4th gen with kids?

[Yotota]

How tall are you and your wife? That's the biggest factor here.

I'm 6' with longer legs, and my driver's seat is pushed back enough that a big kid would be cramped behind me.

My wife is 5'-6", and there's plenty of room behind her seat.

If you and your wife are both shorter, the Taco will work. Otherwise you'll need a fullsize. The new Tundras are nice and supposedly many of the issues were resolved by now. I haven't looked too deep into that.

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[Lando]

Tundra: better mileage than the last gen and the engine issues have been worked out. If you can wait for a ‘26 it looks like it gets a mid cycle refresh. Maybe they fix the back bumper issue for access when tailgate down.

Tacoma: I carry 2-3 of my nieces and car seat in the back. It’s tight. Ages 5, 8 and 11. The 5 year old still needs the car seat and have to move the passenger front seat forward.

If it was me with kids on long trips, I’d go Tundra.

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

I previously owned a 2013 Tundra and space was my biggest concern when looking at the Tacoma. I have a 5 and an 8 year old, I am 5’10 and my wife is 5’4.

We test drive the Tacoma and brought their booster seats to the dealership to get a feel for fit. We honestly fit well in this truck. For extra interior space for their things, it is unsurprisingly limited, my 2013 DC Tundra was the same. I have a hard tonneau on the back and always keep a storage locker box back there to hold certain things.

I wanted a Tacoma over the Tundra for a few reasons that fit my needs:
1. I didn’t need a full size truck, I haul house project-type materials and utilize the bed as a large trunk most of the time with the tonneau. My wife drives my truck every once in a while, and I know she would prefer not to have a full size.
2. The price of a Tundra in packages I’d want were more than I could justify spending for new. I wouldn’t mind buying a used Toyota, but as stated above I preferred the midsize anyway.
3. I honestly just love the truck. The styling, the interior, and the drive are fantastic. I bought a 2025 TRD Sport 4x4, and it has been zero regrets and all smiles. The truck certainly has plenty of power and and torque, especially given its size. When I bought my Tundra in late 2012, I was originally slated for a Taco, but backed off the plan after driving one and finding it underpowered for my tastes.

my 2 cents

 

[TacoFreak]

Pretty much the same story for me having come from a Tundra into a Tacoma. If I had back seat passengers on a regular basis I would probably get a Tundra, even though I much prefer a Taco overall.

If the Tacoma had been made long enough to have decent rear seat room it would not have fit in my garage and I would have looked elsewhere. It is a common tradeoff with a midsize truck.

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