2024 Toyota Tacoma SR5 XtraCab: 5 cool features
The two-door, two-seat pickup truck is virtually dead in 2024, but that doesn’t mean truck builders won’t make the odd attempt to court buyers who are more interested in carrying cargo than people. The 2024 Toyota Tacoma XtraCab is one such bundle. It’s a two-door truck, but you’d be forgiven for not noticing, considering how long the cab is. I spent some time with this XtraCab a couple weeks back to see if I could wrap my head around the point of having all that interior space if there’s no back seat. Here are five cool things I found in my time with the truck.
Please note: This is a prototype truck. There are numerous instances where ungrained, pre-production plastics were used in its interior. This is not representative of what you’ll see at a dealer.
1 – So much storage
There’s a lot of it, and some of it is even secured, so if you’re a hunter or regularly have another need to transport a firearm, that’s a nice bonus. The locking cabinet along the back of the cab offers plenty of room for longer items, but it’s somewhat limited in depth, as you can see in the above right image.
2 – The folding seat
To make it easier to access all that storage and make room for larger items that need to stay dry, Toyota gave the XtraCab a fold-flat passenger seat. One yank on this and boom, you get a flat load surface, easy access to the rear and tie-downs for larger objects.
3 – The center console
There’s a lot going on here, and all of it is pretty cool. The Tacoma’s available wireless device charging cradle is nicely angled and has handy relief points to secure your phone in place while you’re on the go, plus a grippy storage area next to it with plugs for those who aren’t on the wireless bandwagon (if you don’t have the wireless charger, you basically get two pads like the one on the right). The drive mode toggle and 4WD selector are both in easy reach, and you can see the switch blanks here for features not included on this SR5 model. It looks good and does the job nicely. What more can you ask for from a truck?
4 – The doors
As I discovered during my time with our 2023 Sienna, Toyota really loves an interior cubby. That trend continues here. Like the van, the Taco is sporting drink and sundry storage aplenty. These doors are absolutely nuts. Tiers on tiers of cubbies (and piles of pre-production plastic, but remember, this is not a showroom truck).
5 – The key fob
When the Tacoma was first dropped off, it took me a few minutes to realize that the little credit-card-sized gadget in the wireless cradle was in fact the key fob. It’s cool, for sure, but I’m torn on its practicality. While it’s certainly handy for those who can take advantage of the “set and forget” nature of permanently stashing the key away in a wallet or purse until the day it’s time to trade in your car, this is a no-brainer. On the other hand, if you live in a multi-car, multi-driver house, the logistics of swapping keys regularly may render this approach less practical. Another upside: Accessing the battery requires no tools; you could swap it out at any convenience store in seconds if your fob kicks the bucket.
