2016 F-250 6.7 Powerstroke to 2021 Tacoma...

Hello TW, it's been a while!

I'd like your input on a decision to purchase a new 2021 Tacoma TRD OR or Sport DC 4wd;

I currently own and DD a 2016 F-250 6.7 Powerstroke that I love. I have built the truck to be reliable for many years and thousands of miles. Also adding 2.5 Carli Backcountry suspension with full rear Deaver leaf packs.
The F-250 has been the best truck I've owned to date. Minimal, easy general maintenance, consistent reliability, and durability for everyday use in the field.
She has 193k on her and shows no signs of wear and tear or slowing down. Interior and exterior are in excellent condition.
However, as easy as general maintenance is, it's expensive. 13qts oil each 7,5k and two fuel filters each 12k adds up. Added to cost of required maintenance; trans fluid, coolant, brakes, tires, wear items, etc.--it's expensive. As it should be, these trucks haul heavy loads and require high priced maintenance/wear items.

To my point, I don't need the F-250. It is my DD of which I don't haul heavy nor tow (I don't own a trailer..) and my annual mileage has decreased significantly. So...I am cautiously looking at 2021 Tacoma's as suitable replacement option.

Caution comes courtesy to previous Tacoma ownership; I owned a 2011 TRD OR 4WD AC in 2015 for 4.5 months. It was purchased used w/ previous owner installed Toyotech 2.5 lift. This truck was in dealership frequently during my ownership for various problems;

• Front wheel bearings
• Front sway bar end links
• A/C fan noises
• Failed alternator (x2)
• Rear diff replaced
• Rear axle seals replaced
• Rear driveshaft and carrier bearing replaced twice
• Consistent vibrations throughout truck (replaced wheels, tires twice)
• Steering wheel knock/bump steer when offroad (zip tie fix?)
• Steering shaft replaced

The selling dealership bought the 2011 Tacoma back and I purchased a F-150. I have since owned several F-150's and current F-250.
My other option is to purchase a new F-150 to replace the F-250.

However, I really like the idea of a 3rd gen Tacoma (plus this forum is a bank of great knowledge). I purchased my wife a 2020 4Runner Limited last year, which has been awesome--great platform and what one would expect from Toyota. Unfortunately with my previous Tacoma ownership, I am approaching this decision cautiously.

Please advise on 2021 Tacoma:

• Reliability (3.5 V6 4wd)
• Durability (interior, exterior)
• Current model year NVH
• Problem areas (driveline vibes, frame rust, electrical problems etc...)
• Quality of 2021 Tacoma e.g: interior fabric, interior surfaces, paint, seat quality, etc.

I am OCD with maintenance, performing OA on each oil change for engine and trans. Ride quality is important both on-road and off-road (gravel roads and FS access roads). Durability is also a concern. I like my interior textiles to last and not wear. Specifically the driver's seat, center armrest, and other high contact areas.

I'm moderately mechanically inclined and have confidence in my ability to perform moderate levels of maintenance and troubleshoot problems. However, I do not have the time or flexibility to have an experience similar to the 2011 Tacoma.

Thanks in advance for your help and input.

 

It's going to go one of two ways

You're going to love it or you're going to hate it.

I hate my 2018 TRD Off Road so much that I punted it down the road this past winter. I bought it new in December of 2018 and it was the most disappointing vehicle i've ever owned. It sure looked the part, but the drivetrain was a let down. What drove me over the edge was a check engine light that took a few times to fix.

Why am I posting this, to give some sort of balance to what you otherwise might read.

 

Thanks for the honest reply. Can you expand on drivetrain issues you were experiencing? I'm not one to assume problems.

 

I went from a 2012 Ram 6.7 to a 2017 TRD Off Road. Like yourself I loved the power and reliability of the Ram but didn't need it anymore. The oil changes and fuel filter costs among other things such as registration costs made me decide to get rid of it.

• Reliability (3.5 V6 4wd) We had a 2016 TRD Sport 2WD with the 3.5 V6 as a security vehicle at my place of employment. In 5 years we racked up 197,000 miles on it, and this was just driving on a 250 acre property. It would barely leave property so it would probably hit 25 mph at it's highest speed during the day. Talk about severe use, this thing would only put put around the place with the AC full blast and left to run on idle for long periods of time. In the 5 years we had it we replaced 1 battery, 1 blower fan, 1 radiator, 1 alternator, tires every 8000 miles, and i believe 2 sets of brake pads and rotors for the front. We did not change the rear shoes as they still had a lot of life. My personal Tacoma TRD Off Road has 40,000 miles and I have only changed the battery and regular maintenance.
• Durability (interior, exterior) The interior of our security truck was beat to hell from people constantly getting in and out. The steering wheel wore down to the metal ring on the top part of the wheel and the seat bottom was completely destroyed. Paint held up well, though. On my personal truck the cloth seats and paint seem to be holding up well.
• Current model year NVH Cant comment since I have a 2017 but you will sorely miss the power of your F250 ...
• Problem areas (driveline vibes, frame rust, electrical problems etc...) Only the problems listed above.
• Quality of 2021 Tacoma e.g: interior fabric, interior surfaces, paint, seat quality, etc. Like I said can comment but my 2017 no problems so far. The security truck was beat to hell but only cuz it saw thousands of butts sliding in and out of the driver's seat over the 5 yrs.

