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My first observations of the 2010 tacoma

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by NetMonkey, Sep 15, 2009.

  1. Sep 15, 2009 at 9:25 AM
    #1
    NetMonkey

    NetMonkey [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Toytec Ultimate Lift @ 3", Mickey Thompson MTZ's 285/75/16, Moto Metal 955b, rear 2" ALL, Marlin Crawler sliders
    well, its only been 4 days of ownership but i must say OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS TRUCK!!!
    why didnt i make this purchase sooner? :smack:

    i am coming from a nissan titan so all my observations are in comparison to that truck...

    Power/MPG: i really thought that i would miss the power of the titan. on the titan, you barely touch the gas peddal and it launches you. but, what that was doing was making me a more agressive driver. i found myself wanting to feel the hard acceleration all the time. but with the tacoma, i find myself just easily cruising around and enjoying the ride. pressing the gas pedal on the tacoma eases you into the power band. but if you need the quick acceleration, the power is there to move you.
    what i dont miss on the titan is the gas milage. i was lucky to get 11-12mpg per tank, but with the tacoma, i am getting 20-24mpg on the highway (confirmed by the scan gauge) driving 70-80mph.

    Controls: i think the controls are better on the titan than on the tacoma. on the titan, every button is lit up so i can see it at night. in the tacoma, i am always fumbling for the door lock and the power window switches. it would also be nice to have the controls related to 4x4 operations lit up as well. and an indication if the buttons are actually depressed. this is a minor gripe and i am sure to will memorize the location of all the controls as i use them more.
    also, all the controls cannot be seen from the normal driving position. albiet, the controls that i cant easily see are the 4x4 related controls; which arent used on a daily basis anyway. again, just a minor gripe.
    one improvement on the 2010 that i have noticed over the 2009 is the radio display. on the 2009 when i was wearing polarized sun glasses, i could not see the display, but on the 2010, i can see it... yay :)
    all auto up and auto down windows would be a bonus as well.

    Size/Manuverability/Driving: I LOVE DRIVING THE TACOMA!! omg, it feels so good. the titan, however, is so big that i feel like i am sloshing around inside when i drive. when i turn corners in it, i feel like i have to hold on because i slide around on the seat. but in the tacmoa, i feel craddled by the seats and i am firmly planted.
    the tacoma is also (literally) 1000 pounds lighter than the titan. so it doesnt lumber and lean as much as the titan does. also, even though the tacoma has less power, the reduction in weight makes up for alot.
    i got the off-road package on the tacoma and i am glad that i did. i really like how firm the ride is compared to the titan (granted, the titan was a 2x4), but the tacoma feels like a truck should and i feel like i am driving a 4x4 (and i am:) ).
    the tacoma is 16 inches shorter and 4 inches narrower than the titan and that makes a huge difference in los angeles. i can definately turn alot sharper than the titan and i can fit more easily into parking spaces. parking the titan in los angeles is like trying to dock a battleship in a pond; its a PITA.
    For as big as the titan is, there just didnt seem to be enough room in it. the back seats were cramped and it was uncomfortable to put 4 adults in the truck. the tacoma (DC), however, easily fit 4 adults. also, the built in storage was lacking in the titan. the tacoma has storage under and behind the back seats which is a huge bonus IMO. i have a place now for my hitches, rope, tie downs, and whatever else i might need to stow. its just a better functional design.

    The Tacoma "Look"/Community: haha... its only been 4 days, but i see soo many people do the head turn and look at the tacoma as i drive by. especially those people that are driving tacomas themselves. i try to give other tacoma owners an ackknowledgement as i drive by (the head bob, thumbs up, etc...) its almost like we are all brothers/sisters by vehicle purchase :) its pretty cool.

