First impression...beyond looks

Took my '14 in for scheduled maintenance today and got a glimpse of the new '16. I'm no mechanic...so my review is based on feel and looks.

Looks...much better in person. I saw a silver and a black...both TRD Off Road. Hood was no issue. Tailgate looks great. Interior looks great (but I prefer my '14). Not interested in GoPro (sp?) mount, but I could see how some would like it.

Drive...felt quicker than mine, but not much. Biggest difference is the quieter interior. The finish out is fantastic. The ride felt smoother. And the interior was noticeably quieter.

Bottom line...I thought I didn't like it, but I did. I thought i liked the Colorado better than the new Tacomas, but I don't. '16's felt quieter and more more solid. Additional hp was noticeable (I think)...drove great. I love my '14 and don't plan on getting a new one. But this is a great truck.

 

Uh oh... scooter62 is coming over to the dark side. Wish you well on your new purchase!

 

Shouldn't have driven it b/c now I want one!!! The reduced road noise and more solid feel are great. Oh well, I still love my '14.

 

Bribe one today too. Haha. And I like it. Quite the power increase obviously over my 98. One thing I thought was odd though, I hit a considerably big bump (elevated crosswalk) at about 30 mph (sales guy told me too haha) and noticed the front end continued to bounce a good four times, similar to how it feels if you blow a shock out, but just up and down. Almost as if it was too soft in the front suspension.

And no hood struts? It's a big hood for not having those I thought. Otherwise I like them. I drove a sport as the only offroad they had was a stick. So I still want to play with an offroad.

And do any have power seats? One I was in didn't and I didn't check the others.

 

One of the main complaints is still no power seats on any of the models. Interesting about the front end shocks... I have not experienced that yet. As I posted in another thread, the tire pressure was high when I bought mine. This would transition bumps more to the shocks than tire absorbtion. Not trying to make excuses... just trying to think through it.

 

usually high tire pressure is due to PDI not checking the tires after transport and adjusting it back to the door psi.

during transport, they jack the tire pressure up. you should have seen my 4runner, its was between 39 and 42 psi on all the tires, but then again it came from japan via boat and not a semi truck carrier.

 

I'm trading my 15' Colorado WT extended cab built on 27 APR 15 in on the SR 4X2 2016 Tacoma access cab in the Blazing Blue Pearl. Ordered her yesterday.

In case you ask.

I have door seals that fill up and water pools on the door sill. I'm tired of GM customer service. The driver seat puts pressure on the back of my legs causing cramps. The dipstick is a wire cable with a piece of pot metal on the end with lines so close together you need a magnify glass to check your oil. You need a step ladder to check the oil and I'm 6 foot tall. I never was a bow-tie man as I have owned Ford Rangers along with the 03' Dodge Dakota I traded in on the Colorado. I had the truck built and paid for it 2 days after the dealer sent the order in. I have known the dealer for 35+ years and trusted him enough that I never test drove the truck before signing for it. The list goes on. Should of bought a Tacoma in the 1st place.[/QUOTE]

No offense, but the location of the oil dip and how to read it don't seem like reasons to hate a truck. Get a different stick or learn to guess on how to read it. I've maybe read my trucks dip stick once in the nearly 9 years I've been driving. If my truck is burning/leaking oil, I'll darn well know it without having to read the dip stick. My truck is 14 years old too.
I also have to get on a stool to check nearly everything under my hood. I don't consider that something negative. If I hated that I probably shouldn't be buying a truck now should I? I'm also 5'9'' so I got over that crap a long time ago.

Tacoma seats suck too. Probably worse since they aren't very adjustable.

Hope you are happy with the new Taco, it just seems like you don't like the Colorado and don't want it, which is perfectly fine. Those reasons though seem more like excuses. It's a truck princess, you had better need to get on a stool to get in or your truck isn't lifted enough

By the way, GO PACK GO!

 

I can do without the name calling Sir. I bought the Colorado by mistake. I'm not getting the SR Access Cab as I first planned. No blue in the SR. I may step up to the SR5 or I may keep my Colorado as it is paid off and I can learn to ignore the things I don't like about it.

I did test drive the 16' SR 4 popper and found it very pleasant to drive. The seats now have adjustable backs on them. The SR also had a lumbar adjustment which I was surprised to see on a base model truck. I see you are a Ford man. I have owned 2 F-150's back in the day and also 2 Ford Ranger's. I miss my little truck's. If I hold off I believe Ford is going to roll out the Ranger again in 2018. I just imagine it will be the same size as my 15' Colorado.

That you for your thought's. I won't lie as I have been having 2nd thoughts on trading in my paid off truck. It darn sure is not eating anything.[/QUOTE]

I haven't seen or drove the 16 Tacos yet. I want to.
The 15's seats take some getting used to and may need some adjustments but I'm not sure if that's all because of the seats or that I'm not used to sitting that low period. The midsize feels like a sports car compared to the 250 lol.

I've never liked the Rangers. They seem way too small on the interior. You can really do some work on those things and make them total workhorses though. My neighbor has one and welded on additional framing and put in a new suspension to get the payload up to like 3,000lbs :O
I miss the old body styles on them too. The new style is way too car like for me.

Why have you gone from the F150s to the midsize?
*asking out of curiosity.

 

I'm not upset about lack of power seats b/c I rarely adjust them after they're set...and I sure don't want to pay for them!!! I know Taco seats could be better, but they're good enough for me.

 

Agree about power seats. One more thing to go wrong. My wife's Sonata has power seats and it's a PITA when I get in to her car, slow to move all the way back. Manual seats are much quicker to adjust.

 

My 1993 Toyota truck with a 2.7 doesn't cut it anymore as my daily driver. I'm seeking a little more refinement and comfort. The 2001 7.3l excursion is a serious hog to drive daily. Its served its purpose pulling the Malibu and the travel trailer.

 

At the 2016 price point "good enough" doesn't cut it.

 

Good point.

 

My 09 Ram 1500 has power seats. I doubt I have changed the setting, except for lumbar, in over four years.

I would like to see lumbar support for the passenger seat. Bottom line, could care less if the Tacoma has power seats or not.

 

Same here! Never quite understood the bitching here over power seats.

I got mine in April of 2011 and have never adjusted it after finding the right notch the week I bought it.

 

A recurring theme

Personally as far as power seats...Meh I could and have lived without them. The only thing I would have liked is a height adjuster. But that seems to have been solved with the seating position of the 16s.

 

Or the adding of several steel washers on both both rear bolts of the seat.

 

I'm not sure where you heard the seating position has been fixed but in my '16 it has not. Still feels like I am sitting on the floor. I'm going to do either the washer "fix" or put a cushion under a seat cover. Its disappointing that Toyota cannot put a better adjustable seat in the Taco,hell I don't even need it to be power.