Car and Driver hates Tacoma?

I've been weighing whether to buy a Tacoma. I need a small/mid-size pickup which will be driven mostly on-road. To my surprise, the reviews arent that good!

What do you guys make of the Car & Driver reviews of the Tacoma? Here are the main negative points. Would the TRD "sports" package handle better on the road?


http://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/tacoma

-Even light applications of the brake pedal cause the front brakes to grab and the Tacoma’s nose to dive

-doesn’t translate into good on-road braking performance, the stop from 70 mph consuming 200 feet.

- Grip is equally antediluvian, our driver recording a max of 0.66 g on our 300-foot skidpad.

And the long-term road test from back in 2005:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...uble-cab-4x4-v-6-long-bed-long-term-road-test

-spongy brakes

-All of us noted that the Tacoma's structure lacked adequate rigidity. By the truck's 40,000-mile mark, traversing a large bump would cause the body to quiver and the door seals to squeak. That, combined with the floppy suspension, made the Tacoma an unpopular choice for the drive home after work. Even by pickup standards, the Tacoma's chassis was less than precise.

 

Wait for the new 2016's

 

I wouldn't take anything car and driver's says seriously. They have been accused of taking $$$ from manufacturers for 10 best, reviews, etc. biased opinions. I always try to talk to actual owners. I for one have had almost every brand and Toyota has been loads better than the rest and I am now on my 3rd 2nd gen taco. Great trucks, sure the 2016 will bring some great features, but go test drive a 15 to and if you like it consider it. They have certainly been proven to be reliable.

 

I agree with their takes.

But I have more of a sports car background, just like they do.

My Tacoma does exactly everything I bought it to do.

If I want it to handle more like my prepped street/autox duty car, I'd do they same things to it I did to the car. Upgrade the brakes, stiffen the suspension, lower the vehicle, have sticker tires, reduce unsprung weight.

BTW, they said, many times over many years, that my autox marquee was one of the best bangs for the buck in the sports car world. It didn't do any exceptional either. But it did everything it was designed to pretty well.

Just like the Tacoma.

 

Spongy brakes and a questionable suspension is spot on though. Many threads here to support it.

 

Car and driver sucks. Most of their reviews are garbage.

 

I agree on the comment able the brakes being touchy. If you haven't driven my truck before (2013 OR) you'll bash your teeth into the steering wheel on the brakes.

I haven't been impressed with braking performance either. You have the quick grab, then nothing, but once you get used to it, it's not such a bad drive.

I don't find the grip to be particularly bad. Compared to my Mom's old Pathfinder, it's very inspiring, I always was concerned that I would put the Pathfinder on its doorhandles on highway on/off-ramps. I've caught up to more people on off-ramps with my truck, just don't overdrive it and enjoy it.

I had a subscription to BMW and Driver for almost 15 years and eventually I gave up with it. They kept changing formats and making it more flash, less about numbers. I did find them to be relatively biased, such that if a BMW was in the comparo test, it would win. Best heavy duty pickup? Ram vs. Chevy Duramax vs. Powerstroke? A BMW M3 is your best choice!

 

Hahaha. Hasn't the 3 series been a top 10 best for like 15 years. lol.

 

It has been and probably has been deserved, but still, it got ridiculous.

There were times where the BMW had the highest price, lowest options, worst performance numbers and still won!

It got to the point I could predict the winner of the tests before I read the tests. That being said, I do miss the late 90s / early 00's editions just because I loved learned all about the cars.

 

I'd even say that the OEM suspensions on the Sport Tacoma are garbage. But again, I'm bias.

 

Car and Driver rated two American trucks over the Tacoma... What a joke. I would not read any further!

 

Yes, but it can be dramatically better without too terrible an investment.

Less than $1000 into mine got me new leaf packs, Bilstein 5100s all around, and OME coils. All of which improved handling substantially by getting rid of the floaty feeling.

I find this funny too:

Sounds like they think it's a bedliner. ...and "kept items from sliding around"? Really? That bed is incredibly slick.

 

Wait for the 2016's

 

CAR and driver. Why are they even talking about trucks? Pack of shitheads IMO. They may have some integrity is they called it Truck and Driver. But alas it is not. They know nothing of trucks.

 

sorry

 

so after 2012 the Taco got better front calipers but I found adding stainless steel brake lines added feel and control of the brakes.. the early 2005+ were dogs and people put tundra calipers on the brakes.

Stock suspension kinda blows.. some cheap OME solves that... or the sport edition, the TRD edition was too rough I changed out my suspension. if you are looking at this late in the game hold out to till the new trucks release

 

The offrpad brakes are way different from the sport brakes. The off road does grab oddly. They go from slight braking to hard braking.

The sport has normal brakes. Pressure applied to the pedal is what you get to the brakes.

 

I'm wondering how many tortuous miles that test truck had on it!?

I do NOT trust C&D's reviews, never have. They just gave TOTY awards to a Chevy Colorado that was just introduced a few weeks before. Certainly it's not received with durability and reliability in mind, since it's so new.

The award was given to those twins (GMC Canyon/Chevy Colorado) because they look neat-o. Time will tell if the award was deserved.

 

Why look for truck ratings in a car mag? Go to Consumer Reports, they hate it, think it should ride like a car. Car people that rate trucks are the reason we have IFS and garbage like that. Trucks ride like trucks....Hmmm.

 

Isn't Car and Driver British owned/based?