Long Distance Road Trips

Hi Everyone,

I am new to the forum. I have never had a Tacoma, but I briefly had a Highlander and I am very familiar with the Sienna but it seems that Tacomas are very different from other Toyotas.

I am considering to get an off-road capable truck to go on long distance road trips and camping trips. I have gone to a road trip in a Sienna and it was probably the best car for a road trip. Had plenty of comfort and a very smooth ride, but you cannot really go off the road in it. I also had a Jeep which was great for off-roading, but not so much for long distance trips. So I am trying to find the perfect balance for an off-road capable car that is also easy to drive long distance without getting exhausted.

Is the 3rd Gen Tacoma something that you'd say would fit that requirement? Would it be more like a Sienna or more like a Jeep?

 

Depends. I wouldn't stick anyone in the back seats of a taco. Its super uncomfortable. I would recommend a 4Runner if 3+ more people.

 

Tacoma is good for me with 2 adults and a dog. Backseat isn’t great for adults but can be managed if you’re willing to move the seats around a bit.

and to add, the 4Runner is great for more adults, but they don’t get the same mileage as Tacoma’s. They’re much heavier.

 

I have driven about 12 hours in it no problems. It's more comfortable and has more features than my old corolla, buy I made a few 1800 mile trips in a day and a half in it with no issues. I guess it depends on how far you are going, who you are bringing [spouse, kids, friends], what creature comforts you expect/need, and how it feels for regular driving. I know some people dont like the seat position and what not.
Edit: This is a subjective question, the older I get the less I think I could make 1800 miles without being exhausted.

 

The best road trip car I've ever had is my 2013 Corolla. I've driven that thing for 12+ hrs straight and it's comfortable as all get out, and had two other adults in it. My Tacoma is a near second, but as mentioned back seat passengers are going to hate it. I will also say the cloth seats in my Tacoma are more comfortable than the leather seats in my dad's Tacoma (both are 2018's). I've driven long trips in both and I'd be more than happy to do long trips in either.

 

My corolla was an 06, no issues. I HATE driving my wife's 14 Corolla long distance. The seat designs arent as comfortable.

 

I love cloth seats.

 

That's interesting. Mine is a 2013, so I wonder if they changed the seat design after.

 

Just googled it. 2014 was the redesign. Your corolla was the same as mine.

 

I have driven a jeep, silverado, FJ, and 6 other smaller vehicles for long trips (5+ hrs) I would place Tacoma in the uncomfortable category, but way better than a jeep or the FJ. Of course when you start modding, it depends on what you start putting on your Tacoma. Now that I replaced my suspensions for the second time (pretty picky with how vehicles ride), I am pretty comfortable for now. I just don't like the seat is kinda low or how much road noise you hear.

 

I forget about that. I like the 4 speed auto in mine. I drove a 2016 with the CVT and really disliked it

 

I love the way mine does on long trips. It reminds me of a big RWD sedan. It's great for eating mile after mile on the highway. My only gripe is fuel economy, but what can you even expect out of a truck?

 

My main issue with the truck is that it has a hard time keeping up at 80mph which is about the avg interstate speed limit in my area. A 9hr road trip in my Mazda will probably take 11-12hrs in the Tacoma. Comfort-wise, the truck is fine.

 

Huh?
I've got a stock 19 OR, zero problems holding any highway speed I've attempted from 55-85.
I've road tripped with a buddy on a hunting trip, loaded with gear, guns, and several big coolers packed with ice and meat, still no issues holding highway speeds.

 

I’ve taken mine all over the country with many days of 800+ miles. It’s been great. That being said, it was primarily solo travel or one other person. More than that it can start to feel cramped. If you are spending a lot of time on the interstate I much prefer the manual to the automatic. It’s a much better driving experience - I had 50k on an auto and just over 100k on my manual

if you have more passengers or cargo, I’d go tundra. The extra room makes a huge difference in comfort.

for long trips TSS and radar cruise is super nice.

 

I have a 12+ hour road trip coming up in a month. Going to stick two friends in the back seat.

I'm come to terms that it won't be bad for me and my wife, but going to suck for them. Also have come to terms that'll I'll be in the slow lane the whole way or will be dealing with <15MPG.

That's all acceptable though because I have a bed and tonneau which no one else in my vacation group has. So it makes my Taco the perfect road trip vehicle in this situation.

 

Comfort wise I think it's excellent personally. The only thing that sucks for long road trips is hearing that constant diff howl whenever youre stuck going 50-60 mph. I wish Toyota would fix it. Other than that, I think it's a great truck for road trips.

 

Many complain about seats and seat position. Some even modify that. Most who have this problem seem to 'know' in a couple of hours. The best suggestion is to try (extensively) before you buy.

It will never be Highlander or Sienna comfy.

Depending on you actual offroad use a Ridgeline might be worth a look.

 

Welcome to the forum - I wish you luck in your search/research. I echo some of the comments about the backseat comfort - not good, not horrible, but not great for long trips. I drive a lot - about 40K per year - I'm usually alone. We have a few vehicles - we have an AWD GMC High Top (Explorer) Conversion van - leather captain chairs, huge flat screen, every comfort...to be honest I prefer to take the Tacoma, but my family MUCH prefers to take the GMC. I find the Tacoma a wonderful ride - also great at highway speeds -we live around small mountainous terrain (TN). I also agree - IF I was not going to be daily driving so much - I would get the Tundra...bigger is usually better on long trips for most folks. That being said, I'm off road very often (we own a farm) and I drive a lot for business - I would HIGHLY recommend the TRD OR Double Cab...for me it is the perfect vehicle - off road capability, comfort, size and utility.

 

I think most mid sized trucks aren't comfortable for road trips. They're just tolerable and a compromise for other things