Hyundai Is Coming for the Tacoma. Here's How the Four Trucks It Must Beat Stack Up

Hyundai wants a body-on-frame midsize pickup in American driveways by 2030. Before it gets there, it has to beat four trucks that already split a market Toyota still dominates: Toyota sold 214,875 Tacomas through September, more than the Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Frontier, and Ford Ranger combined (191,006), according to the automakers' sales reports.

The gap at the bottom of the market is far tighter. The cheapest four-door versions of all four trucks now sit within $605 of each other, from $35,245 to $35,850 with destination. We covered the two-truck fight in detail in our Tacoma vs. Ranger comparison; this guide adds the Colorado and Frontier and sorts all four by budget.

What Changed This Fall

Two of the four trucks have already moved to the 2027 model year. Chevrolet posted 2027 Colorado prices on chevrolet.com this week: a 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder with 350 hp and 450 lb-ft is now standard on every trim, up from 310 hp and 430 lb-ft, and the base WT starts at $33,500 before a $2,095 destination charge. The 2027 Frontier has been in dealers since June, from $32,490 plus $1,775 destination, according to Nissan's pricing release.

The Tacoma and Ranger are still 2026 models. Toyota and Ford have not announced 2027 pricing for either truck.

The Four Trucks by the Numbers

Prices are MSRP plus destination at press time; Tacoma pricing reflects Toyota's summer price changes. Towing and payload maximums apply only to specific configurations. No small pickup earned a 2026 IIHS award, and IIHS had not rated the 2027 Colorado or Frontier separately at press time.

Around $35,000: Power or Price

At the entry point, the trucks split by priority rather than price. The Colorado WT is the strongest truck here by a wide margin: 350 hp and 450 lb-ft are standard, and its 7,700-pound tow rating is the highest in the group. That rating requires the trailering package, though; Chevrolet rates a 2026 WT without it at 3,500 pounds.

The Frontier S King Cab costs $34,265, just $75 more than the cheapest Tacoma, and it is the only truck here with a standard V6. It gives up rear doors, and its 21 mpg combined rating trails the Ranger's.

The Ranger XL is the cheapest crew cab at $35,245, and its 2.3-liter 4x2 is rated at 23 mpg combined. At 15,000 miles a year and the $4.27 national average AAA reported on October 22, that's about $2,785 in fuel, versus $3,050 for a truck rated at 21 mpg and $3,371 at 19 mpg. The Tacoma SR Double Cab costs the most of the four at this level but is the only one offering a six-speed manual, on select 4x4 Double Cabs.

Around $40,000: The Ranger XLT Is Hard to Beat

This is where most midsize trucks are sold, and the Ranger XLT 4x2 remains the value pick at $37,770. A Colorado LT 2WD costs $38,995, a Frontier SV Crew Cab 4x2 costs $38,265, and a Tacoma SR5 Double Cab 4x2 costs $39,350.

Add four-wheel drive and the math tightens. A Ranger XLT 4x4 runs about $41,270, and a Frontier SV Crew Cab 4x4 with a 5-foot bed costs $41,565. Nissan's new $990 Sport Edition package adds all-terrain tires, a skid plate, and LED fog lights to the SV, which brings it close to the look of the PRO-4X for less money.

The Tacoma's case at this price is choice, not value. It is the only truck here offering two cab styles, two bed lengths on the four-door, and a hybrid. Just don't buy the i-FORCE MAX to save fuel. Toyota's hybrid is rated at most 2 mpg better than a comparable gas Tacoma, and on the Limited it adds $3,325.

$45,000 to $53,000: The Off-Road Trucks

Off-road trims start well below $50,000. The Colorado Trail Boss costs $43,695, the Frontier PRO-4X $43,965, and the Tacoma TRD Off-Road $44,460. All three are 4x4 trucks with off-road-oriented tires and suspension, and Nissan offers the Frontier with a locking rear differential.

In our view, the Colorado ZR2 is the most serious off-roader you can buy for less than a Ranger Raptor. At $52,895 with destination, it costs $6,070 less than the Raptor, which starts at $58,965. The Raptor has the most power in the segment at 405 hp, but its tow rating drops to 5,510 pounds and its EPA combined rating to 17 mpg.

The Tacoma's extreme versions, the Trailhunter at $65,395 and TRD Pro at $66,395, cost more than a Raptor. Unless you specifically want the hybrid's 465 lb-ft, a ZR2 or Raptor delivers more hardware for the money.

Towing and Safety: Two Tiebreakers

If you tow, the Colorado and Ranger lead at 7,700 and 7,500 pounds, both with the right package. The Frontier tops out at 7,150 pounds, and the Tacoma at 6,500. Anything heavier is full-size territory; our F-150 vs. Silverado 1500 comparison covers that step up.

The Frontier has a safety edge. It is the only truck in the group rated Good in the IIHS updated moderate overlap test, which focuses on rear-seat protection. The other three are rated Marginal. But IIHS rates the Frontier's and Colorado's standard automatic emergency braking Poor in its tougher vehicle-to-vehicle evaluation.

Recalls are worth checking too. The 2026 Ranger is part of a recall for a center screen that can blank the backup camera, and Ford had no fix when it filed; our Ranger recall explainer covers what owners should do.

What Hyundai Has to Beat

Hyundai has already set some ground rules. At the New York auto show in April, it showed the Boulder Concept, an SUV design study for its first U.S. body-on-frame platform. According to Hyundai's release, that platform will underpin a midsize pickup due by 2030, designed, developed, and built in America using Hyundai-produced U.S. steel. In 2025, CEO José Muñoz suggested the Palisade Hybrid's 329-hp powertrain could be used, Autoguide reported, but Hyundai has not confirmed it.

The bar is clear. To compete, Hyundai's truck needs a four-door price near $35,000, at least 7,500 pounds of towing, and a hybrid that saves more fuel than the Tacoma's. It also needs a Good rating in the IIHS updated moderate overlap test, which only the Frontier has earned. Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty would be a strong advantage if it applies to the truck.

Hyundai won't be the only newcomer. Mitsubishi has also confirmed a Nissan-built pickup for the U.S., with no name or date yet.

What We Don't Know Yet

• Hyundai's pickup: name, launch date, factory, powertrain, and price. Hyundai has committed only to a U.S.-built, body-on-frame truck by 2030.
• 2027 Tacoma and Ranger pricing. Several outlets report, based on dealer order guides, that the 2027 Ranger will replace the 2.7-liter V6 with a 3.0-liter EcoBoost; Ford has not announced it.
• EPA ratings and payload for the 2027 Colorado with its new 350-hp engine.
• NHTSA overall ratings for these model years could not be confirmed at press time.
• Incentives. They change monthly and vary by region, and leftover 2026 Colorados may carry deals that make them cheaper than the 2027 model.

Which Midsize Truck Should You Buy?

For most buyers, the Ranger XLT is still the best value: it costs less than its rivals at the heart of the market, tows 7,500 pounds with the right package, and its 2.3-liter 4x2 ties for the best EPA rating in the group at 23 mpg combined.

Choose the Colorado if you want the most standard power and the highest tow rating, or the ZR2 if you want a serious off-roader for thousands less than a Raptor. Choose the Frontier for a standard V6 at a low entry price and the best IIHS rear-seat result. Choose the Tacoma for a manual, a 6-foot bed on a four-door, or a hybrid, but expect to pay more for it.

And if you can wait until the end of the decade, Hyundai's truck could change the picture. Until it does, buyers have four good choices.