Very dissappointed in test drive

What he said. The one difference that I noticed between the 17 LTD, the 05 TRD Sport and 13 T4R is on the 17, the cruise control while hold the speed, as opposed to the 05 & T4R which would let the speed drop 5mph and the downshift to 3rd. The 17 likes to downshift and doesn't like to upshift, but I'm getting used to it. ECT and S mode helps especially in the NM& AZ mountains.

 

I'm going to try a TRD OR with a manual at some point this week. If I don't like it then I'm going to keep my 13 until changes are made.

There's a chance I may try another SR5 auto to see if it's any different than the one I tried. I honestly would not have traded even if that's the way the autos are. Totally disappointed.

 

This is great thinking and also spot on I use the S Mode and ECT as well and think those perform well in a variety of situations! As for the sluggishness it's just what goes along with good gas mileage and like some one else said it's just not a muscle car

 

I found the same thing with the Gen 3 and bought a '13 Limited. Until something improves with the power delivery of the new trucks, i'm happy with the old ones.

 

Had two 4 cyl tacomas prior to this v-6....it feels like a four cyl. The transmission shifts a little funky but overall I like it. It pulls good in soft dirt, rides ok and gets great gas milage.

 

If you decide to try another auto please keep this in mind.

The 3rd gen truck now has two overdrive gears, 5 and 6 and the earlier versions of the transmission programming pushed for maximum use of the overdrive gears so you're lugging along at 1k rpms in 5th or 6th all the time to save gas mileage. As you speed up in the overdrive gears the transmission would have to either be slow to respond or kick down a gear or two to accelerate. In order to defeat accessing the OD gears 5 and 6 the engineers installed S mode so you can drive around saving gas with lower RPMs in D (ECO for lack of a better term) or just use S4 around town and S5, S6 or D on the highway.

If you don't want it to hunt using cruise control , use S5 with cruise on. The revs will be higher (about 3 - 500 rpms) than in D but the hunting will be less. if setting cruise on flat ground over 75, use D or S6 just remember at the higher gear it will still kick down depending on slope to maintain speed. Just like riding a multispeed bike and if you want to maintain speed, you might need to downshift to keep up momentum.

I've said this many times on the forum, I think a lot of the transmission complaints regarding shiftiness would not be so prevalent had they labelled things differently. If they programmed S4 to be "D" on the transmission selector, S5 as OD1 and S6 /D as ECO and a little light turned on the dash indicating such, people wouldn't be complaining as much. They would probably use D (S4) and OD (S5) all the time and think the truck shifts fine, when they set it to ECO they think the shiftiness is normal due to the truck trying to save gas at all costs.

But because everyone wants to set it to D and forget about it, people are complaining because in this case D doesn't drive like other cars or trucks in the past; most don't have two OD gears, they only one.

The currecnt TSBs removed the R-D delay and reduced the aggressiveness of accessing the OD gears 5 and 6 at lower speeds by extending some of the shift points but it will still climb to them eventually to maintain better mpg. To prevent the transmission from climbing to the OD gears at all S mode is still available to use.

Toggling between D and S mode is as simple as bumping the gear shift left or right at speed.

 

But also check those air intake hose clamps (10mm socket) for tightness, many on here on a different thread have reported them loose and may cause engine performance issues on some vehicles.
Then there's the recall on CPS sensors that if you have the early versions (before 4/16) or the vin is on the recall list could also be a cause.
I really don't have any issues, mine runs like a bat out of hell after break-in, and it just keeps getting better even after 22k I see no reason as to why others should have any problems once everything's checked to make sure is gtg!

Cheers!

 

While we're at it, let's complain about how new cars are all plastic and they don't make em like they used to when they were steel. Then tell us that story about how you had to go uphill in the snow both ways to walk to school. Now shake your fist and tell those damn kids to stay off your lawn.

I ditched my fairly loaded 2G (2013 MGM DCSB with 40k) for a 3G (2017 DCSB Sport Loaded) and never looked back. Having owned both, the 2nd gen just lacked too much and was far too dated, especially on the interior. I wouldn't buy a brand new truck to go beat the fuck out of on trails, but for a daily driver, it's not even close. 3rd gen the best gen.

Toyota sells more 3rd gens in a month than total people with all these alleged issues you hear about in TW. Perspective, it's a thing.

Flame on.

 

This is absolutely true.

My only disagreement with this statement is the idea that a double over-drive is the issue, when in fact it is the GEARING of the double over-drive...

Case in point: my 2011 AT had 5 gears. 4th was 1:1, 5th was 0.71:1. Driving up and down the highway at 75mph there was no "hunting" issues. If I went to the mountains or pulled a trailer, I'd always kick it down into 4th because I wanted to keep the transmission from hunting and burning up.

The new AT has 4th as 1:1, 5th as 0.69 to 1, and 6th as 0.55:1. It's not that people want to "put it in D and forget it"... it is actually just as you said... D utilises a useless gear. It would be better is 6th was selectively engaged (like an ECO mode) and not selectively deactivated with S mode.

OP, if you want a driving experience similar to a 2nd gen, get an MT. 5th is 0.85:1 and 6th is 0.71:1.

 

I had a 2G '08 regular cab 4x4 4 cyl. MT, very unloaded, didn't even have cruise control and you had to roll the windows up/down manually......which, I'll point out, some youngsters don't even know how to do these days! I think it went from 0-60 in something like 45 seconds. The 3G 6cyl, even with the reviled automatic, seems like a race-car by comparison.

I'd note that I might have gone for an MT if one had been available in a DCLB, but no joy. A long bed was more important to me than tranny type. I find that the auto works just fine, though.

 

There're plenty of vehicles out there with more speeds than our trucks that shift flawlessly. Toyota just did a bad job with the new Tacoma that's all there is to it.

This is the roughest, most unpredictable transmission/throttle response vehicle I've ever driven. I feel like it's about 10 years behind it's time. It's really the only thing I don't like about the truck, the rest of it is great.

I would listen to your gut when trying to decide. It may get better but not that much. Well developed modern transmissions don't shift like this. I would wait till they change something or look at another vehicle. Or if you like the manual, go for it. I'm wishing I had.

 

Very disappointed in repeated posting of the same threads.

 

Fify...

 

"twisting the truth" lol. Just got back from a weekend of wheeling and had no problem keeping up with some built up second gens and all I have is tires.

That said, I also have three pedals. I can tell you from driving a lot of cars though- no auto transmissions will ever shift exactly how you want them to. Get a standard, problem fixed.

These threads are so stupid.

 

Yawn. This is just like the Mustang dorks when the SN95 chassis came out to replace the Fox and then the S550 to replace the SN95. Or, the Jeep YJ dorks bashing on the TJ guys until the JK came out, now the JL will have the whole lot of them bashing on it. Inferiority complex is a tough one to live with.

 

Maybe the 2nd gen is overrated? 0.o

 

The bashing of the 3rd gen =SOSAD

 

A man's guide to purchasing a vehicle:

Test drive and inspect it.
If you like it, buy it.
If you don't like, don't buy it.

Any deviation from this process can only be explained by abnormally high estrogen levels and/or mental deficiency.

 

Manual Transmission = add Bonus points to Manliness rating.

 

Well shit!