3rd gen tacoma is a dog

Should be a Friday Post.

 

I guess you didn't do a test drive ?

 

There's nothing wrong with the tune or the drive train. If anything the AT is geared a bit too high (which can be resolved with S mode or a regear). But also, the too-high gearing is magnified when you fit oversize, heavy tires.

The motor makes good power but too many people are stuck in the '70s and think their engine should never spin over 2200 rpm. Thats not how modern engines operate. A 6500rpm redline engine was practically unimaginable back in the day. So was the idea of 200,000 mile maintenance free motors.

You are doing far more harm to a motor by lugging it than by letting it spin up. As a general rule of thumb engines are happiest at about halfway to redline.

 

Should of got a manual .. I traded my auto after only 3 months 18 Tacoma .. shifted like complete garbage. Constant buzzing in the steering wheel at 2k rpm . By far the worst automatic I have ever driven . Got a manual and the gave the auto big middle finger . Love the manual .

 

Yep, sounds like you should have got a Tundra if you wanted 80mph cruise with a lift and the highest gear. I bought my truck knowing it was doggy. But it redlines at what? 7000 RPM? Max HP is rated at 6000.

I'm in aviation and there was a similar problem with geared engines in some small airplanes. People thought all piston airplane engines were supposed to run at 2400rpm in cruise but these geared engines were designed for 3000rpm+ in cruise. So people ran them slower with higher manifold pressures. What you got was a lot of low powered airplanes with engines failing too soon.

Our trucks have essentially a car engine in a truck. Trust the engineering and allow some higher revs when needed.

I drive a 2020 V6 MT completely stock. I have 21,000 miles on it and it's still fine for me. I live at 6000 feet in the hills. I cruise 80 on the Utah highways in 6th but shift to 5th or 4th on the smaller roads when there's a big hill and I'm doing 65. Drive it like it's intended and it will be okay.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who realizes this. Subconsciously, some are comparing apples to oranges.
Modern vehicles are aggressively tuned with efficiency and reduced emissions being absolute top priorities. It's always an option to buy an older vehicle, if we simply cannot handle the way things are,,, in the here and now.

 

Exactly! Pull up the specs of a '70s 350 V8. It's the same numbers as our tiny 3.5s, but we enjoy double the gas mileage and amazing reliability.

And the 4.0 wasn't a powerhouse either. I much prefer the 3.5. It's a peppy, fun motor that wants to run as long as you let it stretch it's legs and spin up. You can feel when it comes into the power at around 3k rpm.

 

I with you, OP. I didn’t last two months with mine. Driving on the interstate was absolutely intolerable if I was going farther than about 30 miles. Just a miserable driving experience for a modern $40k vehicle. A lot of people here like it. It leaves me scratching my head. To each his own.

 

Put it in S/Sport or use ECT. If you're used to how many posts there are like this you should know the remedies, drop the complaints and drop the sarcasm and use a proper remedy that doesn't include tuning or selling your vehicle if you like it so much or can't afford to get into something else. No one is going to take this post seriously - again that's something you should know if you've seen the other 5000 posts about "third gens are dogs".

 

Hahahaha. I had an old Fronty and you could not be more wrong.

 

Anyone old enough to remember the 90 hp 22R?

 

LMAO!

You need to have the 062 TSB done.

 

But these things are worth their weight in gold right now, never going to be a better time to dump it.

 

Not quite but there's a 1992 Toyota Pickup with a freshly rebuilt 22R-E on my property right now. 3" body lift and 33's. I like that truck. Oh wait, I guess that just proves I am okay with low powered vehicles.

 

Yup! 1984 speed demon (down hill with a tailwind!)

 

I remember in '85 Toyota came out with a turbo 22R with a whopping 130 hp.

 

We never thought a thing about power back then. Both of my Mazda B's had less than 100 hp

 

Besides, what's wrong with being a dog? My dog isn't very big, but Lord, he can run!