Since the frame is somewhat carried over, the front and rear suspension designs aren’t new. The springs and shocks have the same wheel travel but are re-tuned. There are now tougher high-strength steel lower front control arms. You won’t have to pay for 4WD to get the look: All Tacomas ride on the taller 4x4 truck’s suspension and have the same 9.4 inches of ground clearance.
“We left all the [suspension] connection points the same because our customers spend between $3,000 and $8,000 on aftermarket parts,” says Sweers. “So that (aftermarket) industry said to us, ‘Please don’t change what we’re selling.’” Even aftermarket rear bumpers designed for the old truck bolt on the ’16.
So most of the old Tacoma’s chassis remains, but nearly the entire drivetrain is new. The coarse 236 hp 4.0-liter V6 is gone; a techy new 3.5-liter V6 replaces it, delivering 278 hp through both port and direct injection. This engine also packs Toyota’s most advanced variable valve timing systems, VVT-iW, allowing the V6 to at times run in the more-efficient Atkinson cycle. Most customers will opt for the V6 and its two new six-speed transmissions, an automatic and a manual. A direct-injected 159 hp 2.7-liter four-cylinder from the last truck is the base engine on lower-level SR and SR5 models. No matter the engine, fuel economy increases slightly on all Tacomas. Automatic V6 4WD trucks improve EPA ratings 2 mpg in each category to 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway. A Chevy Colorado equipped the same way gets 17 mpg city/24 highway.
Half of all Tacoma owners get their trucks dirty, so special attention is focused on the 4WD hardware. The new transfer case is lighter and quicker shifting, co-developed with the team working on Toyota’s overseas 4WD workhorse -- the commercial-grade HiLux pickup. A beefy new 8.7-inch rear axle comes on TRD trucks, replacing the standard 8-inch axle, also shared with the HiLux. It includes a better-waterproofed and more durable electronic locking differential. And thanks in part to that new axle, the beefiest Tacomas can handle a 6,800-pound trailer (up 300 pounds) and haul a 1,620-pound payload (up 120 pounds).