Toyota Tacoma: Get the Best Trim for Your MoneyToyota (Toyota)The Tacoma nameplate offers dependability, capability, and good resale values.With two powertrains and multiple trim levels, it's a more complex lineup than ever before.The top-of-the-range hybrid Tacomas are extremely well equipped, but you'll pay for the privilege.See Our Comprehensive Toyota Tacoma Make-Model PageShop New Cars | Shop Used CarsEverybody loves Tacos. You can see it in the sales results: last year, Toyota's Tacoma outsold mid-size pickup rivals like the Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger and the Nissan Frontier, combined. Ever since Marty McFly's black pickup rolled up onscreen in Back to the Future, the truck-shopping public has beat a path to Toyota showrooms.AdvertisementAdvertisementOf course, even with the auxiliary KC HiLites, Marty's truck was fairly basic, and the Tacoma lineup is hugely varied now, with multiple options. Here's where we think the sweet spot is in the range: the most Taco for your money.Which Tacoma Trim Level is the Best?Once you've decided how many doors you need, the good news for pickup purists is that going one step up from the work-truck-spec SR model with its steel wheels gets you the best-value Tacoma, the SR5. With a 278-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, eight-speed automatic transmission, six-foot box with the extended cab, and niceties like alloy wheels and push-button start.At $38,280, the SR5 should handle all your hauling and camping needs, but if you want better off-road chops, we're also big fans of the TRD Off-Road. With terrain management systems, underbody armor, and an electrically disconnecting anti-roll bar, it's got go-anywhere ability in spades. You can even order it with an honest-to-goodness six-speed manual transmission, though the comically large shifter has the feel of picking up a toddler by their snow boot.Interior of the SR5.Toyota (Toyota)Inside the TRD Pro.Toyota/Nathan Leach-Proffer (Toyota/Nathan Leach-Proffer)The Tacoma's hybridized version of the 2.4-liter turbo four is also worth a look, though top trims like the Trailhunter and TRD Pro are painfully expensive, nearly double the price of the basic nonhybrid truck. Here, the TRD Off-Road again offers the best bang for the buck at $49,280, with the 2.4-liter powertrain offering up a stout 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque.What Options Should You Consider?If you're going with a budget-oriented SR5 build, it's still worth considering the $1825 upgrade package, which bundles together parking assist, LED lights for the bed, a damper for the tailgate, and a trailer brake controller. The cold weather package ($2560) has all this plus a heated steering wheel and seats. Or you can just throw in heated front seats for $585.AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the TRD Off-Road, you're probably going to want the $4825 upgrade package for its heated and powered seats, trailer brake controller, upgraded audio, and 120V rear inverter. It also comes with a power horizontal window at the back—your dog will thank you—and a fun portable Bluetooth speaker that pops in and out of a dash mount.What Do I Miss Out On in the Higher Trim Levels?Topping the Tacoma range, the Trailhunter and TRD Pro models offer maximum equipment for maximum capability. The Trailhunter is the overlanding option, able to get you way out into the boonies; expect to see these trucks out in the world loaded up with thousands of dollars of optional extras, roof-mounted tents, and so forth. You can go rock crawling in the TRD Pro too, but it's happiest when flying through the desert, having just lifted off from a huge bump in the road.But at $66,395 for the TRD Pro, you'd really be laying down full-size truck money on a Tacoma. The resale value is probably there, as it's long been a Tacoma attribute, but some of the extras are actually drawbacks. The clever damped seats of the Pro are more comfortable over washboard roads, but they're only up front, and they will bash the knees of rear passengers like having a downhill mountain bike run into them. With Tacos, it's best not to overdo the fillings.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.AdvertisementAdvertisementShop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029