- The Toyota Tacoma was redesigned in 2024 to usher in its fourth generation.
- The best-selling midsize pickup truck offers two cab and two bed sizes, as well as two powertrain options.
- An available power tailgate and smart storage solutions make the Tacoma a more livable everyday vehicle.
The Toyota Tacoma rules the midsize pickup truck segment. There was a lot to like about the Taco when Toyota redesigned the bestseller in 2024 to usher in its fourth generation: An available hybrid powertrain that’s more efficient and powerful than the outgoing V6; a roomier extended cab, called Xtra Cab; two bed sizes and two cab sizes; better standard technology and creature comforts; and even more off-road capability.
Three model years in, our three favorite things stand out simultaneously for their simplicity and ingenuity. They’re more subtle everyday conveniences than what made the Tacoma KBB’s Midsize Truck Best Buy of 2026, but they make truck life — and everyday living — better.
1. Power Tailgate and Available BedStep
Only the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier offer multiple bed- and cab-size builds among midsize trucks, and the Tacoma approaches full-size truck territory with the number of available configurations. With eight trims to choose from, two powertrains, and a regular cab (Xtra Cab) with a 6-foot bed or a crew cab (Double Cab) with a 5-foot or 6-foot bed, the choices can be dizzying. Higher trims feature a neat power tailgate that’s even easier to open with a power button hidden in the passenger side taillight. If you already have your hands full or hitched up with a trailer, you can lower or close it by hitting your elbow or some other body part against the rectangular button. Even without using that button, a nudge of the knee against the open tailgate closes it.
Another recommended option is the $455 retractable BedStep. It stows below the bumper on the passenger side, so it’s out of the way of the hitch and the tailpipes. That’s right — this generation Tacoma tailpipe expels on the driver side, not the passenger side. By pressing your foot on the BedStep, it retracts down and toward you. It lowers farther than rivals’ bumper steps, and can be used with the tailgate up or down. It’s a nice lift, especially for the short king and queens among us. It retracts back out of view with the same simple foot push.
2. Smart USB-C Port Placement
The Tacoma comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An available 14-inch touchscreen supersizes the display. Despite its size, the tablet fits in well with the blocky interior design. On the side of either screen on most trims is a discreet USB-C port. Not only does this let you connect a dash cam or any other windshield-mounted device with minimal fuss, it also provides a convenient charge port for the passenger. And with a storage shelf above the big Tacoma badge and glovebox, it’s the perfect location for charging and stowing phones, earbuds, and other devices.
A bonus feature is the portable JBL speaker that charges and stows neatly behind the screen in the dash.
3. Tons of Cabin Storage
In addition to that convenient storage shelf, the interior of the Tacoma has tons of clever storage options. The door panels have a hard mesh pocket for phones and other smaller items, while below it are three slots of various sizes for various bottles. Squarish cupholders in the console have retractable flanges to stabilize cups of different sizes, the console storage is deep, and the available wireless phone charger tucks at an angle under the console and in front of the gear shifter.
Expanding in length, width, and wheelbase, the Tacoma starts with an Xtra Cab that replaces the prior generation’s Access Cab. The Xtra Cab deletes the two rear jump seats so it only sits two passengers total, but with no rear seats there’s more room to stow and lock stuff behind the front seats. The Double Cab seats five passengers and has about an inch more rear legroom than the prior generation. The front seats have a bit less legroom than the prior gen, but with nearly 42 inches in either cab, it’s more than ample.
Overall, our favorite things and the other significant mechanical enhancements deliver a more fulfilling Taco.
Read More on the 2026 Toyota Tacoma
Read our full review of the Toyota Tacoma, find this week’s Fair Purchase Price, or see Tacoma models for sale near you.
