Tacoma 2016 -17 transmission & power review

I think most Tacoma buyers are repeat Customers, so buyers are coming from a 1st or 2nd Gen and into a 3rd, peoples expectations were for a truck making more useable Low End Torque and Horsepower along with improved Fuel Economy.

 

Just finding this thread -

I too like my truck. Although I've owned several Toyotas, this is my first Tacoma. My previous truck was totaled(Sorry I know others have already read my sad story). I replaced it with a 2yr old 10K truck that immediately exhibited major issues. Fortunately I was able to return it. My friends drive and have owned multiple Tacomas and Tundras. I have been off road with them several times over the years. After the bad experience, I decided I'd put out the extra $15K for a 17 Tacoma convinced that they were bullet proof.

I don't claim to be an expert. I have, though, taken apart lots of engines and transmissions. I know how they work and certainly what they are supposed to do. The complaints here are completely valid. Toyota needs to correct these problems.

I have Rev1 on the truck. I agree that it significantly improved the shift points. But the engine and transmission still are not well synchronized at all. I've worked in the large corporate world. Personally I am shocked at Toyota's lack of quality control bringing this product into production. Japan had always set very high quality standards. That is how the conquered the electronics, photography and vehicle industries.

 

Since starting this thread over a month ago I have to update it with some new observations.

First I need to say I still stand by my original observations.

Shortly after writing it, I modified the ECT button to default ON when starting the truck. I have now driven it a little over a thousand miles in this configuration. I have also become more aggressive in my driving insisting the truck perform like other vehicles I have owned. No more "grandma driving". I am not burring rubber either but I am pushing hard enough to convince the transmission to hold the gear longer bringing RPM's up into the 3,000-3500 range just as my old 5 speed did. The result is the truck now performs. It still shifts through all six gears but now the sixth gear is more elusive and it goes there only on down hill runs. Even at high speed on flat land it may not shift to sixth as easily. I almost have a 5 speed again.

Shifting is still not always a smooth process especially on even subtle hills.

As a result of driving the truck harder gas milage has taken a significant hit. I never got great mileage living in a hilly area. Driving like grandma netting me almost 19 MPG. If drive on the flat valley floor I could get about 20.5 doing 75 or so.

Now my milage is about 15.3MPG on average in the hills.

So because I am pushing up the RPM's, I am wasting some fuel as I am not always driving efficentially. The truck almost never drops to 1,200 RPM range anymore. I am guessing the engine is not taking advantage of the atkinson cycle process.

The ECT will allow the truck to preform but you have to be on the gas.

BTW, I have had the ECM update r1 done, can't say it has made any difference.

It will be interesting to see if the engine/transmission type stays the same in 2018.

 

I think they rushed it to market to beat Ford and to not lose too much ground to the GM twins.

They cashed in on their brand's goodwill to get initial sales. Their next step is to fix these problems over the next year or two so it's bulletproof when the new Ranger, Frontier, and Bronco come out.

 

I feel your pain but I think we are stuck with this engine and trans for the long haul. Toyota does not make changes typically but maybe with enough customer push back and new competitors (Ranger? ZR2?) They'll be forced to do something better than the status quo.

 

I don't see them making any major changes either, if anything they may try to tweak the Intake or programming to move the Powerband lower in the RPM range but that may also end up hurting the MPGs.

 

Ranger has never been as good as a Tacoma and doubt the new one will be either.

 

My opinion on this is that the truck is geared too high in 5th and 6th and the shift logic and throttle map are not very good. People like to blame the EPA but no, it is Toyota deciding to set up the power train to max out the mpg on the EPA combined cycle. This is the manufacturer's choice. Unfortunately those choices don't work ideally in the real world. I think manufacturers get too wrapped up in the advertising battle as to who have the "best in class" this and that. I mean how many here would not have bought their Tacoma if the mpg rating was 1 or 2 lower?

I also think that the new motor would be fine if the tranny was regeared, at least to lower the 5th and 6th ratios enough to keep the motor in a sufficient power band to only require downshifts for significant grades or large throttle inputs at normal highway cruising speeds. It probably wouldn't take much but Toyota bean counters would probably not want to spend the $. But fix that and I would be happy.

 

That is part of it. The other part is the lack of "I want to go now!"response, from a stop. I've never had this feeling before in any car or truck.

 

Yes, that should be a simple throttle map issue with the throttle by wire. Just need to play with the gain curve.

 

Learn to press the gas pedal and that not wanting to go from a stop wont be there.

 

In a truck with 287 hp, if I mash the petal to the floor from a stop, there should be a little jolt backwards and maybe even a little noise from the tires. The trd sport that I tested had nothing. Just baaaahhh...

 

Ive got about 37000 on my 16 trd or. Its gutless and i cant stand it. When pulling out into traffic i have to account for a complete lack of get up and go, it sucks. I like the looks of it, i like the features, but i hate the performance. And i only average about 16mpg combined city/highway. I regret getting it, wish i bought a tundra.

The engine management, throttle response is terrible. Im hopingvthat some sort of a hand held tuner will come out in a year to help that. Theres no way i could trade this in without being killed financially.

I havent had any tsbs done, and i cant complain about the shifting really. My only gripe is the gutless, off the line, performance.

 

I dont get on this forum too much, but is anyone working on a tuner for this thing?

 

Mine quirks the tires not a spin out but a quirk and reached red line mighty quick after i floored it. I couldn't expect it to have done more for that size engine.

 

And then the trade off is horrible gas mileage from having to hold the throttle damn near to the floor all the time.

 

Where do you people come up with your info. You dont near about have to floor it to get good acceleration. Like talking to a kinder garden class.

 

A freaking prius has more off the line acceleration than this truck (i just experienced this last week).

So, if youre used to very low powered vehicles then im sure youd be happy with the performance of this truck.... but.... if youre used to full sized trucks, or moderately quick cars then this thing is a dog..

 

Mine is fine off the line picks up speed very well. To many people want this truck to be a drag racer. Feel like they got to get to the next stop light in record time. Did you not test drive it and determine then that it doesn't have the power you crave. Let it go if you dont like it and get you something that gives you the need for speed.

 

You're living in an alternate reality