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"Mileage impact is not necessarily that great," said Frank Bonnett, TRD Merchandising and Promotions Administrator. "We’ve subjected the system to the EPA test cycle, which favors the improved torque cycle of the engine, and in that test it is actually possible to show an improvement in both city cycle and highway cycle. So, driven conservatively, it is possible to not impact fuel mileage.
However, our experience is that people buy these to use them, and if you stay in the boost all the time, you will burn gas.”

Gary Boler, business operations manager of TRD, estimated that the average driver in a real-world mix of highway and around-town driving would see about a 1 mpg decrease in fuel economy. Even considering the higher cost of premium gas, the penalty doesn’t seem to be enough to influence sales, Boler said. 

"Last month (June) was our biggest sales month ever," he said. “So we’re thankful for performance enthusiasts. There are still people out there who feel they’ve gotta have 'em." 

The MSRP for the Tundra supercharger main assembly and installation kit is $5,875.

Supercharged 4.0-liter V-6 Tacoma

TRD has a different supercharger for the 4.0-liter V-6 found in the ’05-08 Tacoma. The system includes a Roots-type rotating lobe supercharger in a one-piece integral manifold/supercharger assembly. A small intercooler is located inside the plenum area. The system includes a low-temp radiator, high-flow fuel injectors, iridium spark plugs and a five-rib serpentine drive belt system. This setup operates at boost levels peaking between 6 and 8 psi. Like the Tundra supercharger, the supercharged Tacoma is 50-state emissions legal, carries a 12-month warranty regardless of mileage and doesn’t negate the remainder of the new car’s five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty. The installation time is six to seven hours, and its MSRP is considerably less, at $4,500.

We drove the TRD Tacoma around a 12-degree banked oval at Irwindale and on the 1/8-mile drag strip. We found the truck accelerated readily up to 70 mph on the very short straight-aways on the oval and covered the 1/8-mile in 9.82 seconds, finishing at 71.28 mph. The Tacoma is easier to launch from a standing start than the Tundra, which requires feathering the throttle to avoid breaking the tires loose, but acceleration is impressive and the overall performance enhancement is entertaining indeed. In stock condition, the 4.0-liter V-6 produces 236 hp and 266 pounds-feet of torque. With the TRD supercharger, output increases to 304 hp and 334 pounds-feet of torque.

Toyota selected Eaton as the supplier of its superchargers for several reasons.