Whether you’re a fan of shiny objects or appreciate a dark and sophisticated look, Toyota gives you a little of both with their two trucks. The 2023 Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra models offer minor upgrades that head in different directions to give you more style and options for these excellent trucks.

Which is bigger, the Tacoma or the Tundra?                                                                      

Toyota Tacoma

If you’re unfamiliar with the Toyota trucks offered we’ll clear it up for you. The Toyota Tacoma is part of the midsize truck market. This impressive pickup has been the top seller in this class for the past 17 years. Until the recent package changes, the Tacoma offered up to 30 different configurations. With the new packages, 34 variations are available.

Toyota Tundra

The Toyota Tundra is the full-size pickup truck in this brand lineup. It competes against some of the most popular names in the industry but holds a strong sales position and following. The Tundra came into 2022 as a brand-new truck with unique features and power. Adding a new package gives you one more way to enjoy what the Tundra offers.

The new stuff added to the Toyota Tacoma

If you’ve looked at previous versions of the Tacoma and thought it needed more or less chrome, that’s what you’ll find. There are two new packages to bring you the look you desire.

SX Package

Roadshow tells us the SX Package isn’t technically new for this Toyota truck, but it moves around. The SX package was available for the SR trim, but now it’s a little upmarket and offered for the SR5 trim with the V6 engine. This package removes the shiny chrome and adds black paint on the over-fenders, wheels, badges, and mirror caps. If you’re not a fan of shiny silver chrome, this could be the package you want for your Tacoma.

Chrome Package

The name says it all. The Chrome Package adds 18-inch polished alloy wheels and chrome trim for the door handles, exhaust tip, and tailgate insert. This package adds an item in the cab of the Toyota Tacoma with a leather-wrapped shift knob. You can only add the Chrome Package to the V6-powered SR5 trim with the Double Cab and 5-foot bed.

What’s added to the Toyota Tundra

The current generation of the Tundra is only one year old. Toyota doesn’t offer many changes to this truck for 2023, but it does add the SX Package to give you the sophisticated darkness you desire.

This package includes:

• 18-inch dark gray alloy wheels
• Black elements in the door handles and rear inboard bumper
• Deleted door badges
• Blackout treatment for the 4×4 badges on the tailgate
• Black interior accents replacing dark silver trim

The SX Package for the Tundra is available in the SR5 trim with either the 4×2 or 4×4 models. You can enjoy this new package and have a truck painted white, gray, silver, or black.

Are Toyota trucks reliable?

Just about any vehicle with the Toyota name is considered reliable. According to RepairPal, the Tacoma ranks at the bottom of the midsize truck segment. That shouldn’t worry you too much, the Tacoma scores 3.5 out of 5, which is above average. The midsize truck market averages 4.0 on this scale. The main reason for the lower sore for the Tacoma is the severity factor which is 17% compared to an average of 13% for the midsize truck class.

The larger of the Toyota trucks, the Tundra, also receives a score of 3.5. This score is above the average full-size truck score of 3.0. RepairPal reports the same issue with the Tundra. When this truck requires repairs, the severity is 18% which hits the full-size truck market average.

What is the strongest Toyota truck?

Currently, the strongest Toyota truck in the market is the Toyota Tundra with a hybrid engine. Kelley Blue Book tells us this truck comes with a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine and a hybrid electric motor-generator. This engine attaches to a ten-speed automatic transmission and a traditional torque converter to send power to the rear wheels.

The power level for the strongest Toyota Tundra pickup truck is 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. Fuel mileage reaches 20 city/24 hwy mpg for the 4×2 models and 19 city/22 hwy mpg for 4×4 versions. Towing reaches 12,000 pounds, and the payload limit is 1,940 pounds for this strong Toyota truck.

Will you add one of these packages to your 2023 Toyota truck?

The Toyota Tacoma and Tundra add a few new items for the 2023 model year. Will you add the SX Package or the Chrome Package to your Toyota truck when you order your 2023 model? You might if you want an upgraded style for the pickup you love to drive.