New Taco owner gripes

Just think of the truck as a really heavy Toyota Camry.

 

Yep, 3500rpms to redline, the V6 cam timing changes, and fkn takes off.

 

You are; the 3.5 is completely different.
On the other hand, my GF has a 2018 4R and likes to drive my Tacoma, says it has more power. Go figure, she runs the shit out of whatever she drives.

 

Just curious, how come you went back to stock?

 

I had the same issues when I first got my truck, once I started slapping the gas pedal like a rented mule my complaints went away. Plus I can get good MPGs when the mood takes me and I let the gas pedal have a break.

 

On my truck I experienced an unpredictable twitchy throttle from a stop and from very low speeds.

Not a good combo while navigating the butt-crack of metro areas. On a slightly related topic.. does anyone know why every trader joe's parking lot in NoVa is a complete shaitshow? I'm thinking has something to do with the typical smug shopper combined with the bargain strip-mall locations.

 

if you step on the throttle more, the ecu will gradually adjust to your driving style. unfortunately, it doesn't work that well if you are stuck in traffic a lot.

 

After the sliders, bumpers, skids, 275 70 17's, I had The Guy put the KD Max Pro sport tune on my 2017 TRD Sport 4x4 auto 4 door. I drove it around a little the day of the install. I noticed a wonderful difference. That night I was drinking beer, as usual, so my wife drove us to dinner. She was really amazed by the difference the tune made. My wife always has sporty autos so she always made fun on my tacoma's lack of power. Anyways she was laughing and having a great time with the newly tuned truck. Next day on the way back home from getting the tune, I was stunned by the totally new shifting habits of the auto transmission. Wow! I would have been more than happy with how the truck seems to get moving in the lower gears. It now holds the upper gears on the highway doesn't do the back and forth between 4th 5th 4th 5th 6th 4th 5th 4th 5th 4th 5th etc on the uphills.

 

Add Nitrous Oxide.
Good luck with your truck.

 

This reads like one of those made-up 'Dear Penthouse' letters of yore.. incredulous situation, generic tale with banging results. You could barely believe it yourself eh?

Just razzing you guy.. Glad you're enjoying the kool-aid.

 

“ same damn gripes as every other 3rd gen owner” there, I fixed the title for you

 

I think the biggest issue is reading all the gen3 tacoma complaints on these forums figuring you have all of them. Toyota must of corrected most, or all of them by now. I can't find any fault with my 2020 3.5 tacoma.

 

I did not. I have not driven any Tacoma and only sat in one 3rd Gen for a few minutes a month before I bought my '17 TRDOR DCLB brand new.

 

I put a deposit without test driving mine. Worked out great!

 

No Kool-Aid about it and nothing incredulous. The KDMax tune works. You said you had the OV Tune, there's the difference. Others that had both have said the same thing. I did a lot of reading before getting tuned.

 

I just adapted to the truck. I feed it more throttle as it revs, avoiding any downshifts, but keeping it from upshifting too soon. If you listen and learn what the engine likes, it’s just fine. On the highway going up long grades, I smack it over to S and keep it in forth until the top to avoid any gear hunting. This is up one tire size as well;32 KO2s.

It’s all relative I guess. I drove some shit trucks in the late 80’s and 90’s until the horsepower wars started. Nobody who ever drove a 180HP ‘81 Silverado is going to complain about Tacoma haha. I think it has decent power and torque.

 

You can't call it a taco unless you have committed and bonded with your truck. It sounds to me like your having commitment issues second thoughts about your relationship. Just say your sorry and buy her a new set of rock sliders.

 

S4 in the city and S5 on the highway.

 

I have found that after 1500 miles, the ECU has adapted to my driving style. But Ive also adapted to what the truck likes. I think it shifts fine now.
But if I want to have some fun, I just slap it into S mode and shift myself.
I know a tune does much more than just tranny issues, but if different shift points is all one desires, then ECU and/or S mode, and the skinny pedal seems to be all thats needed.