Tacoma 2016 -17 transmission & power review

Does it feel OK power wise?

 

When you use the "Sport mode" I assume you mean the ECT button is engaged. Yes this will help keep the truck from shifting too early but it will also wind your motor up like a goddamned leaf blower.

 

I will admit, I absolutely miss the power of my 7.3 F250 I just got rid of. However I won't miss the gallons of oil at oil changes, the extra cost of diesel now, the huge school bus turn radius. I test drove the tacoma and knew for the most part what I was getting in too. I have just under 1300 miles on mine, and so far I am satisfied with my decision.

 

I think he means "shift mode." I do the same thing in all of my autos. My 4Runner has a 4-speed tranny and I'm usually running in S2 or S3 when going up/down a grade. When going up I'm using it to keep the tranny from hunting and when going down I'm using it to keep my speed under control without having to ride the brakes.

 

Yes, none of the issues the OP brought up. Generally keep the engine around 2000 RPM and shift at 3000. Definitely won't be getting the mileage of the automatic. Only had it for a month though and have not hauled any big loads.

 

I will add that the delayed throttle response is especially noticeable in the M/T (as you would expect). Once the engine decides to do something, it pulls pretty good (caveat - not at anything below 2000 RPM). As with the auto, you do have to mash the gas pretty hard to wake it up. At around 3.0 to 3.5K, you feel the first "power band".. then it flattens out for a bit, then you get another one at 4500 ish to redline. It's like a wonky dual stage VTEC kinda feeling. Anyway, it's fun to let it eat in 3rd/4th when there's plenty of room (highway on ramp).

Frank

 

The real problem is that people misinterpret the shifting and higher RPMs as hard work. It's not, though, it's just how the transmission is supposed to work. Other platforms are moving to 8-speed and 10-speed transmissions, which will obviously be shifting even more often.

Not shifting smoothly under load does sound like an issue, because mine shifts just fine.

However, it's not correct to say that the 3rd gen has too little horsepower. It has more horsepower and produces better performance numbers than the 2nd gen. The 6-speed transmission should be shifting frequently, because it should be making use of those gears to optimize your power and fuel efficiency. It may take some time to learn the throttle pedal mappings and transmission shift habits if you're expecting it to drive like an older, higher-displacement truck with fewer gears, but if you just drive the truck as intended and don't try to fight the gear selection then it's really just fine.

 

I can't stress this enough: Higher RPMs are completely fine. There's nothing wrong with the engine spinning quickly. Unlike older, less-efficient motors with narrower power bands, the engine does great at those higher RPMs. Don't try to interpret the RPMs like you would for older, larger, slower-spinning motors with narrow powerbands, because that's not how this motor works.

 

Agreed. And this engine does not "nose over" at high RPM, it keeps pulling. Breathes better.

 

That's fine in theory but sucks aesthetically.

 

The Tacoma literally has slightly more power (horsepower) than your 7.3L F-250. 275HP for the 7.3L F250 ('03) vs. 278HP for the 3rd generation Tacoma. It's easy to mistake the low RPM grunt of a diesel for power or the higher-RPM tone of the Tacoma as a lack of power, but in reality the 3rd generation Tacoma has a good amount of power for a truck.

 

It may have the power but it doesn't FEEL like it has the power. Real world vs. on paper. Torque on the low end lacks. You have to floor it to get the same "feel" that you get in the first 25% pedal application of vehicles like the 4Runner.

 

It's totally fine, even desirable, in practice. Keep the engine spinning slowly at cruise, downshift to higher RPMs to tap the power when necessary.

If you can't mentally get over the sound, then you could always trade out for something like the Colorado diesel. It has quite a bit less power than the V6 Tacoma and it's a whole lot slower, but it would be aesthetically pleasing to you. Or you could just turn your radio up and ignore the sound of the engine.

 

When I get stuck with a Nissan Versa at the airport rental car place, I expect to have to floor it to get the power going. I don't expect to have to do that with a $40k "state of the art" Toyota Truck.

 

So? Learn to push the pedal farther. If you keep driving the truck and expecting it to behave like a different vehicle, you're going to be disappointed. Practice pushing the pedal down to where you need it to be to feel that power.

 

See post #54 in this thread

 

Exactly! Like it or not, Toyota designed it this way for a reason. The truck is what it is and it's not going to change. You, the driver, need to either adapt to what the truck is or if you're unable or unwilling to do that, get rid of it and get something else.

 

I don't like it and I'm going to continue to have that opinion. Get used to it, adapt to it, do whatever you need to do.

 

I don't think there's a member on here who doesn't know that you hold this opinion. But you tend to frame this is a flaw with the truck, with Toyota, with the engine, or with anyone except yourself. The flaw is in your perception of the accelerator pedal, as you've admitted.

The truck has plenty of power on tap, and you literally only need to push the throttle pedal another inch to unlock it, which you find to be too burdensome or aesthetically unpleasing.

 

Flaw, imperfect, by design...whatever...it's how the consumer views the product. This is common feedback on this vehicle. I'm not alone. Hopefully Toyota gets the message and with increased market pressure from competitors as well as consumer will improve their product down the road.