Toyota introduced the Tacoma in 1995, although the automaker wasn’t new to manufacturing trucks, as it launched its first pickup back at the end of the ’60s. While the truck itself has grown in size over its various generations, so have its sales, with the Tacoma reaching its highest marks in 2021, with over 252,000 units sold, per GoodCarBadCar.net. However, the mid-size truck market has become increasingly more competitive, with rivals like the Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Colorado, and GMC Canyon. So, for those looking to get a more compact truck that still has some oomph under the hood, what are the most robust engines ever featured in a Tacoma?
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Toyota has never offered a V8 engine option in the Tacoma. However, this truck has come equipped with some capable V6s under the hood of each generation (including one with a dealer-installed supercharger), and the automakers latest i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, which is the most potent the mid-size truck has seen yet. We got to experience first hand the automakers most recent efforts with our 2024 Toyota Tacoma review, and walked away impressed by improvements from previous models in ride, performance, and interior quality.
3.4-liter V6
The first year the Tacoma was launched, there were a few engine options, including the 3.4-liter V6 engine. The automaker pulled it out of its full-size T100 truck at the time. With dual overhead cams, multi-valve cylinders, and a peppy four-speed automatic transmission, the Tacoma SR5 V6 could produce 190 horsepower, and 220 lb-ft of torque.
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The six-cylinder in the ’95 Tacoma was capable enough to offer 1,670 pounds of payload, and up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity, which outperformed the Nissan Truck SE V6 from the same year, that could only muster 3,500 pounds of towing power. While these first-generation Tacoma’s topped out just under 200 horsepower, 1998 saw the release of the Tacoma TRD off-road package, which enhanced performance by adding a locking rear differential, but would add even more powerful options moving forward. For those unaware, TRD is one of several famous car badges that hold special meaning.
3.5-liter V6
The third-generation of Tacoma kicked off in 2016 and offered a slightly larger V6 than the first-generation, but packed with even more power than the stock second-generation 4.0-liter V6. Offering a respectable 278 horses and 265-pound feet of torque under the hood, this six-cylinder boosted towing capacity to 6,400 pounds. In fact, this more potent V6 even outperforms the previous generation’s larger 4.0-liter.
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Another interesting aspect of Toyota’s 3.5-liter was that it could operate on the Atkinson cycle, which provided enhancements to efficiency. James Atkinson, a 19th-century engineer, developed a unique combustion sequence which allowed the intake valve to remain open longer. During the compression stroke, the piston reached a higher point, traveling upward before the intake valve would close. Essentially, the power stroke, which moves the piston, was longer than the movement of the intake stroke, allowing for less fuel to be consumed every cycle. Of course, the modern Tacoma utilizes a much more precise version of this concept with variable valve timing.
Supercharged 4.0-liter V6
When Tacoma’s second-generation launched in 2005, the lineup received an option for more displacement in the form of a 4.0-liter V6. While this six-cylinder could outperform previous Tacoma’s with the ability to generate 236 horsepower (an improvement of 46 horsepower) and 266 lb-ft of torque (additional 46-pound feet of torque), it wasn’t the most muscular option available from Toyota. While the TRD off-road package had offered some performance increases in previous Tacoma’s, the available 2015 TRD supercharger engine package took this truck to the next level.
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The different types of superchargers are twin screw, roots, and centrifugal and each have their benefits. But, regardless of which design you use, the end product is more power. The Tacoma TRD supercharger bumped up horsepower to 304, and torque up to 334 lb-ft. This extra output translated into 0-60 mph times of less than 7.5 seconds. However, as you’d expect, fuel economy did take quite a hit with the factory installed supercharger, only managing around 15 mpg.
i-FORCE MAX hybrid
Toyota arrived in 2024 ready to upset the status quo by kicking off Tacoma’s fourth generation with the most powerful powertrain this truck has seen to date. This hybrid engine consists of two elements: A 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder alongside an electric motor, combining to output performance figures that surpass even the TRD supercharger from 2015.
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Together, the turbocharged gasoline engine and electric motor produce 326 horsepower and an impressive 465 lb-ft of torque. Essentially, when compared to previous V6 iterations of Tacoma, this new hybrid generates around 75% more torque. When explaining the difference between horsepower and torque, in the world of pickup trucks the latter is king, and translates into a Tacoma towing capacity of 6,000 pounds.
The most impressive figure is not the horsepower and torque alone, but the fact that i-FORCE Max manages to reach a combined average fuel economy of 24 mpg, while also receiving a huge bump in performance.