Coming from a 2017 Ridgeline

MT OR is a great truck. you will be able to accelerate when you want. Comfort? not going to compare to a ridgeline (car). I have 75K on my 19 OR MT, my ass is tired from sitting

 

If throttle response and highway manners is what you are after, keep looking. Third gen tacoma does not have it.

 

The power will be fine as long as you get the manual and are willing to put it in the upper revs when you want power.

I personally think the Tacoma's ride great but they are different than unibody's. Most people tend to say unibody's ride better on road and I suppose that's fair. It's not my preference though.

 

This thread is so backwards to everything we read around here.

Limited information shared tells me that you want a sports car. A Tacoma is one the the farthest thing to a sports car.

 

I would not use the words comfortable or quiet to describe any Tacoma. I have done a lot of sound deadening and it is still loud. It's really a weird niche vehicle. Not powerful, not refined, but the mix of small size and capability is just right for some. I think most people are better served with either a 1/2 ton or AWD crossover like a highlander if we are being honest with ourselves. The Tacoma does carry a unique image with it that a lot of people are after.

If you decide it is the right choice for you, plan on spending at least $250-350 for a one time tune.

FYI I was between the Tacoma (my second one) and an Outback. If I had to daily drive it, I would've chosen an Outback 10/10.

 

Having test driven both before getting the Tacoma in 2019, they are completely different vehicles that give off entirely different vibes. I love the cozy, blocky interior of my Tacoma from the dash to the utilitarian climate control knobs (not toggles!) to the center arm rest. Ride feel is entirely different with the Ridgeline being basically a Pilot and the Tacoma being, well, a truck with a solid rear axle and leaf springs. The Tacoma is bouncier and its looser than a Ridgeline.

I have few complaints about the drivetrain but it will take some getting used to. My 2019 does not have the latest TSB which has been hailed by many as a major improvement in shift logic.

As others have stated, test drive them both for as long as you can and then make the call as to whether the Tacoma lifestyle (LOL) is for you.

 

I strongly agree with that statement. The same could be said for off-road compared to Wrangler.

 

Not to burst your bubble, but it seems the folks who complain the most about how the Taco drives in this forum tend to come from a few types of vehicles - Suburu Outbacks/Crosstreks & BMW's. The Tacoma will be louder and probably not as comfortable as a car.

Like others have said, definitely take a long test drive and understand trucks generally aren't "comfortable" or "plush"

 

Also interior room if that's important to you. Taco has the interior space of a compact car from the 90's. The Ridgeline has a wider and much taller cabin of a largish mid-size suv.

 

I agree with the others. The Tacoma may not be a good fit for you given you didn’t like the Honda’s throttle response. And the Honda has a smoother operating transmission programming. I would say if you want to consider a Tacoma take one home for a night.

 

It’s a little bit subjective and depends on your vehicle frame of reference. I think my 19 TRDOR/Automatic does fine with highway driving. If I need to pass a truck or climb a hill, the power has been there. In the city, the trans can hunt on occasion and isn’t as responsive as I would like as it tends to short shift just a little. In ECT, it’s very responsive. I think there is a TSB for that, so I'll see. I think a manual would be a different deal here.

Driving 395 in California from my home in Alta Loma to Mammoth, Yosemite, or Tahoe, it has performed well. I use this route as a reference point since I have driven dozens of vehicles over this route over my lifetime. 395 has lots of long passes with many at 6000 to 8000 ft. And grades at or above 6%. Conway Summit and Deadman Pass are both over 8,000 ft. Tioga Pass tops out at just over 9900 ft and is as steep as 8% in some areas. It can be hot in the Summer and the grades are long pulls at altitude. I think they make a good benchmark. The Tacoma has handled them well with a modest load in the bed. I haven't had any coolant issues or trans temp problems. Our old 91 4Runner really had to work to get up Tioga.

I had a couple of 150 mile round trips last weekend and the Tacoma was fine by my definition. 75-80 between my house and Palm Springs and another trip to Hemet on the 10. Passing trucks, and mild grades were not a problem. I do like that the trans kicks down very quickly in ECT. I had to pass a truck that was all over the road and without much room. I put it into S and easily went right by. The Tacoma isn't a low end puller, but at 2000 and up it does pretty good.

A Tacoma isn't going to pull like a full size, but it seems to be pretty good for a mid size. I always suggest renting something for a day or a weekend you are planning to buy. Wring it out a little and take it where you would like to see if it meets your expectations; maybe some sort of benchmark drive you are familiar with and gives you a good idea of how it performs in reality. You really can't tell much from a test drive. If that vehicle does not meet your needs, the cost of a rental is a lot less than the loss of selling your truck because it's not a good match.

 

I’ve owned a 2016 with an AT and a 2020 with a MT and I have not noticed any difference in acceleration. Do you have any stats (e.g. 0-60 test) to back up that assertion?

 

Have to agree with others here, if throttle response is your issue, the Taco is not going to satisfy you. My Dad passed a few months back and had a '09 Nissan Frontier. I had never driven it and was surprised at how aggressive the throttle tip-in was...and that was on an 11 year old truck with nearly 150K miles. I have not driven a new Ranger, either but understand the throttle response of the Ecoboost 4 is pretty good. Personally, I chose the Tacoma because of my own history with the reliability of Toyota products. I also have a supercharged Mustang to satisfy my need for immediate throttle response....the Taco is my work DD.

 

If you want a Tacoma, throttle response and a nice ride can be had.

If you want throttle response and a nice ride but aren’t set on a Taco, I’d continue your search.

 

I would never choose a Tacoma or any other truck if my main criteria were a acceleration and comfort. Get yourself a sports sedan.

 

For someone who has owned a Acura RL, Ridgeline, and Crosstrek - you shouldn't buy a Tacoma.

You are wasting your time on this forum.

Buy a new Ridgeline and call it a day. Get the one with the bronze wheels HPD version.

 

I had a 2017 RL for 4 months. It was a lease and I had someone take it over due to some build quality issues I couldn't get over.

Leased a 2017 OR Tacoma auto.

RL (if mine didn't drive me crazy with rattles) is a better vehicle in every single way other than Off Road ability and Looks. I enjoyed the Tacoma more so hard to explain other than it looked cool and took me places RL couldn't or wasn't comfortable taking me.

 

in the manual I can hold the gear longer, thus pushing the rps and winding it up. They also do have different gearing than the auto, or atleast the sports do

 

I agree that the MT gives you more control over shift points, but if you hold the throttle wide open on the AT it will rev just as high as the manual in my experience. If you want a peppier non open throttle response hit the ECT button or use sport mode.

 

Many thanks to TW members and their unique and varied perspectives. Renting a Taco for a couple of days was an especially good suggestion!