 

Test drive one first. I think you’ll be disappointed. Coming from a truck that big and powerful to something that a Sienna makes look like a Geo metro. I guess it’s all in what your expectations are. I know coming from a F150 I was pretty disappointed in my old Taco

 

I think you should test drive one, and then a full size truck to compare.
If you like Toyota, maybe look at the Tundra (it’s the last year of the V8).

 

No you are not. You are still butthurt that everyone else's truck is fine and your was a lemon. Let it go man let it go.
OP, test drive and research. Many many of these trucks from 2016 are well over 200K with no problems and no maintenance other than normal schedules. Good luck.

 

Great comparison and advice!

I've test driven a 2021 SR5, TRD Sport, TRD OR Premium, and TRD Pro. Of which the Pro was my favorite and TRD OR Premium was close 2nd. Thankfully, w/ my wife owning a 4Runner, I'm familiar w/ the size and power restrictions. Seems the 4.0 has more low end tq when compared to the 3.5...? Is that a safe take away?

Not gonna lie though, I'll miss the tuned and weight reduced 6.7 pulling 40+psi in the passing lane. LOL.

 

The 4 runner in my opinion and many others here, most certainly has a better powertrain. Better lower end power and the tranny programming is a lot better. If you’ve already drove a few 3rd gens then you seem to know what you’ll be getting into. As far as reliability it’s really a crap shoot. You could get a truck that you just need to do tire rotations and oil changes or something that has big problems. But that goes with any manufacturer. If your in a cold weather climate, I would be cautious of the frame. Get it coated yearly and always keep a close eye on it

 

Unfortunately, fuel mileage is a consideration. My F-250 w/ 35's pulls 18hwy and 16city, the next move needs be parallel or better for MPGs.

 

That’s why I didn’t buy one. MPG.
If I were to buy a new full size has, it would likely be a Ram 2500 w/6.4
Hopefully the new Tundra is capable of low 20’s. Not likely, but maybe?

 

I agree, I think the tacoma is not for you.

Tacoma is a mid-sized truck. Coming from a full size you will notice the power difference, but I think the bigger issue might be the cab space. If you're used to drive around in a living room, you won't like the cab size of the tacoma, especially the back seat.

I'm a huge fan of toyota now solely because of my Tacoma (I used to be a ford guy), and I love mine, but it really comes down to you and what you want and expect out of a truck. Mine works perfectly for me, looks great, rides great, and still does all the weekend trucky stuff when needed.

 

I drive F-250s at work. I drove a RAM 1500 with the 5.7 and 4x4 for a while.
I don’t even have my Tacoma yet, it’s on order. I borrowed a 3rd gen from a friend for a week before ordering mine. His is a 2018 TRD OR and at ~60k miles he has had zero issues with it.

They aren’t fast. They aren’t the best ride. They actually fit on trails. They hold value and will usually last 200k miles for most people. They are small inside compared to a full size. The back seats in the double cab are tiny. They are very capable off road. They are built very well compared to the Fords or Dodge. Seats are very comfy for me. Infotainment is fine. Toyota safety is great.

Definitely test drive one. Understand a mid-size is not a full size. Your use case for it matters most. Hope that helps.

 

I got rid of a 98 Dodge 2500 diesel and bought a Tacoma. It was a shock to the system but I didn’t really like driving the dodge unless it had a heavy load in it. I’ve put 10k miles on my 19 Tacoma Limited since the end of December. Truck has 16k miles and has been supercharged for 5k miles at this point. With 33’s and normal driving I can get 15.5-18.9 per tank depending upon how heavy footed I am. Towing a 4K lb camper I get 10-12mpg.

 

I've had great luck with my 18 TRD off-road 6 speed manual. Drove it off the lot new and have 80k miles.
Only issue is I wish the AC blew cooler, had the power of your 6.7 and the fuel economy of a Prius.

I couldn't stand driving the 3rd gen auto. If given the chance, test drive a manual.

