Bought a Tacoma and it was a great truck but extremely too small rear seat. Sold it and bought a 4Runner which we’ve been very happy with.

Having owned 2nd and 3rd gen trucks, the 2nd gen 4.0 was a truck motor. The 3.5 is a Avalon motor.

2017 Access Cab. Nothing fancy. I was downsizing from a full-size GMC I used to haul a 5th wheel and this is a hell of a lot easier to fit into parking spaces. Chose the access cab instead of 4 door because I wanted to be able to occasionally haul a motorcycle and, more frequently, a couple kayaks. This bed is just long enough. Barely.

I'm happy with the truck--it's solid and has given my no problems in 36k miles. I keep up on maintenance.
I will say, however, that the back seat is pretty much useless. Even my dog has trouble getting comfortable back there.
And, while the 4-cylinder has a great rep for reliability, it does not have power. If you're used to a big engine like I was, this takes some getting used to.
I could probably tow a 1500lb trailer, but definitely not fast uphill. And I've learned to look for bigger openings when merging onto the highway.
I would definitely get the V6 next time.

Still, those dissatisfactions--the power and the backseat--were choices I made, so I can't really complain.
Overall, I'm happy with it.

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Your posts never cease to amuse me on this topic, and it's even better now that you bought a different truck.

If Honda can program a transmission to drive a tuck without an annoying transmission, something you yourself now admit to being true, why do you think the complaints about the transmission still aren't any valid? Do you think Honda just has some magic that Toyota couldn't figure out?

The v6 motors in both trucks are very similar in power and torque output. So is the weight, with the Toyota actually slightly winning that battle. So why does the Honda behave so much better, while also being the more efficient?

Could it maybe be that Toyota actually has a dud of a transmission on their hands and it's not some big 95D chess move for max efficiency that mere mortals such as everyone other than you couldn't comprehend? Or maybe you are just too stubborn to admit you were wrong?

Ironic part is the access cab actually has more rear seat legroom then the doublecab.
I wouldn't want to ride in the back of either one, AC rear seat is super uncomfortable (it is barely a seat), doublecab has no rear seat legroom if the driver or front seat passenger are over 5'3. Dog loves it back there though.

Downsides to the access cab is getting stuff out of the back when you are parked in a tight parking lot and it allows more flex then the doublecab.

I have one of each, a 2010 Access cab and a 2011 Doublecab.

I don't get the complaints about being cramped in the front as a driver. I am a tick under 6'0 and have plenty of head and legroom. Now driving my 87 standard cab Toyota pickup on the other hand, now that is cramped.

I haven't changed my tune about the Taco transmission. I understand the way it behaves. I know exactly what it was doing. It never "hunted". The scenario I described is what happens when driving up an incline at freeway speeds, it downshifts from one overdrive to another slightly-less-tall overdrive where you still don't have power, then when it shifts to 4th and you DO have power, you're now accelerating. Then when you back off the throttle, it shifts. That's not "hunting", that's a reaction to input, and it's entirely predictable. Thus the "shift to S4 to prevent".  That isn't a shitty transmission, it's shitty programming. Someone mentioned a TSB that came out recently. I had not had any updates done on the truck, so I can't tell ya whether or not that changed anything. (side note on this - if cruise control was set, it would shift from 6th directly to 4th and hold speed up an incline just fine.)

As for what people call "Hunting", to me that would be "my foot stays in exactly the same place (no change in throttle input), road conditions (incline, etc) are the same and the transmission shifts and downshifts randomly". That's nowhere near the behavior I observed. It absolutely required variation of throttle input. I understand this, I always have, and I still do. If your foot moves back and forth a lot, the transmission is going to shift a lot. This isn't a mystery.

However understanding how the transmission behaves didn't make it less annoying. The mischaracterization of the behavior is what annoyed me. For the return home on that 3500 mile road trip, I had the transmission in S4 or S5 for a lot of the way through more hilly areas of the country. Occasionally hitting S6 or putting it back in D when it was flat. I still managed 23MPG for the whole trip, and I was impressed with that. Parts of the trip, I'd hit 24-25MPG over a tank of gas.


