Toyota better get their new truck on the market quick!

Yeah, I dunno that seems weird? What do you get when not towing?

And yes I know I'll get flack for it but took this picture this morning for the temp thread. The UG is always within +/- 1 mpg.





Filled up this morning

382.3 miles / 18.27 = 20.925 so might as well say 21 MPG.




*EDIT* I only run Shell V Power 93 octane with no Ethanol and fill up at the same pump every time.




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17 to as high as 20-21 on long easy trips in the past.
But 16-18 is about the norm.
Too many roads posted at 70 around here.
At about 65 I really start to see the MPG drop off.

BTW the wifes truck, about the same, maybe 1-2 mpg more as she has less speed to drive to work then I.

 

Yeah... that sounds about right. It sucks but anything over 65 will bring it down pretty quick. I agree that it should be better MPG there. I'll add that I very rarely get mine over 45-50 MPH just because of where I have to drive and it is usually just me on the road so the mileage I get is skewed slightly compared to others I'll admit.

 

I had a 2003 dodge diesel 4x4 4D LB with camper cover.
In 2004 went cross country, I got 24 mpg in that truck, weight was about 8500-9000 lbs. That was my last truck.
Tow at 21,000 gross, was getting 16-17 from WV back to NC...

And now I get that, 16-17 with nothing in the truck diving to and from work.......
Just hard to find the like button.......

 

I had something similar...

2003 Dodge Cummins and would get similar mileage out of it. But... not really comparing apples to apples. I understand what you're saying but... factor in the added cost of Diesel now and it's not quite as appealing.

Got a little over 16 MPG total on this trip to CO








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Im leaning towards 70 with a trailer. Light or not its a lot of resistance(wind/rolling/+weight).
Try a different speed in 5mph increments. You may be surprised but there's a sweet spot for the trailer vs max mpg. Even with no load speed has a big effect

 

Yeh, the towing MPG is awful. I get 10 MPG max with a 3800lb loaded travel trailer, plus extra propane tanks, tools, gear. And I can barely hold 50 MPH on the steepest 6%-7% grades. I've had to drop it down into 2nd gear on the 7% grades to hold 50 MPH. That's 5000 RPM in 2nd gear, and the V6 redlines at 5500 RPM.


And since the actual, effective capacity of the gas tank is 19 gallons (don't want to run it down to two gallons left all the time), that's 190 miles between fillups.


Toyota can fix both the power and the MPG without causing people to go to a full-size pickup. Hell, I looked at Toyota's V6 engine lineup and the Tacoma gets the weakest one of the entire bunch.

 

hilux.

 

If Ford ever got their heads out of their ass's and brought the Ford Global Ranger (redesigned and named Explorer Sport Trac) all of the truck manufacturers would be in deep shii... They claim it's because of federal gov't restrictions but it's already been proven that it'll not only meet but surpass federal guidelines for emissions (it's a frickin' turbo diesel midsize quadcab truck with manual transmission). The real reason is because it'll make the F-150 obsolete with it's size and capabilities. Same reason other manufacturers keep the good vehicles out of the U.S. borders.

 

I agree with this statement except the redesigned global Ranger should be a F100 so they can claim it in their F series sales. I would surely consider buying one. Ford makes a good truck but the F150s are just too big.

 

the same duratorc diesel engine the global ranger uses is already coming to the USA in the new transit van. Ford just doesn't want to cut into f150 sales. But like the Canyon-Colorado ford would have to change the car like front end of the ranger into a more macho truck look.

 

Yep, I don't need to turn those RPM's but I would guess the motor will not last much past 125-150k if you tow much.
That is the big thing I worry, I only get 50% of the life out of the truck that my wife does hers....... If that happens from towing I will kick myself not going to a full size truck, or something that has more power and a different trans for towing.

 

Buy a hilux before the ugly stick hits it..

 

I'm sorry I'm a little late to the party, and this isn't directed at any specific participant or reply. My observations of the new GM mid-sized trucks as compared to the Taco are as follows, and all IMHO of course:

As a background: I've owned 2 Tacos, 1 Chevy 1500 pick-up, and currently own a GMC 2500HD diesel. I'm about to pull the trigger on ordering a Taco so that I can down-size my truck. The big GMC is truly a Texas Cadillac: lumbering, softly-sprung, comfortable as all get-out, and at the same time: tough enough to pull a whole town behind it. And I've had it since '05. But I don't really need a big truck like that, and really miss the fun a Taco can provide.

