The Toyota Tacoma has been one of the best-selling small pickups in the nation for well over a decade. Boasting reliability and capability at a great price, the Tacoma has been Americans’ midsize truck of choice.

But the 2021 Tacoma provides even more value than you’d expect. In fact, it recently won an award for the best value in America.

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma won this Best Value in America award

The Toyota Tacoma is known for its reliability. And for the 17th time in a row, it has received an important award. Vincentric evaluated five-year ownership costs for vehicles across all segments to determine which were the “Best Value in America” for 2021. According to Vincentric, in the small/midsize pickup segment, “the Toyota Tacoma triumphed.”

Vincentric’s experts found that all except three small pickups have higher-than-average ownership costs. However, they expect the 2021 Toyota Tacoma to have a cost of ownership 7.9 percent below the expected average while still maintaining its market value.

That’s not only the lowest cost of ownership of all trucks in its segment but also the best value retainment. A deciding factor in the 2021 Toyota Tacoma’s win for Vincentric’s award “was its lowest depreciation cost in its class.”

Vincentric’s Best Value awards and why you should listen

You might not be familiar with Vincentric, but it’s one you should familiarize yourself with. Vincentric LLC is an automotive data and analysis company that provides automotive insight to companies and consumers. According to Vincentric, it uses a multistep approach to “measure and compare a vehicle’s value” through many pieces of data. Its experts can estimate a “measured” cost of ownership for each vehicle by “combining the costs associated with depreciation, insurance, repairs, maintenance, finance, fuel, taxes and state fees, and opportunity costs.”

After measuring a general cost of ownership, experts assign each vehicle based on its type, market position, and other factors to “determine a vehicle’s ‘expected’ cost of ownership based on a statistical model that correlates the price and cost of ownership of the vehicles within that specific segment.”

And for the 17th consecutive year, the Tacoma is the best-valued small pickup.

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma: Value at every turn

According to Kelley Blue Book, the 2021 Toyota Tacoma upholds its reputation “for high quality, high resale value, and a wide variety of engine/cab/bed choices.” In fact, the newest Tacoma boasts 33 configurations suiting “a wide range of needs and tastes.” You can find the 2021 Tacoma in six main trim levels: SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro. You can also choose between Access Cab models (with four seats) and Double Cab models (with five seats). There’s also a standard five-foot bed or an optional six-foot bed.

And the 2021 Toyota Tacoma comes in two engine choices. The standard 2.7-liter four-cylinder makes 159 hp and pairs with a six-speed automatic transmission. There’s also an available 3.5-liter six-cylinder harnessing a heftier 278 hp and pairing with an automatic or manual transmission.

All Tacoma models also come with the Toyota Safety Sense suite of active safety systems. They include automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision warning.

The Tacoma can tow up to 6,800 pounds when properly equipped and has a maximum payload capacity of 1,685 pounds.

Standard features include a seven- or eight-inch touchscreen display depending on the trim level, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. The newest Tacoma’s base price is a reasonable $31,000, and top-trim models start around $44,000.