STYLING | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
The front end's design remains a bit obtuse for our tastes, with too many oddly intersecting lines and busy shapes around the grille and headlamps, with the decoy hood scoop only accentuating the problem.
Autoblog
has been beefed up over the years with a broad grille, oversized headlights and an assertive, hefty design that sends a clear message this import is ready to tangle with the best of the mid-sized American trucks
Vehix.com
a variety of guises to suit virtually any pickup buyer’s needs
Car and Driver
There's not a whole lot to say about the Tacoma's styling; it's a traditional compact truck design, with a little added flair on the outside, paired with the chunky, down-to-business look that nearly all Toyota trucks have had in recent years. Though the Tacoma saw a light restyle a couple of years ago, its fundamental design and styling are carried through mostly unchanged since this larger, nearly mid-size version of the Tacoma was introduced, for 2005. The offset, flared wheel wells and flared fender sheetmetal adds a hint of aggression or sportiness—brought out, especially, in its off-road trims—and the front end still bears a clear family resemblance with that of the full-size Titan and Land Cruiser. This year the front grille trim is new, but that doesn't dramatically change the look.
Inside, entry Tacomas can look a little drab inside, though the top trim levels have an interior that uses more matte-metallic panels and upgraded upholstery that has more in common with the Camry and Avalon sedans. Regular Cab, Access Cab, and Double Cab editions of the Tacoma are offered, with standard or long-bed (LB) lengths, with four- or six-cylinder engines, and they all have the same styling, albeit with different levels of stretch for the cab and bed.
Conclusion
A tough, brawny-looking exterior and simple, straightforward interior tastefully embody what a pickup should be, but it won’t turn heads.