Auto NSider | 2022 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4X4 Double Cab

Well…there’s several good reasons why we seem to see Toyota Tacomas just about everywhere we look, but in short, “Why not?”

Decent room for four or five inside + 5 or 6 feet in the back to get just as dirty as you like.

And several thousand bucks less expensive as a full-sized truck and a whole lot easier to park.

Again, what’s not to like?   And lot of folks apparently agree with me.  There’s over 40 million Toyotas on the road here in the US, with Toyota selling almost as many Tacomas as they sell Camrys these days.

And as you’ve probably seen on the road, there’s almost an infinite number of ways to dress out your Tacoma.

Steel-wheeled basic work trucks will start in the high $20’s…with a choice of an “Access cab” with room for a couple of youngsters in the back and a 6’ foot bed, or a full Double Cab with a five-foot bed and legit room for actual adults in the rear.

From there just hit the options page and design your own.  Everything beyond your most basic Tacomas will come with a 278 HP 3.5 liter V-6…and compared to the standard base-model 2.7 four, the six will only cost you a couple of MPGs.

If you plan to do any real work or toy haulin’, you’ll probably want the six anyhow.   As for those MPGs?    Our off-road 4X4 SR5 was rated at 18 city and 22 Hwy.

So let’s talk about our test SR5.   It came with just about everything that you’d want to tow or hit the trail.

You get a 6-speed auto to go with that 3.5 six, on-demand 4WD, limited slip, a trailer-towing package with sway control and an engine oil cooler and a power drivers’ seat and Sirius XM radio...all priced right smack in the mid $30’s.

Then Toyota’s $3,765 Trail Edition got us special 16” bronze wheels, a locking rear end, skid plates, and special trim.

Another feature that came with the Trail Edition is the twin lockable bed storage compartments…one of which can double as a cooler.   Again, it appears that Toyota builds their SR5 Trail Editions for outdoor fun.

Now, these storage beds will eat into your carrying capacity back there, but as the pictures show, there was still room for around 45-50 cu.
ft. of dirt…or most of a 12 foot kayak.

All in with transportation and a Tech Package included, our Tacoma SR5 Trail Edition come in with a window sticker of $42,472…a very competitive price for a well-equipped truck these days.

So if that doesn’t answer the question of “Why do we see so many of these on the road?”, the other answer just might simply be “I still like my truck and I don’t have to sell.”

After all, while there are no guarantees, so many trucks like our test Tacoma are rolling down the road with well over 200K on their odometers.