The transmission was far from the only reason I traded the truck. Driver comfort was a major one. I knew I'd be making more long road trips in the future. Needing to replace the front shocks after barely 36k miles, with no harsh usage? That was an annoying potential expense of hundreds of dollars I wasn't excited about. The rear being under-sprung was an annoyance that had me thinking about buying a set of SumoSprings. More money I'd have to spend to deal with regular use things.

As for the transmission in the Honda, it's a 9 speed (the 2017-2019 used a 6 speed, and I have never driven one, so I don't know how those ones are geared), and while I haven't taken any long road trips in it yet, I have hit inclines where the Taco's transmission did what I described (one hill on the way to work) and the Honda downshifted, but never ended up in an overdrive gear where it would not hold speed, nor did it shift to a much lower gear where I'd start accelerating. I'd suspect the more peppy feeling has to do with throttle mapping than anything else - it's an electronic throttle. The traction modes it has (snow, sand, mud) change throttle response, in addition to changing how the AWD system behaves. I'd expect the Honda will likely edge the Taco out on fuel economy by just a little due to the transmission and probably slightly better aerodynamics.

What I do know is the Ridgeline is a better on-road vehicle for my uses. It'll haul what I need to haul. Should I ever pick up another camper, I wouldn't go with anything it couldn't pull anyway. It's bigger inside and much more comfortable, it handles much better thanks to the independent suspension, and the AWD will likely be superior for any conditions I'm ever likely to hit. Frankly, if more Americans were honest about their needs, and actually went to test drive one, they'd probably sell a ton more.

I’ve heard good things about the 3rd gen with a 6 speed manual.

I hate mine, it’s a 2018 TRD off road. Transmission engine combo is garbage. I want to love it but each day I seem to hate it more and more.

I liked my '17 tacoma, only complaint I had was similar to others transmission, but it got better after a few thousand miles. MPG wasn't great when comparing mid to full size. But plus side is you'll always have a good trade in value. I paid 36k about 4 years ago and traded it in and the dealer relisted it for 36k.

I had a 2018 TRD Off-road that I bought new. Kept it for a year and a half. 25,000 miles on it. Leveled it. Added 255/85r16 St Maxx tires. Baja fogs. Upgraded the stereo. Upgraded the bed doors. Mantrax.

Like-
Looked cool
Fit 33’s with a front level
Easy to park
Tons of aftermarket support
Descent storage
Got around well off-road

Lump-
The most gutless car I’ve owned. Stomp on the gas and count to three before it develops any power
Light enough to get blown around by the wind
Transmission shifting made no sense at all
Interior was tiny
My hair would brush the roof and I’m 5’9”
Rear legroom was tight for my 9 year old
Gas mileage was 16 on average with mixed driving. Pretty poor considering how gutless it was.

Mine is a 2014, V6, TRD offroad 4x4
I see you only want feedback from anyone who bought one in the last couple of years.
Let me say this, best truck I have ever owned, it also depends what you are doing with it.
This truck will not tow heavy loads, not designed to do so, if you need something that will do that you need a larger truck.

Yeah, not hauling much. Once in a while my motorcycle trailer (enclosed) which will be around 2,000lbs I'm guessing?

But from what I'm reading about the current power train & tranny feelz, I believe I'm gonna skip the Tacoma this time.

Thanks to all who posted, I really appreciate it.

I have a 19 TRD OR DCLB. I really like it, but hate the engine and transmission. Would be perfect with the magnusson supercharger. Wish I had gotten a Tundra.

Is your garage designed for a golf cart?

Parallel paths here. My Kid wrecked my 2016 Tundra TRD PRO so I thought I would try a Tacoma, 2018 TRD Offroad. Hated it soon after buying. Drove about 18 months and decided to ditch it. Traded in on 2019 Tundra TRD PRO. Love it.

It's the worst absolutely the worst power train I've ever driven

I've owned a few of these, 2 of them the current gen

I've had the TRD sport in V6 and M6

And currently have a 2020 TRD OR with V6 and AT

The At will shift no kidding over 2x per mile traveling the interstate.

In 30 miles I've counted 45 shifts.  And that's running 72mph and just holding with traffic.

My personal best was one on ramp, the truck shifted 7 times. From one interstate to the next, on that one ramp, it shifted 7 times.

The constant shifting my 2016 TRD did made me go crazy, it was always searching gears. It’s tow rating is also wildly exaggerated by the factory, if you’re planning to tow it’s not the right truck.

