I went and test drove a 3rd Gen..

I kind of like how the manual is set up in the mid to upper range, makes for a funner ride. If I was towing or off roading would be different though.

 

How the hell does op get all this dam attention though

 

Because everyday is Friday around here.

 

You havent purchased one or more after market accessories after buying your truck?

 

Those of you who think the tacomas are slow, go find a 89-95 4x4 toyota pickup with a 4 cylinder auto tranny and take it for a ride.

Last I saw the 2nd and 3rd gen's were posting 0-60 times in the 7.5 second range during testing. Not slow for a truck.

 

It's not that Tacoma's are unpowered, it's that every other car/truck out there is overpowered.

 

Yes I have aftermarket accessories but I also drove it long before deciding what I wanted to improve on it.

There's a difference between adding aftermarket accessories after owning it and deciding you don't like how the truck drives before buying it.

Has he even driven a truck with an OV Tune to see if it will correct his complaint? He's complaining about acceleration, not what bed rack he wants to add.

 

Why are people so weird about high rpms? Like seriously it is so annoying.

If you had a Mustang gt350r you would say the same thing because that doesn't wake up until like 5k and you should shift it at 7500rpm for peak power. I can't speak for people with auto transmissions but with the manual find the torque range chart and shift off of that. There is 4 entire threads about the OVTune. Even with the tune these engines like and are designed for higher rpms

 

Just saying, consider the 2.7. It has low end torque! not much.... but it does!

 

I drove a 2016 F150 with the 5.0 V8 company truck for three years and it was quick and averaged about 22 mpg but it's a Ford and seemed to always have issues. When I would get out of the F150 and into my Toco it felt like I was dragging a boat anchor behind me but I bought the Toco for the reliably and resale value not for the 0 to 60 performance.

 

Says the attention whore driving a Dodge Avenger.

It's sad that you actually had to point out to someone the difference between adding an accessory and fixing a drivability issue....

 

is the goal to keep this dumpster fire going until Friday?

 

S2k FTW! Those powerbands were amazing!

 

Just buy the truck and get OVtune

Feels better than 2 second Gen

 

Funny. The squeaky clutch has been around since my 1980 Toyota pickup. Don’t understand why it is still an issue. I have had 11 Toyota manual trucks since 1977 and several of them squeaked.

 

I've been driving Tacomas so long now I've gotten used to it. We bought a 4runner for the wife and noticed that it takes much less effort to go and power comes on earlier. The Tacoma still feels faster overall though.
Well, I was feeling a bit cramped in the Taco so I figured I'd give the Tundra another look. That was a pleasant mistake. I had forgotten what torque really feels like, not like go fast torque, even though the Tundra has is. I had forgotten how enjoyable driving feels when the truck actually has power.

Now Im buying a Tundra.

 

Loved my s2000, always felt like the MT Tacoma had a S2K-like power band. Have to rev the piss out of it to get it moving, power comes on about half way through the RPM band, aggressively short gears to help it move. Obviously the S2k was faster though.

 

Dragging a boat you say? Hm interesting

 

This is interesting to me because I find my 3rd gen all around quicker than my 2nd gen (also should note I bought basically the same truck configuration). It is different but I think all positive changes.
To answer your questions..

It does takes some getting used to and you have to be comfortable with where the power-ban comes from, but once you do that manual can really go. It feels wrong coming off a second gen because the shifting had to be so specific and was almost the opposite.

I thought that second gen drove like a tired dog and kind of sounded like an old bus. The third gen however, has actual pep and quick shifting response. You just have to hit it right. I also think the shifting feels better in general. You should take it in heavy traffic... it's fantastic. The idle points are incredible for a truck. I can leave my left foot on the ground and chug along at 2-3mph in first with out doing the clutch dance. It does not buck or stall like the previous generations or other manuals. Off roading is also great for the same reason. I had the truck pull me up a steep incline all on its own.. just let it go at 5mph and it carried me up like I had crawl control. Once you find you're rhythm the thing is a freak beast.

You will also 'hear' it less because they actually dampened the interior so you can hear your passenger and not yell at them on the highway. My second gen wasn't loud because the engine was roaring it was just loud because you heard all the road noise.

It sounds like you like Tacoma's and driving in general. I think you will actually enjoy the truck once you get used to it. Don't knock it so hard yet. I can tell you I don't miss my second gen at all... and I cried when I traded it in (yes really, that truck literally saved my life once). Bonus will be that you're wife will prefer the new updated interior too