Is there a definitive answer on Gen 3 Tacoma yet?

You know, I've been around enough dealers/salesmen/service managers to know that they know very little about what's coming down the pike. The only time they see new vehicles is when they get the preview of what's coming the next year. Your best bet to get a sneak peak at what's coming is to read some of the mags like Motor Trend, Truck Trends, Autoweek, etc. that are for the most part non-performance related. They show spy photos on a pretty regular basis and are much more in touch with the industry as a whole.

One other thing to consider is the fact that many of these articles in the newspaper come as "press releases" from manufacturers. Some are so blatant they should have a qualifier that says "This article provided for by Dodge/Ford/Nissan/Toyota." If you don't see an author's name on the article there's a pretty good chance it's a press release. Even if there's an author's name, a lot of times he's writing the article based on information received from the manufacturer.

 

if your happy with the truck you have whats the problem. my last truck lasted 18 years. dont care what others think or what the blue book is

 

I am sure Toyota is making an educated decision to reduce engine size and put in a 6-speed auto as well as restyle the body. The 2nd generation Taco has been such a big success and such a reliable truck it is will be hard for Toyota to improve upon.

But whatever Toyota comes up with, I will not purchase a Chevy Canyon or Nissan Frontier or any other small Truck. I will go Toyota Tacoma.

 

If they took the 4runner exactly as it sits and replaced the back with a tacoma box they would win the world.

Seriously if you think about it why make something different? 4runners are awesome looking, have an EPIC interior that feels comfortable yet rugged, and they wouldnt have to keep making two seperate vehicles on two seperate assembly lines, saving them $$.

Can anyone tell me why Yota wouldnt do this?

 

For marketing and sales purposes. You wouldn't buy a tundra that has the same front end as a Prius or sienna would you? "Oh but it's supposed to be aerodynamic saving you mpgs"
Honestly I wouldn't buy a gen 3 that has the 4runner front end, I'm ready for something new and completely redesigned that has it's own look to it. So people can say oh yeah that guy has a 20xx Tacoma. Ya know?

 

From a business stand point and this applies to the automotive industry as well, companies tend to follow a trend though someone has to start and take the lead and be willing to take the failure or success of that lead. Ever noticed cars were boxy and then they went round? When Ford Mustang went retro, all the others followed (charger, challenger, camaro, etc...). Now GM is bringing diesel to mid-size trucks, I'm sure others will follow as well.

 

why not just use the hilux here?

 

I hear ya...... I've been thinking about the 3rd Gens also.

I've got an awesome 2007 with only 66,300 miles on it. I plan to keep it 10 years at least. I always wait until after the first year (or 2) of a redesign.

I can't say that I won't shop around..... but a 3rd Gen will be very likely the highest on my list. Everything else will have to extremely impress me and be VERY much more affordable.

If they don't come out with a 3rd gen soon....I'd most likely start shopping around. I really & truly do not want a newer version of my current truck. I need & want something different.

 

Chevy uses the same design on their 1/2 and 1 ton trucks... people dont seem to mind.... i think thats a little better comparison than your tundra/prius example. But yes i do hear what youre saying. a brand new look will be more exciting than an existing look.

 

^^^ THIS X 1000000

 

I'm curious to see what they come out with whenever the redesign comes. I'd love an extra 6" of cab space in my 13 double cab, and a more fuel efficient drivetrain would be great. Let's say the update offers both of those, then what? a $40k midsize truck? Priced out.

 

QFT!

Sales guys and the managers typically know next to nothing about what's coming down the pipeline. However, us technicians usually have a hint of what's coming! I can't speak for Toyota, but when I was a technician for Chrysler we often knew about new models and tweaks to them before anyone else in the dealership would. This was due to the fact that we would need to update our certifications and go to classes at corporate HQ to do so. There was times when we knew close to a year or more in advance of official announcements what was coming as far as new models and updates to current models goes. Sometimes even before any magazines/publications caught wind of anything. The rest of the dealership wasn't really privy to this information and the sales team usually didn't learn about new models and features until a couple months before we would get the new/updated models in stock.

Moral to the story, ask your local Toyota mechanic what's he's seen or heard

 

Everybody seems to forget that 10 years without a major model change means 10 year's worth of used parts on the market. And that conservative approach to remodels is actually one of the things that has made Toyota trucks such a great brand ... 10, 20, 30 years out you will find an abundant & inexpensive parts market. That's one of the reasons you can keep these trucks for so long.

 

Except frames, headlamps and leaf springs...

 

Makes sense that the technicians would know what was coming. I've been a gear head for a long time, so when I buy a car or truck, I know the specs and features before I ever go to the dealers. I swear, there have been times I've had to tell the salesman what options are available on the car I'm looking at. All most of them seem interested in knowing is financing information. That's why I go in with a pretty thorough knowledge about what I'm wanting to buy.

 

Bingo!

Unless they fix these kind of issues, not worth it.

 

Might as well go full size at that price.

 

Janster, you crawl under your truck yet and look at the frame?

 

You mean the 2.7 v6 eco boost? It uses a graphite iron block the same used in there diesel engines and is producing 325 HP and 375 ft lbs tq. I would say its a pretty high tech engine.

 

I don't fully agree based on my prior knowledge, as there's more to that. The keywords of evolutionary design apply here.

Almost though that too, but he's not too far off.

Interesting...

The next Tacoma was frozen last year, that is definitely final what he saw. You do realize that the next 4Runner will be out in 24-30 months? Design work on both that and the next Prado (180) are about reaching completion, if not already done. The bigger Land Cruiser is already done and it comes out in late 2016. It would be terrible to style the replacement of a 12-year old truck, from an outgoing SUV design that has its roots in 2007 (2010 4Runner).

I understood this logic by Toyota, since the 2005 Tacoma design was finalized in 2002, just as the revolutionary redesigns of the 2003 4Runner and 2003 Land Cruiser Prado were going into production. The '05 Tacoma was put on sale in late October 2004, a reasonable exact 2 years after the related 4Runner. That was no big deal, as the 4Runner was still a fresh design. The Tacoma fell way behind with the 4Runner redesign in late 2009.

The design description you were given is somewhat a subjectively inaccurate one, as any direct relation the 2016 Tacoma will have to the 4Runner, is the 2017 model and not the outgoing 2009-2016 version. It is boxy though and the engines are correct. Chronologically, it should preview the 2017 4Runner, as that right there is a mystery (still in progress unlike the '16 Tacoma).

Just as the 1995.5 Tacoma (February 1995), previewed the 1996 4Runner (late 1995) and the 1989 Pickup (late 1988), previewed the 1990 4Runner (late 1989). At this stage, no one outside of Aichi, Japan or maybe even Calty design in California, has seen the next 4Runner. The "4Runner/Tacoma baby" quip is misleading, just as some have tried to use older existing models (Corolla) to describe newer designs on the next Land Cruiser for MY2017.