Drove friends 2015 Highlander (comparing)

Those were serious mini SUV pocket rockets and incredibly quick for what they were. They were considerably quicker then some pony cars.

 

I agree that the NVH is probably the key difference. The Highlander actually revs and shifts quite a bit in normal driving but you don't notice it much and it just feels smooth. Unlike the Highlander, I think Toyota was shooting for macho exhaust/engine noises in the cab for the Tacoma. The Tacoma does actually sound good as it revs when you are really working it, but the downside is that we hear too much when plodding along normally (hear every shift and every small change in engine load). The exhaust/engine noise is a tad intrusive by modern standards and gives the auditory impression that the truck is working harder than it really is. The steering wheel vibrations at 2100 RPM (absent in Highlander) provide a tactile feedback that doesn't help either.