The Basics

There are six trim levels (or grades, as Toyota likes to call them) of the ’21 Tacoma: the SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro. The base powertrain is a 159 horsepower 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission; it’s found on the two lowest trims. The other trims get a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine making 278 hp and 265 pounds-feet of torque as standard, but this powerplant is optional for the lower trims. A six-speed automatic transmission is the default, but a six-speed manual transmission can be ordered on the three TRD trims. Four-wheel drive is standard on the TRD Pro and available on the five other grades.

Standard and Optional Equipment

There’s a Tacoma for everyone, from the work-ready SR to the loaded Limited and the super-rugged TRD Pro. The SR gets cloth seats, 16-inch wheels, heated side mirrors, Toyota Safety Sense, and a well-equipped infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and more. When this base trim is ordered with the upgraded engine, it also gets dual-zone automatic climate control. The SR5 gets dual-zone auto climate control regardless of engine choice and adds chrome accents, fog lights, an upgraded infotainment system with an 8-inch screen and additional features, keyless entry, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Double Cab versions also get a power-sliding rear cab window. The TRD Sport moves up to 17-inch wheels and body-color fender flares and back bumper, plus it receives a hood scoop, a wireless device charging pad, and a 120V in-bed power outlet. For the TRD Off-Road, take away the hood scoop and add a chrome rear bumper, a lockable rear differential, Bilstein shocks, black textured fender flares, and a trail-specific traction-control system with crawl control. A number of options packages will further customize these two TRD grades while enhancing their off-pavement chops, although not all available features are offered in conjunction with the manual transmission.

The Limited gets some styling changes, with low-profile tires on 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights with black bezels, a power moonroof, leather seats, heated power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, and some additional driver-assist features outside of the standard Toyota Safety Sense suite. It’s only available with the Double Cab. The TRD Pro is 4WD only, as mentioned. It blends some of the off-road features found on the TRD Off-Road with the interior amenities found in the optional packages offered on that trim and the TRD Sport. The TRD Pro comes only in the Crew Cab/short bed configuration and it’s equipped like a TRD Off-Road loaded with every option. This grade is distinguished by unique exterior styling (for example, a black grille) along with some trail-focused upgrades (Fox shock absorbers, all-terrain tires, enhanced skid plates, and additional ground clearance).

Toyota has introduced a couple of limited-production variants for 2021. The Trail Special Edition, with just 7,000 units made, is based on the SR5 but gets some enhancements for off-pavement driving and a special black interior with contrast stitching in tan. The Nightshade Edition, which Toyota is offering on some of its other models this year, stands apart with dark accents inside and out.

Driver-Assist Features

The standard Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) suite of driver-assist technologies includes lane departure alert, automatic high beams, a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, and adaptive radar cruise control. The TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road are eligible for rear parking sensors and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, both of which are standard on the Limited and TRD Pro.