The 2022 Toyota Tacoma might be the toughest pickup truck around, but it still can’t seem to be bothered with learning how to stop. Frankly, Consumer Reports slaughtered the 2022 Toyota Tacoma across the board. But braking is one of the more important facets of driving, and the Tacoma is still struggling with the same old problem. 

What’s wrong with the 2022 Toyota Tacoma? 

As far back as 2011, the Toyota Tacoma has scored a two out of five on Consumer Reports’ braking and emergency handling tests. The tests measure how long it takes a vehicle to come to a complete stop from 60 mph on both dry and pavement. 

Since 2011, it has taken the Tacoma 146 ft to stop in the dry and 158 ft in wet conditions. For reference, the 2022 Honda Ridgeline – CR’s highest-rated truck and also in the mid-size category – managed to hit 0 mph from 60 mph in only 134 ft in the dry and 142 ft in the wet. While that may not seem like that big of a deal, that is the difference in a car length. That 11 ft is potentially someone’s life. For that reason, the Honda Ridgeline scored a four out of five on the braking test. 

The Tacoma didn’t just struggle with braking

Braking is only one part of this test. The other part is normal and emergency maneuvers. According to CR, the normal handling tests “reflect how agile the vehicle is on the road by the amount of body lean and steering response. Also includes turning a circle and the bumper clearance needed to make a complete U-turn.” for these tests, the Tacoma, again, only managed to get a two out of five. 

For the emergency maneuvers, Consumer Reports testing “includes the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit.” This test also got a two out of five due to the max emergency avoidance speed of 46 mph. 

Across the board, the 2022 Toyota Tacoma failed every handling and braking test Consumer Reports has. However, the Tacoma is known for hard work and conquering boulders and trails, not hot laps on the race track. 

I still love the Toyota Tacoma

The Tacoma is outdated, expensive, and unrefined. I doubt you’ll find many who can objectively disagree with that. But, the 2022 Toyota Tacoma will likely be yet another Toyota pickup truck that can outlast just about any other truck that steps to it. 

The Tacoma and Toyota Tundra have the same high points and the same low points. But the smaller Toyota pickup truck is a friendlier truck for many people due to its size. This lower stance and shorter platform has and will continue to provide a tough little truck to those who don’t need all the fanciest bells and whistles. 

The 2022 Toyota Tacoma is pretty bad at most things, but it’s great at being a pickup truck, and for that, we shan’t judge it too harshly. Sure, the market is changing, and many pickup trucks these days seem to do it all. The updated Tacoma coming next year will likely change the braking and handling problems, but for now, the Tacoma will remain a clunky, cumbersome, honest to God pickup truck, and that’s ok.