Who actually likes their 3rd gen?

I think that perfectly encapsulates the schizophrenia of this forum. Most hate it but love it at the same time. I get confused at times.

 

I'm not sure I understand all of the rhetoric in this thread and others on this forum from the 2G > 3G crowd. My son had a 4.0 liter 2009 Access Cab 6MT and I have a 2022 DCSB TRD Sport 6MT, the only time his 2009 was faster than my 2022 was maybe for the first ten feet off the line (well, maybe twenty); after that mine would show his the taillights. He liked my Tacoma so much he swapped his for a new 2022 GR86 6MT and hasn't looked back; when he needs a truck, he takes mine and I get to romp around in the GR86 for a while.

 

The Tacoma isn’t a bad truck. Underpowered, slow, and not much fun but simple, reliable, fairly cheap and not a bad truck. I don’t regret having my 3rd gen at all and smart money would’ve had me keep it or the 2nd gen I had before it.

 

It's been the best truck I've had to date. I don't find it slow, or underpowered, unless you have the 2.7 4 cylinder, and imo, they're not that cheap either.

 

Don’t think that Toyota would hire you as marketing director. Terrible driving experience, does nothing well and as my son would say, “very mid” but buy one.

 

This is my 2nd 3rd gen. First was an 18 a/c 2wd. Now an 18 Pro. I would buy another in a heart beat if something happened to this one. A bit bias my family grew up with Toyotas. My partner has a 4runner and I also have a little Yaris for summer cruising.

 

I picked mine up 2 years ago and still love the truck. I knew what I was getting into, however still have a few wish items for the new gen:
1. More rear passenger space to accommodate my kids (< 10 years of age), another 5 inches of legroom would be very useful there.
2. More oomph for highway passing.

I'm coming from a Mitsubishi Evo 8, so a very different vehicle for sure.

 

Access cab 2.7L is awesome for me..no kids no wife. Just the dog. The little quirks are easily made up for by its capability and durability.

I would not touch the 3.5L v6 3rd gen with 1000ft pole tho. My broke ass can't afford to fix an Atkinson cycle with plastic everything.

 

I really like my 2020 sr5 double cab. It does do everything I want. It's comfortable for me as a daily driver. I love the way it looks love the Cement color. Only real thing I sometimes wish I did differently was get an access cab. At the time I was giving rides to family members that didn't have a vehicle often. I don't do that so much now 2 years later. Now am doing more DIY home improvement stuff. Its just me and my partner so a back seat isn't as important so much but a longer bed sometimes would be more handy for hauling sheet material and flooring. I still make it work. It's still a good truck, it's been very reliable so. It's my first Toyota and first vehicle I've ever bought brand new too.

 

After getting re-geared to 4.88 and a OTT tune I love it.

 

I guess wouldn’t have been cheaper to buy another truck with a different powertrain? The Ranger powertrain is much more responsive than the Tacoma. I didn’t like the ride quality of the Ranger. It was a little twitchy and floaty at same time. The Colorado/Canyon was no where to be found since they are changing to new model.

 

Of course MT wouldnt get it. But most of the issue was 2016, 2017 and early 2018.

 

This guy right here loves his 3rd gen. Best vehicle I’ve ever owned.

 

Ford ranger?

If you are planning to change vehicles every 2-3 years or so then maybe it’s not a bad decision.

Long term though, we all know how unreliable ranger will be.

 

I like mine so far. It did a great job doing the truck stuff I needed it to do, is capable off-road, and has a great design both exterior and interior wise. The 6-speed manual makes it more fun, and there are endless aftermarket possibilities. I would say this truck would suit me the best, and the second best would be the facelift 4.0 2nd gen Tacoma 6-Speed 4x4.

I was looking at EVOs before, but the performance car market got inflated and I changed my priorities. But, I did get to drive an EVO IX before. Fantastic car. Raw and communicative, and I prefer the 4G63T over the STI's EJ engine. Stronger and more fun to rev it up top.

 

Actually Ford Ranger was a close 2nd place when I was shopping for a replacement for my Jeep Liberty CRD. Reliability was one of the things I considered. That and I didn't like the radio and hvac controls or most of the interior.

 

Appreciate everyone’s posts.
I recently purchased a 18 OR dcsb with 40k on it. 2 second gens before this one and a 82 back in the day.
Truck has been great so far but all the negativity had me stressed.
TW makes me a hypochondriac about my rides.
I love the look makes me happy to drive it or just be in it.

 

Has Ford improved? I have had several Toyotas that have run hundreds of thousands of mile. I have only had one American made car that has gone over 150k without numerous major repairs.

 

My 2007 ranger ran like new when I sold it at 165k miles. of course, they don’t make them like they used to, those things were overbuilt.

Replaced 2 thermostat housings, starter, AIC valve and throttle body. It was an awesome machine, miss it dearly.

 

I was not sure about the eco boost thing being reliable long term. I know that Ford had issues with several versions of that system. I felt Toyota had a better odds of lasting. I tend to keep vehicles. The Jeep I had over a decade. Up to then it was the longest time I'd kept one. I wanted this truck to last longer.