User Panel
Posted: 8/5/2022 10:28:39 PM EDT
My beloved beat to shit Taliban Tundra has 300k miles. I've dodged my wife imploring me to replace it for ages. She once came out and saw me with the wheels off it in the driveway. I had to confess several of the original steel wheels didn't hold air anymore and had to be replaced.
Anyway the long semi uninhabited and flat out empty areas in the west have me a little more concerned about breaking down with the family, although we usually drive my wife's fairly new Highlander on long trips. I'm considering a Tacoma as I figure the smaller truck will handle the mild off roaring better than a heavier Tunda. How big is the cabin? I have the mid size Tundra cabin, not a crew cab. It's okay with me and the kids but the passenger seat ends up pretty far forward and is uncomfortable for my wife. I'd like to get the whole family comfortably in the cab. I'd also like to be able to transport 3-4 guys in the cab on longer trips. Are the Taco engines gutless? My 5.7 doesn't get great mileage but the truck doesn't get stuck Are the Covid build trucks problematic? |
|
HUGE exterior, dinky interior, questionable gearing. Would never buy for travelling with more than just a passenger.
|
|
|
|
|
Tacoma:
Engine and transmission never agree with each other. Cramped interior with awkward seats. Made in Mexico 4Runner: Engine and transmission deliver power smoothly. Roomy interior with reclining rear seats. Made in Japan The choice is pretty clear. The Tacoma has crap capabilities as a truck, so that shouldn’t be a major deterrent. |
|
|
Skip the Tacoma and buy another Tundra. Pre-'22 version with the 5.7 V8. You won't be happy with the ride, the performance or interior space of the little guy.
|
|
Quoted: Tacoma: Engine and transmission never agree with each other. Cramped interior Made in Mexico 4Runner: Engine and transmission deliver power smoothly. Roomy interior with reclining rear seats. Made in Japan The choice is pretty clear. The Tacoma has crap capabilities as a truck, so that shouldn't be a major deterrent. View Quote |
|
I bought a new 2021 Tacoma TRD paid 44k out the door. I was incredibly underwhelmed. Poor handling, not easy to get into out of, plastic everything, shitty/slow infotainment screen, felt like a Corolla with a lift kit. Sold it for 42K this year and was glad to be out of it.
|
|
|
Quoted: I bought a new 2021 Tacoma TRD paid 44k out the door. I was incredibly underwhelmed. Poor handling, not easy to get into out of, plastic everything, shitty/slow infotainment screen, felt like a Corolla with a lift kit. Sold it for 42K this year and was glad to be out of it. View Quote |
|
I'm averaging close to 21 with my 2022 TRD 4x4 , mixed driving.
I've got no complaints. |
|
|
Go sit in one and see if it's big enough. I live in southern Utah and my '13 has been extremely reliable since bought new. Zero issues.
2nd gen is what you seek if the size works for you and you need a bulletproof truck for backcountry use. |
|
Didn't read, but do it.
Toyota makes great trucks. Sandfolk (is that right?) Wouldn't be using them if they sucked. |
|
Bought an SR Access Cab last fall. Four banger 4wd. The four is gutless but I’m old and not in a hurry. Plus the six was going to be at least $5k more. The back seat in the crew cab is about worthless. I wanted the long bed anyway. It’s just me no wife or kids.
|
|
|
|
I have a 2018 TRD Sport.
I average about 22 mpg, with the V6. I like the size and don't need a bigger truck anymore. It could use more horsepower, but I say that about every vehicle. |
|
It’s the worst at everything except resale value and off roading. Traveling with 3-4 guys? Maybe if you’re going to a clown car convention.
