My first 24 hours with my new Tacoma. My impressions- good and bad

my 2015 has the compass in mirror and nav......

 

First off, I was giving my opinion. I didn't expect the truck to have some crazy sound system. But did I expect the truck to have a decent sound system? Yes. I mean I don't think it's completely ludicrous to buy a $40,000 (can) truck and expect to have some speakers that can easily drown out any road noise while the windows are open. Yeah I was aware of a jbl upgrade but really? It's an expensive truck I shouldn't have to spend even more to have a decent stereo in the thing. I did mention it has good quality sound, it's just not very loud.

But you're right, that's totally on me for expecting an expensive vehicle to have decent stock speakers.

 

Honestly going from my brothers 08 without jbl to my 11 with jbl, there are only slight differences. His still sounds pretty good and plenty loud for a stock system. No complaints in that department. People these days complain way too much about things. Yes it is a pricey truck. So is every other truck. Everything is pricey. It amazes me that people go test drive these trucks, know how much they cost, know what options they come with, then come up here and bitch and complain about everything. Anyway, before this turns into an even bigger shitstorm I'm out. /unsub

 

my 2004 still has a cassette player. love it. also I don't have all that crap I don't need. very basic interior which I love. I don't need to be playing with stuff when I'm driving and having to dodge all the idiots that are trying to drive.

 

*I traded up from a 2011 AC to a 2015 DCLB. The entune plus is kind of a waste, but it does have Bluetooth and backup camera. I find the 2015 MUCH quieter. Maybe something to do with the DC size.Yes the interior is basically the same, but I personally don't find it out dated. I wanted the DC and couldnt justify the extra $5K for an2016. The mileage on the 2015 is better than the 2011 so far. I got a good deal on the truck i was looking for so I'm happy. You can get the Torque App for both Iphone or Android. About $5. Make sure you get the proper OBD11 adaptor for the different phones. There are 2 different types. On Amazon. You can all types of engine info. Just like a scanguage except much cheaper. And you can use your phones GPS navagation.

 

I have my taco for about 5 mths and i love it. I do havesome minor issues. I too think the audio is terrible. I dont like how cheap and flimsy the tailgate feels. I would like the rear slider to have been electric andalso agree about the dash and interior seeming to look old. I love the truck but for the big money i paid i wouldhave liked more.

 

Yeah I've already been corrected about the mirror still having a compass but apparently lacking temp. And sure you have nav, but not every Tacoma comes equipped with a NAV capable stereo. Some are just a basic touch screen.

 

I've got a ScanGuage mounted to the steering column, and it displays current MPG and trip MPG, and a couple of other items as well. You could also use an UltraGauge. I have a 2012 with the rearview camera mirror with temp and compass, so I can't complain (until it breaks). Agree with a previous poster on nav, better to go with a Garmin. I put mine in the front of the center console.

Toyota interiors in general are minimalist. You get what you need. My wife went from a Datsun 200SX that had a dash like a fighter jet to a 4Runner and asked me, "Where's all the stuff?" I told her to drive it a while and let me know what was missing that she needed. She told me a couple of months later that she wasn't missing anything. It's just a different style, some like it and some want a lot more crap to play with or look at.

 

Not all of us really worry about the 'gee whiz' stuff, and actually wish there was a bit less of it. KISS can apply to vehicles too.

It seems like a pretty basic test drive would have revealed all these 'problems'. So your pros must outweigh the cons? Nothing else in the market gussied up enough to make you happy?

Now, how to 'solve' some.........

ScanGaugeII will give your MPG stuff and much more instrumentation depth, including an OBDII scanner.

In dash nav is a sure way to date a vehicle and have an unplanned future expense IMHO. Several nice portable models, which are updateable for free, and can be used in another vehicle (I use mine in rental cars a lot when traveling) are available.

As far as the radio complaint, just roll up the windows.........

 

• Did you properly bed the brakes? Most folks with new vehicles don't, because they aren't told to. But it's just like replacement brakes, they need heat cycle bedding. May not solve your problem but then again it might.
• Many many vehicles need an alignment right off the showroom floor. It's not like the factory creates a precision alignment on each vehicle. Yes, your dealer should solve it. However, if it's not a damaged tire, improperly inflated tire, or a dragging brake causing the problem, you may want to get it aligned at a quality independent shop and call it a day, rather than continuing to squeeze the rock.
• So that's not really a con, right?

 

I don't know how the 2015 system compares to the 2010 system, but that was my biggest letdown with the truck. That, and wind noise at speed. It's just a fact of having a Tacoma. I did some research and installed a new media center head unit, front speakers, powered sub and sound deadener. Cost me about $600 and the sound is still really only comparable to a decent factory system in other cars, but now I can listen to my music at speed with good quality. Cheaper than a JBL upgrade and I got exactly what I wanted and learned a bunch about stereo installation in the process.

 

Hood struts are a great upgrade for anyone that's a DIY mechanic. I love my redlines. Been going strong now for 8 years. No issues at all.

 

No I did not bed the brakes, how do I do that?
My problem pulling to the left will get resolved so that's not really a con other then I have to deal with it.

 

My first post here, love the forum.

My Taco is a work truck, I spend a lot of time in it. It's a '14 DCSB pre runner V6 with a little over 40k miles already.
It's my first Toyota after a long line of domestic full size 4wd.
I must say, once I adjusted to the small size (especially the bed) I like it a lot!

Only complaints are littly picky things;

There is no override on the dash lights so that they stay bright when the lights are on.

Dash head unit needs sun shroud, or tilted down, hard to see.

No heated mirrors, and side windows won't wipe clean when rolled down and back up. I have to wipe them every morning by hand, no big deal.

No power ports in rear seat.

The bed needs hooks low in the front instead of up high. I need to strap the front of lumber so it doesn't tilt off the tailgate. I was thinking of putting holes in the bed and mounting hooks on the frame rails??

That's it. Great little truck otherwise.

 

I'm confused. I just got a 2015 Sport one week ago. It does not have a compass in the mirror. Is it only on certain models?

 

I had no compass in the mirror of my 2015 but I did do that upgrade on my own.

 

I have a 2015 OR without compass or temp. Then snapped the antenna in a car wash so there goes my weather update...but still, it's a truck. If you want a sweet interior then buy a sports car or something. I went from a college pos beater to this and couldn't be happier!

 

You did at least sit in the truck, if not take a test drive, prior to signing on the dotted line?

 

Yeah, because a 5 minute ride around the block one can really gleam a ton of info.


Everything that guy said is true about our trucks.

 

As far as my touchy brakes go, I just read how to bed them in and went out and did it. It made a big difference and now my brake pedal feels "normal". To bed them I got up to speed at around 60 and hit the brakes hard, almost enough to set off the anti lock BS. I did this about 10 times on dry tar and now it feels way better.