In a quandary about 2018 white trd pro

I am almost 60 and have owned many Tacoma’s over the years and as recently as 2015 owned a red trd Tacoma Sport for a work truck.

My daily driver is a 2016 Ram 3500 Longhorn Laramie CC 4wd Cummins, bought 2 years ago and customized in preparation for towing a toyhauler and retirement. Health issues have forced me to close my business and retire thus minimizing mine and my wife’s income which eliminates the need for a 1 ton Cummins with nothing to tow BUT it is so comfortable and already customized.


We like to 4 wheel both in the mountains and at the beach, Tacoma would do much better at that. Tacoma would be cheaper on up keep and fuel but my hesitation is my Cummins is nice and roomy, very comfy and just plain bad a_ _ .

I am looking at the Pro’s and wanted to get some real world experience on their comfort etc...

I know every Tacoma I have owed over the years ( which would be 4) have been bullet proof regarding reliability so just am on the fence about the swap. I have an appt set up to buy a white one on Saturday in Charleston and it’s a 4 hr drive each way so can’t just run up there and drive.

I know I am repeating myself but just wanted some honest reL world opinions from some Pro owners. You guys can see how long I have been a member so just asking for advice. Truck in pick is one I am talking about.... has Amp steps, rims, KO2s , bumpers , winch etc...

 

What kind of mileage are you getting out of your Cummins? If you're happy with it, it might not be worth the trade.

 

Thanks Scott,

Lowest 14 to 15, average 16 to 17, highway between 55 and 70mph 20+, when speed limit is 70 it drops back to 16 or 17.

 

I think I would keep the Ram. It is going to be a lot more comfortable than the Taco just because of size, if nothing else. I bet the Taco will feel too small for you coming from the Ram.

 

You are probably not going to get that much better mileage out of a new Tacoma, maybe a little. I would consider these trucks a little too new to know whether they will be as reliable as previous gens, but they have had a couple of years to work things out, and it's still a Toyota. There are a lot of new safety gadgets and electronics on the 2018. They are not entirely new, just new to the Tacoma, but more things to break for sure. I keep mine turned off most of the time, at least the ones I can.

The motor is also new to the Tacoma, but it has been used on other models, although with different valve timing and fuel injection. A lot of folks that don't have one seem to hate on the 3.5L, but I actually like it better than the 4.0. It does take some time for the transmission to settle in -- it seems to shift at odd times at first, but either I have learned or the truck has learned and it is much better now at almost 1200 miles. Not a lot else has changed from the 2nd gen. Entune system is great, still learning everything it can do.

Personally, I love mine, but I have always driven Toyotas and have owned at least one or more of every gen of pickup and Tacoma and 4Runner. It definitely will not have as much room, but can also get through tighter places than your Ram.

 

I don't have a pro, but ya, as a previous owner, I am sure you understand tacos are not roomy. The Pro is definitely the bad ass stock of the taco. A lot of folks hate the auto trans, and if it was me, I would hunt down a 17, because I think the less the truck drives for me the happier I'll be. I bet you get better mileage towing with what you have now, over what you'll get with a taco.

 

It doesn't really drive for you, just occasionally beeps at you. There's a lot of construction and detours here, so lane departure was the first thing I turned off. There's also a curve with a turn lane where occasionally the crash protection thinks I am going to hit the car in the turn lane, and it beeps briefly -- but it never brakes, and it doesn't even have the capability to auto-steer. I like the blind spot monitor when I am on the highway. I am pretty sure the '17 Pros came with the Bilstein suspension that they are dumping for cheap lately -- the Fox suspension on the '18 is nicely done, so I would want that over worrying about driving aids that work as they should.

My biggest concern for you would be the interior roominess. If you drove one for work and were fine with it, you should be OK. I had a Tundra for a bit, and I actually prefer the smaller interior size of the Tacoma -- I can reach stuff better. Not to mention not having to park that behemoth in small parking lots.

Go drive it, go to lunch or dinner and think about it, and then go from there.

 

I haven’t been on here in years and yet you guys always give me awesome advice and insight. I am sooo torn, as you said I drove the 2015 while owning my current truck ..... even nicknamed the taco “peanut” and would look forward to using the Dodge when going out for dinner BUT loved the way the I could whip the taco around when parking BUT the Cummins is such an awesome beast cruising at 70mph down the hwy.

 

They have a used 2017 PRO (manual trans) at the Dodge dealership I bought my truck from and I am due for one of my free oil changes so I am going by there tomorrow, get my oil changed and drive the PRO for awhile.

