No Hot Sauce Needed For This Taco!
2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road
Story By: Cody Carney
Photos By: Brandon Bunch
There comes times that we all need relief from the day to day repetition, doesn’t matter if that’s the work day grind, parent duties at home, or a switch of scenery from the retirement program. Quite often a short mental unload can do the trick, but there’s nothing quite like the effect of getting outdoors and exploring somewhere new. The challenge can be deciding where and how, there are so many factors. Time, budget, weather, and having the proper mode of transportation. With a new 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Double Cab in route to our office, we knew we had options of where to go and how to get there.
A very good friend of mine and I were talking about taking a trip yet didn’t have a real clear destination in sight. Luckily we were given the opportunity to decide for ourselves. The flip of a coin landed us in the direction of St George, Utah. My copilot and I’s awaiting chariot for this adventure was loaded adequately from front to back, including our trusty UTV on a flatbed trailer . We were told the Tacoma was the best selling compact truck for 14 years running and after looking at this vehicle up close, we were excited to test its capabilities. We were skeptical at first; wondering if this truck, with a towing capacity of 6,400lbs, had what it takes to get us into and out of trouble. Casting our doubts aside we decided to journey onward.
Like the start of any great journey, it’s always smart to make sure you’re comfortable with your surroundings. Immediately getting into the truck, we noticed how surprisingly large the cab felt. There had to be a little compromise in space for passengers in the back seats and elbow room between the seats up front. Once we found that sweet spot the cab seemed to open up again. After getting into a comfortable seating position, we focused on the other important matters. Being the musical enthusiasts that we are, our first thought was to connect the phones up so we could jam out on our trip. I was surprised how quick it was to pair to the Bluetooth through the JBL Premium Audio system, and if another device wanted to take over the USB connection was a simple access point as well.
In just a matter of a few moments, I was acquainted with the layout of the dash. All controls were easily located and labeled in a fashion we’ve learned to expect from Toyota. With take off procedures completed, it was time to take flight. The Tacoma cranks out a rating of 278hp with 265 lb-ft of torque and weighs in at a mere 4400lbs, allowing it to take the highway routes with ease even with an overall elevation climb of 2,500ft. During the drive, most of it felt similar to any mid-size to full-size pickup when it came to maneuverability. I did find myself wanting to turn my head when transitioning between lanes feeling there was more road to be seen that what my mirrors offered, but each time the Blind Spot Monitor indicators reminded me there was nothing there to be worried about.
The first stop of the trip was the most hectic. However, it also made me appreciate this compact-size pick up a lot more. We exited the freeway to a little hole in the wall place in the middle of nowhere, one of the only stops for miles on end. There were vehicles everywhere and next to nobody knew where to navigate to and from. It was like sitting at a series of four-way intersections with everybody throwing their hands up and nobody knowing where to go. Navigating through the mass of vehicles was like a bad dream, but I see how having a larger vehicle with less turning radius would have turned the task into a nightmare. A quick maneuver to escape the chaos into a parking stall, left me thankful for the pre-collision detection system. While trying to get into the parking stall and focusing on the trailers path, the added safety sense and pedestrian detection system made note of where the nose of the truck was and more importantly what it was about to strike. Technology for the win.
After nerves settled, a quick fuel up and beverage load up, we were back on track. We had about a 170-mile stretch of straight highway where the cruise control really came in handy. Even with my foot off the skinny pedal, the truck managed to tackle the ups and downs of the open road confidently. Coming towards a very scenic canyon that lead to the end of our journey, there was lots of scenery for the eye to see. Thankfully, the way the seats are designed in this truck, you feel like you’re sitting over the whole dash making it easier to see everything around us without losing sight of the road in front of us. The downside of this seating position does make the roof fairly close for drivers pushing 6’2” or greater.
Hours later, near the end of the day, we finally came cruising up to our final destination. We turned down the music, rolled down the windows and opened that sunroof to take in southwest Utah in all its glory. Coming to a complete halt at our stay, we recognized that we had some daylight left. You know what that means…. Dirt roads!
We unloaded our gear into our room and dropped the trailer in the parking lot as rapidly as we could and set our sights for some of the nearest OHV area, which happened to be the epic Sand Hollow State Park. We knew our time was limited, but we wanted to see what the truck could take of the adult sandbox. The park offers a wide variety of terrain but we knew we wanted to get atop Sand Mountain and in a hurry. Even taking the easiest of routes still provides some challenge, we found a couple obstacles that required 4 wheel drive but we pushed on with confidence. We were looking for the perfect opportunity to use the Crawl Control feature, we found a great off-camber descent that would push the feature to its capability. This feature truly demands the truck to operate at a locked slow speed regardless of terrain impact and essentially eliminates accidental wheel spin, allowing you to focus purely on steering and the path ahead. It’s truly amazing how well it works, maintaining its speed over every obstacle we intentionally hit. Without any mishaps, we found a suitable stopping point to turn around make trail back down the mountain for our grumbling bellies.
This truck may not be the diesel powerhouse or full framed show pony, but this package truly provides the right look and feel, along with the perfect balance of capability and versatility. It’s on road and off road agility is almost cat like, a refreshing feeling from the heavyweights of the road. We know it can’t tow everything out there, but for most loads it’s more than capable and offers all the creature comforts needed for that Monday – Friday commute, yet crawl through the nasty stuff on those overland adventures. Take a cruise in a taco, you might just find out that fancy hot sauce just isn’t necessary.