Body on Frame vs. Unibody

Featuring Tacoma Engineer Mike Sweers...

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/mid-size-trucks-dont-need-frames-1785674405

It's a painful read for fanboys but like the 3rd gen front end, it grows on you.

 

Please. Just no.

Maybe some folks adapt, but some folks adapted to Edsels too.

 

I don't want a truck that looks like a minivan.

 

You didn't actually read it did you? So difficult to have real dialogue when one side has their head in the sand. Like matching wits with an unarmed man, they have nothing but insults to say.

 

My quote of your post intentionally excluded the frame/uni discussion, and was quite pointedly aimed at your grill analogy, as that's all I quoted.

Let me break this down for you.

The grill does not, and will not, grow on everyone.

 

Decent article and an interesting read. I do wish it was actually proofread before publication, though. Littered with typos, spelling mistakes and atrocious grammar, all of which combine to take away from the authenticity. (And I'm ESL!)

I got the vibe that the author came in with a bias towards unibody from the get-go, but the points he makes are all well known and largely common-sense. The unibody/Ridgeline advantages he lists are all real, and are all pluses. From ride comfort to more interior volume and hauling capacity, these are all great things that will benefit the average Joe much more than off-road capability of the Tacoma.

What I don't like to read are black & white "item X is unequivocally better than item Y" conclusions (whether from reviews, comments, or forum posts). There are people who prefer item X, and people who prefer item Y. If your needs are in 99% alignment with item X, then more power to you, but that doesn't mean item Y is bad. Similarly, some of the comments that attempt to generalize a correlation between a vehicle model and the owner's lifestyle/needs are naive, at best.

Figure out what you need, and get the best bang for your buck. Don't worry about the choices of people in situations different from yours.

 

So according to Mike Sweers, 45% of Tacomas go off-road? And typical spending on mods and upgrades is $3000-$8000?

 

Upon closer inspection, all of Honda's talks of reinforced C-pillar cab joint, etc. are BS: There are two thick box-section frame rails originating from the bottom of the cab that provide all the rear suspension and tow hitch attachment.

 

I don't care either way. Whatever they decide to do with the future Tacoma is mostly all on Toyota. While this forum and some other Tacoma enthusiast forums are large with a few thousand members, we are a minority compared to mass amount of owners that aren't enthusiasts that buy the trucks just to haul mulch to the pit once a month or towing around lawn trailers.
The days of building cars for a group of enthusiasts are long gone, it's financially risky and little to no profit margin for the manufacturer. It only drives the costs of the vehicles up in the long run and everyone seems to whine and bitch about prices on the decked out Tacomas, but have you actually seen and researched what all goes into them?