Seriously. It’s not a good vehicle. I’m sorry, it’s just not. You’ll also risk running out of gas with the small fuel tank and poor mileage. Epa ratings have no bearing on real world mileage for different models. Mine was an off-road with 4wd, four doors and king bed. Door sticker said 950 pounds payload. Best mileage I got was 20.5 pure highway. Average was far less. Sold it after one year. The guy averaging 22mpg is likely using the totally inaccurate computer reading or has stripped off every part of the vehicle except the frame and engine. |
|
Quoted: I see bitching here about 4Runners being gutless View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Tacoma: Engine and transmission never agree with each other. Cramped interior Made in Mexico 4Runner: Engine and transmission deliver power smoothly. Roomy interior with reclining rear seats. Made in Japan The choice is pretty clear. The Tacoma has crap capabilities as a truck, so that shouldn't be a major deterrent. |
|
|
This is GD, where in the last year or two the Tacoma has been determined to be complete garbage.
Don't expect to get a fair review of the truck here. |
|
I'm considering a Tacoma as I figure the smaller truck will handle the mild off roaring better than a heavier Tunda.
The Tacoma will not do any roaring. |
|
Quoted: I see bitching here about 4Runners being gutless View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Tacoma: Engine and transmission never agree with each other. Cramped interior Made in Mexico 4Runner: Engine and transmission deliver power smoothly. Roomy interior with reclining rear seats. Made in Japan The choice is pretty clear. The Tacoma has crap capabilities as a truck, so that shouldn't be a major deterrent. This is Arfcom GD. There's a very loud subset of 'tards here that expect trucks and SUVs to run a 10s quarter mile towing a 10k pound trailer without breaking 2,500 RPMs. If you expect the 4Runner to be an Autobahn bomber, it'll disappoint you. If you expect it to run ahead of traffic, it'll happily do so with limited effort in most environments. |
|
Had '16 TRD PRO Tundra, my son totaled it, bought a '18 OR taco, big mistake. Engine, trans, towing sucked. But the worst thing was the seats, miserable for anything over 30 minutes. Driving a '19 TRD PRO Tundra now. Love it, don't go Taco man, you will hate it.
3 F150s before my first Tundra, '13 Rock Warrior, also a great truck. |
|
Quoted: This is GD, where in the last year or two the Tacoma has been determined to be complete garbage. Don't expect to get a fair review of the truck here. View Quote The 3rd gen Tacoma objectively sucks. There are numerous past and present Toyota fans in general and Tacoma guys in particular that will tell you this. |
|
Quoted: This is Arfcom GD. There's a very loud subset of 'tards here that expect trucks and SUVs to run a 10s quarter mile towing a 10k pound trailer without breaking 2,500 RPMs. If you expect the 4Runner to be an Autobahn bomber, it'll disappoint you. If you expect it to run ahead of traffic, it'll happily do so with limited effort in most environments. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Tacoma: Engine and transmission never agree with each other. Cramped interior Made in Mexico 4Runner: Engine and transmission deliver power smoothly. Roomy interior with reclining rear seats. Made in Japan The choice is pretty clear. The Tacoma has crap capabilities as a truck, so that shouldn't be a major deterrent. This is Arfcom GD. There's a very loud subset of 'tards here that expect trucks and SUVs to run a 10s quarter mile towing a 10k pound trailer without breaking 2,500 RPMs. If you expect the 4Runner to be an Autobahn bomber, it'll disappoint you. If you expect it to run ahead of traffic, it'll happily do so with limited effort in most environments. |
|
My four banger 2009 isn't gutless but it won't win the Indy 500.
Does the damned thing do it's job>Yes> Don't fuck with it> Stop. |
|
Sounds like you need the back seat for the fam. Go find a Taco and sit in the back seat, that should end this debate pretty quick.
Friends have had Tacos, and I respect the truck for what it is. However, I could never own one. I find it tiny, cramped and uncomfortable. Coming from a Tundra, I suspect you'd hate it. (my DD is a F150, FWIW) |
|
I drive a Tundra, my wife drives a Tacoma. Its a great little truck but it is really small inside. I don’t drive it unless I have to.