Single digit MPGs with a 2K load and unless the engine was screaming, good luck maintaining 70mph with that load.

If you kinda want something like a truck and don’t mind bad mpg, constant shifting and minimal tow capacity the Tacoma is great. They’re extremely capable off-road and I miss that aspect from time to time.

FIFY

Go to the biggest Tacoma forum and check out any thread on the transmissions.

They jump all over people for bringing up Toyota's dirty little secret. Even ban for it.
"You just don't know how to drive a real truck!"
"This transmissions is beyond NASA level engineering! You are just too stupid to understand it!"
"Oh...is it Friday already?" (Convenient way of avoiding what they claim trolls post about on a certain day)
"Sell it and go enjoy your Ridgeline!" ( I guess its supposed to be some kind of insult)
"The problem is all in your head!"
And my favorite......
"I have no idea what you are complaining about. Mine is 100% fine. "

And then they go on for pages and pages about aftermarket tunes to fix the exact same problem on brand new trucks they quite angrily tell others doesn't even exist.

Its cult level insufferable denial.

I like my Tacoma as it stands as more of a toy, like a SxS.....I don't love it if I had to use it as a DD.
It's just ok. It does what it does well as far as off road capability. Its pretty nimble in the woods. It looks badass. Tons of aftermarket. Not too intimidating or wide for my wife to drive.

I bought one in 2011 so it isn't new, but I have had no problems with it. I
just did have the brakes replaced at around 100k miles.

I bought a 2017 TRD sport with manual gearbox, ended up swapping into a 4runner because of the shitty driveline/power plant/gear ratio. Someone at toyota should be crotch punched.  I tested a auto limited and it wasn't too bad, but the gear ratio and gear box on the manual sucked ass.  I usually came in around 14mpg not matter what.  Why not just get a full sized truck if you're ok with that.  The 4runner managed 17-18mpg normally, and I bought a trailer.  Later on I found a cheap Titan and love it except for the cheap plastic interior.  Nissan makes a solid truck if you ask me.

I owned a 2009 and now own a 2017.

In 2015 I traded my 09 in. It had 153k miles and I did nothing but maintenance on it. No minor or major problems. They gave me $15k trade value.

In 2017 I bought a new TRD Off-Road. I currently have 44k miles on it with nothing but maintenance.

Yes, I would buy another. Superb truck. Is it perfect? No, but they are less likely to have something go wrong with them than any other truck model.

Lots of garages can't fit full size trucks if you have anything at the front of the garage.  I wasn't removing my workbench or keeping a new truck outside so I went with a mid size ZR2.

I bought a 2017 double cab off road model around October 2016


I really enjoy the truck, its really good around town because of its size. Thats the main reason I got it over the Tundra.

It has enough room for me in the cab, im an average size guy.
When I got my truck my dad still had a 2003 Tundra and I parked beside his truck, they were almost exactly the same height/size/length. even had the same size wheels and tires.

With the current trend to make all trucks bigger the new Taco's are slightly underpowered, but its only a problem unless you plan on towing. If you tow anything regularly then get an SR5 Tundra at least.

That being said the lower power engine feels like it gives me more control in snow or off road. I live in the mountains and in the snow its perfect.
In the Tundra there is a butt load of low end torque, even in rain I would catch myself spinning the tires - same for in the snow even in 4wd.

the 3rd gen taco gives you more room for error with the throttle because it does not have gobs of low end torque.
So going up a mountain in the snow in 4wd or a snow packed trail with the locker engaged it does really well.

I went to indiana a couple years ago and averaged 28-30mpg on those flat 2 lane backroads.
around town I get about 16-18mpg
highway at 55mph I average 22-24mpg
highway at 65-70 I get about 20-21mpg

downsides

people dont like the lack of low end torque in a truck
The transmission hunts for gears and has to down shift going up a hill/mountain
the windshield is made of soft butter - im on my 3rd one and even it has a couple scratches and chips now



ETA: 60k miles on it now. so far so good.

There's a turbo kit for 4 cylinder motors.

Tundra master race checking in

2012-2015 is best taco.

Only sold due needing car seat space and was tight with double cab.

Drive this now



ETA: drove F150 screw between the two until I saw the light.

