Test drove a 4th gen my impression

Test drove a sport non premium model .. My impressions
Positives …
1 auto is smooth
2 interior is more roomy
3 seats are more comfortable

negative
1 the ride quality is bad lots of roll and bounce truck didn’t feel planted .It was a sport base model .
2 still lag with the turbo on a auto .no consistent power delivery .
3 engine feels underpowered on the highway .especially going to pass u can feel the turbo trying to push that little 4cyl .delivered no power .
4 it feels like a full size truck
5 tailgate feels cheap
6 stereo still bad heard the base and jbl upgrade .
7 no storage
8 exterior not good looking

overall the truck is not what I expected for the price point and options definitely not worth the price . Lot of people will love it or most like me will hate it . Just my 2 cents sorry …not sorry if I offended anyone .

 

Any chance for some additional context? Did the sport have the upgrade or premium package?

negative
1 the ride quality is bad - How so? To bouncy or something else?
2 still lag with the turbo on a auto - I thought so too on my first test drive, but all the others I drove did not have a noticeable lag.
3 engine feels underpowered on the highway. Getting on HWY or trying to pass someone?
4 it feels like a full size truck - It does
5 tailgate feels cheap - Most aluminum ones I have played with seem that way.
6 stereo still bad - JBL or non JBL?
7 no storage - agreed, even more so on JBL trucks.
8 exterior not good looking - Subjective, but I like them.

And screw all the people who have a different opinion that you. Just because we have differences does not mean that we can't have a civil conversation!

 

I test drove a SR5. Given it's not the same trim and the suspension and tires are different, but the same drivetrain.
My impressions of your impressions

Positives
1) Agree to a point. It shifts smooth, but seemed to shift a lot. I'm guessing that's the nature of the 8 speed?
2) Agree
3) Disagree on this one, but I didn't take too much time to dial in the seat. My 3rd gen has the power seat, while the truck I test drove had the manual seat, so maybe if I took more time . . .

negative
1) Disagree. I felt the SR5 ride quality was great. I was on smaller tires than the Sport, but maybe I the SR5 has bigger sidewalls?
2) Seemed like a normal turbo lag to me
3) Agree with a caveat. The truck felt underpowered on the hwy, but it is quick. At 70mph, I stomped the gas and acceleration felt strong.
4) Agree. Stop feeding our midsized trucks growth hormones! My neighbor has a 2nd gen and my other neighbor got a new 24 Sport. Side by side, the 4th gen is huge.
5) No opinion. Didn't look at it.
6) No opinion. Had stereo off.
7) Agree except the rear-under seat storage appears larger.
8) I think the front looks good, but the rear profile looks too boxy for my tastes. I saw a 4th gen with a topper the other day and I thought the truck looked great. The topper hid some of those boxy roof lines.

 

I borrowed my friend's 2023 trd off road premium and there is a huge difference between it and the new premium off road.Way easier getting in and out of the new one,seats are more comfortable,the engine is more responsive,it isn't constantly searching for the right gears, this in itself would be a dealbreaker for me.It is considerably faster,it beats the old one by three truck lenghts to 60,it brakes quicker than the old one.It is quieter inside the cabin,don't see any difference in storage,ride quality is better in the new one,I think the new one looks more truck like than the old one.The 23 just feels like an old truck in comparison.

 

Had the lots of roll & bounce thought when I test drove an SR5.

1st gen felt better

but the 4th gen gets a lot faster a lot quicker before I notice

 

I have a 4th gen TRD Sport and while I initially thought the ride was bouncy I've come to appreciate the ride and power of this truck.

 

2/3 negatives...the truck now has 3 drive modes - normal, eco and sport I believe. Maybe changing the drive modes will change the way it drives? Not sure what setting is default.