 

That's a great spot of luck! If it's an MT, it may not last for long. Check back in with your thoughts.

 

I am going to ask a stupid question now....... it’s my birthday tomorrow (I will turn 58) so cut me some slack ....LOL

Is a Tacoma a young guys truck ??

I live in a rural area and it’s about 50/50 , the young guys have all the hot rodded diesels and old guys have the diesel work trucks. I fall in the middle because I tricked out my 1 ton truck because I am a car guy that had planned on buying a nice toyhauler to pull not because I need a 1 ton farm truck to haul livestock.
That being said if I buy this PRO I will probably trick it out as well meaning tires, front locker with onboard air etc...

 

If you want a tacoma to cruise effortless at 70 on anything other than flat ground I’d stick with the dodge.

 

Off topic a bit, but you don’t happen to live somewhere in eastern Lincoln county do you? Seems like I see a RAM like a good bit on Asbury Church Rd./27

Back to the Tacoma topic, it’s going to be hard going to the current power plant you have to the new 3.5L in my opinion. I went from a Tundra down to a 16’ Taco and then to a F150. The Tacoma is good with its self, but it left a lot to be desired (in my opinion) when towing the 4wheeler or boat. It did it, just not as good as I was used to with the Tundra and now F150. Granted it was never meant to be a tow vehicle, but I’m talking 3,000 lbs.

 

A light toy trailer would be fine occasionally, but if I was going to tow anything heavy regularly I would be back in a Tundra for sure. Yeah, you CAN tow with a Tacoma, but it gets a bit scary towing at its limit.

Happy Birthday, and no, older guys drive Tacomas. I'll be 52 this year.

 

What a small world, yup that’s probably me. We live in Iron Station right off 73 and am in Boger City and Lincolnton a few times a week.

Regarding power plant .... yes it will pull a house down but It is the farthest thing from being fast. As for towing I bought it to eventually pull a 40’ toyhauler but other than that have only towed my Teryx back and forth to Al Lane for service.

 

I live off Asbury Church near Furnace Rd. You’ve got one of the cleanest Ram HD’s I’ve seen, so knowing what you drive, my vote goes to keep it.

I had a white de-badged/de-stickered 16 Offroad on TRD 4Runner black rims and a dipped grill but now I’m usually in the old 4Runner more so than the Cadillac (F150). I know what you mean about the convienence of driving and parking the Tacoma (with it being smaller), thats the reason I drive the 4runner a good bit, that and door dings don’t scare it. Photo’s attached so when you see a bearded idiot waving at you from the 4Runner, you know why...

As far as speed, I wouldn’t get my hopes to high on the Tacoma being much faster. The new motors don’t make any money until they are at the top of their RPM range, so you really have to get in the pedal to make them sing... but once you’re there, they do pretty good.

Have you looked at a half ton at all? My F150 crew cab short bed isn’t much wider/longer than the Tacoma and has a ton more interior room and the ecoboost (“Gen 2” with 10 speed which may or may not make 100k miles) is a blast to drive.

 

Hell yes,Tacoma’s are for young guys....That’s why I drive one,I’ll be 59 in June!!!!

 

I'm older than you, so I certainly like to pretend it is

But really, I see a lot of guys over 40 driving them, so people won't look at you like you're dating a 20 year old.

 

Out of curiosity, if you plan on customizing the truck to your liking, why would you choose the pro over the offroad? Seems like a lot of money for parts you're going to change out

 

I like some of the things the PRO has and I like the idea of having a truck that is already tricked out. I will add witchin the first 30 days a small lift to run 285 Duratracs or KO2s, maybe a front ARB locker with on board air so when I air my tires down I have a setup that will not only run my locker but also has a 100% duty cycle to air up all 4 tires without stopping.
My Ram is almost paid off and has only 35k miles and they are giving much more for my truck than the Taco is selling for so I will be leaving with a new truck and a clear title.
If truth be told who doesn’t like rolling down the road and when people that see the “Pro emblem “ they will be thinking check that out ( if they know what that means).
One last thing I have watched many you tube videos that highlight the crawl feature only on the PRO’ and that seems pretty awesome. I saw one where they are comparing a 2018 ZR2 and a 2018 PRO. They buried both in sand and the ZR2 has front and rear lockers and couldn’t get out. They put the PRO in crawl mode and the computer monitored/tweaked the traction to each wheel and it crawled out by itself. That impressed the heck out of me.
I have had my Ram and as nice as it is fixed up I have stooped in parking lots to check out PRO’S on multiple occasions, Tacoma’s and Tundras both because I am a car guy first and foremost.