This isn't a Chevrolet, our first new truck.

So to start off when it comes to trucks I only know two letters G and M. My family and myself have had many many chevy trucks currently and in our past. That being said my GF and I wanted a body on frame midsize 4x4 SUV which GM doesn't have anymore. That's how we ended up at toyota looking at 4Runners.

Despite my dad only owning GM trucks since having multiple bad experiences with Chrysler products if you ask him what the best non truck he has ever owned he will tell you it's a 1988 4runner. This man has owned multiple Porsche and BMW products prior to that. That's what got us to look at the 4runner. We test drove a SR5 premium 4x4. The 3 things we wanted were: 4x4, sunroof, and cloth interior (las vegas, leather literally will burn you in the summer) we loved the 4runner with one exception the 4.0l is an old gutless pig IMO. this was yesterday we decided that would have to wait for the 6th gen. When we were leaving a tacoma pulled by and it got me thinking. I have a dirt bike and would actually love a truck bed again. The GF was 75% against the truck. When I explained the tacoma was near the same size as the 4runner and had all the things we wanted she agreed, begrudgingly, to test drive one today. Needless to say the second she got behind the wheel she was hooked. Toyota finance let us bring home their truck for the next 6 years before they will give us the title.

Well I have been very heavily made fun of for the past coupe hours because I was "GM or nothing" when it came to trucks up until today but there are 2 things I can't deny.

The GM midsize is ugly
The resale/reliability on the Taco is unbeatable

We originally test drove a TRD sport because I thought you couldn't get a TRD OFF ROAD with a sunroof. The second I noticed that wasn't true we drove a dark grey trd off road and loved it. We flogged it pretty hard on the test drive and decided we wanted a white one that literally came off the truck while we were there (unflogged lol)

The fullsize just didn't work for our lives currently. They are too big and ride too harsh to be comfortable for the GF as her daily. On top of that it will occupy too much space on our driveway since we have 4 other cars currently.

So here we are with our new taco. Looking to buy some rock rails.

 

You messed up.

Shoulda got a Colorado ZR2.

 

Welcome! Enjoy your new taco!

 

More Vegas Locals! Welcome! Good luck with the new truck! The 4.0 isn't gutless, it takes time to get used too, but if you're used to smaller lighter cars then I get it. Could have gotten the 4.0 and somehow scrounged up a TRD SC. It may have not been super fast but at least you wouldn't feel gutless anymore. Hopefully you can adjust with the new 6spd auto because thats a huge problem for some.

 

Welcome to TW OP @Lvgmman !

 

Yeah the constantly searching 6 speed is something I got used to in my 2009 pontiac g8 gt. Post tuning it was way better but still not great. So the Taco feels better to me than say a CVT at least but yeah not spectacular. Now that there are 8 and 10 speed autos the constant gear hunt of a 6 speed auto doesn't feel awful to me.

As for the 4.0l it just makes power different than I want is probably my issue plus 240hp/265tq or whatever it was in 4500lbs just felt like it made a lot of noise but felt like I was dragging a boat anchor. For perspective my daily is a 105hp 2006 scion xB but feels much peppy to me. My g8 is 670rwhp and currently shooting for 900rwhp. I know what I want to feel with my foot 9n the floor the 4runner just didn't do it.

Joining the vegas 4wd facebook groups withno intention to go off road for at least a year. This truck is too pretty. Thanks all

 

lol there it is, the 670whp g8 and trying to go 900whp, knew you weren't fucking around. If you were looking at the 4runner with 4.0, its 270hp and same tq as Taco 4.0 due to Dual VVT-i instead of single VVT-i in 4th gen 4runner and 2nd gen taco. But I understand, even 270hp/266ftlb tq in a 4500lb vehicle isnt gonna move much. And you are used to high reving engines so the 3.5 is right up your alley. I think you would have enjoyed testing a 2nd gen taco with the original 1GR-FE, alittle lighter so it feels as good as the new 3.5 in the 3rd gen just without major tranny "issues" and high revs.

Won't be pretty for long. She deserves a good run out on a trail.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Most people feel the 4.0L in the 4 Runner feels much stronger than the 3.5L in the Taco, so I'm not sure what your seeing that everyone else is missing? The 3.5L is a real dog unless you really flog it.

 

I'd have went 4runner..

 

Welcome to the TW, nice truck,congrats. I to was a Ford,or GMC guy. Then I got tired of fixing that stuff. I bought a 2002 Tacoma, with regular maintenance put 100,000 miles on it. Then put a timing belt and water pump, drove another 100,000 miles with regular maintenance. Sold the 02 for $8000, bought a 2015 Tacoma.

 

i too was a chevy truck guy. had a silverado and a colorado prior to my taco. It was my experience with a 1998 camry during college that really made me believe in the longevity of these vehicles. 240k on a 3.0 V6 when i traded it in, and it still ran awesome.

 

Congrats on the new ride, I like the Taco in white & in the OR trim...I've owned a few but not a 3rd gen. Not sure I will at this point.

I can't say I agree with you on 3.5 Taco vs. T4R 4.0. But I will add if you're used to BMW reliability & cost of maintenance/ownership, I think (hope) you'll be pleasantly surprised (even with the so far poor reliabilty reports of the 3rd gen).

 

Congrats on your new Tacoma!

 

So my question is about rock rails which ones are people going for and why. Looking for the protection of a rock rail over a step even though kind of the same thing. GF IS 5'2" and its slightly comical watcHong her get in. A hop is required for her to get into and out of the truck. Also not a fan of sliding across seat foams, possibly a hold over from GM stuff since they are prone to tearing and foam crushing fail quickly if you slide in and out of them.

 

Do you mean a rock rail as in a rock slider? One is hanging off the rocker panel just to help you step in the truck and the other is either bolted or welded to the frame designed to hold the weight of the truck off the rocks so that the sheet metal isn't ruined. If you drag a step over a rock it's going to get torn off and act like a damager multiplier while a slider won't.

 

Get out. Haha

 

I know a guy that makes some pretty sweet rock sliders

 

Exactly wasn't sure on the correct term I see both terms used but rock rails appeared to have step functions and sliders appeared to be geared towards body protection and not so much a step

 

@Shmellmopwho He fabricates sliders for all gens, doesn't ship unfortunately but if you're willing to drive up to Cali for a trip, you could easily pick them up.