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2006 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport Review

“Why I bought it”

My father has a 2001 Tacoma and I have been in love with the truck ever since he brought it home. When the new redesign came out, I just had to have it. It of course took some time for me to save up the money. The Tacoma may very well be the best Mid-size truck in its class. Toyota is known for its reliability and build quality, so I felt very comfortable in deciding to make the purchase. The truck and package I purchased is the 2006 Tacoma Access cab with TRD Sport package, 4×4, V6, and 6-speed manual transmission. Total cost came out to $26,800 out the door.

“Inside”

When you open the door to the cab, you instantly see how refined the Tacoma has become. The cloth sport bucket seats look and feel very comfortable. They hug your body like a race car seat with good bolstering. They adjust on a sliding rail and have an incline adjust lever for your back. The driver seat also features lumbar support. There is no option for electrical seat controls, or height adjustment. The rear seats are what they are for an access cab. More leg room than previous models but not by much. There is plenty of storage room under the flip up rear seats. Another improvement over previous models is that the access cab rear door actually opens. This makes loading people or cargo much easier. The dash is a beautiful combination of black and silver accents, with a triple circle gage bezel. All controls are easily within reach. Stereo controls to the 6-disc stereo are located on the steering wheel to keep your eyes where they should be, the road. The stereo sounds great. You get the needed bass and treble adjustments also. You will always have a place to put that drink, being as the Tacoma has 9 cup holders. The Tacoma also has a directional gage with temperature in the ceiling next to the front reading lights.

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“Outside”

The Tacoma is a beautiful truck. Large headlights and a bold grill accent the front of the truck. Fender-flares and smooth body lines flow to the tailgate, which brings us to one of the newest additions to the new Tacoma. Toyota introduced in the redesign of the Tacoma a complete composite inner bed. Not just a bed-liner, the composite bed is the actual bed. This makes the Tacoma much lighter than it would be with a full metal bed. The bed had 2 storage compartments with doors and 2 bed pockets (which I’m still trying to figure out what there for). It also has a 110 AC outlet in the bed, rated for 400 Watts. This is not much, but it will power lights, battery recharger’s, etc. The tailgate also has a composite backing, which in turn makes it fairly week. It can bend in the middle if weight is not evenly distributed on it. Toyota offers a variety of beautiful colors for the Tacoma also. The stance of the 4×4 makes the truck look very intimidating.

“Engine/Transmission/Suspension”

The Tacoma sports a 4.0 V6 engine rated at 236hp and 266 pound-feet of torque. This is a very capable engine with a great feeling with responsive performance. The engine works well with the 6-speed manual transmission but at times becoming clunky when shifting. Having 6 gears at the palm of your hand gives you the ability to really drive this truck at your will. All gears are full of power and respond well to the gas pedal. The TRD Sport model comes with refined Blisten shocks. The ride is somewhat stiff which is desired for a sporty truck. The breaks are smooth and responsive. The ABS system is a safety convenience and works well. The truck is also highly capable off-road with the TRD package. Rugged trails and all other terrain are conquered easily with this truck. On dry pavement, the truck handles great around corners and is smooth and refined on the straight away. Switching from 2wd to 4wd is as easy as switching a nob. Conveniently located on the dashboard is the 4wd switch. This system is “on the fly” which means you do not have to come to a complete stop to switch into 4wd. Although you do to go from 4wd to “4wd lo”

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“Summary”

The Toyota Tacoma is on the top of the list of Mid-size trucks. The interior is spacious and comfortable. The ride quality is refined and the truck is very capable of handling all terrains.

Pros:

-Rugged looks
-Powerful Engine
-Comfortable interior sport seats
-Resale value
-Toyota reliability and build quality.

Cons:

-Somewhat spongy breaks
-Interior plastic seems cheap
-Clunky manual 6-speed transmission shifting
-Limited seat adjustment
-Weak tailgate