3rd Gen Concerns

Well, that's your right, of course. But lets look at it this way; 2005 was an *entirely* different vehicle from 2004. No matter how you look at it, this is not.

I don't agree that "more power" makes a vehicle "better" or an "improvement". I also don't see anything to suggest that it will have better gas mileage. Maybe better gas mileage per horsepower, but don't expect to see a massively dramatic change from the 4.0 just by adding voodoo cam timing.

Toyota has a history of really really stupid gear ratios. Look at the RA-60 (MT 6-speed)... instead of putting a new gear where it needed to be, which was a higher second overdrive ratio, they just added a useless ratio between the existing 4 and 5.

And your buddies who drive American will somehow convince themselves to torment you by calling it putting lipstick on a pig, despite the bad analogy of it being a pig.

But its just a styling difference, not a functional one. Style doesn't define a truck. Work defines a truck. My Tacoma, which I don't use to wrangle cattle with either (I plow with it, use it to carry building materials, and haul heavy trailers) isn't lacking anything as far as interior goes. When I look at the pictures of 2016, I see different colors, I see different shapes of plastic on the dashboard, nothing special, nothing that would make my life easier, nothing that would improve my daily drive downtown to work at the office.

And it is something I miss from a much older truck I had in the past, yes, certainly nice. No, not something that can define the whole vehicle as "new". Especially when it is something you can add on aftermarket.

 

Enough multi quoting please...

Maybe you'd be better off over in the discussion about whether people think this is a 2.5 or 3rd generation Tacoma.

 

You guys can defend the Tacoma's drum brakes till the cows come home, but the facts are that disc brakes are better and that's why all modern vehicles have them.

 

People like you are the reason why so many new cars are shipping now with crappy rear disk brakes. You should be ashamed of yourself.

 

Truth......

 

Better stopping power? Yes. Necessary for the Tacoma? No.

If the deal breaker for you is the drum brakes you should write Toyota a letter or buy a Colorado.

 

Do you think they are making the existing discs or drums bigger? Yes they will do the job just fine, but the guy next to you in the Colorado will stop better. When it comes down to me getting a new truck, if in fact the 3rd gen has drums, they won't be a deal breaker for me. I'll just cry a little when I see them on my brothers 03 4runner and on a 92 Civic.

 

I know they are lightening the frame with more high strength steel if they are telling the truth. That should help braking. I'm not sure what other changes they will make and there really isn't much to speculate on. Could I see them throwing the Tundra calipers and rotors on the front? Could I see them back tracking and putting the Corolla rear discs on the back end? Sure I could, but I don't think either case is likely.

I think you mean to say the Colorado will stop faster. Stopping better is subjective. We don't know how the 3rd generation Tacoma will brake yet. Much like most of the things we know about the underpinnings of this truck nothing is really for sure until it hits the road for everyone to buy.

I remember when I was 20 I cried a bit when neither of my vehicles had rear discs and others did. Then I grew up a bit and ate a couple of rear rotors off various work trucks on the gravel. Ever since I've come to realize either solution will work and even drums still have some advantages. All I care is that the truck stops in a reasonable, predictable, distance.

 

WTF are you talking about? I just think its not to much to ask that the 3rd Gen Tacoma have rear disc brakes like every other car and truck on the planet.

 

Do you think this has anything to do with the almost total silence from Toyota for the last 6 months about the 2016 Tacoma. They haven't even updated their website. or acknowledged anyone that signed up for updates.
Toyota PR chief arrested on suspected Japan drug violation ...

 

imo, that is not the reason.
Chevy/GMC didn't do much on their website for the Colorado/Canyon till just before its release.

 

No....I didn't think so either. I was just trying to shame them into being a little more forthcoming. You would think that since the grand announcement and appearance in January they would have released something, and even had a few available for automotive journalists to review and test drive.
Instead we have to dry-hump (previous poster's apt expression) these forums for morsels.

 

Her right now:

"What do you mean the rest of the world isn't addicted to pain killers like Americans are?"

 

Agreed.
I signed up for notification from the Toyota website. Nothing. Even after the auto shows.
Hopefully this fall the dealerships will have them on the lots to look at. That is, the dealers will have more Tacoma's than Chevy/GMC has of their new midsize. I gave up at looking at the Colorado. Only model different dealers had was the WT model. Way to basic for my taste.

 

Still time to go this direction before the Gen 3 comes out. Pretty happy with my decision.

 

Very nice 4Runner. But I need the bed of the truck.

 

That thing is so sick.

 

Yeah I really want that T4R, but the price tag and no bed kinda kill it for me.

 

I hear ya on the bed but the 2016 Tacoma Limited will IMO be equal in price or maybe a hair more than the Runner Pro. Not the 4Runner Limited though. That puppy is around 45K.The interior is unbelievable but the Limited 4Runner with its chrome bumber and accents is a little too classy for me.

 

Yeah some of the models are way up there in price. My 2015 SR was only $26,600.