Who actually likes their 3rd gen?

i like the styling and i'm OK with the engine performance, i knew what i was getting. my biggest gripe is the fit and finish, particularly the interior that has rattles, squeaks, and poorly fitted panels and pieces. having owned other Toyota's, there is no question they are losing their edge. the fit and finish of our 2009 camry is noticeably better.

i really hope the drivetrain is bullet proof and gets me well past 200K miles.

 

But why some trucks don't hunt for gears as much as others, stock to stock. There's a huge swing in what people think about the exact model and trim in here, some do it, some don't, or most do it and some don't.....
What's the difference here, driver expectation, willingness to put up with crazy shifting, while others report no crazy shifting, why the difference? All the trucks are the same coming off the line one would expect.

 

i attribute it to differing driving styles. if i drive like a grandma balancing her prize-winning 5-tier cake on the hood, terrified of getting within 10mph of any speed limit, the truck drives fine.

if i drive it like a sports car, attempting to merge like the terminator was chasing me, or leaving stop lights like my pink slip was on fire, it also drives fine, right up until i hit the rev limiter and it cuts power like Mr. Gorbachev taking down that wall..

but my normal driving is between these two styles. so it leads to a spastic transmission that either wants to shift for granny-level efficiency, or balls-out screaming power, but neither really fits my standard 1/3-3/4 throttle application of "yes, i want to merge in the next mile matching the speed of traffic, no i didn't buy this vehicle for fuel efficiency, but i really don't appreciate merging while watching the gas gauge drop while the trans holds 1st the entire time either".

 

Mine only hunts when I am pushing it hard on the highway. If I set the cruise at 70 I hardly ever notice it. If I am not on cruise and am jockeying for lane position at 70-80 trying to get through hi-speed bumper to bumper, its a pain in the ass. One of the guys I work with test drove a 2015 and told me he would not own a Tacoma, they may last a long time but they are slugs that cant keep up with traffic and dangerous to try to merge on the highway. The only truck he has ever owned is a 3.5 twin turbo Ford. Said the Tacoma was only marginally better than walking. So people have different expectations.

 

Driving in town is the worst for me.
Open roads I’ve had great experiences. Truck hold its power, no gear shifting and easy to pass people when you get into the skinny pedal. Plan on getting a boat and am curious to see how it tows

 

Driving in town I usually just leave it in 4, or the odd time 3

 

I'm new to the Tacoma world and somewhat new to trucks in general, but I keep seeing people on here rag on the 3rd gens for being "slow".

Now maybe I'm wrong, but I really don't think Toyota built the Tacoma for speed. That just isn't this truck's purpose.

If you wanted a truck for speed, maybe you should have bought an old Ford Lightening or the Ram that had the Viper engine in it. Or a new Ford Raptor?

My other question is did you even test drive the Tacoma before purchasing it? If it was too slow for your liking, why did you buy it after the test drive? Did you think it would get faster after purchasing it?

If speed is all you're looking for, save yourself some money and just buy a motorcycle. Can't get more speed for less money.

 

I had to laugh out loud with this comment.

Simple question and yet there's no response to this reasonable inquiry.

I test drove an SR Dual Cab and was happy with the performance. Granted, I did not put the pedal to the metal...mostly evaluated the suspension before I knew I wanted a Sport.

Background: this is my first NEW truck EVER.

 

My first new truck too, all my other vehicles have been craigslist specials, I wasn't expecting the truck to drive like a sports car so I'm not disappointed. Guess alot of people were though.

 

This is my fourth new truck.

The Tacoma is not slow. It isn't perfect, but it isn't slow. For a BOF vehicle that's a little on the heavy side for it's size and a very high CoG, it's damn zippy.

I immediately think that people don't know squat about cars whenever they say otherwise.

.

