Finally got to test drive a Sport

Went to my Dealer today to see the new stock and they threw me the keys to a Red 2WD Sport. My latest truck was a 2015 so I can compare the two. Once I get mine I can share a longer term impression.

I am more of a creature comfort kind of driver than an off road type. So Comfort.quiet, and smooth means more to me than , Off road mods OR handling, and/or Off Road aesthetics such as lift and tire sizes


First of all like everyone else I agree the truck looks far better in the flesh than in 2D pictures. Much "beefier" for want of a better term. The bed seemed higher and deeper. The tail gate is extremely thick , heavy and the slow fall mechanics work very well.

The Interior was plush compared to the 15. The new Entertainment system being a standout. I found a convenient blank under the steering wheel for my Garage door opener mod. No need for Homelink. I did not like the round vents in pictures but again seeing them inclusive of the rest of the interior and they "fit". I am used to having round vents in the MX5.

Seats were firm. Driver's seat IS kind of low like the 15. A few washers on the back will take care of that. Unusual to see a Moon roof in these trucks. I won't be using it much. The view on the Sport from behind the wheel seems rather busy with the hood scoop. Rather than one bump there are two. Doesn't bother me, I just noticed that, If Toyota wanted to recess the scoop for drivers , they went the opposite way.

The color is very nice (Good job Sam) But a tad loud for me.

There is a 12V socket in the console which with a proper adapter can charge a few USB ports. I used the QI to charge my Note 4 and it worked flawlessly QI is a VERY nice to have feature. No more plugging a phone in to play music or to charge a phone....VERY nice.

Glove box was smooth opening and had tiers for the manual and space under it as well. No more fumbling with the Manual Pouch to get at other things. The premium Entertainment system looks great with the NAV, HOME and other setting buttons on a touch screen, Radio sounds very good for a truck without a Sub. (Can't wait for my JBL 7 Speaker System)

Ergonomically the truck is fine. I leave my back seats down 100% of the time using the interior flat cargo space for groceries and such that will fit in there so the human rear seat room is of no consequence. The GM twins have a cloth seat backs rather than the hard plastic Tacoma has. I prefer to use the extra area for in cab carries of groceries or whatever I don't want to carry in the bed,. We use the CRV for passenger carry and the Miata for quick errands or scenic drives.

Since I am used to push button start, I find it very nice to have, no fumbling for keys. I did not notice if the door had "Fob in pocket" opening. I suppose it will to take full advantage of not needing a key fob in one's hand to get in.

Driving...OK here is where I agree with those who did not find much of a difference. The truck initially felt heavy upon slow acceleration. Not same pick up the 15 had from a dead stop. Since I drive like a Limo driver , this won't bother me, but I can see where some stoplight to stoplight types might be disappointed, I did not use ECT.

On the freeway the extra 40 horses became noticeable when passing. I did not WOT the truck as it will belong to someone else and I didn't want to screw up their break in schedule. i put 18 miles on it though and did NOT fart in the seat LOL

But I did feel the extra grunt. The transmission seemed to hunt a lot at 65 BUT like all cars today, the vehicle needs to "learn" it's driver's habits. I expect if it becomes a real issue Toyota will reflash, The truck IS much quieter than the 15.

The ride is soft but FIRM. I think the Sport will have the most firm ride of all models with the Hitachi shocks to keep body roll down when driving aggressively in curves. I took a cloverleaf at higher speeds than normal and it was very sticky with minimum body roll. Sweet.....I had a thought for a moment of my MX-5 while driving it through a cloverleaf. It just stuck like it was on rails. My 2015 would be sloppy and braking necessary. That was a welcome surprise I suspect toyota finally realized sport means SPORT. VEry impressive,

The truck did feel bigger than my 15. Backing up and parking. I don't know if it was the taller bed and longer snout but it will take some getting used to.

Key things that stuck out

QI Charging is the bomb
The truck handles like a sports car (for a truck) as opposed to the 15 This was The most surprising pleasure for me.
Seat needs to be raised in the rear. No need for power seats,
Feels bigger than it is at first
Does not seem to have 40 more HP from a stop
IS much quieter
IT is more than a simple update Every part of the truck feels different.

Until I get mine I can't really do a longer term observation.......My only MAJOR regret was that is was not MY ORDER!!!

PRICE AS TESTED $35,505 Invoice $32239

Dealer adds Tint, 1yr Ding protection, 1yr key replacement Pin Stripes Nitrogen.$1295

http://southeast.buyatoyota.com/tacoma#~ppk59hi2CfGtQX=&vin=3TMAZ5CN1GM002023

 

Man! That red sure looks nice!!!

 

Anyone tested the new Colorado? Curious if the Colorado seems gutless off the line too. Must be the new normal?

 

thx for taking the time for the write up TB!

 

I was much happier with the handling than "off the line torque" I cannot imagine in a truck why it would need 6 sec 0-60 times

 

Nice review Tacobella thanks for posting it. I really prefer the Off Road suspension and 16" wheels for the potholed, patched up roads, and dirt roads I drive on but since the Sport is the only Access Cab offered with manual transmission that's what I may end up with.

