Toyota loyalists will swear by the Tacoma, and there’s no talking them out of it. Does the 2017 Tacoma live up to its reputation, or is it just good branding?
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2017 Toyota Tacoma: A Brief Overview
- The 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD trucks give you plenty of extra oomph courtesy of a 3.5L Atkinson engine offering towing capacity at 6,400 pounds.
- When it comes to depreciation, after a decade, a Toyota Tacoma will still hold almost half of its original sticker price at 47%. And, you’re going to get a solid trade-in value. A 2017 model holds around 80% of its original value.
- Tech is limited in the 2017 Tacoma, but it makes for a nice stripped-down work truck.
- The Tacoma’s manual option is half the reason to consider it in the first place.
- 2017 Tacoma’s have a slightly higher repair cost at around $500 a year, but repairs are infrequent.
2017 Toyota Tacoma Trims
With six trim levels to pick from, the 2017 Toyota Tacoma keeps it nice and simple. Six is enough to give you plenty of choice without overwhelming you, giving you some space to pick your own box, cab, and engine configuration.
SR
The SR is your basic, entry-level, midsize pickup trim. At the very cheapest, you’re getting a 2.7L-powered two- or four-seater with a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The SR isn’t locked to its options; you can mix and match your bed, cab, and engine choice however you like with the base Tacoma. There’s no reason you can’t start with an SR and upgrade that to a 4×4 with the 278 horsepower 3.5L Atkinson and an Extended Cab.
For interior features, you know the drill with a base-level midsize work truck. You get all the basic stuff, but not much extra. So yes, there’s an LCD monitor, Bluetooth, ABS and traction control, all that stuff. There are no power seats, no leather trim, and ain’t nothin’ heated but the heater.
SR5
The SR5 is a modest upgrade over the SR. The Extended Cab comes standard, so you’ve got seating for four or five people, depending on whether you go with the bench or folding cushion seats in the back row. The radio setup comes with a few bonuses, like Entune Plus and Connected Navigation, and you get two LCD monitors in the front.
The SR5 upgrade is nothing major, but it’s a fair trade for the modest price bump. Like the SR, you can configure the SR5 with any cab, bed, and engine you like.
TRD Sport
For many Tacoma fans, the lineup really begins at the TRD trim levels. The TRD Sport (pictured above) comes standard with the Extended Cab and that beefy 3.5L Atkinson, and while you can choose four-wheel or rear-wheel drive, let’s be honest, you’re probably not buying a TRD to skimp out on 4×4. You get your choice of bed size.
The entertainment system starts to get a little bit luxurious at this trim level (at least by midsize pickup standards) with a seven-inch touchscreen, doppler weather overlay, and HD predictive traffic. With all this, the Kelley Blue Book estimates the fair market price for the TRD Sport to be a bit lower than the SR and SR5. We’re with the Tacoma fans on this one: The lineup really starts at the TRD Sport.
TRD Off-Road
The TRD Off-Road is only available with the five-foot bed. If you’re mainly investing in your Tacoma as an adventure vehicle, that might be a bonus, since you can tell your friends their furniture won’t fit when they need help moving.
In terms of under-the-hood performance and interior features, the Off-Road and the Sport are basically the same truck. The difference comes down to how the truck is outfitted, with a set of chunky all-season tires on 16″x7″ alloy wheels, Bilstein performance shocks, and Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select System, which helps you to hold your ground on rough road by adjusting wheelspin to meet whatever sort of terrain you’re dealing with.
Limited
This trim has leather seats, a garage door transmitter, more power outlets and USB chargers than you’ll know what to do with, plus remote keyless entry and push-button start. This is the luxury trim. While it might not compete with an Escalade, it’s a pretty cushy driving experience for a truck that can tow nearly three and a half tons.
The standard configuration on this one is an Extended Cab with five seats, a five-foot bed, and a 3.5L Atkinson engine.
TRD Pro
The is the top-of-the-line trim level. It’s four-wheel-drive exclusive, with Kevlar-reinforced, all-terrain Goodyear Wrangler tires on 18″x7.5″ polished alloy wheels. Everything you like about the Off-Road is present and accounted for in the Pro, plus anti-roll bar and TRD Pro branded leather trim. This is the priciest Tacoma available, but you’ll know where every dollar went.
Most of the features found in the Limited are also here, but the Limited’s sunroof is missing from the Pro, and the Limited is slightly more fuel efficient.
What’s a 2017 Tacoma Going to Cost?
