2023 Toyota Tacoma

2023 is the final model year of the third-generation (2016–2023) Tacoma; the volume SR5/TRD Sport V6 4x4 uses the carry-over 3.5L 2GR-FKS V6. Output is modest against the full-size-inclusive truck band.

The Atkinson-capable V6 makes its peak torque high in the rev range; 265 lb-ft trails turbocharged rivals (Colorado 2.7T 420 lb-ft, Ranger 2.3T 310 lb-ft).

Instrumented tests of the 2016–2023 V6 Tacoma cluster around 7.5–7.9 s; the I4 is far slower (~9+ s).

The V6 is smooth and durable but feels flat at low rpm because peak torque arrives at 4,600 rpm, requiring revs to make progress; reviewers routinely call it buzzy and lethargic off the line compared with turbo rivals.

The 6-speed automatic is tuned for economy, upshifting early and hunting/hesitating to downshift on grades — a long-running complaint of the third generation. A 6-speed manual remains available on TRD Sport/Off-Road/Pro V6 4x4, a rarity.

Competitive with but not ahead of mid-size rivals (Colorado/Canyon up to 7,700, Ranger 7,500).

Max payload is middling for the mid-size class and low against the full truck band.

V6 Tow Package brings a Class IV hitch, transmission/oil coolers, 7-pin connector and Trailer Sway Control, plus a backup camera; no integrated trailer brake controller, trailer backup assist or trailer camera views.

Part-time 4WD with a 2-speed transfer case (low range) is available on every trim from SR to Limited and standard on TRD Off-Road/Pro, with Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control on off-road trims.

Benchmark off-road reputation: TRD Off-Road brings an electronic locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, Crawl Control and MTS; TRD Pro adds FOX internal-bypass shocks, skid plate and higher clearance; Trail Edition also offered.

Two naturally aspirated gas engines (2.7L I4, 3.5L V6) with a 6-speed auto or 6-speed manual; no turbo, hybrid or electrified option in 2023 — the i-FORCE MAX hybrid arrived only with the 2024 redesign.

Volume configuration is the 3.5L V6 4WD with 6-speed automatic; middling among gas mid-size trucks.

EPA city figure for the volume V6 4WD automatic.

EPA highway figure for the volume V6 4WD automatic; tall, boxy body limits highway economy.

Range from the 21.1-gallon tank at the EPA combined figure.

EPA annual fuel cost at 15,000 mi/yr for the volume configuration on regular fuel.

Both engines run on regular unleaded across every trim; no premium requirement.

Every 2023 Tacoma configuration NHTSA rated earns 4 stars overall, held back by a 4-star frontal and 4-star rollover result; side crash is 5 stars.

No 2023 award. The aging third-gen structure is Good in driver small overlap, original moderate overlap and roof strength, but Acceptable in passenger small overlap, Marginal in the updated side test and Poor in the updated moderate overlap (rear-passenger) test.

Toyota Safety Sense P is standard on every trim (pre-collision with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with sway warning, auto high beams, dynamic radar cruise), but it lacks steering-assist lane keeping, and blind-spot monitor/RCTA is not standard on the base SR.

Vehicle-to-vehicle AEB earned IIHS's top Superior rating and daytime pedestrian AEB earned Advanced, but the older TSS-P system has no rated nighttime pedestrian result.

Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is fitted on SR5 and above (the volume trims) but is alert-only, with no rear cross-traffic braking or trailer-aware coverage, and it is missing on the base SR.

Only Lane Departure Alert with sway warning, which warns and does not steer; no lane keeping assist or lane centering on any 2023 trim, unlike newer rivals.

High-speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is standard, but it is not full-speed-range stop-and-go and there is no paired lane centering, so there is no real highway assist.

No hands-free highway driving system is offered on any 2023 Tacoma.

IIHS rates the LED headlights (Limited, TRD Pro, LED DRL-package trims) Good, but the halogen units on the volume SR/SR5 trims rate Marginal; auto high beams are standard.

Upright cab gives a good forward view, but the high hood and beltline and tall bed create front and rear blind zones; a backup camera is standard and a panoramic view monitor is limited to upper trims.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Marginal, and the Double Cab's cramped, upright rear bench makes fitting multiple car seats difficult; Access Cab rear jump seats are worse.

2023 is the final year of the third-generation (2016–2023) Tacoma; the volume Double Cab seats five, the Access Cab four with small rear jump seats.

Adequate but below full-size trucks; the Tacoma's high floor makes the cabin feel lower than the figure suggests.

Mid-pack front legroom for a truck.

Rear headroom is near the bottom of the truck band.

One of the tightest crew-cab rear seats on sale — upright backrest and short legroom trail the Colorado/Canyon and Ranger.

The short bed on the volume Double Cab is typical of mid-size crew cabs; a 6-ft bed is offered on Access Cab and Double Cab long-bed configs.

Toyota does not headline a bed volume; third-party figures for the 2016–2023 5-ft bed cluster at ~33.5–34.4 cu ft, below Colorado (41.9) and Ranger (43.3).

