A quiet ride has never been a Tacoma strength. We've always been disappointed by how noisy certain Tacoma packages can be at speed — that was certainly true during our 2015 Midsize Challenge. Thankfully, with the addition of more sound-deadening material in the floor and roof liner, and extra lamination on all windows, sound intrusion has been cut significantly. Although we didn't have our sound-measuring equipment with us, it wouldn't surprise us if the new Tacoma is even quieter than the well-insulated GMC Canyon (the current segment leader when it comes to quiet).

As for actually driving, we found the throttle response impressive, especially when in Sport mode and manually shifting through the gears. With 3.91:1 axle gears and a 1st gear (automatic) of 3.60:1, the new engine does an amazing job of jumping off the line. The traction control feels much smarter as the engine winds up quickly, and the transmission shifts quickly through the gears. With the exception of a slight dead spot around 2,500 rpm in certain conditions, the power ramp-up is smooth and fluid all the way up to 6,000 rpms. Make no mistake, even if this new engine has 1 less pound-feet of torque, it feels much stronger than the bigger 4.0-liter V-6 it's replacing.

We didn't get a chance to track many fuel economy miles — we were having too much fun carving in and out of traffic on two-lane mountain highways — but we consistently saw our average hover around the 20 mpg mark during our excursions through the Seattle countryside.

This is a more advanced version of the Lexus GX and LX advanced four-wheel-drive systems; Toyota said there is nothing equal to it in the rest of its lineup. The integration of the engine power, computer controls, and traction and speed settings had us feeling unstoppable.

To demonstrate how well the system works, Toyota buried a Tacoma TRD Off Road crew cab long bed in soft sand, then shifted the pickup into Crawl Control and let the system — on the slowest setting — figure out how to move each wheel, inch by inch, to extract the truck from the sand. It was like watching an autonomous vehicle problem-solve its way out of a perilous situation, essentially escaping from what normally would have permanently stopped any other vehicle.

As pronounced as the exterior design changes are, the inside of the new Tacoma is much more dramatic. Toyota has done as good a job at separating the different trim levels as we've ever seen with this midsize player. It's almost like it took its half-ton strategy and moved it down market.

We ditch the leftover tacos, and eat up the miles in the all-new Toyota Tacoma.