Pardon me, but...

Im just wondering. Who exactly are the people that prefer electronic button pushing 4WD to pulling a lever because it is too much effort and/or makes your wrist tired or hate the lever because it makes you mildly confused and you pull the lever thinking it is your transmission?

WHO?

We will be marching with pitchforks, torches etc momentarily to hunt you down and make you turn in your Tacoma for a RAV4. Thank you.

 

I like the electronic

 

Don't have a preference. Electronic is fancy. You want a lever, go with a trail 4runner assuming they didn't take it out of there.

 

You point out a hilarious double standard...

Taco owners bitch about manually pulling lever to move their seat, and not having an electronic button.
Taco owners bitch about electronically pushing a button to engage 4WD, and not having a lever to pull.

 

Is this really an issue? It works fine either way. I personally like the turn knob but wouldn't have cared if it came with a lever. I bought the limited and wanted all of the electronics, the knob only made sense.

 

In my book: the less sh*t to break, the better.

Especially when that sh*t is superfluous.

 

So brave.

 

When was the last time your turn signal switch broke without something stupid being done to it?

 

there's actually more parts to a mechanical setup vs the electric, and parts are easier to replace on the electric setup. just throwing that out there.

argue reliability to your hearts content, but I'd rather fix an electrical issue on our 4wd setups than a mechanical.

 

Warranties exist for a reason. The last vehicle I had with an electronic problem due to a switch or button was a turn signal but it wasn't even the lever that was the problem, the old 87 Corvette had finally used it's flasher relay for the last time before I had to replace it. The superstitious nature of some with electronics is baffling. My old Mazda 6 from 2003 still ran fine over ten years later and it had auto A/C control, 6 disc cd changer, an electronic odometer, the list goes on forever. Stuff happens and breaks. Other times things run for seemingly forever. Again, why is this even an issue or was it just to start a bitch fest? Your Tacoma 4WD switch will probably outlast the use of the truck.

 

I do like my cupholders....

 

If its as reliable as the mechanical systems, Im all for it.

If its more reliable I prefer it.

I guess my assumption was that people have all sorts of issues with the new system - this is a less than fully educated/informed position, and mostly comes from noticing a lot of threads and grumbling about the electronic system...

 

If you make it a manual lever, they can't program in safeties to keep you from shifting into 4wd when you shouldn't. With a switch or knob, they can protect the morons trying to do something stupid from themselves. I would prefer the manual lever, but then I would prefer a manual transmission too. But I will take what I can get.

 

I like hand crank windows. Doesn't make me right, better, or smart. I just like 'em.

 

Not sure if I agree with this, I went to switch into 4wd the other day. Was driving in 2WD. Stopped. Engaged 4WD with the button. Went to accelerate and spun the wheels as 4wd was trying to engage, this was followed by two clunks and finally it engaged. Not good.

Once I engaged the lever on my old Tacos I was good to go. I wasn't ready for that electronic delay and gave my t-case a shellacking because of it.

 

Agreed, my first post was (somewhat) in jest.

 

I'm thinking that its as simple as being cheaper for Toyota to put in a switch than a lever. Do the math. If you got to keep whatever was saved from millions of vehicles, which would you prefer? As for me, I don't care as long it shifts into 4X4.

 

Hell, if I could get manual everything 2016 Tacoma: hubs, transmission, t-case, seats, windows, mirrors... I would. I'd even pay the same price as one with all the electronic crapola.
In fact, I might even consider putting up with a manual AM radio for a while, if Toyota tossed it in as part of the "manual package". At least that is an easy thing to mod.

 

I do like a backup cam though -- especially hitching a trailer. It's one of the few "advancements" that lives up to the name.