    Gripes from other tacoma owners:
    Transmission shifting (lag): i notice this a little bit, but its no worse than the titan. i mostly feel it around 5pmh when i am driving around a parking lot. its not really a big deal for me and i am used to it from the titan (which was more pronounced).
    Engine surging at a stop: i see what others are talking about here. i think its when the air conditioning cycles on and off. its ever so slight and it slightly (1/2 inch?) pulls the truck forward. its so negligible and i take it as a characterist of driving the tacoma. i just need to put a tad more effort on the brake pedal at a stop. (i have owned other vehicles that have done this as well).
    Brake Peddal: others have said that the brake pedal feels soft and that they have to really get on it to stop. for me, the brakes are very firm and respond immediately. i feel very confident with them.
    Radio/Bluetooth: i got the JBL system and i havent noticed any volume issues or the radio shutting off. also, the bluetooth works perfectly and subwoofer is plenty for me. i deffinately hear and feel it.

    again, i am so glad i made this purchase. the tacoma is a great truck and its awesome to drive. seriously, i want to go drive right now :)

    thanks for reading.
     
  2. Sep 15, 2009 at 9:32 AM
    #2
    Chazmanian

    Chazmanian Well-Known Member

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    Nice post Mang!!

    I drove a few Titans back when I was in the market for a new Company work truck...The first thing that razzled me was the whole sitting in a plastic bucket feel. Truck drove out decent but I couldnt get over the cheapness of the interior.

    Ended up buy a Dodge ram diesel with leather....Crappy as the Dodge interiors are even it was better than the Titan. Buddy has a Frontier...Its also the cheap funky colored plastic bucket mobile...Nissan needs to address that in a big way or they will not be able to compete with Toyota in this segment...

    Oh yeah they did on the Titan as evidently new Titan = Dodge ram!!

    Go figure....

    Now go buy some mods n' shit and make it yours!!
     
  3. Sep 15, 2009 at 9:43 AM
    #3
    moto932

    moto932 What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz? CHICKEN?

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    Basically stock. OME 882s, HD Dakars and nitrochrgers, TG front bumper, custom rear bumper, 4Xinnovations sliders, RAT skids, Softopper, 255/85/16 ST MAXX's on 16" steelies, 1" B.O.R.A. wheel spacers Scangaugae II, deck plate mod, grey wire mod,ECGS bushing, diff breather relocation, alarm mod, defrost w/o compressor mod, de-badged, sockmonkey beside decals.
    glad to hear you are loving you new ride!
     
  4. Sep 15, 2009 at 10:28 AM
    #4
    PropJet

    PropJet Well-Known Member

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    I too went from a Titan to a Tacoma (both double cab, 4x4, off road pkg). While I enjoyed the Titan, it was just too much truck for my needs. The Tacoma fits me much better, looks a lot better (never did really care for the looks of my Titan), and gets better mileage (20 vs 14). However, I have to disagree about your assessment of the interior size. The Titan was clearly bigger and roomier, and my 13 year old son reminds me of that every time he sits in the back of the Tacoma. Just out of curiosity, I looked up the dimensions for both, and although the Titan is larger in every category, the two that stuck out the most were rear seat legroom (40.4 vs 32.6) and total interior passenger volume (125.6 vs 98.9). This is to be expected though, as we're comparing a full size to a mid size.

    In the end though, I'd rather stick with my Tacoma!
     
  5. Sep 15, 2009 at 10:31 AM
    #5
    neslerrah

    neslerrah Taco lovin'

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    Glad to hear you LOVE YOUR TRUCK! tacos are awesome!
     
  6. Sep 15, 2009 at 10:46 AM
    #6
    NetMonkey

    NetMonkey [OP] Well-Known Member

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    my titan was a king cab and not a crew cab. i should have specified that :)
    reading the titan website, it says that the rear leg room in the back sets for the king cab is 33.0 inches... i dunno, it doesnt feel like there is that much room... unless you move the front seats all the way up.

    regardless of what the actual interior volume numbers are, the tacoma just feels more comfortable for 4 adults.
     
  7. Sep 15, 2009 at 11:15 AM
    #7
    PropJet

    PropJet Well-Known Member

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    Okay, you probably have a valid point then. I thought you were trying to say that the rear of the Tacoma's double cab seemed larger than the rear of the Titan's crew cab.
     
