My thoughts to Toyota about the 3rd Gen Tacoma

Toyota says they got input from Taco owners when designing the 3rd gen. They never talked with me so I am putting this out there since I am a avid taco fan. I am not trolling but my comments describe what is wrong (in my eyes) with the 3rd gen. I have owned a 99 taco TRD for 17 yrs and 320k miles, I thought about upgrading to the 2nd gen but then I noticed the mudflaps were breaking off so I assumed Toyota was pinching penny's at the expense of quality. Finally bought a 16' TRD.

1. The 3rd gen taco is way too big, too big to be a serious offroader, the bed sides are too high to comfortably load items, too tall for mpg's, etc.
2. The 3rd gen taco is not aerodynamic. The load required to cruise at 85 mph (my speed limit) is much greater than the 99'. The manufacturers market how these new trucks are so aerodynamic, I think this is pure marketing hogwash. The difference between drafting and not is substantial. The squarish wheel wells are silly and have to catch a lot of side wind.
3. The giant grille and high hood ruin visibility and driver enjoyment. I don't buy the pedestrian crumple zone excuse. The front overhang is makes my truck longer than an F150.
4. The belt line is too high. Many American vehicles are using this chopped top look but it negatively affects the driving experience.
5. The plastic mesh grille covering the cabin intake needs to be metal, a mouse chewed thru mine.
6. What gave me trouble on my 99' was the plastic radiator, plastic washer fluid container, and drum brakes. The 3rd gen sadly does not improve any of those issues.
7. The 1st gen cup holder and door rest locations where perfect, the 3rd gens are all screwed up.
8. The mpg's suck. After 17 years of technological advancements, my 3rd gen gets 2-3 mpg less than my 1st gen with only a .1 liter increase.
9. Entune is not good, I would suggest just ghost the phone. Phone software changes so fast that a car manufacturer should not even try to make their own system.
10. The bed's plastic cubby covers and LED housings will not last long once I put a 1/2 yard of gravel in there.
11. The mud flaps suck, the flexible floppy panels that almost touch the ground have worked so well for Toyota in the past.

With that said, if my 3rd gen has the quality of my 1st gen I will be happy.

Finally, I feel the Tacoma has become too Americanized. As compared to the Hilux, the Tacoma favors form over function in my eyes. I can appreciate the "adventure vehicle" younger demographic and the need for some sexiness, but a fake hood scoop? Come on...no way in hell a Japanese guy designed that.

 

I'd take that over the one that chewed through $700 worth of my wiring.

 

brother. Been saying it was a turd since January 2015 or when ever they started showing it off and Mike Sweers lying about the details. Its half or more of a second gen with some new gimmicks. And yes all the midsize trucks are way too Americanized imho. There's no hilux/pickup heritage left in the so called midsize Tacomas, not in form, fit, or function. New so called Tacomas are more like the continuation of the T-100. First gen best gen ftw again and again.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but when I see threads like this it makes me wonder.. Aren't these things one would notice on a test drive or by just doing a simple Google search? OP, it sounds like you bought the wrong truck, but best of luck to you.

 

OP, are you and automotive engineer or designer? Have you worked wind tunnels and/or chassis engineering? Serious questions.

 

I agree. 3rd gen suxxors.

But seriously... I don't want one. I'd get a 4 Runner and mod it.

 

I have no wind tunnel experience and I am not an "automotive" engineer.

 

Yesterday I saw the huge difference of a tailwind. No wind my truck will very willingly drop down a gear or two for a very slight incline. Yesterday with a 20ish mph tailwind it was staying in 6th very comfortably, even uphill. Wind has a huge effect on the 3.5. Just a personal observation

With a headwind I'm lucky to be in 6th gear at all, even on flat ground

 

I waited and waited for someone to build a small truck I liked, no one ever did. The Tacoma is the best "small" truck IMO. Still too big and heavy but there is no competition. Maybe because of CAFE I dont know.

 

Sometimes the veil of Toyota reliability of yester year and smart advertising gets in the way of the truth. Nothing against any one who likes the third gen or owns one. Just my $0.02 that Toyota has been losing their touch in favor of electronic gimmicks and cheaper materials, but the price keeps going up as the legendary heritage is slowly taken away.

 

This^ i completly agree...

 

OP You are right on track. Power band is way wrong, this motor isn't going to last if it runs at 4500rpm a lot of the time, and cruising around town at 1500 rpm makes no sense at all. The shifting is terrible, coming to a rolling stop, turning and accelerating, like at a corner, the truck falls on it's face unless you are into it hard. You can't shift the trans in "s" mode above 5000 or it won't shift and goes past 6000 and into the rev limiter. Dealer tried this on two other trucks and it's all the same, Toyo says that's the way it is. Live with it.
In my access cab, wind noise is terrible. No insulation inside, noisy cabin vents and door seals that are not glued down.
Entune sucks and only works as advertised with Samsung (not Apple) phones.;-(
The body may make it 15 years like the 2002 Tundra I just sold for this Taco, but the powertrain will never go that far. And my 180,000 V6 Tundra would still run circles around this pig today. The engine makes funny noises.
Oh yeah, the plastic bed is a slip and slide for anything you put in it.
I'll get used to it. The ride is great, the AC freezes me out in Fla (very important!) .... although I do hear the refrigerant is some new concoction since 2016 and not many dealers are adept at working with the new machinery required for the refrigerant.
All this said, ride and tightness is typical good toyota, And still, yes, I like this truck.

