3rd Gen Tacoma beats Full size Trucks...

In 1995.

Sorry for the clickbait title and the troll nature of this post but it's been on my mind since I got my Tacoma that it is very similar to what a full-size truck used to be. I really just wanted to see this information for myself so I put this graphic together using google. (most sources were edmunds, consumerguide, and the car connection. It was really difficult to find all this information in one source especially the towing figures because they didn't really publish "max towing" in 1995 so I had to search for those numbers, they may be wrong too, let me know if there needs to be corrections.)

I rigged this and went with the best Tacoma for numbers; a double cab longbed v6, auto, 4x2.

I selected 1995 because these are the trucks I grew up with in this era and 1995 was the best year because the Ram was updated and the Ford and Chevy were in the middle of the run.

I picked base engine models because there was some ridiculous engines like the Ford lightning or the v10 Ram in this era and turbodiesel options,. but I'm a Toyota fanboy so I handicapped the Full size trucks. In 95 there wasn't double cabs so I went with extended cab short bed models.

The main point isn't really about the performance or towing for me but the size of the vehicles and the room in the interior. The Toyota is best in Class in everything, or the numbers are so close if I rounded them it would be a tie or a few inches off.

It drives me nuts when people complain about the power, capability, and comfort of a Mid-Size trucks when they better in almost every way to the Full size trucks I grew up with.

 

who cares about 1995 its 2019 men can be women bro

 

Nice work w/ the spreadsheet data!

At my previous job we had several mid-late 90's F-series. A coworker was looking for a new truck for personal use and kept groaning on about how the current market offers nothing comparable, the four other coworkers with 3rd/2nd Gen tacomas had to convince him otherwise.

 

Interesting data, to make it fair you should compare the tacoma v6 to the full size v8. Or compare the tacoma 4cyl to the full size v6.

Data can be misleading, too. The tacomas seating position makes the truck FEEL smaller than it really is. Just like how 230ft lbs can drive a lot more torquey than 260. Power onset and powerband.

 

The numbers get even better if you compare our trucks to an 1800’s covered wagon... just saying...

 

Solid axles, on 44's, zero shifting = overlanders dream

 

They still have better torque lol

 

Made for some brutal, teeth chattering rock crawling though...

 

Ford 7.5L v8 230 HP 400 FT-LBS.
Dodge 5.9L V8 230 HP 330 FT-LBS
Chevy 5.7L V8 200 HP 300 FT-LBS

on paper the Tacoma kind of competes with the v8 too, but obviously if you drove those trucks you know they could all spin the tires all day. The rear end options and transmission options are endless.

 

Another useless post on TW.