ford Ranger, until its hiatus, the Chevrolet Colorado, the GMC Canyon, the Hummer H3T, the Nissan Frontier, and the Dodge Dakota.
Toyota assembled second gen Tacoma models in Tijuana, Mexico, and Fremont, California. After GM's bankruptcy and the subsequent end of Toyota and GM's facility joint-venture, Toyota moved all Tacoma production to San Antonio, where they also make the Tundra, and as of nowadays, the Sequoia as well. The second generation Tacoma went on until 2015, after which the third generation Tacoma replaced it in the lineup, and a fourth generation Tacoma is on the way very soon.
Two Bulletproof Engines Powered The Second Gen Tacoma
Just like the previous generation Tacoma, the second generation truck also offered two powertrains, a four-cylinder or a V6. The first gen actually offered two four-cylinder engines, but the second gen scaled it down to one. The I4 in question is a 2.7-liter 2TR-FE naturally-aspirated unit developing 164 hp and 183 lb-ft of torque. While this powertrain was perfectly adequate for most people's needs, and it could do up to 27 MPG on the highway. However, if you wanted to do more heavy lifting, you had to step up to the V6.
This was the first time the Tacoma got the iconic 4.0-liter 1GR-FE V6. In the Tacoma, it developed 245 hp and 282 lb-ft of torque, both of them major improvements over the four-cylinder. 0-60 on the V6 took anywhere from the high-six second range to the mid-seven second range, which was pretty good.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the V6 is that, like the first generation Tacoma, it too was available with a dealer-installed TRD supercharger kit. Most people got the supercharger on the street truck-spec X-Runner model, which Toyota should also bring back. The X-Runner also eventually became a drag racer. This supercharger bumped power to a very healthy 305 hp and 335 lb-ft of torque. Both powertrains also got one manual, and one automatic transmission each. The four-cylinder offered either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, while the V6 offered either a six-speed stick or a five-speed auto.
The Toyota Tacoma's Interior Was Pretty Solid In Its Second Generation
On the inside, the Tacoma's interior was pretty standard fare, both for a pickup truck and a Toyota of the time period. The gauge cluster was very normal and easy to read, with a central speedometer and a tachometer on the left side. Both the pre-facelift and the facelift trucks had a four-spoke steering wheel, while the center control stack was very simple.
It included the stereo, and the simple-as-can-be climate controls. The shifter was the only major item in the center console. The transfer case no longer appears as a lever, but rather as a small switch to the right side of the steering wheel. The interior plastics aren't particularly plush or luxurious, but considering that this is a pickup truck from a by-gone era, that's something that you can expect. At least it's very unlikely that those plastics will ever wear in any major way.
In terms of reliability, there's really not a lot to say. This is one of the most dependable, reliable pickup trucks of all time, no matter which engine or transmission you decide on. If the previous owner has maintained it properly, and you continue to maintain it properly, the Tacoma can do hundreds of thousands of miles easily, maybe even a million. While it is difficult to find lower mile examples, that's not such a bad thing, as even higher mileage Tacomas are still solid, as long as the previous owners took care of them. Toyota issued a recall on some model Tacoma model years due to frame rust, so make sure the previous owner has taken their truck in for rust repairs.
Every version of the Tacoma seats five passengers. The maximum payload capacity was 1,650 lbs, and the maximum towing capacity was 6,500 lbs. The latter only applies to the V6 with the towing package. The V6 without the towing package could do 5,000 lbs, while the four-cylinder versions maxed out at 3,500 lbs.
Second Gen Toyota Tacomas Are Pretty Affordable Trucks
To some extent, anyway. Classic.com values the second gen Toyota Tacoma at around $23,000. Only the most pristine, low-mile Tacomas, especially in the X-Runner trim level fetch those kinds of prices. If you can live with higher miles, in the neighborhood of 100,000, expect to pay around $15,000. That's a pretty good deal for a rugged, dependable, but still very capable mid-size pickup truck. If Land Cruisers are anything to go by, these might become very expensive in the future, so now is the time to buy.