Why I think Gen 2 is best Gen

Based on light offroad/wheeling and long highway drives...

I think the refinement of the 1st gen is just enough to be comfortable and still minimal, but the 2nd gen's 4.0L powertrain is tops (though I wish they would have stuck to an I-6 vs V6 for trucks). I was never attracted to the 3rd gen pickup to compare but had a 2nd gen '85 with the magical x-cab/22re/5spd/solid axle combo. Still great, but not as good as the 1st gen Tacoma.

I had 2 '85s with that combo, but Toyloco was a crawler and much different animal- closer to FJ40s than later trucks.

 

I love my 2nd gen but would like to go back to the manual transfer case and old school locking hubs..

I detest technology in my automobiles..
I don't need something to drive for me -
Never owned an automagic
Never use cruise control -

My car says 'service engine soon' - which is a nanny reminder that I have a bad O2 sensor - whatever - no change in performance so i don't care -

 

Driving yourself gets kinda tedious after a while on long highway and stop and go. Doing a repetitive, menial task for hours on end that tech can do better ain’t something to be proud of

 

Totally

 

Lol I love all this new tech. Bring it on. Look how much better cars got since the 90s. Accord in the 90s had a 2.2 engine with 140hp. 2022 accord has a 2.0 engine and has 252hp.
Cruise control before can only stay at one speed. Now the car pretty much drives itself.
90s cars you had to carry cassettes and wallet of cd’s. Now you just Bluetooth your phone and you got anything you want to listen to.
The 2nd gen is the sweet spot in the middle. Got some stuff, don’t have others. But we all have to embrace the future.

 

2nd Gen by far the best! Then 1st Gen… and 3rd Gen sucks! Totally trucks does a drag race of all 3 and 4.0 is king! 3.5 is a nightmare to change the oil on… I think they did that on purpose ?

 

What was the point of this thread? How a maverick is better than a taco?

 

noooo
there's a whole other thread for that

 

With that weenie bed? Barely a truck. Prius has more cargo room.

 

1st gens a better, but those would have been better with out power steering.

 

1st Gen underpowered, faulty auto tranny’s, ugly

 

My wife has a Acura TLX with all the tech

And when she has a hard time using some of that tech

My ongoing joke is

I'VE GOT THREE SPEED INTERMITTENT WIPERS

 

Lucky

 

As long as we're diving of the trail the OP originally established....
I loved my old '98 T-100, locking hubs, manual transfer case, completely sexless 3.4 liter V-6 that was dead reliable. HOWEVER, my 2014 TRD OR, Access cab, 6 speed manual, Spruce Mica (can you say unicorn?) is much better because I traded off torsion bars for progressive rate coil overs, an old steering box for rack and pinion steering, open diff for locking diff, rusty black shocks for cool yellow shocks and cookie sheet skid plates..., etc.
I love my taco but don't care for much more technology.
I guess I'm old school. I just like the thought of less to go wrong.
I'd even like to have the old rubber floor mat instead of carpet.
Like many here, my truck is PERFECT.. except, I would like a manual transfer case.

Oh yeah, I also don't like adaptive cruise control. If you want to roll around someone in the fast lane, on the interstate, it shuts off.

 

It ain't hard to change

 

Crazy, I bought a VW Golf Sportwagen TDI to get out of my 3/4 ton's 12 mpg, hauls my 800 lbs or so of tools and gets 40 mpg. Love it. Truck sits gaining few miles, and the little car goes like hell on the diesel.

 

huh....you mash the gas to override and pass the car then resume when you're back in the lane.

you mean just keep speed and go around? Just turn off lance centring/lane-keeping and go nuts. Starting to think this tech may be too confusing for the older set. If you can drive a stick you should be able to figure this stuff out and once you do, it's great.

 

Best to reality.
The 2nd gen is also my biased favorite.

 

I’ve got crankolator winders

 

Yeah, probably. The only time I've used it was when I was driving my daughter's new 3rd gen home from Austin, TX. It was a long day and I didn't take the time to really learn how to use it.
I guess I'm jut old fashioned. I don't have a smart watch either.