|
|
Quoted: I bought a new 2021 Tacoma TRD paid 44k out the door. I was incredibly underwhelmed. Poor handling, not easy to get into out of, plastic everything, shitty/slow infotainment screen, felt like a Corolla with a lift kit. Sold it for 42K this year and was glad to be out of it. View Quote Very similar to my experience. I spent a good bit of time with a buddies 2019 and another buddies 2016 4cyl. The 4 cyl at least has a 5 speed manual but it's gutless. The 2019 is an auto V6. Mostly gutless. Gotta flog it for power since it's all at the top just like it should not be in a truck. It rolls around like the 1963 Rolls Royce I've spent some time with. The rolls may handle better. The transmission sure is better! The Tacoma cannot figure out what gear it wants to be in. It might shift 8 times on a 1/4 mile climb on the highway. Constantly shifting. Up, down, around. The throttle lag on the 19 was legendary. Put your foot down and count. Tow mode (or whatever it is mode) helped some. The autonomous cruise control is a death trap. It randomly slams on the brakes for parked cars, guard rails, squirrels, etc. It also gave us the infamous Toyota WOT of death a couple times. It wouldn't disengage and went WOT. Finally disengaged with heavy brake application. The interior on the 4cyl.base model is about as nice as it gets. The 19 was supposed to be a high trim level. Sea of nasty cheap plastic. No redeeming qualities there and I'm used to 20+ and 36+ year old vehicles I used for DDs. Not to mention drum rear brakes. I never did get to see a decent load in the 2019 but the 2016 rode like it was maxed out with a dirt bike in the bed or a tiny trailer with a single quad behind it. Wet noodles for suspension. Both rode decent but they can't handle a load or a turn without going wet noodle. The 4cyl is slow. Drag raced the 2016 with a 1986 Nissan 4wd pickup. The Nissan won and left the taco for dead. Hills do the same thing to the 4cyl and god help you if you live in a hilly area with an automatic behind the 4cyl. Underwhelmed is a understatement. I will never willingly get in another Tacoma, even as a passenger. I have honestly chosen riding in a Geo Metro over a Tacoma. |
|
|
Quoted: This is GD, where in the last year or two the Tacoma has been determined to be complete garbage. Don't expect to get a fair review of the truck here. View Quote I drove one for 13 years and around 225K. I feel like I can give an objective opinion. They suck unless your primary purpose is off-road use or if you have very low expectations. Someone above me described the Taco as a lifted Camry and that's not far off, but with shitty gas mileage. It's essentially a tractor with a bed. A farm implement more than a modern vehicle for transportation. The one I owned was very reliable and never left me stranded off-road. I love Toyotas and wouldn't own anything else. I'd never buy another Taco though. JMHO... |
|
Quoted: Same here. My 2015 is one of the finest vehicles I've ever owned. I plan to keep it a very long time. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
|
Buying a Tacoma while obsessed about mpg = dumb.
Buying a Tacoma to haul around 3 or 4 friends = dumb. Buying a 3rd gen = bad judgment. 2nd gen is superior. Sounds like you need to make better decisions. The Tacoma is a great truck if you are honest about what you need. Reliable, easy maintenance, good resale, good offroad capabilities, easy to maneuver through tight streets and parking spaces. |
|
I have had a 2020 Trd off-road MT for about six months now.Tacoma’s are made in both Mexico and Texas (for the US market) try to find a Texas truck.
I haven’t really heard of any Covid truck issues. My last three trucks were Superduty, Silverado, Ram I Love this truck, but it’s a completely different ballgame. My kids are older now so it’s usually just me and possibly a couple other people occasionally. The bed is pitifully small to begin with but I added a tonneau cover that rolls up into a canister which takes up about 13 inches of the bed space and a rooftop tent. As others have said the 3.5v6 is under powered but adequate for what I do. My wife drives a 2019 forerunner and the 4.0 feels much more powerful. I haven’t driven a pre-2016, Tacoma but I’ve been told that the 4.0 version of the Tacoma feels almost as powerful as a forerunner. Attached File |
|
You're out west now...time to drive American.
(Toyota profits are sent to Tokyo before the "it's built in Kentucky" nerds pipe up) |
|
Get another Tundra… the new turbo 6 is supposed to be pretty good.
|
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.