What's the chatter on the 2018's?

Great post ECU4422. No excuse really for having drum brakes in a 2018 vehicle. But they are still selling like hot cakes for the 2017 model; so based on that Toyota doesn’t see a need to change.

 

I can't believe some folks are being so defensive of the drum brakes. It's ok to demand more from vehicles and manufacturers. That's how vehicles get better. If we don't demand better brakes (or better anything for that matter), why would they bother?

Wanting disc brakes like a truck from this century doesn't mean you can't still like your truck or think it's great. I love my Taco, but having drum brakes in 2017 (soon to be '18) is just ridiculous and embarrassing. There should be no defending it. Remember, even the YARIS has four wheel discs...

 

THIS

 

I just scroll on to the next post when I see the word drum brakes. Works for me.

 

I can't believe some folks are that nit picky about what brakes are on the rear of a truck, when the truck stops just fine.

I would suggest stepping away from this lousy Tacoma platform and buy a real truck from this century (whatever that is).

Or is it because all the "cool" kids are buying a Tacoma nowadays, and you don't want to look weak by driving another brand of truck.

In the 20 years of owning my 1997 Tacoma, never did wish it had rear disc brakes, especially because the Yaris has them. Its a truck, and it does truck stuff.

Even my 1997 F350 PSD CCLB 4x4 has drums on the rear. Stops just fine even carrying our 4500 lb slide in camper in the bed. In total between the truck, camper, and passengers it weighs nearly 12,000 lbs.

And so far I've been bery impressed with the stopping power of my new 2017 Tacoma TRD OR that I purchased this past Friday.

 

Because brakes are a huge deal. Not that our trucks brake poorly. However, disc brakes perform better, period. And yes, even just from a looks standpoint, it matters.

Again, it's not a slam on our trucks to demand better brakes. Nor does it mean our current brakes are garbage. There is still no defending the drums, though, as there is no excuse for them in 2017, when there is a better option. An option that is standard on pretty much every vehicle on the planet now.

There is a reason the Tacoma is one of the last US sold vehicles that has rear drums (I can't even think of another, but I'm sure there is one).

 

I'm guessing that Toyota doesn't feel that it needs to make the rear brakes better looking to make them perform. There is no disputing that disc brakes perform better, but does lack of actual necessity trump the value of return?

On the other hand, I am going to go out on a limb here and could say that all the other players are using the "we have rear disc brakes" bandwagon to get their trucks seen by potential buyers, try to collect on some market share.

We could be bitching about having the same 3.5L displacement as the Ford GT and the Raptor, but we don't get a turbo. Again, necessity plays a bigger role here.

Each to his own, I guess?

 

Disc brakes are not a bandwagon. It's been the auto standard (or at least majority) for almost 30 years at this point. Again, there is nothing wrong with wanting more for what we pay for. When the fucking Yaris has four wheel discs, but we don't on our much more expensive trucks, there is something wrong. Period.

It's not about necessity. It's about demanding more from manufacturers because that's the only way it happens. Defending the drums is a good way to never see four wheel discs.

 

I must the "odd duck" hereon TW.


I think the seats are fine, I am only 5'7" and 185lbs. There are more comfortable than the wife's KIA and the 1st gen Taco I traded in.
I get more than 30% better MPG than the 1st gen v6.
Head unit plays Pandora just fine.
Navigation, had not yet mislead me, shows every place I have gone accurately, and is actually envied by several of my friends and my wife.
None of the recalls have been a problem for me, thought I was on the differential recall. So far it seems like my truck was put together correctly.
I have a new truck, with warranty, Gas pedal makes it go, brake pedal makes it stop, back up camera shows me stuff behind me, sonar tells me to pay better attention to objects behind me, BSM sow me there may be something I can not see, cross traffic makes sure I look before backing into someone, I can do a LOT of mods if I want….
I think TSS would be a welcome addition, but I am not going to blame Toyota for waiting till after I bout mine to put it on the new Tacos. After all, I already know they have it in for me and that is the only reason why TSS was not on Tacos till after I bought mine.

I guess I did not buy the same 3rd gen Toyota Tacoma as most of you guys. I got a VERY nice truck from a company that has made a name for themselves for being dependable, reliable, enviable, and probably several other “-ables” I am not thinking of right now.

I think Mr. Fusion would be really cool too. Why is Toyota such a CHEAPO company and refusing me Mr. Fusion?!?!?!?

 

Too funny, yet so true!

