Newb with a '16 Taco TRD Off-Road from SoCal

Hello.

So this is my first Toyota ever.

My previous truck was a Ford Ranger which other than it being under powered, was an AWESOME small truck. It handled great in the desert and was fun to drive around town. For a little pickup truck, it handled almost like a sports car, especially after the Camburg suspension uprade. Alas, the Ranger is no more (at least in the U.S. it's not), so bought a Toyota for a 1,000.00 less than sticker price.

Long story short, I picked up this 2016 Tacoma Double Cab Short Bed TRD Off-Road 4x4 in white and with a 6 speed manual (why? just because I love shifting gears) last Friday and I already took it to Big Bear Lake, CA. It was a nice drive.

Before I bought this one, I did test drive the automatic. The automatic probably a smoother and more peppier ride but automatics bore me. The manual is geared pretty low, so it's not very quick unless you're hitting close to redline when you shift.

Since first gear is super low, it crawls really well in parking lots without even having to touch the throttle. The shifting is very "truck like" which I've read about. It's to be expected, I guess. I'm OK with it.

So far, I'm somewhat happy with the truck. The suspension is really soft though. My Ranger was a bit harsher and didn't bottom out so easily, but then again I had a better set of Bilsteins on that one. The seats are really comfortable even for a bigger guy like me. I love how the dash looks (nice design), but does it really need all that electronic crap everywhere? Sheesh! Oh well, it is what it is.

Just some info on me, I'm an old school type of guy from SoCal. I like muscle cars (Ford and Dodge) and even old trucks (Ford, Dodge, International, Toyota, Jeep, and I can even admit that Chevy's look nice too). My other car is a '74 Duster with a 4 speed manual and a 360 that has twice as much torque as this Taco. That thing has no electronic anything other than a tachometer. I like it that way! LOL

Anyway, I joined the site so I can learn tips and tricks and see what mods I can do to this thing. Eventually I'd like a catback exhaust. I haven't liked what heard so far, so I might just make my own. I also would like to see what performance and suspension upgrades I can make in the future.

Joey

 

Welcome Joey! Glad to see that you got a three pedal truck.

 

Welcome to the club!Be sure to check out the SoCal region threads on the TW forum!We're always up to something!

 

Welcome! I'm a former ranger owner too, with a new truck just like yours (except auto) just purchased 2 Saturday's ago. Loving it....

 

Thanks! I'll be sure to check the SoCal region out.

Right on! I love how comfortable it is. Drove through downtown L.A. traffic today and I didn't even mind. LOL

 

Congrats on your new Tacoma and welcome!