Composite bed with adjustable deck rail cleats, a lockable in-bedside storage compartment and an available 400W/120V bed outlet are useful touches; cabin storage is ordinary and the rear seat-back fold is fiddly.

The infamous 'legs-out' seating position — low seat cushion over a high floor — draws persistent complaints, and the rear seat is upright and cramped; the 2020 refresh's 10-way power driver seat helped only modestly.

Unladen ride on volume SR5/TRD Sport is firm and jiggly over broken pavement, typical of an old leaf-sprung body-on-frame design; TRD Off-Road/Pro damping is better over rough terrain than on highways.

Wind and tire noise are noticeable at highway speed and the V6 drones when revved to make power, as it frequently must.

Heated front seats come on SR5 option packages and up; ventilated seats only on Limited; no heated steering wheel or rear climate vents; dual-zone automatic climate limited to upper trims.

The final third-generation Tacoma opened well below the mid-size class midpoint, though the SR at this price is a 159-hp four-cylinder Access Cab rather than the configuration most buyers take home.

Tacoma sales concentrate in V6 Double Cab 4x4 TRD Sport/Off-Road and SR5 trucks, which land around $40,000 with destination and a common option package — mid-pack for the segment.

The proven 3.5L V6/2.7L I4 third-gen Tacoma is among the cheapest pickups to keep running; independent estimates disagree widely on the absolute figure, so a mid-range value is used, but every source places it below the pickup average.

Resale is the Tacoma's defining ownership advantage; multiple independent depreciation models put five-year retention near 78%, above the top of the truck band and ahead of every mid-size rival.

Toyota's basic coverage is the industry minimum, matched by Ford, GM and Nissan in this class but short of the longer terms some brands offer.

Powertrain coverage sits at the bottom of the band; the 2023 Tacoma had no hybrid, so there is no extended hybrid-component coverage to soften it.

ToyotaCare provides two years of no-cost scheduled maintenance plus two years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance — a real included-service program that beats the roadside-only coverage on the Colorado and Frontier, but shorter than the best plans in the market.

$40,500 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (77% retained, or about $31,185) leaves about $9,315 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $13,815 in total.

2023 is the final model year of the third generation (2016–2023), a mature carry-over design with launch bugs long resolved. Consumer Reports rates it more reliable than other vehicles of its model year and J.D. Power scores quality & reliability 83/100, so both sources agree on above-average dependability, a touch below the 2022's 86.

Toyota is the industry benchmark for dependability, consistently near the top of Consumer Reports brand reliability rankings and in the upper group of J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study in the years around 2023.

Four NHTSA campaigns touch the 2023 model year — one more than the 2022 — and two are genuine safety items: the rear axle shaft separation and a steering-column clockspring defect that can disable the driver airbag. Typical activity for the class with nothing systemic in the powertrain, but heavier than the 2022.

The volume SR5/TRD V6 uses the 3.5L 2GR-FKS with the 6-speed automatic, a widely deployed Toyota V6 family with a strong high-mileage record; base trims use the 2.7L 2TR-FE, among the most durable engines Toyota builds. Owner gripes center on the 6AT's gear-hunting calibration, a drivability rather than durability issue — and this last naturally aspirated year avoids the unproven turbo-four of the 2024 redesign.

By its final year the third-generation cabin is durable but clearly dated: hard plastics dominate, the 8-inch touchscreen looks small, and the low, legs-out seating position draws criticism. Reviewers rate it behind the Colorado/Canyon and Ranger for perceived quality at similar money.

Assembly is solid and consistent for a body-on-frame truck at the end of a long production run. Scattered owner reports of interior rattles, plus the assembly-traced axle-fastener and anchor-weld recalls, keep it short of the class-leading band.

Toyota operates one of the largest US dealer networks, about 1,200 franchised stores, so service is reachable almost anywhere, including the rural areas Tacoma owners frequent. Service satisfaction is generally at or above average.

The third-gen Tacoma ran eight model years as the segment's best seller, so OEM and aftermarket parts are abundant and cheap, and the naturally aspirated 2GR/2TR engines avoid turbo and hybrid component costs. Typical annual repair cost is among the lowest in the class.

The Entune 3.0 Audio Plus 8-in screen on SR5 and above was dated by 2023 and sits at the floor of the truck band; base SR keeps a 7-in unit.

The Entune 3.0 software is slow with dated graphics; physical knobs help, but reviewers rate it behind every newer mid-size rival's system.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all trims but wired only; no wireless projection on any 2023 Tacoma.

Native navigation (Dynamic Navigation) only on Limited/TRD Pro Premium Audio; voice recognition is command-based and dated; Alexa integration via app.

Base six-speaker audio is ordinary; a JBL premium system with subwoofer is offered on Limited and TRD Pro (and some packages) and is decent rather than standout.

Analog gauges on every trim with a small 4.2-in color multi-information display between them; no full-digital cluster.

