I fear for our beloved tacomas.

Why are people so Hybridphobic ?

 

Cause the word hybrid is a euphemism for loss of power

 

Diesel / Electric Hybrid with KERS technology

Plenty of power

http://youtu.be/PLQ2r9hGolU

 

Touché

But that's also a 6-7 figure car Oz lol...I don't wanna spend that much on a Toyota lol

 

I bet that doesn't do very well off road.....

 

Not to mention that anyone that can afford a hybrid formula car...doesn't have to worry about gas money lol!

 

I'll take the gang at Paddy's Pub and Walter White over Tim the Tool Man Taylor and *insert shitty cop drama here* any day.

 

Other than fuel economy, there isn't much too worry about with the Tacoma.

1) Toyota is competing with EVERYONE wrt fuel economy, and they haven't even made the jump from 4 and 5 speed automatic transmissions. They haven't gone to direct injection. They haven't turned to turbos. They haven't even stepped up their game and everyone else is in full panic mode.

2) Toyota isn't drunk on the stench of their own profits like Ford. Ford abandon the ranger for f150 profit margins plain and simple. End of discussion. Toyota, on the other hand, makes a world class capable truck that they shoot through some engineers idea of masculinity to give us the Tacoma. Even if the Tacoma lost some of its rugged Gerard Butler good looks, it would remain capable, and something tells me this group could find ways to beef up a sissy Hilux if it meant toyota quality.

3) I'm not necessarily a fan on the Tundra's redesign, but I wasn't ever gonna buy one anyway. That probably applies to more than a few on here. The 4runner maybe our covered brother from another mother, but its gotten less aerodynamic and that's a trait often perceived as abandoning ruggedness thanks to things like the wrangler. If you're hoping for a Hilux in gen 3, then yes the taco is doomed, but if you don't foster such a ridiculous expectation, I don't think you have to much too worry about.

4) Finally, the target demographic for the Tacoma has to be almost exclusively men. Sure, there are women taco owners, but given what I would guess is a purchasing audience that makes the Vatican looks like a coed college dorm, the Tacoma is going to be safe for years to come. There's no Barbie Tacoma. Not Even the wrangler can make such a glorious claim. Don't think Toyoda doesn't have some translator in his office once a week reading him threads off this site as proof that they are doing something right...ok, maybe not, but it could happen.

 

The point is a diesel / electric hybrid can have tons of power and it doesn't have to be wrapped in a Le Mans car , the technology is already trickling down into road cars

 

I would buy a diesel electric hybrid Tacoma plus the electric motors can put torque down instantly compared to the current engines

 

I had a Prius Hybrid as a loaner , it was a trip to drive

The silent running thing took a while to get used to

 

http://www.fourwheeler.com/roadtests/129_0912_2010_toyota_4runner_review_rubicon_trail/

 

FWIW, the Prius has no more power in Power mode than in standard or Eco modes. The only difference is in how quickly the hybrid system throttle responds to pedal input. Same power, different pedal movement. Nothing else. EV mode is nearly useless.

Mike

 

I don't get why everyone's so hung on on a diesel .. The maintaince costs of the newer diesels are really high due to all the EPA emissions regulations . And with the cost of diesel being so much higher it wouldn't even be worth it .

If you want a diesel go buy a dodge ...

 

Well... Toyota seems to sell an awful lot of short bed double cab Tacomas. While certainly capable as wheelers, These are really more people movers than trucks (short bed) and not really that much different from Ridgelines or SUV's. So don't blame T, including more possible future changes in this direction, for catering to what most folks seem to buy.

 

I should've been more clear...lol. I thought I remembered someone in another post saying what a monstrosity the current Tundra is in addition to their distaste for the 4 Runner...

I still like both of them

 

+1

 

See I would think that a truck with a plastic bed isn't really a truck either, be it 5 feet, 6, or 10.

Tacoma is a midsize truck with a plastic bed.

People who really use trucks don't have a use for either of those.

 

*composite

 

Seen enough threads about Tacoma owners having to call someone with a full size truck when it's time to haul or tow heavy stuff because the DCSB and DCLB can't hack it.

I guess it's a difference if you bought a Tacoma and saved 10k over full size, then put 10k in mods into it so you can offroad and haul with your aftermarket suspension.

All the talk about DCSB not being a real truck because 1 ft of plastic is tiring. If I wanted a real truck, I wouldn't have bought a midsize with a composite, shallow bed, and with a crap rear suspension that can't handle advertised load and has a tendency to break with light use.

Is that a real truck, again? Ignorance is bliss.