New Guy Here from Michigan

Searching for Tacoma Truck, Hope I can I ask some questions.

So the whole gamut; SR to TRD. I would LIKE to get a TRD OR, but...finances could get in the way (long painful Jeep Story).

1) How many miles do you folks average say in any given month?
Does your PU do DD?

2) SR trim. Does anyone here know, in a SR vd TRD, how do they compare directly. I am not asking for statistics or link to equipment here. ACTUAL experience with both is appreciated, if it exists.

3) If it is a DD any regrets?

FTR I had an RAV4 2008. Loved it in the snow. Got 29 mpg. I know this is a different truck, love the looks of it, miss having 4wd. I do want to move west and get more active in camping and wheeling and so on. So thanks in advance for your input folks. Love the pictures I have seen.

 

3rd gen trd or have crawl control which is a neat feature, but thats about the extent of my knowledge on trd vs sr

 

Thx for the reply. Yea, I'd like to get a stick TRD off road. I am not thrilled with what I am reading about the automatics, mind you I need to actually DRIVE one first.

 

The TRD Off Road has supple/soft suspension that is more floaty and comfortable in my opinion over the Sport. you also get a Locker in the TRD Off road. Overall there are some cosmetic things on the Sport some people like but for about the same price point you get a lot more for your money with the TRD Off Road. A lot of folks complain about the ride of the sport as the suspension is "sport tuned" hitachi and it rides stiff and can be jarring from my test drive experience and from hearing others feedback. It would drive me nuts if I had to commute a lot of rough roads or take it off pavement for an extended period of time.

If you plan to mod the truck anyway, the suspension doesn't matter much but the Locker is still probably the most single valuable off road capability offered by the TRD Offroad that the sport does not offer (nor does any other trim but the TRD Pro)

Honestly if I had to go back I'd consider NOT buying an automatic transmission. I'd probably buy a manual TRD Off road. The automatic transmission is the source for most complaints on the new Tacomas....it gets tons of criticism not only from members here but also from national review sources (Car & Driver, etc).

That being said if I did buy an Automatic I'd probably just get an SR5, throw an ARB locker in it for $1500 and Bilstein 6112/5160s with 3 leaf progressive AAL for a very mild lift (1.5 to 2 inches) as this suspension combo provides superior offroad performance over what the TRD Sport and Off Road has to offer.

Average fuel economy for daily driving is about 18 to 19mpg with the V6 despite what the sticker says, that is real world data which you can find by going to Fuelly.com.... yeah some here are getting better and just as many are getting worse.

Search function is your friend. There are tons of discussions about this.

Oh and compare trims here: https://www.toyota.com/tacoma/ebrochure

 

If you want to do a lot of extensive modifications to your truck you might consider a base model SR like @moe2o4

Why pay all that money for premium suspension tires and wheels when you're just going to take it all of anyway and replace with aftermarket stuff?

 

Welcome to the forum, TRD Sport driver here. I've had this one almost a year and a half but I have been driving Tacomas for over 10 years. It is my daily driver and I average about 700 miles a month although I've also driven it on some long road trips. No regrets and I really enjoy the truck. It is an automatic and does well but I do miss driving a manual sometimes and might get one in the next Tacoma.

 

Been haunting the forums. Still on the fence, saw this the other day.

 

Nice truck, but the SR MAY BE THE route to go for me.

 

Mind you I see a 2013 in my area with 80,xxx miles or so. About the same price as a SR.

 

30k miles on my SR 5MT in my 8 mos of ownership, and it's a great daily driver. The convenience package is a must if you want a DD right away.

If you grab a utility package version, there are already well articulated tutorials for adding any convenience you might need (except the sliding rear window).

 

TBH the sliding rear window is a must for a DC. Thats one reason I lean to the access cab. 2018s gotta be coming soon...September I believe. Damn truck buyin bug.

 

I've had my 17 TRD OR for 10 months. I have put just over 20k miles on it with a few road trips and local commute. It is my DD and I enjoy driving it everyday. Sadly my air blower went out so I have no a/c, heat or the ability to defog my windows so I am currently not driving it and miss it every day.

To answer your questions:
1. DD, 2k a month average.
2. If going with the manual I would go with the SR and add a locker. I love my OR but mainly bought it for the locker and training wheels for off roading(multi-terrain select and crawl control).
3. No regrets. I expected to get <20 mpg driving most of the time and avg 17-18 in the city.

I have lifted it and changed out the tires, added sliders, front bumper, bed rack and RTT all affecting my mpg's and will do more with full skids and upgrade to 285's which will hurt my mileage even more. I dont regret any of it though I do question at times if I should have gone with the SR/SR5 with the mods I have done. I dont plan on upgrading the locker which was my main reason for getting the OR. The multi terrain select is a nice feature that makes driving in certain conditions easier but is not necessary. I almost never use crawl control and when I do it is not needed, I only use it because I have it and am still trying to figure out when it is really helpful. I have no experience off roading prior to purchasing this truck and since purchase I try and get it off road as often as possible.

 

SR manual is access cab only, and only in 4cyl. If you want SR double cab with 4x4, that is V6 (and auto) only.

The only way you get manual with a double cab is with TRD trims (V6 only).

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Yes, I believe that is correct. I wish Toyota would go to a different setup; manual available across the board, and a better motor (say the 4.0 ). I have heard good things about that motor.
I had a Rav4 that was a Rocket ship. It was the V6; and it hustled. It also got 29 mpg highway and I miss that vehicle. I just like something with some get up and go.
Maybe this is not the right truck for this?

 

Both of the available Tacoma power plants aren't known for that. While the 3.5L can move well enough, it's not set up like a traditional truck with low end torque. Gotta wind it up, and the power is there ... otherwise it feels pretty anemic. The 3.5L is a decent engine, but in a truck it certainly is agreed upon by the majority that it was a step backwards from the 4.0.

So, it really depends on what you are okay with. Can the 3.5L satisfy you? Maybe. It'll go, but you have to put the pedal down and keep it there for a bit. Perhaps this is how the 3.5L in the RAV4 was? I do not know.

A test drive will tell you all that you need to know.

The 2.7L is very similar, you have to wind it up to get power. 1st gear is pretty low, so it does have a pretty good shot of low end right off the bat, but then you have to wait for RPM's in the ensuing gears to get back in the groove. It does a much better job than one might think. People on here knock it all the time, perhaps to indirectly justify to themselves on their decision to spend more? Who knows. As an 2.7L owner, it's not as "gutless" as many make it out to be.

 

Thanks for the response. The RAV4 was a rocket ship, very quick on the street and good gas mileage. The 2.7 is the unknown for me, but it does sound very dependable, is that correct? Not a troll, just commenting on what I really don't know. I like the looks of the Taco, can use a pickup. I should get what I'll be happy with, but I may have to wait a while.
Buying used is another option of course, is the 4.0 a bit more responsive? I had one in a jeep a long time ago. Motor was great, when it ran.

 

Oh yeah, the 2.7L/2TR-FE is tried and true and in its 12th(?) year of production? There were minor upgrades in 2015+, but no issues have popped up so far.

A used 4.0 would be a wise choice, IMO. If you value performance over modern interior features, definitely go with used ... or maybe even look at a new or used T4R (which still uses the 4.0). Obviously, the T4R might not work if you need a truck bed.