When will trucks stop growing? The current lineup of midsize trucks is much closer in size to full-size models of old than early versions of midsize trucks. Of course, full-size trucks have grown as well, so it’s not just the small trucks that got bigger. The Toyota Tacoma has reached its maximum size because of one factor that makes driving a midsize truck more convenient for most owners.

Why won’t the Toyota Tacoma become a larger midsize truck?

The original build of the Tacoma was a small pickup for the 1995 model year. This grew up and grew out of the compact segment in a hurry. According to Automotive News, the shortest model of the current Tacoma is 212.3 inches which is nearly 34 inches longer than the 2000 model. The 2022 Tacoma is one of the largest midsize trucks in the market, but it won’t get any bigger because this truck is made to fit in a garage.

Truck size maximized by housing dimensions

Most garages can fit the Toyota Tacoma or any other midsize truck and offer enough room for an average-sized person to walk around the vehicle while the door is down. Full-size trucks don’t offer this convenience. This means the average dimensions of garages in America are holding the Tacoma back from becoming a larger truck. Of course, if it were to get much bigger, it might reach the full-size class.

“We’ve reached a point where we can’t get bigger, frankly, because of “garageability” – the ability to fit it in the garage, and that’s a huge selling point.”

– Cooper Ericksen, group vice president for product planning and strategy at Toyota Motor North America when asked about the size growth of the Toyota Tacoma. Reported by Automotive News

What Makes the Toyota Tacoma one of the most popular midsize trucks?

The Tacoma does something all other midsize trucks don’t do; it outsells the brand’s full-size truck. Consumers love to drive the Tacoma for its rugged looks, off-road capability, and incredible reliability. That said, this current form is getting a little long in the tooth. The 2023 model delivers a new SX package for the SR and SR5 trims, but it might be time for something new.

What could Toyota add to the mix that would be new?

The Toyota team is already mulling the idea of adding a new compact pickup truck to the mix. This truck would be much smaller than the current Tacoma and set to compete with the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Those two compact trucks have already taken the market by storm with incredible sales success of nearly 50,000 models sold through May in a down market.

Should Toyota build a smaller truck or put efforts elsewhere?

The Toyota Tacoma midsize truck receives a redesign in 2023 and the 4Runner in 2024. That will give the brand new models for all of its body-on-frame vehicles. The recently upgraded Tundra arrived late last year, and the new Sequoia comes out soon for the 2023 model year.  These two led the way to changes needed for these models. Why do the large models need to change? The CAFÉ 2026 regulations require higher fuel economy numbers across an entire model lineup.

Toyota keeps a watchful eye before adding a truck smaller than the Tacoma

With the Ford and Hyundai models in the market, Toyota can sit back and watch to see if these trucks are a fad or find a strong foothold in the truck market. This allows Toyota to design a small truck, should the brand decide to enter the market, that offers consumers a little more than the Maverick and Santa Cruz.

Next, check out the future of rickshaw power, or watch this Toyota Tacoma video below:

This article was updated on7/18/2022.