MotorTrend comparo: Colorado, Ridgeline, Ranger, Tacoma

I am well over 6'/190# with normal torso/legs.....with my sun/moon roof, I am still several inches below the headliner. The article expose is beyond me!

 

I dont get it. Ridgeline is a chopped minivan.

 

6'5" here. I don't touch the overhead but I can't see shit in the 2nd and third gen. That mirror is so damn low and the seats sit high. I agree on one point in that reivew; the seats need adjustable height. And no reason not to; my 1999 Accord LX driver seats has adjustable height!

 

There are mirror extenders for both the 2nd and 3rd Gen:
http://www.birddawgindustries.com/tacoma-mirror-riser.html

I have this on mine. Big improvement.

 

^^^ THIS ^^^

Toyota apparently has not directed enough $$$ to MT this year otherwise they would have come out on top. Just my .02.

 

LOL - the wife hates the "dip" in the front suspension when you tap the brakes, i keep telling her ADS/Kings will fix it!

 

You are 6'5" but the reviewer was only 5'9", I can see it being a problem from your perspective but not at all from the reviewer.

 

Thanks for the link, good article, basically correct. No secret the Tacoma seating position is poor, and the motor/ trans. has major issues. I've ordered the OV handheld, so maybe the OV tune and an intake and an exhaust added to my Tacoma will get it close to the factory 308 hp of the Chevy? Why should Tacoma owners have to go through all that just to get the same as what the Chevy is stock? The only reasons I bought the Tacoma was when I bought, the Chevy didn't have a sunroof, and the Chevy rear seat folding still is horrible compared to the Tacoma rear seat which folds down lower and has a hard surface on the back. I like my truck, but no question some of the other manufacturers are doing better in some areas.

 

I remember it well. My girlfriend at the time got one. I tried to dissuade her.
Unproven, I said, and what about servicing? But she wanted what she wanted.
It wasn't long at all before she realized the mistake. Really BIG mistake.

And I also remember how it was touted at the time by MotorTrend.

They have no more credibility than J.D. Powers.
Speaking of which, what does "Initial Quality" mean?
Answer: Nothing. J.D. Powers is a marketing company, nothing more.
Similarly, MotorTrend is about garnering eyeballs for their articles.
By the time it becomes clear that something they touted is junk, years have gone by.
And few remember by that time.

It's like the saying (often attributed to Mark Twain):
"A lie is halfway around the world before the truth gets its shoes on".

Anyway, that article. So it's at a farm sanctuary and the steer is chasing a Ridegeline.
Irrelevant tripe. Word padding so he can get paid more.
You know, it's not worth going into any more reasons why the article is crap.

 

The OV tune will get you close, or go buy the Chevy....... but don’t come back complaining when that 3.6 needs timing chains and is using oil.

 

Well said, Brother.

 

I drive a 1st gen.

Big improvement.

 

Nevermind.

I wish I snagged a 1st Gen back in the day.

Well, there is a partial solution out there for you when you take the leap. Just get the MT and avoid most of the crap that they whined about in the article.

 

I remember my boss back in 83 or 84 buying one of those Alliances, was a steaming pile of shit that was always getting towed back to the dealer.

 

I rode in a third gen and thought the ride, engine, transmission, and pretty much everything (except my ability to see out the windshield) were great. I was very impressed. But as everyone else is conlcuding, I have a feeling GM is trying to buy life support as bankrupcy is knocking on their door.

 

Ha! I rode in a 1st Gen once. We kicked around the idea of one but could never justify it until the offroad bug hit with my bikes and some Gambler 500 fun. So, the Taco finally happened.

GM has never stopped dropping the ball, just like Chrysler / FCA. I just don't understand it when they show some good but all too rare sparks. My worry is Ford. They nailed it when the others went bankrupt. Now, they are looking more and more like freaking GM.

 

Same. The current perspective of what makes for a good truck doesn’t align with mine, so no worries. The demographic and criteria has changed, and the trucks have evolved from immortal off road utility vehicles into rolling la-z-boys, entertainment systems, and day cares.

 

I agree with everything they said about the engine/trans BUT I like the brakes on my truck, they've worked perfect from day one and, while the cabin is a bit small for me (6'3", 230) my head has plenty of room if I slightly angle my seat back but I have jammed my head into the door jamb while getting in a few times.
My next truck might be the upcoming new Tundra just for the sake of size, as long as they don't completely crap the bed with the engine/trans like they did the Tacoma.

 

Note that Toyota made a change to the brakes on the 2019s for more initial bite. I'm betting that is where the comments came from?