 

The Toyota Tacoma wouldn't be so expensive of it weren't for all the bells and whistles that have been requested by demanding owners.
What did you think was going to happen when the truck turned into a smart phone+.

I highly doubt that Toyota will go back to hand crank windows, vinyl floors, more models available with a manual transmission, and all the other features that turn themselves on or off without user input.

But, if we demand it, then maybe the truck will be less expensive again to the point we could demand rear disk brakes and get some traction. Because rear disk brakes would bring it into this century.

 

Defending drum brakes is not the same as defending the Tacoma, it has nothing to do with that. It has been pointed out over and over that the weight of the vehicle shifts to the front when braking. Therefore, the rears are only doing 20-30% of the stopping. The rear can spin around to the front if you are on a slick surface and the rear braking percentage is too high.

Saying you want/need better brakes in the rear is like saying you want/need more cooling in the refrigerator because the freezer is colder.

 

No, saying we want disc brakes, which is standard on just about every car on the planet, on our $35-40k+ trucks is nothing like saying we want our fridge to be cooler. You gotta try harder than that...

 

I think it's a matter of people *not* demanding it. IOW, Toyota cranks out Tacomas as fast as they can despite retrogrouches like me wanting a less techie truck, selling all they can make to people who do want all that stuff.

The difference in cost to make a SR 2.7L/5MT and a TRD 3.5L/6AT isn't nearly as much as the price they can sell them, there's no reason Toyota should want to make trucks for people like me. It's simple business smarts, higher margins and profit win every time. I don't blame them for that.

I do think it's shortsighted to completely alienate your core customers, though. I've been a loyal Toyota truck owner from back when they did still just make simple, reliable, straightforward trucks. If they stop offering at least something then someone in the future might. I've said it before, I'm watching the new Ranger with interest and that's not easy to say because I bought a Toyota in the 1990s because my Ford was a pile of shit with a nice interior.

If Toyota isn't careful about chasing the fashion trends they may lose focus on what got 'em where they are and be left without the stylish buyers who came from the rice tuner scene to the overlanding one and will inevitably move to something else. But may not have anything to offer those of us who bought Toyotas in the 1990s and 2000s that are just now wearing out, needing replacement.

I was able to punt for a few years when my 1991 needed to be replaced in 2015, finding a decent used 2008. But it's not really what I wanted and took me a while to come across it. I had the money for a new truck, just nothing to be had in the configuration I wanted.

 

the tacoma wouldn't be that expensive if people weren't willing to pay for it. if they weren't selling, you can bet your ass they'd be dropping the price. something is as worth as much as someone is willing to pay.

 

Saying "I want disk brakes on the rear, because all the other cars have them" does not justify the actual need.

Exactly what AeroCooper was trying to say before: Trucks rear brakes are not playing a huge role in the stopping of the truck, so it isn't a necessity to put more stopping power back there than what is needed, just to say you have disk brakes.

Wanting and needed are not the same.

 

You are correct. Tacomas are expensive.
Each person purchases their Tacoma for their own reasons. Be it the looks, the drive, the features, the durability/reliability, what have you.

There are folks (like me) that would be perfectly fine with a new Tacoma that didn't have all the bells and whistles they have now, which do put a huge dent into what a new Tacoma costs. Clearly I was willing to spend extra to get the features I wanted, and adapt to the features I had to pay for without choice. It's all in the game

 

The problem with folks complaining ... Why no disc brakes? Why you keep puttin chrome on trucks? Why no Carplay or Andriod Auto? Why don't you offer deisel? Why can't I get a 2018 without TSS? Why do you keep raising the price? Why can't I get xxxxxx configuration?

All of these are just as @DaveInDenver and others have said. Toyota is selling Tacos like it is Taco tuesday everyday. Clearly everyone wants what they are puttin in them 'cause they keep buying them. Even the one's that whine and complain are buying new Tacos. from Toyota's perspective they are, as Charlie Sheen loved saying, "Winning".

If the majority of Taco buys did not want the trucks as they are, why are theybuying them?

 

Here's a question that I keep asking myself that will probably continue well into the 2025 model Tacoma.
How did we go from steel bumpers to plastic bumpers?

The upside to this dilemma is that we can change these out for aftermarket or build our own.

 

It's the same as it ever was, you end up building the truck you want anyway. Even back when Toyotas were plain Jane we swapped drivetrains and engines, did SAS, cut them up and remade them.