The Tacoma Trailhunter model is predicated around the question: “Do you even overland, bro?” It takes the TRD Pro model and throws on even more spec-appearing off-road gear.
The 2024 Tacoma is a completely new machine from the previous generation. Toyota dropped the V6 engine in favor of a turbocharged four-cylinder, made the interior more livable, and squared off the exterior to make it look less overbite. In all, these are all good changes that the Tacoma really needed to see.
As the “midsize” category slowly creeps into full-sized truck bulk, though, it is also changing focus. These trucks used to be where customers went to get utility in a park-able package. Back when everyone abandoned this segment in favor of bigger vehicles with larger profit margins. When it was just Toyota and Nissan fielding options, the midsize truck was the “useful weekender” buy.
Now the focus is off-road. The new fourth-generation Tacoma has no less than eight models to choose from. Eight. Of those, five are off-road designs. The SR and SR5 remain the fleet buyers’ favorites and the Limited still exists as the posh option for those who have no idea what a pickup truck is for. The rest of the models all have “TRD” in their names and various outfits meant for off-pavement aesthetics. And then there’s the range-topping Trailhunter, which is the most expensive of the lineup.
The Trailhunter packs all of the awesome off-road goodies of the TRD Pro model, including the 33-inch tires, performance exhaust, swaybar disconnect, IsoDynamic seats, prewired switches, and TRD-designed bumpers. To that, the Trailhunter adds 18-inch bronze-alloy wheels, more underbody plates, rock rails, a modular utility bar in the bed, and Old Man Emu suspension dampers. Plus a factory-installed snorkel. That snorkel is reversible to draw from front or rear with just a few twists of a screwdriver.
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter also comes with the new i-Force Max hybrid 2.4-liter turbo engine as standard equipment. This unit produces 326 horsepower, 465 pound-feet of torque, in a mild hybrid setup with a small battery pack. This puts fuel economy into the 20s as an average. Combined is EPA-rated at 23 mpg and highway is at 24 mpg. My highway returns were 24.5 mpg, so those numbers are realistic. Don’t expect to maintain them while towing, of course. For that, I was in the low teens pulling a trailer and ATV with a combined weight of about 2,700 pounds.
Speaking of, towing is rated at about 6,000 pounds. And the Tacoma Trailhunter tows really well for its size.
The purpose of the Trailhunter model, of course, is to escape the HOA and head into the unknown. Or at least into the non-paved areas of the world. Whatever you can find where you live. Going out with the Tacoma Trailhunter here in Wyoming, I was glad for the high-clearance exhaust setup and the rocker panels.
For more difficult terrain, the Trialhunter has the disconnecting front sway bar like the TRD Pro and that can be useful in some situations. Most of the off-road equipment included with this truck, sans the fancy names, is pretty standard fare stuff for those really going hardcore. But that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. If you’re into getting into the wilderness, this is a great truck for it.
Probably the best improvements to the 2024 Tacoma, though, are inside. The Trailhunter has some rugged interior add-ons like rubber mats, stain-resistant upholstery, and so forth. There are plenty of places to park your Monster or Gatorade and a 14-inch touchscreen to get down deep with the mapping.
The seating, though, is where the most improvement was needed and was got. The Tacoma is now, dare I say it.. comfortable. Gone are the car-like, leg-stretching seats of before and in are more robust, upright truck seats. Especially the specialized bolstered seats in the Trailhunter (and TRD Pro). At well over six feet, I can now sit in the Tacoma and not feel like I’m about to slide out of the chair after smacking my head on the roof.
My overall verdict here is that the 2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter model is a great off-road rig. If your plan is to just drive around a pavement princess and try to look cool, the Trailhunter can do that. But it’d be a ginormous waste.
This is a really trail-ready vehicle and it should be flexed on that dirt once in a while. Otherwise, you’re like the idiot who gets a retriever as a pet and never takes that dog outside. It’s abuse. And you know it. Take your Trailhunter into the bush. It needs to crunch rocks and breathe fresh air once in a while.
