2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner Is a 2WD Truck with 4WD Looks

Oct 02, 2023

Toyota dusts off the PreRunner moniker for this off-road-ready rear-drive Tacoma trim.

Toyota ditched the PreRunner moniker from the Tacoma line following the 2015 model year. For 2024, however, the automaker’s bringing the trim back to its latest-generation mid-size pickup truck.

Originally introduced for 1998, the Tacoma PreRunner paired the four-wheel-drive Taco's looks (and many of its off-road-focused dynamic pieces) with the rear-drive model's drivetrain. That basic formula carries over to the 2024 Tacoma TRD PreRunner, which packs plenty of off-road goodies but pushes power from its turbocharged engine strictly to the rear wheels.

Toyota limits the TRD PreRunner guise to one body style: the two-door extended cab (or XtraCab in Toyota parlance) with a six-foot-long bed. As with all extended cab 2024 Tacomas, the TRD PreRunner lacks any rear seats, and it instead uses the space behind the driver and passenger’s chairs for additional cargo space.

The rear of the cab also includes a number of locking storage cubbies, and the front passenger seat’s back folds forward and creates a flat surface. Likewise, the TRD PreRunner retains the rear leaf springs of lesser extended cab trims (the four-door Tacoma supports its rear axle with a set of coil springs).

Befitting its status as a two-wheel-drive off-road machine, the Tacoma TRD PreRunner comes standard with the likes of a suspension lift, a locking rear differential, and 17-inch wheels wrapped in chunky BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. Additionally, the TRD PreRunner is capable of towing up to 6500 pounds.

Alas, the TRD PreRunner is an automatic-only affair. It's a real bummer for buyers looking to pair the PreRunner's looks with the Tacoma's available manual transmission.

On the plus side, nonhybrid Tacomas—with the exception of the entry-level Tacoma SR—with the truck's eight-speed automatic gearbox feature a variant of Toyota’s turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. Manual-equipped Tacomas, meanwhile, make do with just 270 horses and 310 pound-feet of twist.

Pricing for all 2024 Tacoma trims remains under wraps, but we wager the TRD PreRunner will set buyers back at least $35,000. Look for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner to go on sale before the end of the year.

Despite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg's career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend.

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