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2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro: First Look

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When looking in the small pickup truck segment, it’s only natural to take a look at the Toyota Tacoma. Recently, it’s had a lot of competition between the Chevrolet Colorado and the Ford Ranger. To keep up, it was time for the Tacoma to get a full update. Next year, we anticipate a complete refresh of the lineup, including the 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. Let’s get a closer look at this fun truck.

2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Toyota

Trims & Pricing

We don’t know the pricing yet for the 2020 TRD Pro but assume it will be relative to the 2019 model at $42,960 for the manual and $45,665 for the automatic.

Exterior & Interior Design

The Tacoma TRD comes with an updated exterior for 2020. It features black taillight inserts, Rigid Industry LED fog lights, 16-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights and sequential LED headlights. You can choose from some exclusive colors such as Army Green, Magnetic Gray Metallic and Midnight Black Metallic.

The interior hasn’t changed much for the new year, but one significant difference is the infotainment screen. This new eight-inch screen has connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as Amazon Alexa. It also comes standard with navigation. Other features inside the cabin include wireless charging, automatic climate control and a Panoramic View Monitor.

For this year, the TRD Pro also comes standard with a ten-way power driver’s seat and black leather complete with red contrast stitching. You can only get the Tacoma TRD Pro as a Double Cab. This features four full doors with room for five, while the regular Tacoma models also have the option to get an Access Cab.

2020 Toyota Tundra TRD
Toyota

Power & Capability

You have two bed options with a 2020 Tacoma, but just one with the TRD Pro. The Double Cab comes with a five-foot bed complete with plastic composite, so you don’t need a bed liner. It also comes with tie-down cleats, a removable, locking tailgate and available modular bed extender.

Power is produced with the 3.5-liter V6 that pumps out 278 horsepower plus 265 lb-ft of torque. This is routed either through the six-speed manual or automatic transmission. All TRD Pro models also feature four-wheel drive with low-range.

This Tacoma model also features a standard Tow Package. This includes an automatic transmission fluid cooler, power steering cooler and engine oil cooler as well. The Class IV hitch, four and seven-pin connector with converter and larger alternator also give this truck its capability. The Tacoma tows up to 6,800 pounds which is less than the Jeep Gladiator and the Chevy Colorado.

This Tacoma truck really shines off-road. It has Kevlar-reinforced all-terrain tires on the 16-inch wheels. It also comes with Fox 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks featuring updated tuning. On the four-wheel drive system, drivers have an electronically controlled transfer case plus an electronically controlled locking rear differential. Automatic transmissions have some extra off-road gear such as Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select.

Safety Features

You get standard Toyota Safety Sense P. This driver assistance suite comes with forward collision warning and avoidance, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning plus automatic high beams.

How Does the 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Stack Up?

Looking at other trucks in the same segment, you can see that many of the safety features are also available on those trucks. The Chevy Colorado has many of them, but the Frontier doesn’t come with many at all. On the other hand, the Gladiator has some, but they tend to be optional instead of standard.

In other terms, the Colorado ZR2 comes with hill descent control, a revised front bumper complete with recovery hooks and a raised ride height. The new Frontier PRO-4X is a more affordable option, but severely out of date. It comes with a raised suspension, Bilstein shocks, a locking rear differential and additional skid plates.

Obviously, the most popular competitor is the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. This Wrangler pickup has a five-foot bed, removable roof, removable doors, fold-down windshield and plenty of style.

We don’t know when the new Tacoma will arrive at dealers but will keep you posted when we find out.

2020 Toyota Prius Prime Will Have Fifth Seat

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If you love hybrid cars, then you’ve probably heard of the Toyota Prius Prime. It’s one of the most efficient from the automaker and also comes with the most tech features. Thankfully, plans have been released for the 2020 Toyota Prius Prime that includes the fifth seat. Don’t know what we are talking about? Let us fill you in.

2020 Toyota Prius Prime
Toyota

2020 Toyota Prius Prime & Its Fifth Seat

Just last week, the Japanese automaker released data for the 2020 model update. There are some high-tech features such as additional USB ports, Apple Carplay plus new black interior accents. All of that is great, but enthusiasts are more excited about the five seats.

By now you are probably wondering why the four-door sedan didn’t already have five seats. Actually, models before 2020 all featured four seats and a section with two cupholders instead. At the time, the company did it for efficiency. To put three people in the backseat, the vehicle’s charger would have needed to be relocated. Plus, the car would have required additional material for reinforcement.

So, the fact that the Prius is now fuel-efficient and maximizes the number of occupants is pretty amazing. After all, what’s the point of maximizing your efficiency if you cannot adequately carpool.

Why The Change?

It’s apparent that consumers were unhappy about the missing seat. After all, Toyota seems to have overcome some hurdles to add it. Overall, they’ve basically admitted that they failed on previous models, don’t you think? Well, the Prius owners can rejoice because they will receive their beloved back seat soon enough. Likely, that won’t make them happy anyway and there will be a whole mess of drivers that cry for the cupholders back. You know how it goes.

If you are a fan of hybrid vehicles, don’t forget to check out the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid as well. The fuel economy is comparable to a Prius.

2020 Toyota Highlander: First Look

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Toyota has plenty to offer SUV-happy consumers with their upcoming lineup. The 2020 Toyota Highlander recently debuted during the New York Auto Show and was quite impressive. This three-row SUV arrives this winter, starting with the gas model. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect.

2020 Toyota Highlander
Toyota

First Look at 2020 Toyota Highlander

The original Highlander dates back to 2001. It featured a unibody structure while most other SUVs were based on trucks. Over time, other automakers started using the same four-wheel independent suspension modeled by the Highlander. Since 2016, this SUV has been one of the bestsellers in America.

The 2020 model is part of the fourth generation. It features the Toyota New Global Architecture, otherwise referred to as TNGA-K. This foundation offers greater safety, comfort and capability.

It also comes with a choice between a V6 or hybrid powertrain. The gas has an estimated fuel economy of 22 mpg combined while the hybrid offers 34 mpg combined.

In addition, Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 is standard equipment on all models. This includes a pre-collision system, pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, automatic high beams, road sign assist and lane tracing assist.

2020 Toyota Highlander Interior
Toyota

2020 Toyota Highlander Configurations

There are five trim levels for the Highlander: L, LE, XLE, Limited and Platinum. Customers can choose the hybrid powertrain with everything except the L. All models offer some innovative technology and intuitive features for the entire family. There is the optional 12.3-inch touchscreen, JBL Premium Sound System and other surprises that set this SUV apart from the rest.

All models are 2.36 inches longer than earlier models. This adds more cargo space than before. It’s also possible to slide the second row an additional 1.2-inches to increase the space between the second and third rows for larger passengers.

2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

This hybrid SUV features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors. This vehicle produces 240 horsepower with 34 mpg combined gas mileage. It can also be purchased as a 2WD or with AWD. The battery pack is found under the rear seats. This maximizes passenger and cargo space.

While it comes with the standard NORMAL, ECO and SPORT modes, there is also an EVO model that allows drivers to choose electric-only power for shorter distances at low speeds.

Other New Toyota Models

There’s a lot to love about the 2020 Toyota lineup. We’ve recently taken a first look at the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Tacoma and the Toyota Supra as well. Check them out to figure out what model is ideal for you.

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