The Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner returns to the lineup for 2024 after a long hiatus. For those unfamiliar with Tacoma lore, the PreRunner name was used in the past on two-wheel-drive Tacomas upgraded with a lifted suspension and 4×4 looks—minus the actual four-wheel-drive. The new Tacoma TRD PreRunner continues that trend, combining a beefy appearance with a locking rear differential, the extended-cab body, and two-wheel drive—almost everything you need in a truck, for what’s likely to be much less money than the Tacoma’s four-wheel-drive off-roaders such as the TRD Off Road, new Trailhunter, or TRD Pro models.
A Little PreRunner Pre-History
From 1998 to 2015, the Tacoma PreRunner was a two-wheel drive truck with a factory lifted suspension, locking rear differential, and wider track width courtesy of extra wheel offset. Though later models of PreRunner only carried the upgraded hardware and did not wear the “PreRunner” badge, the name is now back as part of the new Tacoma’s expanded lineup.
One highlight of that bigger lineup is bigger differentiation between the available models—and each trim level essentially rides on its own suspension. For the PreRunner, that setup includes a raised ride height, Toyota-branded Tokico twin-tube dampers (Bilsteins, Old Man Emu, and Fox shocks are available on the other off-road-oriented trims).
Out back, the Tacoma TRD PreRunner joins the other affordable Taco trim levels in using a leaf-spring rear suspension design. Toyota’s new coil-spring, multi-link rear suspension is restricted to higher-spec trims such as the Limited, TRD Off Road, and TRD Pro. BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A tires sized 265/70R17 wrap around the PreRunner’s alloy wheels, creating a proper-looking setup.
PreRunning Into The Modern Age
Opting for the PreRunner restricts you to the XtraCab, long-bed configuration, Toyota-speak for the extended cab with two doors paired and a six-foot bed. Interestingly, XtraCab Tacomas ditch their rear seats in favor of a fold-down storage platform with locking compartments; the previous-generation XtraCabs had stubby, rear-hinged rear access doors and offered the option for either fold-down jump seats or a blank storage area for commercial customers.
The PreRunner also enters the modern age with four-wheel disc brakes and an electronic parking brake. Payload figures are still under wraps but the leaf-sprung PreRunner is said to tow 6,500 pounds, among the higher amounts in the Tacoma lineup.
But, Does It Have A Clutch?
Toyota has helped keep the manual transmission alive in the midsize truck segment thus far—and continues to offer one in the new Taco—just not in the PreRunner. Powertrain options are limited to the turbocharged 2.4-liter i-FORCE engine backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission. The combo is good for 278 horses and 317 lb-ft of torque. Other Tacomas offer a lower-output version of the same turbo engine, as well as a higher-output version that’s hybridized and makes 326 hp.
Pricing for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner has not yet been announced but we can expect it to hit dealerships by the end of 2023 and cost less than other off-road Tacoma models. Given its two-door-only availability, we’d wager it’ll cost slightly more than an equivalent SR or SR5 model.
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