2016 Toyota Tacoma reuses 2005-2015 cab design?

Are those your sisters????

 

^Wut? I don't own a white 1st gen Taco.

 

Lol the cab structurely is clearly the same:

 

Mike Sweers claims there is more room in the cab of the 2016. Probably by changing the interior door panels or something because he is on the record saying the width is exactly the same as the gen 2.
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/05/up-close-tacoma-chief-engineer-goes-deep.html

 

^That and probably in conjunction with a narrower center console.

I am dismayed at the longer front overhang, though. Even if most of the "pedestrian impact structure" is removed to fit a high-clearance front bumper, the resulting truck will look like it has a massive overbite.

 

Im wondering if it has something to do with the drag to improve fuel economy.

 

I'm kinda disappointed to see that they don't have the classic "press button and turn" style parking brake. It was kinda cool to see it continuing to carry over from generation to generation. Just a little nod to the trucks they have made in the past.

 

I want to know if the AC trucks still make the Tin like buzzing/rattle sound when you close the doors which only happens on 2012+ trucks

 

^Wait, so that rattle is normal? Mine got it after the seatbelt retractor recall.

 

According to Toyota it's "Normal". Go to any Toyota dealer right now and set in the driverside seat of a 2015 AC truck. I bet a billion dollars the door rattles/buzzes when you close it.

 

^Mine does it on both doors.

 

That seems to be Toyota's motto on most things.
"Shut up, does your car still run fine? Then its normal."
"But my frame is rus...-IT'S NORMAL."

 

It's pretty easy to see in multiple areas that overall design has stayed the same with minor tweaks to make the new design work on the old parts. Take a look at how the grille mounts to the upper rad support and you can see the old rad support location but with large plastic supports going forward to where the new grille sits. The truck is an improved 2nd generation, improved suspension, improved engine, improved frame, different interior and exterior treatments, so I'm sure everything got new part numbers for the slight differences (except for that darn seatbelt buckle), but it's definitely not a new generation. Toyota Canada's internal documents refer to it as a mid-model change (MMC), similar to the 2014 Tundra, the 2011 Avalon, the 2015 Camry and so on. It's not a full model change (FMC), which would be a new generation.

Toyota has been doing more major updates to vehicles (and more times) before full model changes in the last few years. It used to be one sort of update (new bumper, new lights, etc.) and then a new model, now it's often a minor model change followed by a major model change, then followed by a full model change. (2005 Avalon -> 2008 Avalon -> 2011 Avalon -> 2013 Avalon; 2007 Tundra -> 2010 Tundra -> 2014 Tundra; etc.). The Tacoma got a minor update in 2009, another less minor update in 2012, and is now getting a major update for 2016.

It's not a new truck, internally Toyota doesn't consider it a new truck, but there's a lot of changes pretty much everywhere, and you've always got to have your marketing department.

I fully expect models with the 2TR engine to retain the same chassis codes (TRN22#, 24# and 26#), while the 7GR models will get different (but similar) codes due to the 1GR to 7GR change (GRN226, GRN246, etc., things of that nature, though they may be a bit more drastic, I haven't seen any actual details beyond it being a MMC and that the engine will be a 7GR, dealers only get so much).

Jeff

 

Thank you for helping end this debate on Gen 2.5 or 3.

 

I don,t know about ending the debate. Toyota calls it the next generation Tacoma when revealed. Mike Sweers goes out of his way to give us the everything but the seat buckle is new line because they are going to the real next gen change in a couple years? Not to mention the front of the truck that a lot of people don,t like is a huge change in the look of the Tacoma.Sorry but I don,t think so. My guess is even if we don,t think is a true Gen 3 Toyota does and this is pretty much what the Tacoma will look like for the next 8-10 years.Regardless of what Toyota Canada document says Toyota billed this truck as the next generation therefore Gen 3 Tacaoma.Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

I really like that color.

 

Jeff, could you tell us what you do for Toyota or your insider info and please end this debate or at least try to. Lol.

 

I don,t think you are getting my point. The Gen 1 had a certain look for the length of that vehicle.Agreed? The Gen 2 had a certain look for the length of that vehicle.Agreed? My point is that I beleive this will be the look of the Tacoma for about the same amount of time as the previous generations. Bill Fay and Mike Sweers are saying this is the next generation Tacoma. Though Toyota internal documents may discuss the new Tacoma as MMC unless they come out with a new Tacoma with a completely different look in the next few years this is the Gen 3 Tacoma by default. Do you think a brand new Tacoma with a completely different look is coming in a few years? Because I think it will be about 8-10 years before we see that. And I will call that different looking Tacoma Gen 4. Sounds like Jeff works for a dealership and I am happy for his input to the discussion. I just feel the higher ups like Bill Fay and Mike Sweers consider this the next generation Tacoma and have said so. Of all the minor changes along the way with the Gen 2 Tacoma they never changed the look of the Tacoma (mainly from the front but a big change in the 2016 IMO)like this. I feel this is basically the Tacoma we have for the next 8-10 years and that is why I consider it the next gen Tacoma. Go back and watch the 2016 Tacoma reveal video with Bill Fay. He talks about the pervious generation Tacoma. He says previous generation...meaning?....Toyota considers this the next generation Tacoma. So I call it Gen 3....that comes after 2. When the next 8-10 years go by and you don,t see another Tacoma with big changes come along then maybe you will beleive me this is the next generation Tacoma no matter what number you want to call it.

 

You have to remember, Mike and Bill are saying this from a marketing standpoint, "all new tacoma" because they want to sell trucks. Of course they wont hint on a rehash/update of the 2nd gen or possible future plans for an all new vehicle, that would hurt sales. It could go either way, none of us know the inside plans. I could easily see in a few years a different truck, its gonna be based on sales and competition. The 2nd Gen ran for 10 years cause the competition dropped out or became stagnant with their offerings, so they dominated the whole segment by default.

 

Come on! You really believe that. I don,t. How long was the Gen 1 available? The Gen 2? Seems like they are pretty inline with the next Gen timeline to me. A big change in the look of the Tacoma.at least from the front. Finally making positive new changes to the frame. A new,quite different engine for the Tacoma. Crawl control.sunroof a new front bumper for safety requirements yet to be implemented etc.This is the next Gen Tacoma as far as Toyota is concerned IMO. I will gladly eat my words if I am wrong.By the way Bill and Mike aren,t just calling this the "all new Tacoma" they use the words "next generation Tacoma" Again watch the reveal video.Bill Fay says" End of the current generation Tacoma" discussing the last Gen. So you are saying Toyota is billing this as just the "all new Tacoma" and not the "next generation Tacoma" just want to make sure that is what you are saying.