Entune 3.0 has no meaningful over-the-air software capability; updates require dealer visits. Toyota OTA arrived with the 2024 generation.

Toyota app with Remote Connect (remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle status) on smart-key-equipped trims, but subscription-gated after a trial and no digital key.

USB ports are mostly USB-A; Qi wireless charging on upper trims/packages; the 400W 120V bed outlet on most V6 grades is a genuine plus.

Smart key with push-button start is optional on SR5 and standard on TRD/Limited; base SR uses a traditional key; no phone-as-key; remote start only via subscription app.

Backup camera standard; front/rear parking sensors and Panoramic View Monitor available only on upper grades (Limited, TRD Off-Road/Pro packages); low-res camera image.

No head-up display offered on any 2023 Tacoma trim.

Tight 32.6-in rear legroom and an upright rear bench make rear-facing child seats a squeeze; tall step-in height and no enclosed cargo area hurt daily family logistics.

Toyota Safety Sense P (pre-collision with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise, auto high beams) is standard, but crash ratings are middling and blind-spot monitoring is not standard on base SR.

Cramped rear seat, no rear vents, a noisy cabin and a firm ride limit multi-hour trips for four; luggage rides in an open bed unless a cover is added.

Awkward legs-out seating, a hesitant 6-speed automatic and a peaky V6 that must be revved make it more tiring than newer rivals in traffic, though the size is manageable.

The volume V6 4x4 returns 20 MPG combined on regular fuel — typical-to-below-average for mid-size trucks and costly per mile versus a car.

A 40.6-ft turning circle and narrower body than full-size trucks make it relatively easy to park; the long nose and low-res camera are the limits.

Up to 6,800 lbs towing and ~1,100–1,685 lbs payload handle light-to-moderate work, though the V6 strains under load and rivals tow more.

The third-generation Tacoma's proven 3.5L V6, body-on-frame chassis and famously strong resale and longevity reputation make it a durable work tool.

Composite bed, deck-rail system with adjustable cleats, 400W bed outlet and the largest aftermarket accessory ecosystem in the class; payload and bed size are modest.

Adaptive cruise is standard, and the 21.1-gal tank gives ~400 miles of range, but the noisy cabin, firm ride and awkward seating wear on long highway days.

A class benchmark for adventure: available 4WD with low range, locking rear differential, Crawl Control and the TRD Off-Road/Pro/Trail editions, plus a vast overlanding aftermarket.

Open 5-ft bed swallows bulky gear (6-ft bed optional), a hitch is widely fitted, and the deck rails suit racks; the small cabin and short bed cap flexibility.

Secure but with plenty of body roll and a bouncy rear axle over mid-corner bumps; trails the Colorado and Ranger on pavement.

Hydraulic-assisted steering is reasonably weighted but slow and vague on center at highway speeds.

Rear drum brakes and a soft pedal; instrumented 70–0 stops in the low-to-mid 180-ft range are mediocre for the class.

The V6 is smooth at speed but soft off the line, with the 6-speed automatic slow to downshift and prone to hunting on grades.

The V6 becomes buzzy and loud when revved, which its torque curve demands frequently.

Tight turning circle by truck standards thanks to the short wheelbase of the Double Cab short bed.

The low seat over a high floor forces a legs-out posture widely criticized by reviewers; the 2020 power seat helped some, and control layout is simple with physical knobs.

On pavement it is unremarkable, but the available 6-speed manual and genuine off-road ability give it real character that enthusiasts value.

Toyota Safety Sense P (automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise) and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are standard, which was competitive; but the base SR pairs them with a 159-hp four-cylinder, cloth basics and few conveniences, and V6/4x4 cost extra.

Off-road hardware on TRD trims and class-leading resale make the money hold up, but a ~$40,000 Double Cab buys an aging cabin, a buzzy 278-hp V6/6-speed auto and dated tech next to the newer Colorado and Ranger — fair rather than standout value.

One of the widest lineups in the class: seven-plus trims from SR to TRD Pro, Access and Double Cab, 5- and 6-ft beds, 4x2/4x4, I4 or V6, and a six-speed manual still offered on TRD Sport/Off-Road/Pro.

The undisputed segment sales leader, outselling the next-best Colorado by more than three to one in its final model year, with sales roughly flat while the segment shrank double digits.

The Tacoma carries a near-cult following and Toyota's durability reputation, which shows directly in its class-leading resale and strong demand even at the end of a long generation.

In the 2023 supply-constrained market Tacomas commonly sold at or above sticker with dealer add-ons, and Toyota offered little in the way of cash incentives; modest financing deals appeared only as the outgoing generation cleared late in the year.

2023 was the eighth and final model year of the third generation (on a platform dimensionally similar to the 2005 design), and the all-new fourth-generation Tacoma was revealed in May 2023 — buyers faced an imminent replacement.

Consumer-facing guides rank it highly on resale and durability, but enthusiast reviewers consistently mark it down for its cramped driving position, harsh ride and dated powertrain, and it rarely won instrumented comparison tests against newer rivals.