What pickup would you get if you were in my shoes???

If you tow frequently, and you do at 10 times a year, I would get a full size in a heart beat.

 

What the heck....if ten times a year is now frequent, pick out your color.

 

Now don't blast me because I have never ACTUALLY towed anything ever....but you were pulling a 3000lb trailer and bed cover with a truck rated for 4500...and yet are worried about pulling it with a truck rated for 6500lbs and a more powerful engine? I know theres more to it than that but still....also take into consideration that my dad has Sierra and my brother a F150, and they both only come "standard" with a 5.5' bed, so you would need to get a long box in those as well, which make the full size even larger.

 

If you're putting a shell on it, why not go with a 4runner? You can sleep in the back of it with the back seats down, still has the 4L with more power, should tow your camper without issue.

 

I agree. Even though the 4Runner I had was rated for less weight at 5k plus, it still handled a 4500 lbs pontoon boat and trailer easier then the 6500 lbs rated Taco I have now. Same motor as gen 2 and same transmission, but the heavier more stable 4 Runner just seemed more capable on the highway.......must be those 4 wheel discs and boxed in frame of the 4 Runner. Plus....quiet, ride, better seats...Yada, Yada......
I am over 6 feet and could sleep in the back with the rear seats flipped forward.....I slept diagonally but it was fine. The new Runners are bigger inside and have 30 plus more hp then my 04 Runner

 

Actually 10x a year would be maximum. I pull my camper maximum 5x a year now but I imagine if I got a vehicle that towed it better, I would be inclined to pull my camper up to the mountains more often. I don't want a 4runner because I want the bed to be separate from the cab for when I have to put dirty, stinky things in the back. I am still waiting for more towing reviews on the gen 3 as I would probably pull it over I70 (where TFL films the Ike Gauntlet) at least once a year. Thanks for responses, guys. Really giving me an idea of how to weigh in these factors.

 

Or, if your not an Exon Mobil shareholder, Colorado/Canyon diesel

 

Full size Diesel.

 

I have a 2016 4x4 sport. I get what people are talking about with the throttle response and lack of low end power, honestly during the motor break in period I felt like I was driving a Prius. Now that the motor is broken in I have been a bit more liberal with the gas pedal, what you will find is that the truck is tuned to save on gas until you throw the pedal down to the floor at which point in time it down shifts like hell and pretty much fully opens up. Unfortunately there isn't much of an in between with these 2 extremes of either no power or all power. As the motor got broken in this became less drastic and as I get a feel for the truck I better understand the shift points in each gear. The one feature that has changed the world for me with the truck is utilizing the ECT power mode. This makes the truck drive completely different, the lack of low end power without full throttle goes away. You are able to ease into the throttle and the truck drives like you would expect. I use this mode during city driving and it makes the truck more enjoyable. I am not hot rodding it all over town, this mode just makes the truck drive like every other vehicle I am used to. The value in not running the ECT is that it does improve mileage and when you aren't constantly varying your speeds as the truck runs smooth maintaining its power. I recommend that anyone test driving the new Tacoma test out the difference so they can feel for themselves. Although you may not need the change in shift points and power at all times, it is nice to consider when you are thinking about how the truck will be able to Tow or perform off road. Just my thoughts, I'm new to the truck world and this forum, please don't rip me apart. Haha

 

Taken from another member ToyoTay who works for Toyota comparing 2nd to 3rd gen:

*The transmission has less moving parts, is 3 inches shorter, is lighter, and more durable.
* The body has more steel welds around the a-pillars and roof. It is much stronger. the comparison isn't even close if you look at the density charts.
*The wheels and tires are specifically designed to enhance the experience based on what model you get. The off-road has Kevlar wheels by Goodyear, they are only made for the Tacoma. The tires are lighter and create less road wobble, and are stronger on the sidewalls to create less possibility of puncture on rocks or sharp terrain.
*The Tacoma creates 12% less drag, due to it's body redesign, flap in between the bed and cab, vortex generators, etc.
*Noise dampening material has been added to most parts of the body. With the addition of an new Acoustic dampening windshield (standard on all models SR5 and up!!) the truck is quieter on the road!!
*The engine has more horsepower, torque, and better gas mileage. Whilst emitting less emissions.
*The interior has been widened 3 inches for more space for driver and passengers
*The seats are not like any other Toyota that has been built. Sport, limited, and off-road are all designed to suit that particular drivers style.
*Mid-size truck first available blind spot warning.
*A world first pedestrian collision safety hood and bumper has be put on the Tacoma. If you were to hit a pedestrian the small bump in the lower part of the bumper is designed to "knock" the pedestrian onto the hood, and the hood is designed to collapse and "hug" to prevent from head and body injuries.
*Leader-in-its-class ground clearance at 29.4 inches and 32 inches in the off-road.... The Colorado has 17".....

