Car and Driver Comparison: 2016 Tacoma v. 2016 Colorado

I just got my car and driver and I noticed a pretty substantial mistake in the article. They rated the tacoma at 3500 lbs for towing. The test vehicle has a hitch on it so i would assume it has the transmission cooler but on their spec sheet it says 3500. So when they compare towing out on a scale of one to five at the end of the article the taco got a 1/5 for towing while the colorado got a 5/5 with a listed rating of 7000 lbs. So the colorado was better anyways but it would have won by a smaller margin.

 

Nice observation! Would you mind taking a few photos of the article and posting it. I'm sure a lot of us would enjoy reading the full report. Thx!

 

I need to buy you a beer! Thanks!

 

Gear hunting. I don't know what people's problem is. I've driven both sport and off road double cabs and had no issue.

 

should also include these category's:

LONG TERM RELIABILITY:
Colorado: 40
Tacoma: 80

LONG TERM RESALE VALUE:
Colorado: 40
Tacoma:99

 

Oh my. I took some advice and spent a little time over at coloradofans.com and what a depressing site that is. So many owners linking horror stories about their new trucks. Oil hose separation leaving people stranded, 4wd locking up, seats not being anchored at the factory.

I couldn't sleep at night knowing my wife or any of my family members was traveling in one of the gm twins.

 

Funny, they take a Trd off road, and don't rate, or discuss off road ability. They should have driven a sport or limited, suspension and tires for on road use, and air dam for better hwy mpg.

They comment on the colorados cheap interior plastic bits and the tacos quality interior, but rate it a tie score in fit and finish.

 

Looking at the comparison numbers, everything is pretty close except for the handling. But they compared the TRD off road Tacoma with the "on road" Colorado LT (which is more comparable to the TRD Sport Tacoma), so of course with the much bigger sidewall AT tires on the Tacoma it is not going to corner particularly well. Also, just something to think about, but with those ATs it is also going to take longer to stop, and also not get as good of a start in the 0-60 and quarter mile times than it would if you had regular All Season tires like those that come on the Sport or on the Colorado LT.

It's fair to say that a TRD Sport would have shorter stopping distances, slightly faster acceleration (due to getting better traction on the take off), and would handle considerably better, mostly due to the difference in tires, and with the handing due to the different on road suspension.

All that said, we all know the Tacoma is a better off road vehicle. You cannot be better off road without sacrificing some on road ability, and thus the Tacoma is not going to beat a Colorado on road. But it looks like it comes very close.

 

I saw the same thing last night, they quoted the tow rating for the non-tow package Tacoma but I think that one in the article had the tow package

 

Car n Driver must be ran by the Fox news. There was nothing fair and balanced about this report. Obviously, there is a not so hidden agenda to besmirch Tacomas to give the home team a market advantage. Comparing the TRD off road to a Colorado is like comparing the Prius to a Camaro. Can't believe CnD think consumers are that naive. But the truth is a lot of uninformed people can't read between the lines to the recognize this farce.

 

Both motors for example, are used in other vehicles.....both have been around the block. It should be easy to check the mechanical reliability of each...in Consumer Reports. So, to say that you can't
extrapolate on some is false and you don't have to wait till 2040. Testing agencies do this all of the time.... A vehicle is the sum of it's parts.

 

Car and Driver has done this before. In a Full Size shoot out several years ago, a Tundra finished last of the five trucks tested, even though it had the most first place finishes in all the catagories. The subjective carptagories like appearance and dashboard layout, the Tundra was rated last by a wide margin which drive down the score dramatically. Several pages after the artical there was an add for the first place vehicle.....the Chevy Sierra. Wtf !

 

Having now read the full article (thanks T. Jefferson) I don't see why everyone is so upset. It's definitely not an apples to apples comparison, and a Limited/Sport would have been a more fair competition. However, on road I think most anyone will choose one of the twins - if only for interior dimensions.

They do clearly allude to the Tacoma's superior resale and reliability, and I think that is why most people will still go the Toyota route.

 

My response to people with "gear hunting" problem is to buy a MT (mans transmission). I wish America wasnt so lazy so we would get more stick shifts here.

 

Just to play a little devil's advocate. Photos sometimes are not of the actual vehicles tested. I have the new C&D but have not read the article.

What's a Chevy Sierra?

 

But in the end, the discs are still better brakes.

 

Glad I bought a '15 because I doubt I'll ever buy a gen 3.

Seems you have to choose between mileage or power but you don't get both at the same time - my '15 gets better mileage than what a lot of you are reporting on your '16s.

Still underpowered compared to the competition. Bump it up to 300hp Toyota. Or if not make sure it gets 25mpg. Both mileage and power isn't impressive for an all new truck.

That front end is too ugly.

To me the wheels are ugly.

Loaded pricing is well into full size price range, when full sizes are usually very heavily discounted.

A 140mph speedo? Are they stupid?

Am happy with my '15 and will keep it for a long time or go full size, but the gen 3 won't get my money.

 

ehh.. I never go off road with mine, but as a multi home owner it is certainly used for more than grocery getting and Costco runs.
I move power equipment, snow blower, lawn mower etc.. I also use it for hauling landscape materials, mulch, stone,etc... I tow my motorcycles and boat as well. I agree with BillyM67 in that 'offroad capability' is NOT the #1 thing people look for in a mid size truck. It may be right up there, and is important to a lot of folks, but it is certainly not at the top of the list for the majority of buyers.

 

+1 Which is exactly how I use it and why I bought an SR5. I don't need or want anything in either TRD package. The power and hauling capability is the same in an SR5 or TRD. SR5, access cab LB is perfect for my situation.