Toyota Tacoma vs. Toyota Tundra

Upgrading to a truck gives you some great capability in terms of towing and hauling. You will always have space for cargo when you purchase a truck. Whether you need cargo space for your work life or your everyday life, choosing the right truck is important.

Toyota has a couple of great truck options for you; the Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra are both great trucks with a lot of great features to make your life easier. The Tacoma is a compact truck that is smaller in size and known for its off-road capabilities. The Tundra is a full-size truck that offers you more cargo area and the capability for taking on heavier loads.

Which of these trucks is right for you? Below, we are going to compare these two trucks and their different features and capabilities so that you can determine which one is the right choice. If you have any questions about these pre-owned trucks or any other pre-owned vehicles, you can reach out to us at Tim’s Truck Capital.

Performance and Engine Options

As mentioned above, these two trucks are different sizes, so they offer you a slightly different performance. Check out what they each offer you here.

The exact engine options you can find in the Toyota Tundra depend on your trim and model year. Two popular engines for the Tundra over the last several model years are both V8 engine options that are both paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

• The first engine is a 4.6-liter V8 engine that gives you 310-horsepower and 327 pound-feet of torque.
• The second engine option is a 5.7-liter V8 engine that gives you 381-horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque.

When the Tundra is properly equipped, it can give you a towing capacity of around 10,500 pounds, and it has a payload capacity around 2,000 pounds.

The Toyota Tacoma is a more compact truck. This vehicle has more of a focus on off-road performance as a smaller truck option. There are a few different engines that can be found in the Tacoma, and they can be paired with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

• The base engine is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that gives you 159-horsepower.
• You also have a 3.5-liter V6 engine that gives you 278-horsepower.

When it comes to towing and hauling, this vehicle offers you around 7,000 pounds in towing capacity and a payload capacity around 1,500 pounds. This is not as much in terms of towing and hauling capability, but the Tacoma is much more known for its off-road capability. This vehicle has TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro trims that offer you features such as shock absorbers, a locking rear differential, skid plates, and more.

If you are looking for an off-road experience, you will likely want to go with the Tacoma, but if you are looking for a better towing and hauling experience, you will want to check out the Tundra.

Exterior

The exterior of these trucks have a different look and a different function. The Tundra looks bigger with a wider stance and bigger profile. The Tacoma looks more compact and nimble as it provides you with great off-road capability. Let’s take a closer look at the exterior size and cargo space of these trucks.

The exterior of the Toyota Tundra is around 6 feet 4 inches tall, and it has a length that ranges from around 19 feet to almost 21 feet long. There are three different bed options with the Toyota Tundra. This truck has 8-foot-1-inch, 6-foot-6-inch, and 5-foot-6-inch bed options, which means it gives you more cargo space and capability.

The Toyota Tacoma is the smaller truck. It comes in at a height of around 5 feet 11 inches, and it is around 17 feet and 8 inches long. It is also a few inches narrower than the Tundra. When it comes to the cargo bed, this truck offers you two different cargo bed lengths. The Tacoma has a 6-foot-1-inch bed or a 5-foot bed.

Interior and Technology

Next, let’s take a closer look at the interior of these vehicles. The biggest difference is going to come in terms of passenger capacity and space. The Toyota Tundra is the larger truck with a more spacious interior. The Tundra can seat up to six people, depending on the model. You have a Double Cab and CrewMax Cab option in the Tundra, both of which can seat six. The CrewMax option offers more rear legroom overall and is a great option if you will frequently have rear seat passengers.

The Toyota Tacoma can seat four or five people, depending on the cab option. In the Access Cab, the Tacoma seats four people, but in the Double Cab model, the Tacoma seats five people.

When it comes to technology, both of these trucks offer you a lot of great features. They both have touchscreen infotainment system options in different sizes. They also give you features like smartphone connectivity in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bluetooth, USB ports, wireless device charging, and premium audio systems can also be found on these trucks, depending on the specific model. They are both very tech-savvy.

Safety

Next, let’s take a look at safety when it comes to these two trucks. Toyota does a great job of building safe vehicles and providing safety technologies to watch out for you and your passengers. Both of these trucks offer plenty of great features when it comes to safety.

In 2018, the Toyota Safety Sense P package became standard on the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma. This safety package includes features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning. These safety features were available on previous models, but not standard on every model. The active safety features help to look out for you and try to prevent a potential collision from occurring in the first place.

Both of these trucks can offer you some great safety features. They also both offer you some user-friendly technology. The biggest differences in these vehicles are the size and capabilities. Your needs when it comes to cargo space, passenger space, towing capability, and off-road capability will help you determine which of these trucks is right for you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at Tim’s Truck Capital.