The 2017 Toyota Tacoma ranges from just over $26k for a buy-from-owner TRD Sport, to right around $40k for a certified pre-owned (CPO) TRD Pro (seen above).
These numbers are based on Kelley Blue Book estimates. The lower end represents purchasing the Tacoma right out of the previous owner’s driveway, and the higher end is if you were to purchase a CPO model with full warranty and inspection.
- SR: $27,626 – $32,903
- SR5: $29,606 – $35,141
- TRD Sport: $26,374 – $29,413
- TRD Off-Road: $30,558 – $35,160
- Limited: $32,059 – $37,785
- TRD Pro: $34,858 – $40,019
Will a 2017 Toyota Tacoma Hold its Value?
Like any car, truck, or SUV, a 2017 Toyota Tacoma’s value will only go down over time. That said, the Tacoma is actually a slow depreciator compared to many other vehicles. In the first year, the Tacoma will lose about 13% of its value, according to Car Edge. In the first five, it will be down by around 28%, and after a decade, it will still hold almost half of its original sticker price at 47%.
The good news is that when you’re ready to replace the truck, you’re going to get a solid trade-in value on your Tacoma if you keep it in decent condition. The bad news is that you may have to wait quite a while if you’re trying to save $5k or $10k on the price. A 12-year-old Tacoma is still worth more than $13k as of the time of this writing, and a 2017 still holds around 80% of its original value.
Toyota has one of the most rigorous CPO programs running today, including a 160-point inspection and seven-year/100,000-mile support for roadside assistance and powertrain warranty. Buying from the previous owner might save you around $5,000 compared to the CPO price, but you should know going in that used Tacomas are a seller’s market. Toyota CPO will at least buy you the peace of mind you won’t get buying the truck out of a stranger’s driveway.
Powertrain Options in the 2017 Toyota Tacoma
There are two engine options available in the 2017 Tacoma: The SR and SR5 allow you to choose either the 2.7L or the 3.5L Atkinson. The other trim levels are locked to the Atkinson.
The 2.7L is a solid performer for a midsize pickup. You can expect 180 lb.-ft. of torque and 159 horsepower out of the inline-four, and you can go with rear- or all-wheel drive. The 2.7L is fine, but you’re not going to be mistaking it for a V6.
The 3.5L Atkinson is the star of the show, and Toyota isn’t ashamed to admit it; they’ve made it the only engine option from the TRD Sport level and up. It provides 265 lb.-ft. of torque, a whopping 278 horsepower, and six cylinders. The engine is comparable to the lower-end motors you’ll find under the hood of full-size pickups these days, actually beating the 2021 F-150’s base engine by about 28 hp. Put that in a midsize, and you’ve basically got yourself a muscle car.
Whichever engine you go with in the SR, it’s paired with a five-speed automatic. All the other trim levels come with a six-speed automatic. While Toyota has recently phased manual transmissions out, the TRD trim levels all offer a six-speed manual option if you like a truck with a more tactile feel to it.
No matter your configuration of trim level, engine, transmission, and other options, the gas tank carries 21.1 gallons.
2017 Toyota Tacoma Fuel Economy
Because the 2017 Tacoma is available in so many possible configurations, we can’t just give you a single estimate on how many miles you should be expecting to get to the gallon.
Based on the size of your cab, your engine, whether you’re in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive, and whether you’re using automatic or manual transmission, the numbers range from 17/20 mpg city/highway (extended cab, four-wheel drive, 2.7L engine, and manual transmission), up to 19/24 mpg city/highway (3.5L Atkinson engine with rear-wheel drive and automatic transmission).
All told, that comes out to an average of around 18/22 mpg, but your mileage could be a few points higher or lower.
For comparison, a 2017 Honda Ridgeline Sport should get you around 19/26 mpg city/highway with a six-speed automatic, and a base 2017 Chevrolet Colorado does about the same. While the 2017 Tacoma’s fuel efficiency may lose by a nose to similar midsize trucks, it’s not exactly a gas-guzzler, either.
How Does a 2017 Tacoma Perform?
The 3.5L Atkinson engine buys the 2017 TRD Tacomas some rock-solid 0-60 times, averaging around 7.7 seconds for the extended-cab 4x4s, with a quarter-mile time of about 16 seconds. However, when we’re talking about performance in a midsize truck, what we’re really talking about is towing.
