Alternatives to Gen 3 Tacoma?

I am glad that Toyota is finally updating the Tacoma. It is way overdue. I hope that they break their trend of waiting years between updates on trucks.

 

Watch the Mike Sweers Tundra video, his arrogance shines when discussing/defending engine choice and MPG's. Yes it's a great motor, but there are other motors with the same power that are achieving better MPG's. Not that MPG's should be the end all be all, but when you're putting 500 dollars a month in your gas tank that shit get's old quick. Gas could be cheap for a long time, but it likely won't last forever.

 

lol I just did watch that video. I know a lot of people talk shit about him and I generally don't mind him, but that answer was...jesus. I don't know what to say.

 

The Canyon looks better than the Colorado.....GMC is synonymous with "truck" That said, I had four Tacomas and two rangers.......I am about to get my fifth Tacoma. I don't see competition anywhere. After a couple of Corvettes, I am through with GM Service. Ever since Toyota replaced both head gaskets free on my 80K mile Tacoma I have been loyal with few exceptions. They stood up and recalled trucks with RELIABILITY issues as opposed to only safety issues.

 

I get the feeling that higher ups in the company limited him in what he was able to do in the update. Part of his job is to back up his product, you won't hear him saying that he would like to put in a better drivetrain but isn't allowed too. Thats corporate suicide.

 

It's ok when his ideas happen to align with everyone else's, but just because he thinks it's a bad ass motor doesn't mean everyone looking at might think "Wow good power, but really poor mpg's for a 2015 model." In the same video he say's how the owner/ceo of Toyota told him to give the people what "they" want, not what "he" wants.

It's also evident in an early 2016 Tacoma video where he looks at the new Tacoma's front end and say's "look at that, it's just so bad ass!" Clearly he loves the look of it and ignored any other opinions that may have differed. It seems like a lot maybe even the majority of taco lovers on this forum think the front end is a little wtf. The rest of the truck is nice imo. That's a lot of chrome and underbite for a off road model.

 

I generally don't mind sweers, it was just the two instances I described in the previous post that made me think wow, this really is his show the way "He wants it"; however, with Toyota's conservatism I wouldn't have any doubt that he's likely limited in what he can do based on a budget. I think they give him a budget (maybe not very generous) and tell him to hit it out of the park. I think he's in charge of looks and content though, just not the bottom line.

 

Toyota could build a kickass 3/4 ton or one ton if they chose to do so. I guess the marketing people think they can't compete.

 

They could tap into their resources at Hino and build a damn good truck.

 

That would make too much sense for Toyota and the marketing geniuses behind the counters

 

LMFAO

 

For the 2013 model year Nissan dropped the configuration/option of a Frontier DC hooked up to a manual, you can now only get an access cab with the manual. I wouldn't be surprised if Nissan drops the manual entirely with the 2017 redesign and or refresh.

 

I have to disagree there. When even the lowest model of the jeep JKU has a solid front axle and can clear 35's with just some metal cloak fenders that statement just doesn't hold up.

 

sure but the short wheel base made for a pretty crappy ride for the mid-high speed stuff.

 

Copy that. My jeep has the old 4.0 straight 6 with almost 190,000mi on it but my wife's '14 grand Cherokee has had constant issues. If we didn't have their lifetime warranty that thing would be gone already.

 

35s just automatically make it offroad capable?

 

Not automatically but added to live, locked axles you would have to spend quite a bit on a ifs setup to be able to do the same things.

 

My cherokee engine is doing well. Its the rest of the Jeep thats the problem. You can't kill those 4.0 straight sixes.

 

That's the one I have. I think it's a tie with the 22re for best ever motors. Both are really different but both great for what they are. True "set it and forget it" on both

 

I was always envious of the guys at school with the 4.0 jeeps. I had a 2.5 amc build Cherokee pioneer (garbage) the a 4 door with the 2.8 v6 (also crap). When all I wanted in high school was a grand wagoneer.....