Would you buy again ?

No regrets at all. Would buy again.

 

Mostly people with unrealistic expectations. Buy a mid-size NA V-6 pickup truck and expect it to out drag race a Hemi Charger, handle better than a Porsche GT3 and get the mileage of a Prius. It's an "almost-a-truck" perfect for Joe Homeowner that doesn't want a mini van or sedan, but isn't pulling a 24' travel trailer up a mountain. Full size 3/4 ton trucks are superior if you really NEED a truck, nothing is going to change that basic fact.

The transmission gets a bad rap, it is partial deserved but only because the average dealership is a collection of assholes and morons that refuse to acknowledge that actually physically checking the fluid level is warranted. I firmly believe a high percentage of the folks with complaints have been told by a dealer that the fluid was checked...and it was only checked via the electronic Tech Stream or whatever they call it.

However, after a full year of driving the Tacoma, my opinion is that much of the driveability issues people are having is from the fuzzy logic program that is part of the fly-by-wire system. This has been described as "the transmission learns your driving habits" I think it's the software controlling the throttle, more specifically it's that some people adapt and manipulate the pedal to get the results they need and others refuse to change their pedal pushing technique. i.e. " I shouldn't have to do anything differently than I do when I drive my XYZ"

If I am lazy with pedal inputs, the trans shifts early and goes into fuel sipping mode, well what Toyota/EPA thinks is fuel sipping mode anyway. If I push the pedal firmly and add a bit more pedal pressure at each gear change but not all-out floor it, it will shift at about 2500-2700 RPM consistently. Push the pedal with more authority and the shifts happen around 4500 or so, not really sure about the RPM range there, because I don't try to drive a heavy ass almost-a-truck like it's a muscle car.

Is it perfect? No. Is it a POS dog that can't get out of it's won way? Hell no. Just don't expect it to run with a 3.5 EcoBoost.

 

Got ya! I did like the 4.0 better. I did just get gears, I'll let you know how they are

 

I would of said yes 5 days ago but definitely no today. I could look past the weird transmission gear hunt / slipping and the brutal mileage but check out these pics. Drove Tacoma for 8 years and have bitter buyer's remorse on this 3rd generation. This is at 25,000 kilometers. That's 15,000 miles for my neighbors in the south.

 

Yes-100%. IMO also "drive it like you stole it" right out of the box. I have no issues and would buy it again, but I do baby this truck and only punch it once in a while for fun.
It is a beautiful piece of machinery and gets me where I need to go-

 

Not for all the applesauce in Glukenschlaven.

 

I'm definitely going to need to hear the rest of this story. Subbed.

OA

 

No regrets whatsoever, I'll see nicer trucks on the road and I'll love em but I'll always love the Tacoma more.

 

Yes, I would buy the exact same truck with the same set of options/accessories.

I've had it for five months & 4200 miles and remain quite happy with it.

Perfect? No. Still the best available choice to fit my needs/wants? Yes.

 

the rear Diff just grenaded? that's it?

 

Yes I would.

 

I wish there was more to the story. There isn't. Drive it like a pansy because it's new and only hauled a trailer ONCE that was 3500 pound travel trailer and I have a brake controller. Towed three dirt bikes a handful of times this summer and 95% of the time I'm in dress clothes (white collar) driving to appointments by myself. No story just a weak or poorly designed or faulty rear end. I have never saw a rear end do that. What could ANYONE do to shred a rear end without first breaking something else. The ground was snow covered and icy that day. Plus I have all season tires. Point being there was zero resistance between tires and road. There's no way in hell anything should of happened no matter what I was doing. And I wasn't doing anything. I want my 2009 TRD Sport back!

 

Did your truck suffer from the widespread Howling Issue from the rear?

 

half the teeth on the Ring pinion are sheared off!! something in the rear locked up visciously to do that. and there were no signs previous to this that the rear had any issues? usually there are signs that the Ring pinion is about to detonate like that

 

Would "spinning wheel suddenly grabs traction" be any part of the description of the event?

 

@kerrdog another rear end blew up

 

love the truck, but now with warmer weather looming I really wish I had sprung for a Focus RS.

 

No. I did not have any rear end noise as some of the others on here had. She was quiet except for the front howling at low speed in a cross wind. That was the a arm holes and there was a TSB on that which was done. Only other issue was a buzz in the passenger foot well and that was plastic vibrating on ECM and they packed with foam. I'm probably one of the most anal guys you will ever meet when it comes to a vehicle. I'm very mechanically inclined and maintain my vehicles to perfection. I never touched this truck and not even an oil change as I had the oil done when they were doing the TSB.

 

I love it. Newer Tacoma has the masculinity look but it's not "in your face!" Sensible and good looking. Chicks dig that.

Maybe it's just me but the new body lines has a bit of the older Land Cruiser looks...and you know those older Land Cruisers are coming back like a tidal wave and people are dying to get their hands on them.

 

WTF!