Small screen vs big screen

Agreed, when I test drove I didn't find the screen blocked anything but dash and a little bit of hood. 5'9" here.

 

I think the 8" screen looks more proportionate for the size of the interior in a midsize truck. I like the steering wheel to be the focal point of the dash. I'm in the minority as I barely use GPS or much of anything that's displayed on the screen minus the absence of physical controls and have to be controled through touch screen keys. I went from a larger screen to a smaller screen when I switched vehicles, and barely noticed a difference. I have almost zero interest in digital devices to begin with.

 

My truck has the larger screen and I don't feel like it blocks my view. It definitely makes it easier to see what's going on when using navigation and backing up.

 

Toyota designers took the screen size into careful consideration as they would idiots to make the screen block your view of the road to put their passengers in a hazardous position to their best selling truck.

 

Adjust the seat upwards. It doesn’t block anything

 

Sometimes simplicity is welcomed. I would go back to my 2021 Limited screen of I could.
Dan

 

In my Gen1 Toyota designers put the clock directly behind the steering wheel. So you couldn't see the clock unless you went out of your way to look around the steering wheel to see the time. I put nothing past Toyota designers overlooking even the simplest of things.

 

Go to the Build your Tacoma website and check this, but it looks like the 14" screen is available as a standalone for $845 while you have to add the whole upgrade package to get the JBL (and a slight discount on the 14", which now costs $720.

I have a '24 OR with MT, 14", and heated seats. In other words, the poverty package with a stick and the two a la carte options. My wife searched high and low for this configuration on AutoTrader. I had to wait a few weeks and drive to a dealer out of state, but I'm glad I got the Tacoma I really wanted.

Love the 14" screen, by the way. There's no downside, it improves functionality (easier to see and control while driving) and will help with resale because by the time you go to sell it 8" will seem tiny (insert joke here...)

 

I'm 5'9" and my screen blocks nothing.

 

I agree, but the Corolla like design is super distracting. Gen3 or LC screen set-up is way more aesthetically pleasing.

 

It’s not distracting at all. It’s well below your sight line

 

I don't think anyone buying outside of Toyota Certified is going to make a purchase based on screen size. Have you seen some of the trucks listed for sale 1-2-3 Gs with rusted frames, missing center caps, headlight lenses that light won't shine thru. Nothing stops people from buying used Tacomas.

 

I bet you're 100% right about Tacomas over a certain age. Prospective buyers just want a capable and reliable truck. But if you had to sell a 2024 or 2025 in five or ten years, investing in the 14" screen might pay off since I'm guessing it will become standard for the 4th gen mid-cycle refresh. The 14" screen will be associated with newer 4th gens while the smaller screen will be associated with older ones. Meanwhile, what seems absurdly large today will increasingly become normal, and the 8" will start to seem small. All I'm saying is that the increased visibility and functionality of the larger screen, together with potential resale upside, probably makes it worth the extra $850.

 

I think most people don't care about the screen, yeah people tend to get exited about them, but I see more historic tags that's if people heve tags on their car than vehicles equipped with big screens. There's no real disadvantage to the big screen I used to like it more, but I don't like that much surface area to draw my eye away from the road. I think the smaller the screen the more reliable it's going to be, I think it will last longer. The bigger the surfacs area it's the more UV, heat, cold os going to effect the screen. I agree the larger screen will become become standard.

 

Well... having used my big screen for 12,000 miles, I totally disagree with someone who has used one for zero miles.

Having a large aerial photo map is an immense help while off-roading. While on the highway, I have a split screen with Google Maps on one side and an audiobook on the other.

I'll go ahead and say it: The small screens are a waste of unused space.

 

Yeah no experice with any Toyota screen. The larger screen in the F-150 seemed to have more glare and be a mess of finger prints and would seeme to draw my attention when I caught the screen in my peripheral when scanning for visibility. I'm sure all drivers have their own opinion on how media technology impacts their motoring.

Edit

Any pictures of the display in inclement weather?

 

My biggest beef with my 3rd gen was the puny, busy nav screen. Everything about the 14" multimedia package, especially navigation is totally better, totally worth the money.

 

I wonder if all these guys complaining about it blocking their view also complain about the portion of the dashboard above the speedometer also blocking their view. Or the steering wheel. They are the same height. In fact, as you lower your eyes way down, the steering wheel itself will block the road before the big screen does.

The truth is people are just making up things to be upset about. Your eyeballs would have to be below the top of the steering wheel for that screen to block any portion of the road in front of you. It's just simply not happening.

 

Not sure why you'd try to call it fabrication when there's an opinion which simply differs from yours.

I drove both. To me the 14" screen was distracting. It drew MY eye too much and drew MY attention away from the road, as many others have observed. I'd prefer my attention on the road. The 14" did that. The 8" did not. Thus I chose the 8" screen. Most of the comments here are about distraction, and few about obstruction, perhaps with poor choice of words. If Toyota had a flashing light as part of the console, it wouldn't matter the size of the light, it would be distracting. If it had a massaging mechanism in the seat, it would be distracting, though wonderful in its own tragic accident inducing way. If it's not a distraction for you then . But we don't all have your exceptional qualities.