Avoid the Taco,  Get a Ranger instead,  I love mine,  roomy ( I'm 6'4" ) good power and it's even better with a tune,  I pull away from my buddies Tundra.   Great transmission with the 10 speed auto that has been reliable in the full size trucks so it will be understressed in the mid sized.  It will need a set of shocks right away,  not sure why but ford got the valving completely wrong on them.

Have a 2020 TD Pro and it’s okay.  Sometimes I really like it, other times I’m ready to sell it.  Most of this though comes from the fact that I would really like a bigger truck, so for trucks in this size it’s still probably the best option.

Haven’t read/heard of the new TSB about the transmission, but even the 2020 which was supposed to solve all the wonky shifting issues didn’t.  I bought the ECT on all the time mod, and now the truck drives exactly the way you would want it to.  Drivers power seat is a nice change, but no power for the passenger?  That’s fucking stupid.  If I’m driving by myself on the highway the passenger seat will start to vibrate pretty violently.  Mine came with a sunroof, which I would also have paid to not have.  Even at 6’1” I feel like it’s a little too low at times.  My dad has a Gen 2 quad cab and I swear there’s more room in it than in my 2020, not sure what ate up all the space, but it doesn’t feel as roomy as the numbers would have you believe.

It’s a great size for the trail and does a wonderful job on it, but I don’t do that enough to keep it.  I’ll probably keep it for another year or so, and move into something a little bigger.

Thinking about it?  Nissan is pure GARBAGE.  They are not even in the same league as the Tacoma.  Get rid of that crap and come on over to the Taco side.  You'll never look back and you'll be glad you did.

A thread full of people who owned and hated the Taco still brings out the delusional Taco fanboys.

Have you thought about waiting for the new gen Frontier.

I have a 19 Pro. And had a 17 TRD OR 4x4.

I drove them quite a bit and have had none of the issues.

People will cry and moan about just anything.

They’re Toyota haters and probably never driven one.

And I have a Tundra, too.

what year and model frontier do you have..??

I recently traded in my 2010 4 cylinder Tacoma for a 2020 Ford Ranger. It is so nice to have a truck that can get out of its own way. The 4 cylinder Tacomas are absurdly under powered. Mine was bomb proof reliable though.

1st and 2nd gen tacos are bullet proof unless you live in a rust state then Toyota gives you a new frame... 3rd gens are garbage. Motor is weak tyranny is weak also made in Mexico now not Texas

I have 235k on my 06 and it still runs like a beast.  Take the interior and body of a 3rd gen and put it with a 2nd gen power train and it would be a winner.

Unfortunately the fuel economy still sucks.  I would recommend a Ford ranger before a 3rd gen taco.  I'm a used car tech at a Ford dealership the 3rd gen Tacomas get traded in like crazy with low miles and those people usually leave with a ranger

I too had a Frontier, a 2018 Pro-4x.  Nice truck.

Now I have a 2020 Ranger XLT Fx4.

Go drive a Ranger, seriously.

No, a Tacoma and a Jeep.

Good off-road... plus if using it for hunting, fishing, outdoors shit. Not as off-road capable as a Jeep, but more practical as a daily driver, comparatively.

If you need a “real” truck to do work stuff, look elsewhere. A 4Runner is more practical daily driver, with similar towing/bed capacity.

Your brake pedal doesn’t vibrate like a cell phone?  Try pushing it a few times in park and you’ll notice it.  It’s characteristic of the special brake booster in the off road and pro models.

That’s something that every single one does.  If you don’t notice it maybe your foot is diabetic.

Are you looking for a sports car? A Taco is not a sports car.
Are you looking to pull 6000+ trailers. That's not a Taco.
Are you a big dude that wants to feel like you're in a lazy boy. Not a Taco either.
If you're looking for a smaller truck that's fairly competent and reliable, that's where the Taco shines. My 19 gets 25% better fuel mileage than my '15. Same exact build of truck besides color. It's not a Silverado or F250, and it doesn't want to be. Oh yeah, Fuck Nissan and their shitty transmissions and build quality.

I like mine.
2019 TRD off road.

I'm happy with my '20 TRD OR. It's a smaller truck, great utility, and I find it comfortable for me and my wife.

If I expected to haul 3-4 people often I would have bought an F150. Or if I was towing more than a small boat or trailer. Or if I was afraid of transmission shift noises and wanted to peel out in 35 mph zones.


