Where Tacoma Design Ideas Come From

I just read that dumpster fire thread from the guy bitching about his Tacoma's transmission shifting logic...the same guy who takes zero blame for not test driving it first.
However, while reading that thread, I realized that many of you think the engineers make all these important decisions! Let me explain how it really works.
1. Customer and focus groups, from target demographic, get together with the OEM marketing and sales folks. The OEM guys say "Hey, what do you like and what do you dislike about our truck?" This is always the very first step.
2. These marketing and sales guys come back with all of the likes and dislikes of the customer and potential customer. The ideas and comments are sorted by product and market people out in different "piles" like must do immediately, need to do next model, etc.
3. After the ideas are sorted, and these can be anything...efficiency, colors, headlights, seat comfort, tire size, TRANSMISSION SHIFTING, etc, then, and only then, are engineers brought into the meetings.
4. Engineers are told EXACTLY what is wanted by the customer. The engineers sole job is to figure out HOW to meet the customer's needs. Then the discussion begin on cost vs benefit, getting one thing but having to give up something else (big tires vs gas mileage for example) and the decision is always driven by...what will the customer pay for this feature. If it's too expensive, customers won't pay. If it is non durable the customer won't pay.
5. Then the cost analysis is done. Ideas get scrapped, revisions are made, other features are added, etc.
6. Then testing testing testing, of EVERYTHING. Then more revisions. Marketing and sales approve.
7. Finally, the vehicle is sold to you!

I left out a bunch of minor steps, but these are the major ones.
Notice who is responsible for the design of the vehicle? It's you! Or a representative of you! I can't help you are not in sync with your target demographic.
Notice what the engineers do? They provide the way to meet your, the customers, desires.
They don't dream this shit up. They do exactly as they are told by you.
You have told them what you want and how much you are willing to pay for it. You have told them the colors, tires, seats, mpg, wipers, options and pretty much everything else the truck has. Then they do it.

Remember that any OEM could give a shit what that truck looks like or how it sounds or smells. They are there to make something you wanted and they want to sell it to you and make a profit period.

Don't put romantic ideas in here. Don't tell me your feelings. Don't care how much you LOVE the backwood and the pine tree smells. They don't care. They only want to build what you want and are willing to pay.

If you don't like a feature on the Tacoma, don't blame the engineer, go find someone in your age bracket, someone that makes roughly the same money as you do, someone that has similar hobbies to you, and then kick the shit out of them. They are the reason the truck is what it is.

 

I am still waiting to hear an engineering explanation on why plastic is the best material for a V6 coolant crossover pipe.

 

While your analysis and explanation is pretty much spot on I would have to say the transmission’s “eagerness” to dump right into 6th gear by the time you reach the end of your driveway was driven more by EPA and CAFE standards.
BUT I digress….. engineers build great stuff and bean counters destroy them!

 

Bean counters decided that.

 

Still can't figure out why anyone wanted a power seat in a midsize truck. All the trucks on the market that already had power seats, you could have bought one of those. Thanks for ruining the Tacoma with your power seat. Now they done messed up the tailgate.

 

Yea, having more than sliding and tilt adjustments on a seat is just the worst. Who wants to be able to adjust their seat for optimal comfort??

 

Or an engineer that had never designed a similar function part before, didn't have 20 years of field experience, but did the simulations, did the "laboratory" testing, and said yes it will work (most of the time).

 

Well if I knew what dumbasses were taking surveys we would be able to work with something

 

Some of best sales (marketing, etc.) guys are prior engineers, since they have a concept of reality. Toyota didn’t have an engineer half ass the transmission/throttle logic on purpose, it probably had to be done that way to meet an MPG and emissions improvement target over the 2nd gen.

Toyota learned a ton from the feedback on the 3rd gen with the 4th gen. It looks to deliver everything I wanted that kept me from getting the 3rd gen (not hating btw)

 

You can achieve a lot of adjustment with a manual seat. Power seats are over complicated, get a Camry if you can't get comfortable in a truck.

 

Probably, or they had issues with it on another platform.

 

Every time the transmission shifts the rpm changes drastically. When the rpm changes the pcm has to move to a different strategy regarding spark and camshaft timing, fuel injection, tailpipe emissions, etc.

They design them to be mizers and resist shifting on purpose. This was the same idea behind the CVT in smaller passenger cars

If they're shifting too much or too little, either way, the goal is to be in a gear that best supports the longevity/reliability of the drivetrain and mpg/emission requirements. The actual driving experience is farther down on the list. It's not a sports car, they had to make a choice


Drive by wire throttles were just the beginning. They've been trying to distance the human element from the drivetrain for quite some time now. It's the best way for them reasonably guarantee the vehicle will not break down under warranty and achieve mpg and emissions expectations

 

Pretty much everyone else. I am way outside the demographic so it wasn't me.
Find a male, in a relationship or married, that plays outdoors or would like to play outdoors, dreams of sending it but has never sent it, makes between $50-$90K, has a residence and is between 30 and 50 years old.
Just start beating everyone who meets that criteria. Eventually you will get the right one!

 

Yea, you are really gonna love that tailgate that is automatic when you wave your toe and has anti pinch sensor tape on the sides of the tailgate.
No way rocks or mulch ever clog the tailgate sides...

 

Power 10 way (12 way in 4th gen) seats > manual 6 way. The manual seats in my 1996 are fine, but are in no way better than a new power seat

The pinch sensors are a CYA when you’re in a country that can sue for coffee being hot.

Never said I wanted this though, it is the one gimmick on higher trim 4th gens

 

Toyotas final design engineer choosing to reduce torque numbers in favour of more (small) cup holders:

 

12 way power seat? There are only so many ways to bend a seat. Don't believe the hype.

 

You know the engineers thought about Tacoma World when the added the pinch sensor. They knew some 4th genner was going to get their dick pinched in the power tailgate. There goes an epic Friday thread.