2018 vs 2021 Tacoma Thoughts

Thanks for the input and I have given serious thought to a Tundra... lol (note the 16' Tundra TRD Pro next to my 18' Taco in my profile pic). I sold the Tundra Pro for a few reasons, one being to downsize post retirement. Didn't see a need for a LB on the horizon back then, but could use a longer bed for longer, lighter weight items now. Might wait for the next gen Tundra, but it'll be a long wait... probably 2025/2026 before Toyota gets some of the kinks out of the initial release, which I think will be sometime in Q4. The 18' Taco SB hasn't had any issues, minus a recall or two since new.

Could sell the 18' for a used Tundra DC 6.5. I do miss the 5.7 V8, but not the MPG numbers. A longer bed Taco will also fit the bill and if power seats are available in cloth fabric vs. leather, that would be okay too. The Tundra Pro leather seats were powered and comfortable, but they didn't have the best stitching. I noticed a bit of separation at the seams after only 5K miles on the beast. Covered under warranty, but QC on the seats was lacking for sure. Visibility was awesome on the Tundra Pro... even with a scoop the short front hood had a nice view.

 

Longbed is just an extra foot, I found when taking my buddies tundra vs. my longbed we actually can get more bikes and gear in with the tundra's deeper bed space, his tundra also has a way better turning radius than my longbed did. Tacoma is only one power seat not both and yes its standard on all trims so cloth or leather. You could snag one of the last current gen Tundras for a good deal right now and use it until the kinks are addressed with the new gen that will be a 2022 model. I just know if I needed bedspace on the regular I'd opt for a Tundra.

 

This weekend I was hunting, and my truck was parked in an open area on a fairly windy day at 15 mph winds. The wind direction was such that the driver side of the truck was getting hit by the wind. Guess what I heard? The howl.

Yes, I have all my lower control arm plugs. I really think in many cases such as mine, this howl is nothing but wind noise through the frame somewhere.

 

resurrecting a stale thread that's basically al about backup cameras now.....

Is the backup camera the same quality on the earlier 3rd gens and the later 3rd gens (with the "shitty camera") if the truck does not have the panoramic camera mode? Is the shitty camera really just because the screen got bigger? Or is it because they are trying to merge 3 cameras into one image and they do a shit job of it?

A part number search says that the 2021 has a different camera when fitted with MTM or panoramic view modes. Without these modes the caera is the same as the older years.

 

The camera on my 2021 is not as good as the cameras on my 2013, 2015 or 2017.

My 2021 has the premium and advanced technology packages.

 

I believe the conclusion was something to do with the head units. I can't remember if it was this thread or another one that had side by side comparison photos and the newer trucks had worse rear view displays.

 

Good point. I have no idea if it’s actually the camera, head unit or screen that is the problem. But frankly, I don’t really use the backup camera that much.

 

If you have the advanced tech and premium packages you have "the new" camera.

 

I went pretty deep down the rabbit hole reading this thread because I am about to trade my 2018 for an identical 2021 (trade in values are absurd at the moment). I didn't see any actual conclusions here. Definitely could be another thread but I couldn't find it. I also haven't heard mention of anyone doing the part number research to figure out what parts are the same and what are different (which I went ahead and did). If you happen to remember which thread it is I'd love to read it.

All good either way. I basically only use the camera for lining up the trailer ball.

 

My current 2018 and the new 2021 will have identical cameras units per the part numbers, so if I notice the difference I'd say it is definitely not the camera! The head unit / display would be the only real difference between the two.

 

There are definitely a few things you'll miss about the 2018!

 

Which things will I miss, in your opinion? It's probably not too late to cancel my "upgrade". I know I won't have a CD player, and will only have one bedside storage bin. I am looking forward to Carplay, LED headlights, and the power seat. I have also read enough threads that seem to imply that the general fit and finish might possibly have improved over the years. My 2018 is just a little wonky in a lot of ways (misaligned fenders/hood, etc).

What else have I not heard about?

 

I'm not sure what trim level you have or will be getting but if you have the TRDOR they nerfed the crawl control in 2020. And yes, the cubby was another thing I was getting at. I'm sure there's something else I'm forgetting too.

The Android Auto/Apple Car Play is a nice touch as is the power seat. Just remember it isn't wireless Apple Car Play though. Definitely agree about the LEDs too.

As for fit and finish, honestly you're one of the first I've heard complain about it. I can't say I have any issues with my 2017 other than a misaligned tail light that's not noticable unless you're pulling it out or putting it back in. However the Carfax shows that area was repaired prior to my purchase so it's hard to pin that one on the factory.

 

Since I’m trading a manual trans TRDOR for another manual trans TRDOR I’m not worried about the crawl control (as they don’t have it). A few or the other “upgrades” (push button start, auto climate control) will be absent on both of the trucks because of the manual trans…and I honestly don’t want that stuff anyway. I’m basically hoping for a close to identical truck with zero miles, plus a few extra random farkles.

the thing I think I will miss the most is the black/black seats. The new trucks are black/gray combo which I think I’ll like a bit less.

In the end I’m really only doing the deal because I need tires and the trade in has me at a difference of like $3k. It’s sort of too cheap to pass up.

 

I believe Automatic Dual Zone Climate Control is standard equipment now.

 

I read it was standard on all V6 models, but current specs say it is part of the premium package on manual trans TRDOR models. I'll find out soon as I did not order the premium package.

 

Auto climate is pretty nice though. You can still control it like a manual but often I just set the temp and let it do its thing. It is kind of strange in the winter at first because, unless you're set to defrost, it will not blow at all until the engine builds up some heat first. It doesn't take long though as I'm usually 1/4 mile down the road (assuming I didn't remote start it) before it starts blowing air. And of course you can manually override it.

 

@RedWings44 not that I have aspirations of needing crawl control how did they nerf it up? This '21 will be my first OR tacoma after a '99 & '17 SR5s

 

I own a 2017. Had a 2021 rental when I traveled out-of-state last month. I put 1400 miles on the rental in ten days so I got very familiar with the differences.

Overall there isn't much different. It's still a Tacoma. The shifting and acceleration felt way better, and that was the only major difference I saw. No hunting gears, better throttle response, easier time going up hills, just smoother overall. Not faster or anything, just smoother. That being said I went to the dealership as soon as I got back and got the ECU updated on my 2017 and I noticed a huge improvement by the time I pulled off the lot. The end result wasn't quite as good as how the 2021 drove but it was pretty darn close.

I agree with the backup camera issues others have said. Radar controlled cruise control was absolutely awful as well. I turned it off as soon as I figured out how. Carplay was really nice but the lack of wireless Carplay was annoying. The leather was nice but I prefer my Clazzios.

 

People have complained that it is weaker after 2020 and some claim it won't even go up into a curb on its own while before that it would go wherever you pointed it. However people also forget that Toyota designed it so you can use the gas pedal with it. I think most people think the ABS system will freak out because normally the truck does the acceleration and braking for you but Toyota designed it with the ability for you to accelerate through it if, say, you just needed to get to the next obstacle and didn't want to deactivate it or crawl there at 5 MPH.

Caveat is that I have a 2017 and haven't actually experienced a 2020+ model first hand. These are just complaints I've seen on here.