Thoughts on going to a taco from sporty cars?

Or maybe you would have seen an exit that the smaller and more maneuverable motorcycle could have taken that the truck couldn't and avoided the collision altogether.

I know there's always the possibility of the unavoidable. Riding smart and taking responsibility for what can happen goes a long way though.

 

I probably would not have been on one of my bikes anyway. It was raining lightly.

The accident location was a hairpin turn not far from my house. It is notorious for wrecks. I am therefore quite careful going around it and the speed limit is 30mph.

The lady that plowed into me was young, going to fast, likely looking at a smartphone, and had her vehicle tires and wheels completely locked up into the turn after slamming on the brakes of 2006 Nissan Sentra sedan. She crossed into my lane and I avoided the head-on narrowly.

This is the type of thing that kills people on a motorcycle. Unexpected collision with little to no time to react and maneuver. That and many of the folks I see around here with no helmet on.

I've been riding motorcycles for many decades. Raced in my youth. I can tell you the streets around Dallas/Ft. Worth are mega dangerous. Too dangerous.

 

In the last few months ive seen many accidents happen right in front of me or next to me, thats kept me off two wheels recently. I just dont trust these drivers in DFW enough anymore.

 

I've driven Coupes and 2 Seaters all my life. My First Tacoma, didn't sell the Z, she is now a Garage Queen. My wife made me choose between selling the Z or the 87 Wrangler. Bye bye Wrangler..

I will say this, I feel so much more comfy in my Tacoma and it's terrifying now driving the Z so low to the ground and all cars being so much bigger.

 

Sold my street bikes. Keeping my dirt bikes.

 

Drove a 2004 GTO for five years before my Tacoma. Had a 93 firebird before that. Love my Tacoma, its no more difficult to drive than the GTO and has tons of cargo room. I still have the GTO, almost never drive it though.

 

I went from a 2012 Audi S4 to my Tacoma off road. It was very hard at first to get use to the power difference but I live in Colorado and a truck is far more practical. After about 2 months and changing my temperament about driving and how fast I want to go I love my truck. It seems you are always trying to impress or drive fast with a sports car. I enjoy being more calm and it kills it in the snow and pot holes are no longer a worry.

 

That is so true, haha. I find that I am a much safer and relaxed driver when riding around in the Taco.

 

I have had a few "sports" cars

2008 Evo X
2010 Mazdaspeed 3

Both modded.

At my office, we have some pretty nice cars come through that I get to drive to customers every so often

2016 X5M
2010 M3
2009 CLS 550
2009 Grand Cherokee SRT


Every time I drive one, I find myself going a little too fast. They are extremely fun to drive but when I get into my Tacoma, I just cruise and enjoy the ride. Its better I have a truck.

The Tacoma still has some decent power when you need to pass the Prius in the fast lane but not enough to get you into trouble.

 

My Tacoma is the first truck I've ever owned and I don't know how I lived without one. My last car was a 2011 Mazdaspeed3 and I do not miss it a bit. I love severything about my truck. I say go for it man, you won't regret it at all.

 

I went from a 2011 Cadillac CTS-V sedan that made just over 650rwhp to the 2016 TRD OR and don't regret that decision one bit. Yes, it is a bit slower than the V, but I am loving the off-road capabilities of the Taco! Already starting mods and having fun with it!

 

Traded off my 15 WRX for a Tacoma a couple weeks ago. Miss the car, but the truck is a much better highway daily. Also love the practicality of it.

 

Market research has shown that truck buyers are among the most image-conscious of all automotive consumers, right up there with luxury car buyers. They are going for a different 'image' (rugged/outdoorsy/tough/whatever), but they are seeking outward status via their auto nonetheless. I would argue that a guy trying to look 'tough' via his vehicle is just as ridiculous as the guy trying to convey wealth/success.

Besides, in many regions of the U.S. (rural and/or southern), 'upper crust' within a given peer group is attained with a new 4x4 with excessive off-road features that are rarely/never put to their intended usage.

