Unbiased test drive review (non owner)

I apologize for the length, don't flame me.

So I had the pleasant experience today of driving 3 vehicles:
Tacoma DCSB OR 4x4
4Runner Trail Premium
4Runner TRD Pro (quicksand)

A little background.. I owned 3 Toyota pickups, the last of which was an 03 Tacoma DC TRD OR. I enjoyed the pickup but moved to other manufacturers. I'm currently in a 2012 Loaded out F-150 and will be down sizing before I move back to the east coast.

I spent a good deal of seat time in all 3 and thought I'd share some thoughts for people that may also be in my position. Disclaimer: this is meant to be a positive review of all 3.. I'm trying to decide which one to buy. The test drive was a combination of highway, 2 lane rough black top road, and an offroad area (field) with hill climbs (I was VERY gentle).

Drivetrain: Both were... adequate.. Neither engine blew my socks off but they carried both vehicles with ease. I'll echo the "gear hunting" observation with the Tacoma but anyone who has owned a 6+ speed transmission knows this is normal for optimizing efficiency (you should see an ecoboost f-150). I noticed the engine was much louder in the Tacoma but not an issue as it had a nice tone. You could definitely feel the additional torque of both 4runners from a stop but that feeling decreased after second gear anyway. I've been following the MPG thread closely as I do not want to purchase another vehicle with claims of fuel economy that did not deliver (ecoboost). My 4runner friends get about 1 mpg below EPA city, highway, and mixed.

Tracking/suspension:
The 4runners felt bouncy and cloud like. The trail premium tracked just fine but the TRDP took a much higher amount of steering input to track straight on the highway and 2 lane rough road. The Tacoma was smooth, responsive, required less input than the 4runners and felt PLANTED in the ground. Both my girlfriend and I were very surprised that the Tacoma handled better than the TRD Pro. Offroad was the same. The Tacoma was more firm but much more stable. The crawl control test was really cool on both machines.

Interior:
By far my greatest complaint with my 2003 Tacoma was the seating position. I'm only 5'9 but felt that the seat was too low and prefer a more chair-like position. During very long road trips the sides of my knees would begin to hurt. Even with the 2016's increased seat height I noticed that this was still an issue for me. The 4runner had a much more comfortable seating position and it was fully adjustable like my current pickup. That being said, the Tacoma's instrument cluster and center console was a vast improvement over the 4runner. It felt more refined and user friendly. I've also come to love dual zone automatic climate controls and none of these 3 vehicles came equipped (I knew this going in). The rear seat was much less comfortable in the Tacoma but I won't be sitting back there lol. Leg room was limited.

All told it was a great day and I believe the best option for me is to purchase the Tacoma with Premium and tech. It just felt better overall and was much more confidence inspiring in every way. Sitting still I would have said the 4runner hands down but both on and off road the Tacoma just felt better. The quicksand TRD pro was incredibly good looking. People actually asked me if they could take a picture. However, I just don't think you get the VALUE out of an extra $10k MSRP over the Tacoma OR (non premium and tech).

Now, give me a 4runner with the Tacoma drivetrain (more efficient) and the updated Tacoma tech package and BOOM (2017? haha).

 

Thanks for the nice write-up. How would you say it compares to your F-150?

 

Well.. the F-150 sticker was $53k, I paid 41+TTL. It's honestly hard to compare because it has every single option you can get and it's a full size. I used to for towing ATVs and SxSs. The FX4 package gave me the rear locker and 3.73 gears. It's also the long bed max tow so visibility out of those mirrors is great and the 6.5 foot bed is nice. COOLED seats are great in south Texas. Remote start that doesn't shut off when you open the door and automatically sets the thermostat to 72 degrees etc etc.. I could go on but I've had some drivetrain issues with it. Three times it left me stranded.. once in a snowy night in the middle of nowhere. I love the truck but it's way too much truck for DC which is where I'll be headed soon. I've also sold or totaled everything that was pulled behind it. I've always been into weekend camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, offroading so that will continue and any of these options will fit the bill. Oh and the 35s on the ecoboost don't help the mpg (12.5 city 14.5 highway.. yes that was my fault but they look so good!). Actually if anyone is looking for tires for their 16 I can HIGHLY recommend the BFG KO2s.. great in dry, wet, sand, and snow.. mud is meh.

 

Thanks for the lowdown. Many of those options sound very nice. I 'm a drooling Tacoma fan (currently "in the market") and have no need for a full size, but if that were not the case, I would definitely check out the F-150.

 

I was really wanting an f150. Full size with same mpg as a tacoma. Until I started researching forums and saw people talking about real life mpg. Not sure how it can be so different from advertised. Dissappinting to say the least. The jury is still out on reliability, but being stranded is not my idea of a good time.