 

1 the ride quality is bad lots of roll and bounce truck didn’t feel planted .It was a sport base model - shocks can change alot, the body roll I personally didnt feel driving one. The sport model is what you buy to change shocks out for a lift, you should drive a limited or TRD for a ride quality comparison
2 still lag with the turbo on a auto .no consistent power delivery - defer to #3, but a turbos "gain" chart on the graph is also not "consistent" as the turbo spools, its a turbo not a supercharger.
3 engine feels underpowered on the highway .especially going to pass u can feel the turbo trying to push that little 4cyl .delivered no power - do you drive vehicles with turbos or have you? have you driven others in this class with similar turbo options to compare? I didnt feel it lagged and thought this 4th gen was rather peppy...
4 it feels like a full size truck - from the body roll or just feels "big" like a Tundra?
5 tailgate feels cheap - lightweight cheap? sounds cheap? latch handle feel?
6 stereo still bad heard the base and jbl upgrade - stereos in 19 or 20 got upgraded on the Tacos and 4R platforms, since then theyve sounded great IMO
7 no storage - its a mid sized truck, what are you looking to "store"? Toyota claims there is 3x MORE underseat storage in these models
8 exterior not good looking - would bumpers and other mods help? a base model sport taco 2018 isnt the most appealing out the gates either...

 

... well, given what happens to the vehicle in your avatar I can see why this may be of concern to you
(sorry couldn't resist)

Storage - if you mean you feel it lacks internal cabin storage... I like having lots for little things I can carry but want out of the way. It's a truck, don't most of us carry some things? Better to have than need etc...

I also feel the price for most on the road trucks like this is now... higher than needed. There goes the aftermarket businesses when nobody wants to shell out even more for just 'wants'.

 

Just test drove a TRD OR this morning

1 auto is smooth - agree
2 interior is more roomy - agree
3 seats are more comfortable - agree ++++

negative
1 the ride quality is bad lots of roll and bounce truck didn’t feel planted .It was a sport base model . - different model, but disagree , the TRD OR suspension felt firmer than my 3rd gens
2 still lag with the turbo on a auto .no consistent power delivery. - didn't feel this at all, felt peppier than my 3rd gen
3 engine feels underpowered on the highway .especially going to pass u can feel the turbo trying to push that little 4cyl .delivered no power - see #2, with the new tranny it just goes
4 it feels like a full size truck - agree, although im not sure if this is a negative or positive yet. It does feel like you are sitting in a full size truck. Probably due to seating position and dash placement
5 tailgate feels cheap - disagree, its just feels lighter
6 stereo still bad heard the base and jbl upgrade. - JBL sounds better than my 3rd gen base stereo
7 no storage - ????
8 exterior not good looking - opinion, i think it looks better in person than in photos

 

Yep an old truck and last of the one of the last reliable true Toyota products though not the coolest or most gizmo’d out.

 

I'm pretty sure 6 months of production and consumer use is not enough to deem the G4 less reliable than the G3 or older tacomas.

 

This review screams old man who is afraid of change.

 

The entire bed along with tailgate is composite, a micro light tailgate doesnt mean feels "cheap"......
In my opinion its a pro, not a con...

 

It’s hard to imagine anyone who has ever driven a 3rd gen say that the 4th gen feels underpowered.

 

The one thing about the 8 speed I liked a lot when I tested it was how often the turbo would kick in and boost. In the manual it seems to seldom kick in, at least the way I drive it.

 

We shall see. Guess the tundra guys thought same thing and still seeing engine failures 2 years in and 24 model years.

 

tundra has the same issue with lag if you keep it in eco mode. you have to switch to normal or sport mode for the trans and time for the ecu to learn your driving habits.

nothing new there as the old tacoma's had the same issue with learning also even after the ecu flash for the 3rd gens

 

I have a 4th gen rental right now because my 23 is stuck in the shop rn with a bad diff. I will say that the engine has WAY more low end than the v6. I actually like turbos, so I enjoy driving it. I know a lot of people are concerned about longevity, but I like the change from a performance perspective. The seating position is a lot better too. I do like the interior.

But the tailgate does feel pretty cheap. It has a frikin huge aluminum driveshaft that will probably not be the best for offroading. The exterior looks are growing on me, but the stupid air dam and the exhaust exit need to go in the dumpster. My rental has ungodly small tires on it, so bigger tires are a must just to fill up the wheel wells. I know that some people dont like the backseat. But since the front seat seating position is so much better, I can roll the front seat forward a lot more and still be comfortable, so the back seat is maybe a little better than the third gen IMHO. Overall I have enjoyed driving it and hearing that turbo spool!

 

Drove the 4th gen a few times. Turning radius is horrible, turbo lag bugs me (non linear momentum gain). Cheap plastic everywhere. Drove the the 3rd gen and bought it immediately.