 

Re: Shifting and power: I have a 2014 4.0L Auto and it also "hunts" at times. It's not unique to the 3rd generation. It's not a slug (IMO) however I feel like it has a "stubborn" attitude at times when it comes to downshifting on the rare occasion when I really need and >want< it to downshift: like during some insane "Oh CR*P!! Uh-Oh!" ramp merge. It will "mail in" the first down shift when you give it the gas, and if you insist and press the pedal down more aggressively or heaven help you: FLOOR IT, the transmission works with the engine and enters an "all or nothing mode with an attitude" and really makes you pay for asking with a slam down hard to the next gear down. THEN: it will HOLD that gear for a little bit longer than seems necessary as you let off on the gas: almost like it's thumbing it's nose at you: "Ya: Take THAT Grampaw: you rookie!" "Talk to you again soon." All kinds of drama and noise and the engine pulls hard - hard- hard when transmission, throttle and engine all become a team and deliver the order. The shift back up isn't subtle either. Kinda fun.

 

When you push the right pedal down and hold it there, it definitely gets up and goes

 

I wasn't to fond of my 2020 SR 2.7L when I first got it, then you read some of the threads of people claiming how dangerous it is driving up a grade because its such an underpowered piece of shit and a semi will run you off the road. Now, four months later I really can't complain, it is a little underpowered but its no where near what some exaggerate it to be. I've had it loaded with as much weight as I'll every carry it scooted up hills just fine. I'd rather have this than a puny 4 cyl with a turbo in a midsized truck.

 

I got the Tacoma because I wanted the most capable off-road mid-size truck. Everything about the truck, even it's quirks such as the transmission and the bendy frame are optimized for off-road performance. Stock, the truck did dirt roads in 6th gear/45mph/30mpg all day. It is a purpose-built vehicle, meant to survive serious abuse and make it back home. If I wanted a road truck I would have gotten a different option. 2 years in, I am extremely happy with my decision. Built up it will never be a built Jeep, but it gets me where I want to go with no complaints or drama.

 

I'm a sports car person at heart, not a truck diehard, but what I don't understand is the 3rd gen is just an evolution of the 2nd gen. So I would think if one were to like the previous gen then they would for the most part like the 3rd gen- minus maybe the more rev-happy 3.5L if they had a 4.0L and early auto's that were a bit oddly tuned.

Literally, Toyota shelved the plans for an all-new 3rd gen during the recession and simply refreshed the 2nd gen.

My Dad for a while drove a base RC 2.7L 2nd gen, frankly, my 2.7 SR doesn't drive dramatically different.

 

I've had a Toyota pickup since 1984.
My 2021 SR5 is the first new truck I've bought in 37 years.
My first - and until last year only - new truck was a 1984 Red Toyota 4x4 XTra cab (before they were called Access cabs) with a 22R motor and I ran that little truck for 250,000+ miles.
My new (and likely last) truck is a 2021 Red Toyota 4x4 AC with the 6cyl. This is the nicest vehicle I've ever owned and I'm incredibly happy with it.
The salesman chuckled and then looked at me like I just landed from Mars when I asked him if air-conditioning was standard.
I also found out all my cassette tapes & even the CDs wouldn't be needed in the new truck.
Maybe I'm just odd...well I am odd...but allot of happiness about most things is to appreciate what you have, and I damn sure appreciate my red truck which I'm betting goes quite a bit towards 'liking it'.
Hope all of you folks like yours just as much.
Happy Motorin' from out here where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day...

 

"How do I make my truck faster" and any "gas mileage" post, are among the best on this site.

And by best I mean the worst, because trucks aren't fast and don't get good mileage.

 

I think all from the 3.4, the 4.0 to the current 3.5 had good acceleration and enough power to get the job done. The 3.4 was a little harsh, but the transmission had the shift points nailed.

 

Great write-up!

Nice truck!

Kansas?

Maybe it's because we (family trip) visited in December and experienced the coldest winter I've ever felt near McConnell AFB.

We were living in Abilene, TX at the time: Sep93-Apr99/Dyess AFB. We survived part of Tornado Alley!!! Woohoo!!!

And never did the Rattlesnake Roundup (Sweetwater). World's Biggest BBQ...yes!

Glad you like your truck...I'm very fond of my Sport...I test drove an SR5 Dual Cab before ordering my TRD.

 

I just had my truck tuned, KD Max.
Now it’s perfect.