GM's view on trucks is a bit different than Toyota's. I suspect GM's view is similar to the rest of the American companies'. The occupant wants to be bathed in comfort and "toys", while driving a truck capable of hauling a decent payload, and towing a house. A Taco's interior is spartan and functional, but it's nothing like the interior of a GM truck. Again: this is from a comfort and functionality perspective, it's not referencing materials used.

Given that, GM is just going to take their view and down-size it a bit for the mid-sized trucks they're about to release. The driver will still be bathed in comfort and surrounded by toys, but the truck will be a bit smaller than the 1500s. As the head of the mid-sized truck division said during an interview: he suspects people want a tough truck to get work done with, but they want to be comfortable in the truck while they're doing it.

There's something to be said for that, IMHO.

Where I think they'll trip up a bit is the power train choices. Specifically the transmissions. As of this writing, GM's not planning to offer a manual transmission in any of the versions of the truck, except the base, 2WD, 4-cylinder one. Every other truck will have an automatic. The assumption there is that the owners want to tow, and modern day autos are just better for towing than manuals are. Further, they expect the vast majority of people buying the trucks don't want to row their own, so why bother certifying another transmission and engine combo?

People who are shopping for a mid-sized, comfortable work truck or commuter may cross-shop the Taco with the new GM trucks. It's for that reason that Toyota and Nissan should keep their eyes open and potentially consider up-contenting their respective trucks. Then again, given it's such a teeny percentage of the North American automotive landscape, perhaps they don't care.

On the other hand, folks shopping for a "fun" truck (like me, dammit, I wanna row my own!) won't likely even glance at the GM trucks. They'll be fairly sterile and less than fun. Functional: yes. But not fun.

 

+1

Main reason I bought the taco was because it came in manual; though if the Frontier's interior didn't look and feel 10 years old and horrible then I would've probably bought one of them. But Nissan is charging MORE for manuals now in the Frontier...

 

Whichever direction that Toyota chooses, I hope and pray that they step up the quality of the interior materials. I'm about 1.5-2 years away from replacing my 08' X-Runner and although I have to say that like like more about my truck than I dislike. It has proven to be reliable and tough enough, it's aging well in terms of aesthetics on the exterior(still looks good next to newer vehicles) but the interior is not doing as well. Mostly the drivers seat.

With what ever comes out for the new model I only hope for a few of the following changes.

A better quality interior overall and I'm willing to pay for it too.
Improved power and mpg
Same exterior size or slightly smaller
Better brakes (not a puny front disc single piston caliper / drums) I've always disliked the pedal feel and why should I have to upgrade to SS lines to get into the modern world?
How about some dynomat or other sound insulation on the roof,,,, big time tin can sensation in a rainstorm.
Better headlights PLEASE
Possible better/stronger A/C,,,,, a black truck in S.Florida needs extra BTU's.

I'm not looking for a luxobarge by any means. Yes, my needs have recently changed (adopting a child right now) but not to the point that what I have already isn't suitable, but I see a lot of areas that could use improvement that wouldn't really hurt Toyotas bottom line.
I could see myself in a DCSB 2wd as my next vehicle. Give it a turbo 4,,,around 250hp with a 6+ sp auto and I'm there.
My next purchase will certainly consider Toyota as choice number 1, but I will also be looking at what the competition has to offer as well.

 

For what it's worth, I had a 2010 Tacoma dclb sr5 and bought a 2014 dcsb this past fall. I had the dealer put color-matched leather in the 2014. It was very professionally done and to me makes the interior feel 1000x higher quality than the interior of my 2010.

Definitely worth it and much cheaper to add leather than upgrade to a new truck.

 

Different strokes... but I'm the complete opposite lol.

I've been driving a Subaru STI for about 2 and a half years now. I've found a manual to be a little annoying, but not difficult, driving on a daily basis. I'm really interested in an automatic at this point.

 

I've been tooling around in my x-runner since 12/07,,,,,,, I feel your sentiment about manuals. Sometimes it gets a little long in the tooth.