 

I was just surprised that my 13 year-old gen 1 Tacoma was faster in city stop and go traffic. Guess that is just the CAFE world we live in now.

 

Yeah this is definitely a truck you "roll out" from a stop. Not a drag racer for sure. But that's the way I have always driven anyway. My wife is a 3/4 throttle from stop kind of gal....That wastes fuel...but old habits are hard to break. Hell it takes me a minute of deep thought NOT to roll out with the MX5 and DRIVE it like its designed,

 

Seems to me it's by choice to increase economy. The driver can over ride this "conditon". When these trucks are broken in enough so that a few owners "jump on them" the truth will come out. My 2015 just feels moderately quick until the foot gets closer to the floor. I can't imagine that the same torque and higher horsepower would not ultimately feel just as quick initially and then have that "never ending acceleration" feeling that higher horsepower cars tend to have one the other end. I think the object was to keep what was good in the Gen2 then add a more car like driving experience which the big boys from Ford and Chevy have used to sell so many pick up trucks.

 

Excellent review. Thanks for posting.

 

Great review.

My biggest pet peeve with this truck is that they changed the steering wheel controls around.

 

I drove one and a 2wdr 2016 tacoma both are bad but the chevy is worse than the tacoma.....
In "sport mode" (etc power)the tacoma runs much better and in 2wdr seams really good.........
The chevy has only a 3.42 gear and you can tell and it runs way worse than the toyota....

 

TacoBella,
Thanks for the shout out and the review. Yea, I was expecting a little darker red with the Barcelona and was surprised when I pulled up on it. It pops in the sun. I also took the truck on some backroads and it felt very nimble and positive in the curves and on the cloverleafs. Still getting used to the bigness of the midsize truck as it is much longer than my 08 single cab and a little harder to park. It aint the wifes jeep! All in all I have gotten used to the tech inside and it does some really cool things. Programmed GPS routes will show the turn in the center viewer between the instrument cluster. The Tire pressure sensor is live and shows the current tire pressures. all kinds of other goodies you can program into it. Cant wait to see yours!

 

BTW... are you in Galveston? NM, looks like SC.

 

today I drove a 16 accesscab sr5 4wd v-6, my truck 14 accesscab sr5 prerunner v-6. liked the 16 a lot better, it drove so much better on the freeway at 70 and 75 mph, I drove it with one hand on the wheel and she went straight down the road, my 14 you got both hands on the wheel and you fight it the whole time you drive. like the looks of the truck, looks better in person, its much quieter. likes: power mirror control now on the door, locking tailgate, accesscab has speakers in rear doors my 14 does not, dash, radio seems to be at different angle so should be able to seen the screen on sunny days [ I hope ], ebrake on side of console [ some people wont ]. did noticed trans downshifts very easy on the freeway. waiting to drive a trd sport accesscab, if its to firm I go with sr5. but overall its a whole lot nicer truck.

 

dealer added pin stripes, seriously? what year is this?

so tacky.

 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina but I love New Mexico Spent a lot of time in Taos and Sante Fe when I lived in Vegas. Trips to Sandia Mountain in Albuquerque were common.

Hell it pops at midnight LOL Yeah it's certainly more on the "Fire Engine red" side..I expected more of a tint coat Red...But its very nice nevertheless. I prefer white because it doesn't get hot, requires less work to keep clean and swirls are almost as invisible as they are on silver.
Did you get the Long Bed? My brother bought a long bed before he went Lexus 10 years ago and he said that extra foot may as well have been 10 feet. Parking was a biatch. I like the look of the LB and even measured to fit in the garage, But have absolutely no practical use for it.

IT's a car with a bed to me. Sort of like an El Camino. I was pleasantly surprised by the sport suspension cloverleaf on and off ramps. Not bad for a truck. My 15 wallowed just as much as my 08 Off Road. Same shocks same suspension. Looking forward to hearing the Limited's suspension reviewed. I suspect very soft as the SR5 shares the same suspension. I agonized over getting the Limited but I did not want 18" wheels and didn't care for the shade of the brown "leather" I will likely cover my front seats with a quality water proof material.

 

Yeah they do that here. Easy to peel off. They need something to put on the addendum Sticker along with the nitrogen. I ordered my truck without any adds from the port or dealer. I may pay them to do tint though if they will give me 20/20> Tint shop that did my Vette a couple years ago made a mess. They will charge $300 to do the truck. I would rather pay the dealer. May buy the mud flaps as well. I really did not care for them but I am used to having them....What I won't do is buy the dealer nerf bar. That cost me $500 on the 15...ouch Should have taken them off before I sold it

 

How many cup holders?

 

Great review and also was not completely in love with the steering wheel.. In fact I was hoping it would have been closer to what the Camry like my wife's 2015 has.. Looks really sporty, notches perfectly placed, and the controls look nicer..