Finally Took a Test Drive, Surprised

So I've considered all of the mid and small size trucks. This is the first time in 50 years of car buying that no one has anything that stands above the rest to me. After narrowing down the field, I've been flipping back and forth between the Ranger and Tacoma. After extensive research there's some things I like and don't like about each. Since I am planning on buying in the near future I started my test drives with the Tacoma since their dealership here is much less hassle than the Ford one. I drove a 2wd Sport 5' bed with the $4k package. The power seats were fine, I found a comfortable position and I liked the interior much more than I thought I would. I happen to like light steering and I give the steering feel an A+. I REALLY liked it. Now for the concerns. The engine sounded rough. Not a really big deal. I expected better power. I currently drive two vehicles with the 3.6 Pentastar and although HP is better with them, torque is much better with the Tacoma so I expected a little more acceleration. Now for the real head scratcher. I've never read anyone complaining about the ride quality so I was really surprised at how rough the ride was. The suspension was firm and tight but every tar filled in crack in the asphalt jarred the truck. Now I've had many trucks before, F-150s, Rangers, Ram, Silverado, and only one, a 2010 Silverado, comes anywhere close to how choppy the ride was. So I left the dealership disappointed because I really liked other aspects of the truck and even before driving a Ranger, I was hoping the Tacoma would be a home run since the Ford dealerships here are abysmal. So someone clue me in. Is this a Toyota thing, a choppy ride. I've never had a Toyota before so I don't know what their usual ride quality is.

 

Not saying it can't be a little bumpy at times but any idea what the tire pressure was in the vehicle you test drove?

 

The sport has a firmer suspension then the OR model or the base SR.

While it may not roll and wallow as much on the road, the downside is a rougher ride.

I would bet replacing the shocks with the OR model would make it softer but then, why not just buy the OR model to begin with?

 

You could test drive an Offroad and compare. The Sport has stiffer suspension.

 

No. I thought about that after getting home.

 

Always check the tire pressure on a new vehicle. They’re usually overinflated, which makes a ride harsh.

The SR makes significantly less power than the other trims.

 

How about the SR5 since I don't need 4WD? I looked up the various trims on Edmonds to see if the suspensions varied between trims but their info was sparse.

 

I'm not up on the 2024 models, but in previous years you could get the OR in 2wd. It came with a locker for the rear axle, and the softer suspension and sway bar. But again, that was previous models, I'm not sure on the 24s.

 

SR/SR5/Sports pretty much have the hardest suspensions. I myself like the bounce though, I always feel like Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura when he's fake bouncing around in the land rover haha. Somehow a soft suspension truck just doesn't feel like a truck to me (Like the ridgeline which I considered too). BTW I had a Ranger as well and that truck bounced too, wonder why yours was softer?

 

my offroad iforce maxx rides pretty rough to... way more "firm" then my 3rd gen offroad.

 

The engines do sound rough. The turbo sounds like loose marbles are rolling around on the floorboards.

 

this....
I bought a sport & like you stated, every crack in the road can be felt...
checked tire pressure & they were set at 45psi, should have been at 30 psi...

As stated the sport is suppose to be the firmest ride of the bunch, offroad the softest...

I was a ford engine mechanic for 32+ years untill recently retired, I opted for the tacoma....
In my opinion overall just looks better than the ranger, also the dash config / layout & radio, etc is also visually more appealing / better layout...
Fords cant build a 4 cylinder turbo motor that could retain its head gasket to save their lives, thats the god honest truth.....
all of them truly suck, the 1.5l, 1.6l, 2.0l, 2.3l, every one of them, on every platform,
fusion, edge, escape, mustang, ranger....

toyota may not be any better at this point, but I dont know what I dont know, so for now atleast I can sleep at night...
just my 2 cents

 

Stiff sport shocks on a boxed frame.

 

go back with a $2 tire pressure gauge & verify that toyota you drove was over inflated.
should be 30psi.
if it is ask the sales guy to drive it over to service & have it corrected so you can take it for another spin.
if you dont want 4wd at all & the sport is still disappointing.
Drive a 2wd sr5 & see if thats any better for you.

The shocks / coilers on the sport are suppose to have tighter / stiffer tuning....

 

Nope. There is a pre runner trim, though.

 

When I picked mine up all tires were at 50psi. I have owned all the gens and this one by far has the best seating for me. I have had a few back surgeries and sit quite straight.

 

You can kolonger get a 2wd offroad in a 4th gen.

 

Everyone's tooch are different along with opinions. Buy what you like. Personally, I would never consider a Ford or GM product.

 

The Bilsteins in the OR are a big advantage over the Sports in ride quality.

Similar story, I compared the Ranger and Tacoma. I tested the Ranger Lariat 2.7 w FX4 pkg, Tacoma OR w/iforce max, and Tacoma OR 2.4T, assuming I’d buy one of them. Without even leaving the parking lot, the noise from the 2.4T already disqualifies it completely. The hybrid is better in sound and acceleration, but the added expense eats up budget space for very basic must-have features, and the space under the seats is gone.

And the Aussie from Detroit, to my surprise, was hands-down the better truck in every way, except ride quality and styling. The rear leafs transmit road imperfections a little more. And I think the Ford is handsome, but it looks tame (and lower) sitting next to the Taco. However, the 2.7 is a revelation that left me thinking “what-if” about the Tacoma. As a Toyota guy who just can’t trust Ford, I punted on both.

 

Long story short, you’re driving the Hyundai Santa Cruz!