 

If you are a "car guy" OP having any truck as your only vehicle will only lead to disappoint...And if you are into real performance (not marketing hype) i.e. handling, acceleration and flat out ass hauling speed forget a truck as your only vehicle...jmho....

 

Without slamming me, I am in the same position as OP. I have numerous private buyers coming to look at my 2014 328I this week. Once it is sold I will need to purchase a truck rather quick. I cannot decide between the 2016 Tacoma or the 2016 Ram. I know this has been spoken of numerous times on this forum but if anyone would like to give me some advice on why tacomas are better I would appreciate it. We live in Long Island, so I will mainly be using it to offroad on the beach, carry household stuff from home depot to home, house reno stuff to the dump and some light firewood loads here and there. Right now it is only my wife and I, however, kids will be in the picture in the next few years and I plan to keep whatever truck I buy until the wheels fall off.. I should also add that I will be commuting between Long Island and Queens which is about 27 miles door to door each way.

I will be emailing some dealers in NY as well as the Brigham Mass dealer and the one in Maryland that was spoken about in other threads about pricing, so if anyone knows of dealers that are negotiable and deal a lot via email I would appreciate it. I have been to various dealers in Long Island and I do not like spending 3 hours with them for no reason.

 

Honestly, the full size truck will be better in pretty much every regard except for being smaller for parking and narrower off road trails. Better power, more interior space, larger bed, etc. The primary reason I went with the Tacoma was to fit in my garage. That being said, if I could do it over again I'd probably go back to the Tundra. I had a 2009 5.7L CrewMax Tundra before this for 5 years and absolutely loved it, put 100,000 on it and not a single issue.

I would take a look at the CrewMax Tundra if you want a solid reliable truck with a large interior. But also test drive the Ram, F150 EB/5.0, Silverado/Sierra just to compare them all if you can. The Tundra is the oldest of the bunch and not amazing on gas, but it has a ton of power and space and the engine/transmission has been around since it's 2007 redesign and is a very reliable combo.



That being said, the Tacoma is better on gas and easier to live with size wise. It'll still hold a good bit in the bed with the tailgate down and kids and carseats fit fine in the back seat. The back seat is good up till you hit 6 foot, then it starts to be cramped, but I imagine it'd be a while before that happens . For off roading it's lighter, narrower, and super easy to find aftermarket options for. Grab some good tires and you're good to go. Lots of clearance and the power is perfectly fine.

 

Thank you for your insightful reply.

I should add that if I opted for the Tacoma it will be a DCLB SR5 and if I opted for the Ram it would be a Crew Cab 5'7 bed. The taco would give me a little more bed space, however, the crew cab of the ram is certainly larger and has more of the creature comforts. The overall length between the two will be within a few inches so length is not an issue but width certainly is. I have looked and read up on all of the other trucks and am def in between the ram and taco. I would go for the tundra but it is just way too big for what I need and I am looking for something in the low 30k range. Has anyone here switched between ram and Tacoma that can give any insight on one or the other. The wife likes the ram, but it will not be the wife that is daily driving it

 

Long bed is only 3" longer than the Ram's bed but not as wide

 

I could go back to a sports car in a heartbeat. Owned 2 Golf GTIs and 1 TDI over the last 10 years and sure miss the pure driving pleasure that they provided. Every highway on-ramp was an opportunity for FUN! Looking for a used Miata as we speak....

Only bought the pick-up to tow a camper and see the good ol USA which we did not want to see from a hotel room or an airport.

 

I'm coming from a G37s coupe, and I have to say I do miss my car. However, my car had some performance mods done to it, that I'll always miss. I've owned several Maxima's, not classifying them as super sporty, and now still have an Altima. I do have to say I appreciate the practicality of this truck and do not regret buying it. I've had the Altima and a SantaFe Sport to drive around so I've come to appreciate the power that the Tacoma has that the Altima/SantaFe doesn't. I gave it about two months before buying the truck and only driving slower vehicles, lol. I do love the truck quite a bit more than I thought I would.