Could Toyota Phase Out Tacomas ??

2835 lbs is overlading the truck:
per Toyota specs "payload = 1350lbs
Payload is the GVWR minus curb weight and includes weight of occupants, optional equipment and cargo, limited by weight distribution. Payload is not the Vehicle Capacity Weight as defined by FMVSS 110, which will vary according to installed optional equipment.

and yes, it's a truck...that's it's purpose in life. however, overlading it is not. one can overload an F-350 if they try hard enough.

also, I pay no delivery fee for anything delivered from the lumber company (outside what is already factored into their pricing, which is always competitive)...they also wil pickup (at no additional charge) any materials I don't use/need.

but like you posted...the pic is not too shabby considering the load on her.

 

That's too much weight , and dumb

 

Well, I didnt research it ahead of time, i had no idea it was that heavy... it was maxed out, but she did alright,and yes it was stupid but by golly it worked...!
did two loads...for all of a 5 mile drive from the store. they want some BS like $40 or $60 per delivery.... thats the drawback of a country store in a rural area, supply and demand. since then I found a company that has very reasonable deals to deliver the yards of gravel and sand that we've needed working on my property. I dont do construction professionally, just remodeling my house.... so there's been a steep learning curve on some stuff...but if youre gonna be dumb then hopefully your truck is tuff...lol.

I also have 3 stepdaughters,(the older ones dont always go with us) a 2y/o daughter, the dog and the wife, so camping trips are fully loaded... especially with my kayaks and gear as well, so even with reasonable full loads i was having problems. the TSB or an AAL would have probably been sufficient, but I was out of warranty, and with the education provided by researching through this fine website, I decided to fix it proper good...thus the dakars, 5100s, 885's,and LR UCA's... a (mostly affordable) function first suspension upgrade. I have been very happy with it so far... totally worth it. and the shell too, snugtop FTW.

 

truck looks nice Abraham...and the mountains in your sig pic are cool

 

If Toyota is not careful the Tacoma could go the way of the Ranger, which would really be sad. There are options you still can't get on the Tacoma, like a moon-roof or power seats, that would make it even more appealing. Of course a hybrid or diesel option would be nice, along with maybe a 6 or 8 speed auto transmission.

I purchased mine back in 2005 after the redesign and have run it ever since. After buying a 2nd vehicle, it isn't used every day anymore but still runs like a champ. In a couple of years I'd like to get a new one. Having said that, if Toyota doesn't do a REAL redesign by then I might end up going with a Nissan instead. If this company wants my continued business then they need to offer a better product, regardless of how good the truck is now. Sorry but after 7 years it would be nice to have an improved truck to purchase.

Just some honest comments from a long time Tacoma owner. I sincerely hope that someone from Toyota pays attention to these forums.

 

I would say the 2012 Tacoma is improved over the 2005. Many times gradual evolving rather than drastic changes are better...and keep the base market buyers from jumpig ship.

and example would be Porsche vs Corvette. The Porsche evolved and many would argue is better for it. GM made many drastic changes to the Corvette over the years, losing buyers and not necesarly producing a better car for it.

slow and steady tweaking is better IMO. drastic reengineering and styling often produces a whole new set of issues that need addressing.

 

Thanks, yours as well...they are bitchin' trucks, and so very versatile.it really is my dream truck, and about as fullsize being a DCLB as i should ever need... unless i can buy property in the mountains someday, and even then i'll just get an older diesel workhorse.

Oh, and in the pic that is the Collegiate Peaks right in the heart of Colorado, outside Buena Vista. On the Banks of the mighty Arkansas river... I would move there in a heartbeat if I could swing it, but as with all mountain towns, its hard to get work,Property ain't cheap, and would be almost impossible to match my current salary, job description and seniority with the FD.... but i will only be 48 when my 20 years are up, so there's plenty to hope and plan for in the future..

 

awesome...good future luck to you and your family

 

I would not argue your point here.

 

I guess that's what makes the 1st gens...gems.

 

I get the same thing in the mail every few weeks. I have 3 toyo dealers within 20 miles of my home, you are lucky to find more than 4 tacos at any dealer at one time.

I've owned a few different trucks in the past and i have to say this one is by far the best, rides great, good power, easy to park, good tow-er, decent gas mileage.

I cannot see this truck being phased out, i cannot go anywhere in my area and not pass several other 2nd gens on the road. I think if they need to dump anything it should be the Tundra. when i was trying to work a deal on a taco in 2010, we were about 1k apart, the salesman actually told me he could give me the deal i wanted on a similar 4wd Tundra, i was negotiating a 2wd trd dc, they were obviously having trouble moving them and had some serious incentives / kickbacks.

I believe the taco could be the perfect truck with just a few minor upgrades or options. Diesel option, electric fan (a/c absolutely sucks), sunroof option, and rear disc brakes. regardless of whether or not there any performance benefit to rear disc, it makes the truck appear dated, at least to me.

 

I'm quoting myself, sorry.

So, the first dealer mentioned above now has 26, all 2013s. The second has 0.

To answer the big question here, the Tacoma will be around AT LEAST beyond 2016 which from what I've read is when the next redesign is scheduled. Why would they roll out a huge jump in new features in 1 model year? That wouldn't make much sense from a business standpoint. Roll out just enough to get people to want that next model and keep making small improvements each year.

