4th Gen Tacoma (2024+)

Don’t think wanting better gas mileage is about being eco, it is about saving a little bit if money. Eco is just a button on the dash, nothing really “eco” about a car…no matter how it is propelled they are horrible for the environment. True eco nuts walk or ride a bicycle.

Currently spending roughly $4000/year in the Taco, a Prius would be around $1600. Unfortunately a Prius can’t do all the things I need it to do. Subaru Outback is a little closer of being an all-a-rounder, would spend $2600 with that, so is $1400/year savings over the Taco worth the less capabilities?

Hybrid Tacoma might get decent mileage but it will cost ya! Those are going to be an easy $60K judging by the increased prices we are seeing with the non-hybrid. Better off buying the cheapest Taco then. That $20-30K in savings buys an awful lot of fuel.

 

According to EPA estimates the tundra hybrid picks up 2mpg city and loses 1mpg highway over ice only. Unless tacoma hybrid is configured different then we can expect similar results. Toyota truck hybrid systems are designed to provide a few seconds of extra power when needed rather than increased fuel economy. While these are EPA estimates real world mpg numbers may be higher as is the norm with most Toyota synergy hybrid systems.

 

Almost everyone willingly spent $3,700 did get the v6 over the 4 on the gen3 Tacoma. Most of them complained that they couldn't get a v8 (and probably would have gladly paid even more). Now when presented with the option of spending $3,700 (what it costs in the Tundra) to get gobs more torque and an extra 3mpg, you don't think people will be all over it?

 

Duramax 1500 isn't the answer if you want range. 22 gallon tank. You'd get more range out of a Tundra or F150 with a 36 gallon tank depending on what you're doing.

I like diesels, but with the reality of them I would only buy one if I actually needed it. Towing HEAVY. IMO, with regulations and fuel costs what they are there is no advantage to diesels in anything below a 2500.

Gassers perform better (subjective), are cheaper to buy, run and maintain and are more reliable.

 

Yep, don’t know why people are assuming the hybrid will get better mileage.
That leaked 27 mpgs from the Land Cruiser, might be from the diesel hybrid that some European countries are getting.

 

Did you not read my post above? Tundra hybrid adds 104 lb-ft tq, Tacoma adds 149. Tacoma weighs less. Tacoma will run off the battery/motor longer/farther than the Tundra.

 

I don’t think many people will buy them. It doesn’t seem worth the extra money and complexity to me. If you really need more torque because you tow heavy then you are going to buy a bigger truck in the first place. The TRD Bros that want to race from stop light to stop light will love it though. They will see no fuel savings or have to worry about reliability because they will trade up to the next new thing in two years anyways.

 

I have a sneaky suspicion that in a year or two Toyota rolls out a lower tier hybrid to replace the 2.4T. Maybe mid-cycle refresh.

 

There’s no way in hell the TRDs with big tires and taller suspension are getting 27 mpg. Maybe if they put the hybrid in a 2WD SR access cab with tiny tires it would get 27 mpg but definitely not the big trucks.

 

I begrudgingly paid the upcharge of the V6, had my money down on the 4 Cyl, but my wife talked me out of it. If it were totally up to me, would have bought the cheapest 4WD Taco I could

Since you’re comparing the Tacoma base trim, the hybrid won’t cost an extra $3700. Because Toyota wraps everything in packages the Hybrid will be at the highest end of the trims. To get the hybrid Tundra it is a $17,660 difference. So start with the base SR Taco at $31,500 and give us an estimate of what the price difference it would be to get into the hybrid. My guess is $30K.

 

After you average that out it's a 1 MPG overall bump, then if your right foot likes the extra boost you probably end up losing it back too.

 

BTDT haha.

 

I wasn't comparing the base trim. Base trim models are a small percentage of sales (when you take out commercial use). Tundra you have to take a big step up to at least a limited but SR5 to TRD Sport in the Tacoma is only $3K and will likely be a more popular configuration.

 

Would be better than the Tacoma, but you are right a gasser 1/2 ton with the 36 gallon tank is the better option. With the dirt bikes, it is awfully nice to only have to carry one type of fuel. I dump the extra into the truck at the end of trips or season.

Diesels were great before all the emissions equipment, the added maintenance and high repair costs, simply isn’t worth it, unless you’re towing heavy on a daily basis, not worth the headache.

The price of the Silverado 1500 diesel, might as well get a 3/4-1 ton at that point.

 

I wish Toyota would update the website so we could all play around with the build function.

 

Sounded like you were, since you can’t get the 4 Cyl in upper trims. That $3700 was basically the upcharge from the base SR 2WD to get me into a SR V6 4WD was. Actually it was a bit more iirc. Was closer to $5000 since I opted for 4WD too.

That is how I price things out, start at the very bottom (establish a baseline, because what trims people pick vary wildly) then see what the upcharge is to get what you want. With Toyota and how they bundle packages the upcharge can be quite a bit.

 

2.4T 4x4 double cab is already listed at “4485-4720”. Hybrid gains 148lbft, but expect some of that offset by a significant jump in curb weight. How much TBD.

Capability & mpg gains vs cost is an important comparison to examine b/c other than price & torque, a 53k OR 2.4T will otherwise be virtually the same truck as an OR Max.

And since they’re all pretty expensive, having full specs & prices on all trims including hybrids right now seems critical for someone deciding to either lay serious money down now (OR, Ltd, Sport) or hold until April.

 

It's a shame that the hybrid variants have less towing capacity. (And payload?) I understand why since you're adding additional weight, but with all that increased power and being a new generation, you would think the towing capacity would go up or at the very least, remain the same.

 

The extra torque would help it pull more but it’s not going to help it stop. It’s still just a midsize truck and can’t safely tow anything heavy. This is why I think the hybrid max is silly, other than 0-60 times of course.