With the 2.7L i4 engine, your towing power maxes out at 3,500 pounds. That may be enough to pull a Jet Ski or some dirt bikes, but the trailers alone tend to start at around 900 pounds, so the 2.7L doesn’t give you a lot of headroom for towing.
The 3.5L Atkinson, however, comes close to doubling that towing capacity at 6,400 pounds. With travel trailers averaging around 1,000 pounds less than that, the TRD trucks will give you plenty of extra oomph to play with.
A 2017 Ford F-150 XL actually starts out at just 5,000 pounds of towing capacity on the low end, 1,400 pounds under an Atkinson-equipped Tacoma. A fully decked out XL still only beats the Tacoma by 600 pounds.
Of course, a Raptor has another half ton on top of that, and there’s no way a Tacoma’s competing with an F-250. Still, the fact remains that the Tacoma is punching way above its weight class, easily outshining base-level F-150s and handling most of the work you’d be doing in those full-size Fords.
2017 Tacoma Cargo Space and Dimensions
The 2017 Tacoma offers two beds and two cabs. For the front end, you’ve got a Regular Cab, aka an Access Cab, or an Extended Cab, aka a Double Cab. In the back, you have a 60″ long bed, or a 73.2″.
Length starts at 212″ if you’re going with a smaller build, or up to 225″ if you want a nice big land yacht with a five-seat cab and six-foot bed.
Minus any upgrades to your mirrors or extended running boards, width starts at 74″ no matter your build, and height starts at 71″ assuming you haven’t thrown a lift-kit on there. Interior dimensions will, of course, vary by cab size:
Regular Cab Interior Dimensions (Front/Rear)
- Headroom: 39.7″/34.9″
- Legroom: 42.9″/24.6″
Extended Cab Interior Dimensions
- Headroom: 40″/38″
- Legroom: 42.9″/32.6″
As you expect of a smaller work truck, the second row in the Access Cab can be a little cramped. Your kids might not complain, but 24 inches isn’t a lot of legroom for an adult-sized work crew.
How Safe is a 2017 Toyota Tacoma?
Coming in at the smaller end of the midsize pickup market, you’d probably guess that the 2017 Tacoma has a very good, but not quite perfect safety score, and you’d be right.
For the third-generation Tacoma, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested an Extended Cab 2017, giving it an overall rating of G, for Good. They awarded the truck a G rating for everything except for front passenger side impact (A for Acceptable), headlights (P for Poor), and LATCH Ease of Use (P for Poor, indicating that the child seating anchors are safe, but difficult to attach).
G is the IIHS’ highest standard rating. Anything above that gets a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award from the organization. So these ratings, though less than perfect, are rock-solid, just not quite award-winning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) generally backs the IIHS’ findings with a string of four-star ratings out of a possible five. Overall front impact receives four stars, and rollover receives four stars. While the overall side rating receives five stars, driver, front seat, and side pole (simulating a sideways crash into a stationary object like a telephone pole) are awarded four.
Safety features are adequate, but basic. An optional backup camera is about as high-tech as it gets. There are no parking sensors or lane keep assist or anything along those lines. Many of those features were added the very next year in the 2018 Tacoma, but they’re nowhere to be seen in the 2017.
Final verdict: The 2017 Tacoma is safe enough, and there’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s hardly pushing the envelope for safety features and design.
2017 Toyota Tacoma Technology Features
The relative lack of advanced technology onboard the 2017 Tacoma may be a draw or a barrier depending on what you like in a midsize truck. To some drivers, the stripped-down feel may be just the thing for an all-business work truck without a lot of bells and whistles. To others, the lack of sensors and the limited audio options are a flat-out deal breaker.
The radio system ranges from adequate to slightly luxurious, with the TRD trim levels and the Limited packing a whole suite of services like doppler weather overlay, HD Radio, Siri Eyes Free, and the Entune App Suite.
The safety tech basically peaks with the backup camera. You get electronic stability control, driveline traction control, occupancy sensors for the airbags, and everything to keep a pickup street-legal in 2017, but nothing else on top of that.
The 2018 Tacoma packs the very impressive Toyota Safety Sense P system, but the 2017 feels a bit like something from an earlier time in this regard, which might be a pro or a con in your book.
2017 Toyota Tacoma Color Options
The 2017 Toyota Tacoma color options are pretty basic, mostly focused on monochromes and earth tones, shades that hide dirt well. There are some showy reds and blues if you like a splash of color in your pickup.