 

I got 12-13 MPG on my tacoma with 35s. I'm happy with my 6.7

 

Test drive, test drive, test drive. It will be a huge change, almost like going to a car. Quite the opposite of your F250. It makes power high in the RPM range, and likes to rev out. The small size will be noticed on the interior as well. I've driven many cars, I do it for a living as a matter of fact. I've driven nearly every truck from the last 10 years. You will probably enjoy the ride, as going from a heavy duty truck to a midsizer, it'll be much comfier. The offroad will be the most plush, but also lean the most in corners, and the sport will be the stiffest but have the most car like ride. Read up on the trims and what you would want.

From cheapest to most expensive:

SR:
Work truck. Often doesn't come with power locks. The most basic possible trim of Tacoma.

SR5:
An SR, with modern creature comforts. Alloys instead of steelies, some cosmetics, and things like power door locks.

TRD Sport:
Takes the SR5, adds painted fender flairs, painted front bumper, a hood scoop, nicer 17 inch wheels, and some interior cosmetics.

TRD Sport Premium:
Adds leather to the sport, full LED Lights, Embedded Navigation, Premium Audio, a sunroof, and probably some more I'm missing.

TRD Offroad:
Same level interior wise as the sport, but instead of fancy "road going" goodies, it gets black plastic flairs and no scoop, but comes with a rear locker, MTS, and crawl control. Also comes with a skid plate.

TRD Off-road Premium:
Adds leather to the sport, full LED Lights, Embedded Navigation, Premium Audio, a sunroof, and probably some more I'm missing.

TRD Pro:
Takes a TRD Off-road, adds Fox suspension, a new grill, the entire TRD Catalogue of off-road goodies, and some more. As well as having unique leather. Check the toyota website for more info on this, I'm definitely missing some stuff.

Limited:
Takes an SR5, Adds some awesome Hickory leather, all the luxurious things you could want, and a fuck ton of chrome.

Nightshade:
Technically a package for the limited, but takes a limited, and blacks out everything that can be blacked out.

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Interior Durability:
The only issue I've ever seen as for this specifically is the plexiglass over the gauge cluster is very easily scratched. There are some hard plastics on the doors that can also scratch, but hey, every car has that. Some people have had an issue with A/C condensation somehow getting into the cab, but I've never personally seen this.

NVH:
Some people say that it's too loud. Some people say its fine. Some people say its a rolls royce. I'm in the camp of "It's fine". It's a truck. It's gonna have a little wind noise, and a little harshness over bumps.

Problem areas:
Automatic transmissions have known to shift just... weirdly. Nothing ever goes bad on them, they just like to hunt. This seems to be largely fixed for 2020/21 (I personally have no issues), but if you don't like how it shifts, it can be fixed with a tune, or just by getting a manual. Also, 4WD actuators. They seem to die at 100k miles if you do a lot of water crossings. It's a well documented issue.

Reliability of drivetrain: Bulletproof. Seriously. You'll see the occasional failure on here, but keep in mind, that's out of MILLIONS of trucks. @mosesofthesouth is at well over 200k miles, and @Round the world are driving thiers around the world, so that should be a testament to how much people trust them.

Fuel Economy: This is extremely dependant on your altitude, and how you drive. When I drive like a Grandma, I get 24 mpg. When I drive like a lunatic, I get 17ish.

Overall? Test drive it. I love mine. That's all I can say.

 

My lifestyle has changed a lot in the past few years. I had 4Runners, I had Tacomas and all the sudden I needed a heavy tow vehicle so I got a Tundra and 50K later it did well. Now, it has changed again and I now longer tow heavy and don't drive 40K a year. Now it's maybe 15K a year and just a 4K pull hauling my small tractor.
Believe it or not, even tho I am 6'4" and 260, I liked the Tacoma size better than the Tundra size. Fit like a glove lol. I am actually going to drive a Tacoma tomorrow and they want to give me stupid money for my Tundra.

 

I have no doubt the drivetrain will last, but the engine is gutless and the automatic transmission shifts like poop. A good example is having a tail wind and the transmission logic deciding to downshift so the engine can turn a stupid high RPM at random. The drivetrain is designed for city slickers that don't go on the interstate. My company provided 2019 F150 got better MPG if that tells you anything.

There's a reason why people say buy a manual and a tune for the 3rd gen.

My check engine light was related to the fuel pump and evap leaks after having the recall done.

I will warn you that you're going to get lots of cheerleaders in here. I have no doubt that they're happy, but do research outside Tacoma World.

The NVH and audio systems are like something you're going to find in a base model Kia.

 

Agreed. I love mine too and the size is perfect for me and what I use it for. It's a great truck in a sea of otherwise boring options (looking at you, Ford, chevy, and dodge)