  8. Sep 15, 2009 at 11:21 AM
    #8
    NetMonkey

    NetMonkey [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Toytec Ultimate Lift @ 3", Mickey Thompson MTZ's 285/75/16, Moto Metal 955b, rear 2" ALL, Marlin Crawler sliders
    my bad... sorry for the confusion :)
     
  9. Sep 15, 2009 at 12:04 PM
    #9
    SubZombie

    SubZombie Well-Known Member

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    "one improvement on the 2010 that i have noticed over the 2009 is the radio display. on the 2009 when i was wearing polarized sun glasses, i could not see the display, but on the 2010, i can see it... yay"


    I don't have this problem on my '09.

    Polarized sunglasses and lenses work in a circular pattern, meaning if you tilt your head the polarization is going to be stronger or weaker. This is also relevant to what you are looking at, so if something in your truck is blocked out from the polarization its most likely due to how you lucked out with the way they cut the glass or plastic and how the specific polarization in your glasses is tuned.

    One pair of polarized glasses might block something out that another pair won't, they aren't all exactly the same.
     
  10. Sep 15, 2009 at 1:25 PM
    #10
    Jason'sLawnCare

    Jason'sLawnCare Prepared for Bambi

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  11. Sep 15, 2009 at 2:49 PM
    #11
    Isthatahemi

    Isthatahemi Well-Known Member

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    I have 2 pairs of polarized glasses, different brands, and the stereo is unreadable with them on..... Really annoying actually...
     
  12. Sep 15, 2009 at 3:36 PM
    #12
    SubZombie

    SubZombie Well-Known Member

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    I didn't say it wasn't annoying, I'm just saying it's the luck of the draw with the glasses and the LCD screen.

    You may not know but the very way LCDs work is by polarizing light, thus your glasses at certain angles block out everything.

    For example, I have an iphone and you can't hardly see the screen with polarized glasses on when you hold it horizontally, but if you hold it vertically you can see the screen fine. Can't really do anything about that.

    I don't wear polarized most of the time though because of that, but have worn them in the truck without a problem.

    Just that different manufacturers block out different amounts and levels of light with their polarization, some of the expensive glasses block out 100% which sounds good but its going to block more than glare out of your vision. It depends on how the LCD is made and how the glasses have been polarized.

    And more over different manufacturers use different polarization tints which are better for different things.
     
  13. Sep 15, 2009 at 4:40 PM
    #13
    Capita

    Capita Well-Known Member

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    Strange, no issues at all reading my display screen on my 09
     
  14. Sep 15, 2009 at 4:42 PM
    #14
    Isthatahemi

    Isthatahemi Well-Known Member

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    With polarized glasses? oops on the thumbs down...
     
  15. Sep 15, 2009 at 4:47 PM
    #15
    rpparkster

    rpparkster Well-Known Member

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    Finally pulled the trigger. Congrats! Now we'll work on your truck at Mod Day.
     
  16. Sep 15, 2009 at 4:51 PM
    #16
    Incognito

    Incognito No better friend, no worse enemy

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    Great post EA!
     
  17. Sep 15, 2009 at 5:01 PM
    #17
    jdkeller

    jdkeller How many words can be fit in this s

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    Congrats! I want to see it! Your write up is exactly word for word about how I feel about mine!

    Now you can actually show up to mod day in a Tacoma :rolleyes:
     
  18. Sep 15, 2009 at 6:38 PM
    #18
    NetMonkey

    NetMonkey [OP] Well-Known Member

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    haha :)
     
  19. Sep 15, 2009 at 6:39 PM
    #19
    NetMonkey

    NetMonkey [OP] Well-Known Member

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    OMG... i live a mile from work, but tonight i had to take the long way (10 miles) home along the coast :)

    i just love driving this truck :)
     
  20. Sep 15, 2009 at 6:46 PM
    #20
    ilovetacos

    ilovetacos Well-Known Member

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    Sold!
    Congrats on the new purchase...I have owned 2 Nissan Armada's (2005 & 2009) and they were both Lemons. I can relate to you about the power but also sloshy ride they both had.
     

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