Feedback on ride quality and ergo on 3rd Gen

Hey all, I have a 14' Ram that I am in the process of reclaiming from my son. I am contemplating getting a Tacoma as a third car and he would be the primary driver. I have had a tacoma but probably 15 years ago. It was bullet proof, but for me, it had poor ride quality and it was just uncomfortable for me at the time. Wondering if the latest model has improved over the generations? Also, what package is best bang for buck and resale? I would want a V6 Quad cab long bed, tow package, prefer groovy stereo, bluetooth. Maybe 4x. TIA

 

New tacos have better ride quality but seat comfort has been a split issue... some like it some don't. Seats do not have height adjustment and no power adjustment. So that is a point of contention and criticism

 

Im loving my TRD OR so far, however, it is my first truck ever. My last car was set up for autocross on coilovers, so anything would have been an improvement in ride quality.

 

Go test drive one and see for yourself.

 

Hard part about comfort from a test drive. World of difference driving truck for 20 minutes or 30 minutes vs a 3 hour or 8 hour road trip.

 

They've come a long way in the past 14 years....

 

A lot of comfort or lack there of comes from your personal physical condition too. For me, leather seats were the only option since I have a bad back and from experience, cloth seats tend to be less accommodating to me. The whole test drive won't tell much either as already said. 20 minutes in a truck isn't the same as an hour or longer. I drive to my property frequently about 2 hours away and have minimal discomfort though if that means anything.

 

I have to say the new Taco ride is terrific! Road trip from Spokane to Tucson was a real treat. Reminds me of my FJ W/OME heavies (AM bumper and winch).

Gotta go see for yourself though. To me, smooth as can be

 

If ride quality is a big concern, I'd say it's the least attractive part of owning a taco. It's a light in the rear, live axle leaf spring truck; so compared to a car with any sort of decent suspension set up, it's going to feel like riding in an ox cart. Your Ram will probably feel like a limo in comparison.

Taco's are really great for their purpose, don't get me wrong, but a nice ride is simply not part of the deal.

I'm not sure if there is any bad configuration as far as resale; all have their fans.

Keep in touch after post #1 and share your test drive experiences!

 

I think the TRD Sport rides like an ox cart. That's why I went with the TRD OR. However overall your assessment is spot on.

 

Thanks for the replies, I am definitely going to test drive in fact I may do it today, but I agree a test drive v. a typical day behind the wheel driving 100+ miles on combo of surface streets and highway are two different things. But, its a 3rd car, and even my son, while he drives frequently its mostly around the hood. I guess as far as packages, I would prefer the most streetable. My previous Taco was a TRD and it may have seen a few dirt roads and a newer one would be the same story. I just want it to be ok, if its too uncomfortable and I wont drive it at all, taht would be a problem. Also like it if wifey would drive it, she wont touch the Ram even though it has excellent manners and does ride exceptionally well.

 

I'd get the SR5. It is a great balance of performance for value and comfort. However i would personally wait as there are too many lingering issues on tacoma right now that Toyota has not addressed completely or are in process.... no time table for resolution. Also if it's a 3rd car why do you care so much about comfort????

 

I get what you're saying. My way of testing driving a car is that if there are any small issues that crop up, those will be magnified 100X on a long trip, so I try to pay attention to everything and not immediately write off anything that immediately bother's me.

 

What lingering issues? I have "old man syndrome" and I am picky about what I drive. The Ram is a great truck and I dont even like to drive that all that much. And I have a 911 that I like to drive and is pretty comfortable too but due to a perception issue, I cant show up in front of my clients in an expensive car. So I have a handful of cars that I rotate through including a retired state patrol car. : )

 

Leaf Springs, Rear Differential Premature failure/wear, Crankshaft position sensor failure, and others. Just look through the forum and browse the titles.

 

Hmmm, you are correct. There is a TSB on the trans too? Wow very un-toyota like. I have only bought two new Toyota trucks, a Tundra and the tacoma and neither had ANY unscheduled issues. I think once I got stranded with a dead battery but thats it.

 

I test drove the truck. It sure was nice. The drivetrain is much refined. It rode well over minor road imperfections and was quiet. It's very appealing. However, the seating position is exactly as I remembered, the seat is low, close to the floor and has somewhat limited movement. I could not find a comfortable position. Over larger irregularities in the road the car has a lot of movement, jouncy as iLife to call it. The materials inside the truck feel cheap too. By comparison this is not a cheap truck. My Ram, while its ticketed at 41k, I only paid 29k. The taco stickered at 35k and I know they don't discount them 10k. I believe you get a really great truck from Toyota, form, function, reliability and resale, but you pay a fair price for it. Thanks for the input and advise!

 

I love the ride and handling of my SR5 and I've had 6 Toyota trucks...

That being said the ergonomics of the seating position in relation to the steering wheel is not nearly as comfortable as any of my past trucks...

In my humble opinion this is definitely the worst of all of them as I feel like I have to stretch my arms out too far to reach the steering wheel, or fold my legs up under the dash to rest my arms in a comfortable position.... I bump my legs on the bottom of the steering wheel every time I get in and out of the seat.....The wheel should tilt up & down more and telescope a lot more also....

Not a deal breaker though, just an annoyance.

 

I currently have a 2013 SR5 DCSB V6 and have driven it on several long trips. I have always been happy with the ride.

When I move to the next generation, I would be happy with another SR5. However, unless something changes I can't get a moonroof on the gen3 SR5.

I was planning on getting the Sport but it seems the Limited might be a better choice for a ride similar to my current SR5 Prerunner.

Anyone here done some trips in your gen3 where you did 8-11 hour legs? Which trim level do you have and if by chance you upgraded from a gen2 SR5, your impressions on the differences would be appreciated.

 

I can't speak to a 2nd gen vs. 3rd gen comparison, but I have a 2016 Limited. For trips of about 5 hours I find it really is less of an issue of suspension and more of seats. The seats seem to have lots of padding, but are less comfortable than much thinner seats in say a Honda or my wife's Highlander. The rear end stutter only comes into play for me on choppy on-ramps under acceleration where the rear end won't settle. At highway speed it smooths out and is a pretty nice ride, but like your 2nd gen, you know the live axle is there reminding you its a truck. If tech, dual climate control, and heated seats for the wife were not an issue I would think SR5 and money saved for mods.