Interior color options include the following:
SR
- Cement Gray
SR5
- Black/Caramel
- Black/Red
- Cement Gray
TRD Sport
- Black/Orange
- Graphite w/Gun Metal
TRD Off-Road
- Black/Orange
- Graphite w/Gun Metal
Limited
- Hickory
TRD Pro
- Black
For exterior options, you have the following choices:
2017 Tacoma Reviews: Then and Now
What Critics Say
All these specs and stats are worth reading, but they only tell you how a truck works in theory. To get an idea of how it performs in practice, the best place to start is with the reviews.
First, let’s go back to the truck’s launch, when Kelley Blue Book reviewed a 2017 Toyota Tacoma Extended Cab in late 2015, when the earliest review models were hitting the scene.
The review points out that while the EPA tells us to expect around 17/20 mpg city/highway in a 2WD model they reviewed, KBB’s real-world fuel economy test came out to barely over 18 mpg combined, which is disappointing.
Running down the basic driving experience, Kelley Blue Book says, “The turning radius is on par with most midsize SUVs, ride quality is taut but comfortable, and the cabin is well-isolated from road noise… the steering is a bit sloppy at low speeds, but it firms up on the highway.”
You could say that the first-year impression of the 2017 Tacoma was that the truck was decent, but not without its issues, as noted in more recent reviews posted after the 2017 model has been on the road for over four years.
Rent Reviews Note There’ve Been No Major Issues with 2017 Tacoma
Reviewing a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport with 100k miles on it in early 2021, popular YouTuber Michael Tran provides a firsthand update of how the truck drives after hitting its first six figures.
Running down a list of what’s broken down, he’s had some dead pixels on the LCD screen, some technical issues with the rearview camera’s sonar sensor, and the driver door has gotten a little fidgety after a few years of daily use. He has had no major engine or transmission issues, though.
Ultimately, he does like his Tacoma, concluding, “I am planning to get another Tacoma by the end of this year. Looking forward to getting perhaps the TRD Sport 4×4, or the TRD Off-Road 4×4.”
A 2021 Bros Four Speed review of the manual-transmission TRD Sport gives immediate praise for the slick, sporty styling of the Sport over the Off-Road and its “super light” clutch pedal.
“It’s actually easier to drive or shift than I was expecting,” notes Bros Four Speed. In turn, he has some criticism for the automatic transmission: “If you’re familiar with the third-gen. Tacomas, the automatics don’t really have a good gearing ratio … So, right off the bat, the manual has a better gearing ratio.”
Fortunately, Tacomas still come with manual transmission as an option, as of 2021, so even if you want a slightly newer model with more tech features onboard, you won’t have to compromise on the transmission.
Vehicle History Owner Reviews Give 2017 Tacoma High Rankings for Safety, Reliability
Vehicle History‘s owner reviews for the 2017 Tacoma give the truck an average of 4.6 stars out of a possible five. Of those, 75% have five stars, 19% have four stars, 4% have three stars, and 1% each are one- and two-star reviews.
In a five-star review in June 2021, Sarah P. praised the truck’s interior features and all-weather performance. “I love the large digital touchscreen option for audio, navigation, and hands free text,” she says. “The four-wheel-drive option is easy and simple to use. This truck handles amazing on ice, snow, and water.”
A four-star review from Nikki Y. that same month had more measured praise for her 2017 Tacoma TRD Sport, calling it a “great truck,” and saying, “We use it often to go to the beach because it can store a lot of items and is reliable.” .
A two-star review from March 2021 comes to us courtesy of Wendy T. She calls the truck “very reliable,” stating that it, “always starts and requires no maintenance (except for the usual oil changes, tires, brakes, etc.).” Despite that, she noted that the Tacoma is, “noisy on the road and has a bouncy uncomfortable ride.”
So the 2017 Tacoma is not without its issues. Still, the people who like the truck really like the nice, strong feel of the four-wheel drive, the way it marches through any weather, and the way it chews up hills and busted dirt roads.
Is a 2017 Toyota Tacoma Easy to Maintain?
Dependability is one of the most important factors in buying a truck. You need your pickup to be ready to do the job that it needs to do. How does the 2017 Toyota Tacoma stack up on maintenance and reliability?
On Repair Pal’s list of seven midsize trucks, the Tacoma ranks in at number seven, dead last, with a rating of 3.5 stars out of a possible five. According to Repair Pal, the truck doesn’t break down a lot, but when it does, the repairs tend to be more expensive than they are with, say, a Honda Ridgeline.
