5 reasons to buy 2016 Toyota Tacoma [review, release date, price, features]

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Toyota is making sure they still got a strong foothold when it comes to the mid-size pickup truck battlefield. Their latest offering, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, recently nabbed the mid-size truck of the year award from the Texas Automotive Writers Association. It bested its formidable rivals like the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and the 2015 Nissan Frontier, which came in second and third places, respectively.

"There's a reason it has been the top-selling mid-size truck in North America for the last decade," says Kevin Laurie, general manager of Competition Toyota. "It's a rugged design that holds its value better than other trucks," Ifpress wrote.

Meanwhile, here are five reasons why you should buy the 2016 Toyota Tacoma;

1. Under the hood, Toyota has made an upgrade replacing the previous 4.0 liters with the new V-6 engine, which provides better performance in a more fuel efficient manner. The 2.7-liter four cylinder is still available on base models and produces 159 horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque.

The V-6 engine, which is a 3.5-liter Atkinson cycle, delivers 278 horsepower and 265 lb.-ft. of torque. Fuel economy is 19 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on highway and 21 mpg combined for the 3.6-liter V-6.

2. One of the best new features of this pickup is the Toyota Crawl Control, which is a new technology that allows for a low-speed cruise control for off-roaders. This will provide improved traction capabilities and will make it easier for the driver to maneuver towards any type of terrain, according to MySanAntonio blog.

3. And for the big boys out there, the new Tacoma is now a better fit with its more muscular appeal. The body may not have changed much, but the grille has a meaner, more refined stance, which makes this pickup truck evolve from the shadows of merely a cutesy small pickup to an edgier utility vehicle, wrote PressofAtlanticCity.

4. There is also a noticeable quietness in the 2016 Toyota, thanks to its enhanced seals and the addition of a multilayer acoustic windshield, sound-absorbing headliner and a floor silencer pad. Toyota said that the truck's noise/vibration/harshness ratings are at the top of its class.

5. For the techie drivers, the infotainment feature includes the standard base Entune audio system, which gets you a 6.1-inch touch-screen display, AM/FM/CD player, six speakers, auxiliary audio jack, a USB port with iPod connectivity and control, voice recognition, hands-free phone capability, Bluetooth music streaming, Siri Eyes Free and a backup camera, according to ConsumerReports.

The base price of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma starts at around $23,000 while the most premium variant can cost more than $37,000.