Car and Driver Comparison: 2016 Tacoma v. 2016 Colorado

Baf

I work at a Chevy dealer and so far the new Colorado is fairly reliable. There have been a few recalls including replacement of front brake calipers and I've seen one with transmission issues. However, I still would buy the Tacoma. I think the long term value and reputation for durability means more to me than disc brakes on the rear. I think every pickup sold in North America has something good to offer and it comes down to personal preference and needs. For me that's Tacoma.

 

F150 and Silverado have leaves. Ram uses springs. You can tell with a load. We move a lot of single pallet loads in 1/2 tons and 3/4 tons. Leaves are the way to go in that situation. All else is agreed. Like I said, there is some history with BlueT that if you had of witnessed you may be singing a different tune.

 

No I doubt he does make any extra money. Guys in that position usually paid on salary. What he probably does is get to keep his job. He could have easily spec'd disc's if he wanted to and it was warranted and the bean counters approved etc, etc.

 

Funny I've never seen someone work so hard to complain about something that is unnecessary.

1. Not clearly inferior.

2. I have said nothing that implies anything that would make all trucks use drums. You are clearly projecting and ignoring half of what I said.

3. There is still plenty to say on the matter.

4. I don't understand how YOU don't understand the difference between saying something is overkill and unnecessary to saying something else is superior in different applications.

Can we get some more sharks with laser beams over here? Jimsc needs one.

 

Clearly this is an "isolated" incident of a consumer making a complaint/suggestion/comment that "might" make a manufacturer consider putting a useless feature on a vehicle.


Sooooo..........btw........if only 1 ton trucks come with leaves, and my tacoma has leaves, does that make my tacoma a 1 ton truck? Maybe, just maybe, there are more than just 3500's that come with leaf springs....

 

All I know is the 4.7 is a rocket. Pop that into the 2016 and nobody would be complaining.

 

As far as the difference of leaf vs coil springs on the rear, it isn't just the weight, it's the frequency of weight carrying. If you put a small camper on your truck, or carry several hundred pounds in the back, different from SUVs which seldom carry this weight daily, you will appreciate the differences between coils and leafs as far as endurance is cons earned. My 4 Runner with a ver substantial frame still had coil springs for several reasons. One was space savings but I noticed I did not carry sustained loads like I do in the bed of a truck. Leaf springs just take

A car or truck is the sum of it's parts. The 3.5 is a Lexus derivative...the motor from the Clorado is likewise used in other cars. The electronics, control switches are often out of a parts bin for other cars. Most to all of these products from Toyota have been reliable for years. Make your own judgement about related models from Chevy. A leopard does not change it's spots and quality control tends to sty consistent throughout the company.

 

Just because people won't listen to what they don't want to hear...

"Drum vs. Disc: Today
In today's automotive pantheon, it's not uncommon to find four-wheel disc brakes as standard equipment on medium-priced, non performance-oriented models. The majority of new vehicles, however, continue to utilize a front-disc/rear-drum brake setup. What does this say about the current state of braking systems? Are these manufacturers sacrificing vehicle safety in order to save a few bucks by installing disc brakes on only the front wheels?
While a "yes" answer would certainly be great for increasing Town Hall traffic, the truth is that today's disc/drum setups are completely adequate for the majority of new cars. Remember that both disc and drum brake design has been vastly improved in the last 20 years. In fact, the current rear drum brake systems on today's cars would provide better stopping performance then the front disc setups of the '70s. And today's front disc brakes are truly exceptional in terms of stopping power. Combined with the fact that between 60 and 90 percent of a vehicle's stopping power comes from the front wheels, it's clear that a well-designed, modern drum brake is all that's required for most rear wheel brake duty.
High performance cars like the Viper, 911 and Corvette can justify a four-wheel disc brake system, especially if their owners participate in some form of sanctioned racing activity on the weekends. The rest of us get more of a benefit from the lower cost of drum brakes. Expecting every vehicle built today to come with four-wheel disc brakes would require an across-the-board increase in purchase price, and that could stop new car buyers much quicker than any brake system."

WTF that must be crazy talk.

Blue T said that the majority of all vehicles in the 80's offered 4 wheel disks.

 

mmmmmmm poutine



I wonder if BlewTee knows what brake lag is? I suspect he failed that question on his driving test.

 

It is going to be so much fun reading this thread again when the next gen Tacoma comes out with rear disc brakes...

 

Why is that?

 

I will be willing to bet that with the new competition, Toyota will make changes again sooner rather than the 10 years it took for the last one. This is all just speculation, but I bet they will move to rear disc brakes in the future just like the other companies...

I find the whole debate silly... rear drum brakes or rear disc brakes was never a deciding factor for me...

 

That is simply not true.

Most cars have rear disc brakes

 

I for one am glad for articles like this, and for competition like this.
If it wasn't for great trucks like the Colorado etc. Toyota would have done nothing and kept on putting out 10 year old technology trucks.
As it is, IMO the changes they made are just bare minimum which I find a bit insulting.
As far as reliablity, yes Tacomas are good, but let's not forget Toyota reliably producing Tacomas with frame rust, noisey fan motors, leaf springs that break, noisey release bearings etc. all since 1996. For 20 years they have done nothing to fix these major issues, I'm sure the GM sites all bring up these points while celebrating their Win.

I like Toyota's as much as the rest of you, but Toyota sure must think we are loyal sheep.

Shawn

 

^^ Good post.

this will actually be my first toyota. Ive been missing having a truck since i sold my titan. I prefer full size, but i work in nyc (live rural) and parking a full size would be that much tougher.

For me, it was between the colorado and tacoma. The taco won out based on expected reliability, and looks.

 

exactly..key word being "expected"

 

I've never owned a full size primarily due to the same reason, thinking they are too big.
I have to say, I am very tempted by the F150 though. The technology, luxury, power, MPG and even price to me blows away what Toyota is offering.

Shawn.

 

Ugg, im with you. Id actually prefer to get the f150 with the 3.5 ecoboost because id love the extra room, and the power..... but the cost puts it a little out of my reach, i dont have full confidence it will last me 5 years and 200k miles, and then there is the size issue..