What's next for auto features anyway? My first Tacoma back in 2000 had NOTHING compared to my 2012. Seriously, I had A/C and a cassette deck. Now we have DVD players, nav, backup cameras, intune. Holy shit!

So what is next? I doubt that there will ever be a diesel or an 8 speed transmission Tacoma. To be honest, I can't believe what they have already included in a truck and I'm sure when it's time for my next Tacoma, it will make my 2012 look bare bones.

Tacomas are here for the long haul. No punn intended.

 

Thanks, I was just getting ready to say the same thing. The 2012 Tacoma that is in the showroom right now is basically the same as my 2005. Don't get me wrong here, it is a really good truck regardless of the year.

Let me put this another way. I'm going to be looking at new trucks sometime around 2015. Now if the Tacoma hasn't been redesigned by then, why would I want to buy another the of same truck. Especially since I'd been driving my Taco 10 years by then. Personally I'd like to see a much wider array of options rather than the still somewhat spartan offers of the current model, again power seats would be nice for a start.

This isn't about whether or not the Tacoma, in its current version, is a good truck. It is about Toyota remaining competitive in a market that offers very few good small trucks. Sadly this strategy of small improvements instead of a redesign is exactly what killed the Ranger in the end. I've driven 2011 Rangers, at work, and can tell you it was very obvious that it was yesterday's technology.

Guess we'll see in a few year whether Toyota wants to stay in the game here or throw in the towel like Ford did. Honestly, I think Ford is going to try to bring their "Global Ranger" to the US market eventually. People still want mid-sized trucks, as the full-sized ones have turned into aircraft carriers.

 

I haven't pulled out a tape measure but it looks like Chevy has been shrinking the Silverado and the newest ones don't look much bigger than my Tacoma.

 

The article is pure hogwash. It twists small trucks and mid-size trucks together, using one to make wild claims about the other. For example, the article claims "midsize trucks have been declining in popularity," but then points to the Ford Ranger and Dodge Dakota (both small, not mid-size, trucks) as evidence of that. Instead, the mid-size Tacoma has actually gained market share during the period mentioned.

Of course, smaller pickup trucks (Ranger, Dakota, etc) have long been most threatened since they don't offer much more capacity (towing, hauling, etc) than other vehicles (crossovers, minivans, etc), nor the room and comfort of a larger vehicle. This is why many of these small pickups have now been discontinued.

However, there will always be a market for mid to full-size trucks. Mid-size trucks offer a good balance between those other vehicles and full-size trucks. Further, an aging population, still wanting options to tow and haul, are finding it harder to climb into a full-size pickup. Toyota has obviously found that sweet spot in the middle with the current Tacoma and now appears to be tweaking it to even better fit that market.

Considering the success of the Tacoma, Toyota would be downright foolish to make "significant changes" to it. The far wiser move would be to make minor, cautious, tweeks to what they already have. In the process, they'll obviously be watching the competition hard to match or beat any threat.

 

I've gone from a 2007 to a 2012 and there has been a number of improvements. It's not a total redesign, but the truck doesn't need it.

The problem is everyone focuses on bling and not the meat and potatoes. If Toyota installed heated mirrors, a fuel consumption display, or a useless light in your cup holder people would go ape-shit crazy over it, but when Toyota improves the ABS, adds and then updates traction controls, redesigns the headlights, improves the clutch engagement and gets rid of that irritating beep every time the traction controls engage no one cares.

Do they have more that they could do? For sure.

Am I interested in paying $40,000 for a truck with a bunch of stupid bells and whistles? Nope.

 

Anything is possible, being that the Taco is the top selling midsize in America it is unlikely that this could ever happen. But, everybody thought that Jeep would make the CJ forever and look what happened in 1986...I think right now the Tacoma, Chevy and GMC Colorado/Canyon and Nissan Frontier are the only ones left in the US market. I am pretty sure the GM midsize lineup is gonna get axed in 2013, but not sure.

 

Another one of the biggest killers on midsize trucks is that you can go buy a full-size for only a few thousand more and get more of everything. Still, I like the compact feel of my Tacoma and would prefer it over anything for what I do, its easy to park, maneuver in tight traffic, and fit into a garage nicely. Something that a 3/4 ton truck has a hard time doing. My Dad's Duramax has to be parked out in our giant storage shed, and takes up a good part of the space in there too.

 

Thank you! I'm sure the heated seats and mirrors will come in handy for "wheelin". All that shit will bump up prices on ALL option levels.

Toyota can pretty much do whatever they want within reason to the Tacoma and still have a huge market for it, which is exactly why it won't go away. They have it down. Ford, Dodge and Chevy have never even come close, hence the reason for this post.

 

Ford started making compact trucks with the Courier in the late 70s and lasted all the way up to 2012. I think they did alright despite the dated technology they had. I know a few people that have driven Rangers 300k with minimal problems. Same goes for the Chevy S10's, the Canyon and Colorado are a disgrace to those trucks though. Mazda used to make a great compact as well, friend of mine had an 87 B2600 4x4, I could go on and on about the things we put that poor thing through and how well it held up. Only time it left us walking is when we sunk it into a irrigation ditch covered in packed snow.