Test drove a couple 2016s

I was getting my 2013 brakes checked this morning. The sales folks kept after me so I decided to test drive a couple of Tacoma's.

The first test drive was a blue Limited double cab, automatic 4x2. That Limited was smooth as glass. The power and transmission worked perfectly. It was mostly a highway test. Suspension was nice and smooth, probably due to the Michelin LTX tires. Loved the look and feel, moonroof, etc. Not quite as fancy as the 4Runner Limited on the showroom, but still very nice. I did not notice any weird whiseling or humming from wind or driveline components.

The second test drive was a white TRD Sport double cab 4x2 V6 automatic. Unlike the Limited, it was not smooth as glass. There was some lag from the time you push the pedal, to acceleration. It wasn't annoying, just different. The Sport suspension wasn't dramtically different to the Limited in my opinion. You could tell it was slightly firmer, but nothing to write home about. The hood scoop wasn't as big and annoying as some people have reported here. It was fine to me and I'm 5'10". During the Sport test drive, we used the go fast ECT button. Man, that makes a big difference.

I was a little surprised how much smoother the Limited was. Reminded me some of my old G37 seven speed. The Sport and Limited should have been identical, but they were not. The Sport had 2 miles on it. The Limited had 18 miles on it. The Limited closely matches my preferences. With any luck the 2017 will have a charcoal leather choice to match the silver exterior I want. If not, the Sport will be a solid second choice. Just gotta do a thorough test drive to insure is performs correctly.

 

Drove an SR 2.7L M/T today. Meh. Just felt... like a work truck. The 2.7L had power over 3K but it sure is slow off the line. Not a lot to write home about here. I can see how these are a great option if you need a workhorse/wood hauler/daily commuter though. But I think I'm looking for a little more action at this stage in my life.

Got into a fully loaded black AC TRD OR A/T... oh, now we're talking. The interior. The toys. The power on tap. Not having to row (I've only ever owned MTs). In town it was nice to have easy power off the line say, taking someone at a green light. Put her on the freeway, clicked on ECT. Not bad at all. I like that roar, and we're off. Charging up a pretty steep hill and accelerating in the 50-70 MPH range was interesting. She does have a tendency to gear hunt. I think she even wanted to drop into 3rd at one point doing about 60 when I asked for more. I can see how the pedal and tranny take some learning. However I don't see any of this as a lost cause.

I did not experience any excessive noise, howling or vibration. The A/T is definitely a beast unto itself though... I can understand the confusion there.

I didn't expect to be so into the frills package, but here we are. Will I buy? Not sure. It's a lot of scratch. The SR5 V6 presents only 2K savings without all the toys and fun. Not much incentive to downgrade with the 3rd gen. I think Toyota did that on purpose.