Average annual maintenance cost for the 2017 Tacoma stands at around $551 a year, with the average repair running between $495 and $606.
Known Issues in the 2017 Toyota Tacoma
A 2017 Toyota Tacoma is generally regarded to be a fairly reliable vehicle. But, it has its share of issues.
Checking in with the NHTSA, the truck has five recalls on file. The first recall saw a failure in the rear differential, while another saw the crank position sensor stalling. A serious recall of over 1.5 million Toyotas, including the 2017 Tacoma, was also pout into effect due to potential fuel pump failure.
Finally, there are the complaints: The 2017 Tacoma has just 162 on record with the NHTSA, which isn’t bad for a truck that sold somewhere around a quarter-million units in North America that year. The most common problem reported is the powertrain, with 61 complaints in total. Most of these come down to a slight thumping noise in the engine. It is a concerning problem, but only affects a small number of trucks.
2017 Toyota Tacoma vs. the Competition
Toyota has a hard time competing with GMC and Chevy when it comes to full-size trucks. But in the midsize market, the Tacoma has been the de facto leader for years. But, that doesn’t make it the best truck, just the most popular. Therefore, we review how the Tacoma stacks up to the Canyon, Ridgeline, and Colorado.
2017 Toyota Tacoma vs. 2017 GMC Canyon
The Canyon’s mid and higher trim levels easily outclass the Tacoma when it comes to towing power, with a 4WD SLE pulling a minimum of 7,000 pounds for just under $24k at the lowest, or about $3k cheaper than a Tacoma TRD Sport.
Add to that, the Canyon will get you about 20/28 mpg city/highway, compared to an estimated 19/24 mpg in a comparable Tacoma. The Canyon includes OnStar 4GE built-in Wi-Fi hot spot, plus a few extra USB ports. Additionally, the Canyon is available with a manual transmission.
To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.
2017 Toyota Tacoma vs. 2017 Honda Ridgeline
As we covered in the above section on reliability and maintenance, the Ridgeline is a bit cheaper to keep on the road, averaging $417 a year, compared to $551 for the Tacoma. That’s what Honda is all about. The list of automakers who can compete with them on dependability is very short.
Honda also has Toyota beat on KBB price, starting at under $24k, while the Tacoma starts at just over $26k for the TRD Sport. Honda doesn’t come close to the towing power of the Tacoma, maxing out at just 5,000 pounds, while the Tacoma goes up to 6,400.
To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.
2017 Toyota Tacoma vs. 2017 Chevrolet Colorado
A 2017 Chevrolet Colorado starts at just under $17,000 in the KBB, With the base i4 engine, that’ll pull about 3,500 pounds. Upgrade to the 3.6L V6, and you could be towing up to 7,700 pounds in the 4WD WT, starting at around $30k.
The Tacoma does outperform the Colorado on interior features. That 4WD WT comes with a 4.2″ screen, AM/FM, and a USB port, and that’s about it. Still, you get Chevy’s innovative Teen Driver mode on the base level and up.
To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.
Does the 2017 Tacoma Best its competition?
There’s a lot to love about the 2017 Tacoma, but it’s outperformed by the Ridgeline in value for your dollar, and it’s outclassed by the Colorado and the Canyon in towing power.
Picking an overall best midsize truck out of this list, the Canyon is hard to beat on sheer specs. If you’re shopping on a budget, the Ridgeline isn’t the powerhouse its midsize brothers are, but it’s going to leave you with a lot of extra money in your pocket.
If you swear by the Tacoma, great. It’s a fun truck to drive, and it gets the job done. Still, it might be worth test-driving a Canyon before you hand over that down payment.
Is a Used 2017 Toyota Tacoma a Good Buy?
If we’re talking specs, price, and maintenance costs, there are better trucks out there than the 2017 Toyota Tacoma. However, Tacoma fans are a loyal bunch, and it’s hard to dissuade them from replacing their old “Taco” with a new one. If you fall under that description, we totally get it. You won’t get a Coke drinker to switch to Pepsi, and you won’t get a Pepsi drinker to switch to Coke; personal preference is personal preference.
We’ll just say that you might want to consider a 2018 Tacoma over a 2017, given the upgraded features you get in a 2018. If you’re looking for something with a little more oomph without straying from Toyota, you might even consider a 2017 Toyota Tundra, which just about doubles the Tacoma’s towing power for a fairly modest price bump.
Photos: Toyota, GMC, Chevrolet, and Honda
