Changes to the 2005 Tacoma exterior are subtle, designed to bring its looks more in line with other members of the Toyota truck family. The biggest changes include more prominent headlights, bolder crossbars in the front grille, and upswept creases on the front and rear fenders. The PreRunner and four-wheel drive models also get larger wheel flares to both enhance their muscular appearance while deflecting mud and other trail debris in off-road excursions. These new styling cues give the Tacoma an odd cartoonish look, but the package achieves the rugged appearance its designers sought to achieve. The Tacoma's interior is an ideal blend of form and function. The design is pleasing to the eye, while important controls are exactly where you'd expect them to be and work with simple, intuitive operation. Though the cabin is attractively styled, some of the hard plastics should be replaced with softer-touch materials. The Tacoma's larger dimensions have created a more spacious cabin with abundant head, shoulder, and legroom. Taller drivers and passengers will find the front seats on Access and Double Cab models more accommodating thanks to the front seats' additional fore-aft travel. On Double Cab models with standard bucket seats, the front passenger seat folds flat to double as a workspace or table. Larger rear doors on Access Cab and Double Cab models that open to nearly 90 degrees make for easy entry and exit. Like most extended cab pickups, the two rear jump seats in Access Cab models are cramped enough that they're really only useful in a pinch. The rear bench seat in the Double Cab version is another story, having been raised by 1.25 inches and given a 23-degree seatback angle for greater comfort.
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