 

I don't like the 3rd gen either that's why I waited and waited and in April of 2015 bought my second gen.

 

Here are my thoughts on these points, you can give me the later.

1. The 3rd gen taco is way too big, too big to be a serious offroader, the bed sides are too high to comfortably load items, too tall for mpg's, etc.

The 4runner from what I understand is a much bigger vehicle and looks to be a better off-roader than the Tacoma. Then again you wouldn't buy a Tacoma if your an off-road enthusiast as there are much better options out there.

2. The 3rd gen taco is not aerodynamic. The load required to cruise at 85 mph (my speed limit) is much greater than the 99'. The manufacturers market how these new trucks are so aerodynamic, I think this is pure marketing hogwash. The difference between drafting and not is substantial. The squarish wheel wells are silly and have to catch a lot of side wind.

You don't buy a truck to be aerodynamic.

3. The giant grille and high hood ruin visibility and driver enjoyment. I don't buy the pedestrian crumple zone excuse. The front overhang is makes my truck longer than an F150.

I came from an F-150 and personally enjoy the view much better on the new Tacoma, however to each their own

4. The belt line is too high. Many American vehicles are using this chopped top look but it negatively affects the driving experience.

I know nothing about this, carry on.

5. The plastic mesh grille covering the cabin intake needs to be metal, a mouse chewed thru mine.

Wouldn't know about this, had no pest issues thankfully.

6. What gave me trouble on my 99' was the plastic radiator, plastic washer fluid container, and drum brakes. The 3rd gen sadly does not improve any of those issues.

Don't really have any thoughts of this, kinda just sounds like nit picking, maybe not, IDK. Haven't experienced any issues.

7. The 1st gen cup holder and door rest locations where perfect, the 3rd gens are all screwed up.

Cup holders are fine to me, but YMMV.

8. The mpg's suck. After 17 years of technological advancements, my 3rd gen gets 2-3 mpg less than my 1st gen with only a .1 liter increase.

Again, it's a truck. Although I get you want some fuel economy out of it, but really...it's a truck.


9. Entune is not good, I would suggest just ghost the phone. Phone software changes so fast that a car manufacturer should not even try to make their own system.

I've heard a lot of people not like the Entune however my experiences are quite the opposite. I have had zero issues with mine and love it for all of it's intentions and purposes. You might just have a lemon.

10. The bed's plastic cubby covers and LED housings will not last long once I put a 1/2 yard of gravel in there.

Probably right.

11. The mud flaps suck, the flexible floppy panels that almost touch the ground have worked so well for Toyota in the past.

Again, I have had no issues with this, although I don't go extreme mudding in might, yet at least.



A lot of these issues just sound like being nick picky because it hasn't met your personal expectations. I understand spending almost $40k on a truck and you want want you expect, but...

 

LivinOnTheEdge, I have to agree with your points. OP, sounds like you are not happy with your Taco, maybe made the wrong choice? This is my first pick up truck, I did own a 2011 BMW X5 for a year, kinda truck, kinda SUV. I traded a 2014 Audi A6 and a 2010 Volvo C30 for my Taco, and I love my truck. It drives great, rides great. Yes, it has grown in size over prev versions, it's the size of last gen F150s and Silverados. I did not buy this truck expecting great gas mileage, but average 18mpg around town is not bad. And I find Entune to work great. I've had BMW's iDrive, Volvo Sensus, and Audi MMI. Entune is much better than any of them. Faster, easier to use.

Is there anything I'd change? I'd like yo see a V8 option, def would have bought that. I'd reduce e the grille size. And I'd make the seat cushions longer, thigh support is lacking. But, all personal choice. I'm glad I made the choice to buy my truck!

 

As the OP said in his reply to these questions...he is not a engineer, designer, no wind tunnel or chassis guru background....he is just a customer stating his experiences & views on the Gen 3 Tacoma. Many Tacoma Gen 3 owners have mentioned the same items and many more...However, many Tacoma owners have said nothing negative at all about their Gen 3 vehicles.

 

You seem fairly certain the 3.5 won't go the distance, has toyota had reliability issues in it's other applications?

 

This. I wouldn't worry about the engine, there are plenty of smaller displacement engines that run in these rpms, this way that go 200k+, its a lexus engine, Toyota isn't going to throw an unreliable (if they even make unreliable)engine in their resale/perceived QDR crown jewel. Is the powertrain ideal? Or ideal for truck owners? Maybe not but its not an unreliable POS fiat motor as some here allude to.

 

While I agree with this, you could say that about many other car manufacturers.

 

Yep. You should have seen the Ford debate. A bunch of people with no evidence/experience talking about how horribly unreliable fords were and still are.