Comments and Suggestions, never owned a Toyota

Not really, engine, drive train, brakes and body panels are all the same across all trim levels. That base Tundra can have a V8, rear disc brakes, tow a trailer with two tacomas and be shorter than a Tacoma long bed doublecab. It would still be more of a truck than the Tacoma.

 

Still opinion. Don’t need, don’t want a tundra. My son has one and can’t go on some of the trails I can go on so I look at it as a “lower rung” truck...point being it’s all opinion I guess...

 

Different needs doesn't necessitate being a "bottom rung" vehicle. If I'm buying a mid size truck, chances are I don't need to tow 7,000 lbs or fit 6 people inside. But at the same time, I'm also arguably going to be able to go more places.

 

You guys certainly are sensitive about your Tacomas....

Like I said before they're good trucks for a lot of things but they aren't good at everything trucks do.

Many of you think bottom rung as being "cheap" or "bad" and it's not, it's just the entry level, first rung on the ladder of the Toyota line up. If you want more features the Tacoma doesnt have you need to consider going "up" the ladder to get them. Those features would be larger engines, more interior space, rear disc brakes, powered passenger seats, more hauling and towing capacity.

I've been driving them for for 35 years and the Toyota pickup truck and later called Tacomas have always been the first rung on the ladder up.

 

Correct, "cheap" and "poor quality" are what most people think of when they hear "bottom rung." Again, different needs doesn't necessitate "bottom rung" in my opinion. Especially considering the Tacoma outsells the Tundra more than 2:1, making it the bread and butter for Toyota in the US market. If I needed a V8, I would have gotten something with a V8. But I valued better MPG and being more nimble over having a V8 and more cab room. But my needs are different too.

 

Semantics...... Tacomas are still the entry vehicle in the Toyota truck line up.

 

Do you consider the 4Runner a truck? We have a Tacoma and a 4Runner and the Tacoma has way more features. The 4Runner doesn’t even have blind spot monitoring. It’s far more “bottom rung” than the Tacoma, Still like it, just trying to understand your logic and just can’t.

 

Tacoma outsells tundra because the tundra is a 10 year old truck. They flat refuse to update it and the sequoia. Meanwhile ram is selling 650k trucks a year now. I have considered tundra for years but the massive fuel economy hit means over 100k miles your spending over 3 grand extra in fuel. For the longest time you couldn’t even get integrated trailer brake control. I have no idea the thinking. Update the tundra and sequoia. Keep the v8 and put an 8 speed Aisin trans behind it. Done. The would probably sell 300k per year and 150k sequoias. One has to think they are ok selling camrys

 

4Runner evolved from the Toyota truck and is still body on frame construction, the only difference was it lost the bed so it's more like a Jeep or the older Blazers, Bronco, etc. It can be considered a truck based on it's origins but since it's an SUV that lineup also includes models based on a car platform. The SUV ladder is RAV4, Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia then the Land cruiser. Some might even list the Highlander over the 4 Runner as far as options available between the two platforms.

Again, it's not about cheapness. Name a Toyota truck that is more entry level than the Tacoma. Maybe if Scion were still around and they badged a single cab 2wd 5 lug truck based off the RAV4 we would have a lower rung on the ladder but they didn't.

Are we done arguing that somehow the first rung on the ladder is not the bottom rung?

 

I came from a 2001 tundra v8, sure i enjoyed the low end torque, and wider 4ft bed, but in the end it was a gas hog. If toyota ever built the same size truck with a more efficient v8 i'd buy another in a heartbeat. Unfortunately the tacoma was as close as it gets. I was pleasantly surprised how easily the tacoma handled my 2k lb boat after everyone was selling it short. This truck isn't the tundra, but it does accomplish what i need it for.

 

In its peak year (2007), the Tundra still only sold 196k units. That is also the only year since 2000 where the Tundra outsold the Tacoma. That was also the year this Tundra was introduced, when "being a 10 year old truck" wasn't an issue. In 2019, the Tacoma sold 248k units to Tundra's 109k.

Even in 2015, when the Tacoma was a 10 year old truck, the Tacoma outsold the Tundra by 61k units.

 

Again, just depends on your definition of "entry vehicle."

 

You're still getting a V8 and larger bed in an SR Tundra than you would get with an SR Tacoma....

 

Well, I didn't get an SR Tacoma because I needed more than the SR Tacoma had to offer. I didn't need a V8 and thus I didn't get a V8. I needed something a little more nimble and off road capable, so I didn't get the Tundra. Again, it depends on your definition and needs. A V8 isn't always an upgrade.

 

That's the same way I see it.

 

Again you're equating bottom rung to being cheap instead of not being as capable of doing things as the other Toyota models are capable of. The Tundra will run circles around the Tacoma in hauling and towing therefor it will always be the more capable truck, a higher rung on the Toyota truck ladder in terms of doing truck work.

Comparing a fully loaded Tacoma to a bare bones Tundra will not make the Tacoma better at truck things, only more comfortable at doing some things well that the Tundra can do.

Like I said many times, Tacomas are good at many things but they are a compromise. When people want more room there is another choice up the ladder, when they need more payload there is another choice up the ladder, better offroad capability there is another choice up the ladder..... etc.

People move up to Tundras because they need more truck, people choose a Tacoma because they don't need all the capability the Tundra provides.

OP already has a jeep, he doesn't need more offroad capabilities.

Are we done here yet?

 

What if my ladder is the other way and off road capabilities and improved fuel economy are up the ladder for me, tacoma is up the rung. All viewpoint

 

4.0 all the way and this " I've read so far labels Toyota vehicles as the most reliable and least problematic to own." don't read a third gen forum on here. definitely a 6ft bed if you plan on camping!

 

The 4Runner, Land Cruiser and HiLux sold in over 100 markets around the world have rear discs.

The Tacoma and the Toyota Yaris have rear drums. The little Yaris must be a great off road performer!

North American dirt and mud is just harder and tougher than the dirt and mud everywhere else in the world....;-)

 

And me.