Even down to the Toneauu Cover- Toyota tested 100s of Covers and designed their own robot to rigorously open and close the fold backs. The average rotation....900 times and they broke. Toyota went the distance, this baby is tested for over 10,000 rotations. It is convenient, removable and doesn't take up your bed space with brackets.

The computer system has been borrowed from the other vehicles in the Toyota line, and the Touch screen is also the same.

What "bugs" need to be worked out? I would be shocked if they had issues.

They will be transferring the 3.5L Atkinson cycle into their entire product line. Next vehicle to get it will be Sienna. Then Camry. They got it right the first time.

You're pulling a 3k# Casita, not a 12k# fifth wheel. Get the 3rd gen, you won't be sorry.

 

I think most Taco owners who tow prefer to have a smaller vehicle for the 99% of time they aren't towing. They are willing to put up with a slower truck for the 1% of time that they are towing. In the back of my mind I worry about long-term reliability and taxing the little Taco motor but I guess if there is a tow package to keep the tranny cool it is less of an issue.

 

Can you swing a second vehicle just for towing, and keep your Taco for a DD?

10 days out of 365? Not really.

 

I'm in the market for a mid-sized truck too, although I will be using it a bit differently. With the truck I plan on using it for my daily commute, camping, snowboarding, off-roading, hauling home repair and landscaping materials, and someday pulling a small trailer. For me, off-roading and high mpgs are my must haves for a new truck.

In your first post you focus on towing as the main factor for your next truck so it is obvious that towing power is very important to you. The other thing that I picked up on in your post is that you do not like the power response from the new Tacoma and do not like the towing power from your current truck. Also, you live in Wyoming which to me is another piece to the puzzle. I lived in Fort Collins, Colorado for 28 years before moving to San Jose, California two years ago. Where you live makes driving something bigger than a mid-size much easier.

If you are dead-set against buying a full size, then I would be seriously considering the new Chevy Colorado diesel, or GMC Canyon diesel. With the torque from the diesel you will get close to 30 mpg all day long for commuting and when it comes time to tow you will not see the same performance drain that you see with a gas engine. As a plus you will also see way better fuel mileage which might be important to you if you are pulling a trailer from Wyoming to Colorado through the Rockies.

My two cents, wait for the Colorado diesel. Check it out and see if it's for you. If you find that you do more off-roading then put the Tacoma back on your list.

On a side note, I can't say much for reliability since both trucks are brand new and both have new technology. However, the diesel engine in the Chevy has been used over seas for years and the V6 Tacoma's engine is brand new. If you're concerned about reliability do some research on Chevy's full size trucks and see what kind of issues they have.

Hope that helps.

 

I have a '10 dcsb wife 2 kids n dog, towed a couple campers up i70 to glenwood and such without trouble. I heaven't driven the 3rd gen or 2.5 if you will but if not a 2nd gen taco i'd say a pre 07 tundra. The double cabs can come with a rear window that rolls down the v8 will whip that trailer around and overall not much bigger than the taco. Based on your initial post i would say get a sport dclb and find your topper on cl, get ome and dakars (they made a huge difference towing with gear fam and dog!). If you take your time and widen your shopping you could find a decent mileage 2nd gen that was babied by some old duffer!

 

Hey dude.

Good post.

 

those ten times a year are probably during the summer months lol.

 

This is helping me feel more confident with the 3rd gen

 

It claims there is more torque. I thought there was actually less. Makes me wonder if the rest of it is accurate.

 

He may have got a little ahead of himself on the torque. From 266 to 265. It's possible he meant towing capacity instead, but the rest of it is certainly verifiable.

 

they're almost on par
quick search says 265lbs for 2016
266lbs for 2015

if it was more around 300lbs would be better though.
but regardless, would really be fine for what I need. I mostly need the truck for daily driving, some off roading and then doing home renos. So at most I would need is to be able to put a few sheets of drywall in the bed or some tile. Or if I am doing a side job just some coils or wire and outlet boxes. Nothing heavy considering I used to do them out of my jetta lol. Hauling a jetski or snow mobile is nothing for the taco, there might be a odd time where I need a full sized. When it comes to that I am sure I can always borrow one of a friend or something if I really need it or even rent it. You can rent a ford F350 from home depot for $40 for an hour and a half.

My only concern is parking the taco at my girlfriends since the parking is a back laneway, never seen a truck back there so not sure if I could get in. Its a tight squeeze in the jetta, so I dunno. Turning circle on the jetta is 36ft, taco is 40. not sure if that 4 feet will make it that bad. Then again thats for a stock ride height jetta, Usually once it gets lowered its worse