But I don't want those things, or better yet I don't see them as priorities. I wanted reliability, comfort for the 99% of time it's only me and one other person in it, and to have truck capability. All while being more nimble in cities and narrow back trails.


It's a compromise purchase like every other vehicle. Supposedly there's a new TSB that essentially fixes the transmission timing and I'll have that done in my next service.



People who want to haul more people, stuff, and exceedingly heavy towing requirements, and want car-like straight line performance should buy a full size truck. If and when I begin to need to do full size truck things I'll trade in, but more than likely I won't get there living on a small acreage not far from a major city.

I have a 2018 TRD Off Road with 41k miles and I love it. I'm usually doing something outdoors and off-road multiple times a week. I really like how it handles and drives off-road.

I have recently drove it from AL to CO. I did notice it wanted to stay high in RPM after cresting a big hill while on cruise control. I just tapped the gas and it shifted. Its definitely slower than my previous truck (F150 FX4) but in all reality it kept me from speeding which I have an issue with. The truck is happy at 70mph anything above that it takes a hit in gas mileage. 80mph the truck is starting to struggle, it stays high in the RPM. The truck its self handles the speed well no shacking or death wobble. It drives smooth compared to my lifted f150 on 35" tires.

Complaints I have is the seat padding sucks in the front seats. I bought a seat cousin and it fixed that issue. I wish it had a bigger fuel tank. Tacoma has a 21.1 gal. I get about 336 miles to a tank. (I'm missing the 550 out of the f150).

The transmission doesn't bother me. I don't do a lot of highway driving. I drive a lot of back roads and off road trails. I don't see the issues people complain about.

Also I made sure that I didn't get a sunroof so I have more head space. I'm 6'1" and I fit fine.

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I did just this. And while I’ll say that a lot of the transmission issues are overblown, there’s a lot to like about the old Frontier design. For truck stuff, I still think it was a better option.

I've thought about a LOT of things..............  

I'm ok with everything Nissan brings to the table. Good hp (319), crew cab, good towing (I don't pull a boat of any type), everything is pretty easy to get to in order to service. The only real issue is aftermarket options versus the Toyota brand.

Plus, right now covid is causing some REALLY good deals, not to mention every mile I add to my truck takes off value.

2018, king cab, V6, 4WD, SV package.

The only things I don't have are locking rear diff, sunroof & leather. I wouldn't mind the locking rear diff but don't HAVE to have it.

@cheekibreeki
This is well stated. I'm fortunate to have three other full sized company trucks to use if I needed bigger or to haul stuff. My 2020 is for me to just bang around in, or take the wife for a weekend boondocks camping with some gear/clothes/screen house thrown across the back seats and a sleeping platform in the back. This truck is for carrying my canoe to camp out of or the bikes on back for fun weekends out. That's it. It sits mostly in the garage now, so it doesn't rust away up here.
It truly is a compromise vehicle, but does fit a niche.....just like a Ridgeline fits a niche, which can't do all things truck, but some truck-like and has it's strong points and weaknesses.

Here is the TSB for the transmission for 2020's. It helped mine hold a gear on the hills and made the cruise control smooth out. It's better to the point of tolerable now. I recommend it.
No more jumping from 6th to 4th with wild RPM swings that make a horse and cat owning red headed nurse on meth look relatively stable in comparison.
2020 Tacoma TSB for the problem fanboys claim doesn't exist.

it your looking for creature comforts the frontier isnt it. the frontier is more like the older tacos before they went all fancy.
they're reliable but plain...have you tried a crewcab pro4x it has nicer seats and some extra creature comforts.

now if you want something with a more carlike ride with the newer stuff on it the ford,chevy, and tacos are what you want
but they do have issues with all that added tech(couple friends have a taco and a chevy and both have been in the shop more than once)

frontier's are just a basic no frills 90's style truck

2016. No. No. No.
Toyota needs to fix their problems.

ETA:
Whining rear diff (the tsb didn’t fix it)
Leaking timing chain cover (known issue, same location on many trucks, dealer offered to fix for $2000)
Knocking vacuum pump
They don’t even come with mud flaps
The lowest setting on the a/c blower is “hurricane force” so their fans wont chirp
The awful shift pattern (the tsb didnt fix it)
And I’m done with the local dealership