Hope the seating position is better for you. Hate to be uncomfortable

 

Thanks. I am hoping it is as well. I sent an email to a few dealers last night so hoping to get some responses today. Looking at MGM DCSB TRD OR 4x4 with premium/tech/jbl. The dealer I was at yesterday claimed there weren't any within whatever radius they used to search.

Well in all fairness to Ford, the 5.0 does much much better. My brother bought the 2013 4x4 DCSB 5.0 XLT (3.55 gears). Still has the rear e-locker. Gets 19-19.5 mpg with cruise control at 72 every single time. He has the pics to prove it because he always sends me some to mess with me. Interesting how a heavier truck with a bigger motor was getting better mpg than a 2013 Tacoma. It has no cylinder shut down system and was $32k out the door brand new!! City driving he averages about 15.5 to 16.5. Since he drives mixed just usually averages just over 17 per tank. That's really comparable to the Tacoma and 4Runner except it has 385 lb ft torque. Anyway I'm not trying to sell yall a Ford but they did get the 5.0 right. My Ecoboost never even got close to advertised mpg unless I was at 60 in the right lane.

 

I also really wanted a 2016/2017 Tacoma but for the price I am now looking at a F150. I currently have a 2012 Tacoma and I love it, just want more bells and whistles than I have now. I honestly think Toyota is over pricing themselves. Over the next year or two the market is really going to heat up. Will be interesting to see where it goes.

 

The only way I believe mpg's is dividing miles driven by gallons to fill up. The computer only tells what your getting at that instant. 19 mpg at 70 is 19 mpg highway. That's almost 20% lower than tacoma.

From what I've seen in f150 forums it is very discouraging

 

be careful on the mpg on the 4runner. here are my stats on my 14 LE, 15 miles 1 way to work at 74 mph.

 

Thanks for the low down. I keep hearing about the "hunting" that goes on in six speed transmission. We have a six speed tranny in our Venza and the shifting is, I would guess, similar. It hunted all the time between 40 and 55 which is where most driving is done. The solution is simple. Read the manual and use the Sport shift mode. At speeds less then 40, make sure the gear choice is 4. For speeds up to 50 to 55, keep it in 5 and for speeds above that, D or 6 in sport mode. Remember too, if you are in hilly terrain, you then could raise the limits. Then, it behaves like a much less confused transmission. Hunting is not something have to accept. Around town, feel free to place the sector in 3. By doing this, the transmission works less and there is NO difference in the mileage over time....It gives you a chance to set the rpm limit for your truck or car.

 

Sorry but your information is incorrect. Both of our F-150s have both average by trip and instant MPG. When he drives the 311 (I-35 in Texas) miles to my house and gets out and shows the trip average mpg at 19.5 I'm impressed. I acknowledged that he was all highway at 72 mph in my previous post. Also, I'm comparing this to the DCSB 4x4 TRD OR Tacoma and haven't seen a single TRD OR 4x4 even get close to the stated EPA ratings in the "Post your MPG" thread. I'm still watching it though and optimistically hoping that we see some drivers experiencing higher MPG for that configuration. I don't want this to turn into another "computer vs manual calculation" debate. We do both on our trucks and it's consistently within a TENTH of the computer calculation... both before and after my 35s, he has stock tires. I'm also looking for a dealer that won't charge me $42k (more than I paid for a fully loaded F-150) for this truck.. plenty of dealers are willing to come down in Texas which is why I'm also watching the "post your quote" thread.

 

Thanks for that. I've been looking at the 4runner MPG on Fuelly as well. I plan on keeping this next vehicle factory for quite some time. I'm not looking to kill MPG immediately with big tires.

 

It's because people are driving these trucks like race cars. It's common sense to know that when you drive around using a turbo, you are going to suck down more gas when you aren't hauling or towing. Same goes for a supercharger. But some people just don't get that.
I've found people who are complaining about crappy mileage really just don't know how to keep their foot off the gas.

There are several reasons I don't want an ecoboost, but that is one of them. Eco and Boost really don't belong in the same word lol.

 

They make a 4Runner TRD Pro Quicksand color? Nice.

 

its just marketing scheme by ford. just fancy words for common engine feature descriptions.

eco = gas direct injection
boost = turbo charged

in other words ecoboost just means direct injection engine with a turbo.

 

OP, Im curious why you don't test drive the Colorado. Would be good to hear a nice un-biased review between the Tacoma and Chevy.

 

Because some people aren't willing to drive around something that ugly regardless of performance.



just guessing

 

Compared to the new Tacoma?

Tyler

 

I just test drove a DCSB TRD Sport MT and I have to say i didn't find the low seat bad even though i'm only about 5' 6". I'm looking to order a DCSB TRD OR in manual and was wondering what if anything would be different besides a stiffer suspension? Any difference in ground clearance? I also think the exhaust is routed strangely on the bottom.

 

Yes. And it's gorgeous. Taken with my phone. It was sold later that day.