2012 Toyota Tacoma: It's A Facelift (Of Course)

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

A new Toyota Tacoma is scheduled for release this fall, and pickuptrucks.com reckons this is it. And because this appears to be nothing more than a relatively mild facelift, we believe it. What would have been too surprising to be true: a completely redesigned, ground-up new compact truck from any automaker in the US market. Apparently building all-new compact pickups for the US market went out of style towards the end of the Clinton Administration… so we’ll have to make do with another facelifted 5+-year-old product. It’s OK, we’re getting used to it. Video here


Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Jj99 Jj99 on Aug 17, 2011

    But, in Southern California, these vehicles are highly sought after by 20 something males. This is the must have truck for them. I don't see them driving F100 or Silverado. Those are for workers only.

    • CJinSD CJinSD on Aug 17, 2011

      Well, there are certain young men that buy Silverado HDs and F-250s with diesel engines, lift kits, and really big tires. I don't actually know any of them, but I see them cruising around. They all seem to have plenty of money left over for dramatic hairstyles and jewelry too.

  • Littlehulkster Littlehulkster on Aug 17, 2011

    Call me back when someone decides to make a real small truck again. With the death of the Ranger, all we can get is these bloated midsizers that sell for half ton prices and get half ton mileage. There's absolutely no reason to buy this truck anymore now than an F150 is within a grand and maybe 1MPG. If someone could make a true, basic small truck again and sell it for bargain prices, it would sell. Until then, I'll stick with my diesel Pup.

    • Quentin Quentin on Aug 18, 2011

      My dad chose a Tacoma over a Tundra because he simply prefers a smaller truck. The full size trucks are way too big these days and it would drive me crazy trying to park one of those monsters. My wife and I stopped for ice cream last night, pulling our 4Runner in beside a Tundra. The girl in the Tundra left, well, tried to leave before we did. After trying to back out several times, she sat in the truck waiting for us to leave. I easily pulled my 4Runner out of the spot and drove away. Only then was she able to pull out of the parking lot. And while the full size trucks get pretty similar fuel economy on the highway (where the extra mass isn't as big of a factor in to the total system drag and the high low-end torque V8s can lug along in the 2nd OD gear), if you do any "city" driving, you will save considerable money and hassle driving the smaller truck.

  • SuperACG SuperACG on Aug 18, 2011

    No competitors? Looks like its time for VW to bring over the Amarok! Come on! It's a GTI with a pickup bed!!!

  • Carlson Fan Carlson Fan on Aug 18, 2011

    "Compare this thing to an ’85 Toyota underneath and it is virtually identical." BS. I sat my butt in a '93 Toyota PU for 11 years. The current Tacoma is a lot bigger than that truck was. "The full size trucks are way too big these days and it would drive me crazy trying to park one of those monsters" Of course the other side of that coin is the curretn full size 1/2 ton V8 trucks, (other than the Tundra as that thing is a pig) return pretty much the same MPG as the V6 Tacoma. Identical or better when towing. Imagine my surprise when I took my '97 Tahoe w/5.7 Vortec on a road trip and found it got almost 19 MPG on the highway running 70-75 MPH. My '93 Toyota PU w/3.0 V6 and a 5 speed would have given me 20 MPG at best. Both were 4WD vehicles. in town the Toyota still got 19 MPG and the Chevy was down around 14 MPG.

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