2019 Tacoma TRD Offroad - An Honest Review from a Ford guy

Simon's Mom · May 24, 2019

Congratulations! Great write up and welcome to TW. Hide your wallet!!

TacoBuffet · May 24, 2019

ruknight4ever[OP] said: ↑

Umm.. ouch! I wrote the post because I was surprised how my experience with the Tacoma was so vastly different from all the reviews on YouTube from Edmunds, TFL, KBB and the like. They all ranked the Ford and Chevy over the Tacoma, and made the Tacoma seem like a truck from 2007. I felt compelled to stop the madness - and it seems like I created more!

I don 't see how my old version of Sync 3 can be compared to Entune. However, please note that my version of Sync didn't have navigation. Entune also seems snappier than Sync 3. Sync 3 gets amazing reviews online, and I'm just surprised Entune rarely gets any press. Maybe part of the reason I like Entune so much is that I was expecting very little. I also like the free navigation on Entune - knowing it doesn't use data like Apple Maps is a plus.

After I wrote the review.. I knew to suspect some folks defending their Sports. I could have easily bought one - I'm in it for the comfort though. I agree with one of the posters that the Sport is more connected to the road. The truck felt more "upright" to me as I drove it (in a positive way). I felt the Sport ride was a slight downgrade from the F150 and I didn't want to make that sacrifice. Had I bought the Sport, I'm sure it would have felt fine to me after a weeks worth of driving.

I never had an issue either of my F150s (outside of 5-6 recalls combined). But, like some here, I have friends that own 15 year old Tacomas with 180k+ miles and all they did were brakes, tires and fluids. I don't know many Fords/Chevys with that reputation.

Ok Toyota marketing - it's pay day. Where's my check? LOL
Click to expand...

I’ve had a few off-roads and sports. Most will never need or use the features of the off-road over the sport and driving wise most swap out the suspension anyways. Just my 2 cents. But what do I know only have owned 8 of these trucks.
My 19 Offroad that I just traded for my 19 Sport, don’t regret one bit.

silverflash · May 24, 2019

Just got back from driving my 07 xterra with the 4.0 and then my 19 or4x4 trd. My xterra 4.0 is about same as the 4runner 4.0. The xterra is slightly more responsive BUT I do have a mild tune from bully dog on it, larger tires than we have and 145k mile . I sincerely love my taco. Adding a pedal commander or sprint booster-I had one on my 13 patriot 4x4 stick and it made an enormous positive difference- would help alot BUT I dont want to do anything that would let Toyota deny a future warranty clai .

stun gun · May 24, 2019

ruknight4ever[OP] initial post: ↑

Hi Everyone,

I am new to the Toyota community and wanted to write a review on my new Tacoma TRD Offroad. The reviews I read/watched online from KBB, Autotrader, TFL, etc are all, in my opinion, vastly biased and wrong. Had I not decided to test drive a Tacoma after reading/watching all of these videos - I never would have purchased one. This review is from a Ford guy so, in my mind, Toyota really needed to step up to sway me from buying another Ford.

I've owned a few F150s, and my last truck was a 2016 F150 SuperCrew. It was a great truck - no issues at all and that EcoBoost engine was awesome. However, the truck was just too dang big, and I wanted to downsize to something smaller and more nimble.

My first inclination was got look at the new Ranger. It was nice - sort of. Kind of looks more like a car than a truck, and I didn't like the shimmy / vibration going from a stop to movement (all 3 Rangers I drove had this issue but only heard about it once in all the online videos I watched). It also had a bench rear seat (no 60/40 split) and that was just plain odd to me!

I then looked at the Colorado - even though, as a Ford guy, I was born to hate GM. Chevy did a very nice job with that truck - it drove great, seats were comfortable, it was quiet, etc. However, I didn't care for the styling - it looks "big" even though it shares the same dimensions as the Tacoma and Ranger. I think it's because how they molded the doors and quarter panels - they just look expansive north-to-south in my eye and I didn't want that look.

I then looked at the Tacoma even though I was never a fan (the ones I drove in the past always seemed off to me). I didn't expect much because all the reviews I read beforehand were so poor. I first test drove the TRD Sport - it was nice but I didn't care for the ride. The sales person told me the ride in the Offroad would be worse - and that jived with the reviews. However, I had time and decided to take it for a test drive. I was then allowed to take the truck for the day. I was surprised on how well it drove. It soaked up bumps on the road like you wouldn't believe! Yes - there is some body roll around turns and some nose dive when braking hard - but that's to be expected on any vehicle with such long suspension travel - none of which was objectionable. If you are looking for a truck that drives smoothly - the TRD Offroad is a winner!

Now that I've had the truck for some time - I can say the following:

1. The driver seat position is not uncomfortable. Yes - it would be nice if you could adjust the seat pitch, but that can be remedied by space washers under the rear bolts that attach the seat to the frame.

2. The truck is not noisy or harsh. Yes - if you goose the throttle, the engine gets loud - and probably louder than on other vehicles (my F150 power deliver was more smooth). However, it's a truck and I don't drive it like a Mustang. When driving the truck normally - it is very smooth, quiet and composed.

3. The Toyota Entune system is amazing - it's Toyota's best kept secret! I don't understand why Toyota doesn't market that product better. I was hesitant to buy a vehicle w/o Apple CarPlay since I had it in my Ford (and my wife has it in her Subaru). However, after just 1-2 days, I was hooked on Entune. Even if the truck had Apple CarPlay, I don't think I'd use it.

4. The truck looks great - from every angle.

5. I know this is subjective - and it's not meant to insult anyone - but I can't understand buying the Sport over the Offroad. The Offroad drives nice, had the diff lock and crawl control, and a nicer wheel/tire package. I found the hood scoop on the Sport to be in my line of sight when driving. Admittedly - although it is fake - it does look great from the outside!

6. The storage in the rear is holds much more volume than I expected. There is storage both under the rear seats and behind the rear seat cushions. I was able to fit everything I stored in my F150 in the Tacoma. This included a tire pump, tire repair kit, medical kit, bungee set, ratchet strap kit, a few hand tools, heavy duty battery jumpers, a big light, a blanket, boots, change of clothes, jacket, rain pants, winter gloves, and a few other things I can't recall right now - but they all fit and I had some room to spare! I thought I'd have to sacrifice what I stored in the truck going from the much bigger F150 to the smaller Tacoma - but Toyota did a great job maximizing storage space. That was an unexpected but very pleasant surprise. When I purchased the truck, I was fully expecting to just store a few things in a backpack or duffle bag that I kept on the rear seat.

7. The truck sounds awesome when starting it. I know - not a game changer - but even my wife was like "that was cool!".

8. Safety features don't usually sway my decision when buying a vehicle - but the blind spot monitoring, rear sonar, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning are all really sweet features! I used the adaptive cruise control on a 45 MPG road just to test it out - it's cool how it adjusts the speed based on the vehicle in front of you and then beeps if you need to intervene. I guess it's the beginning of the end of people actually driving and being accountable for their driving.....

9. As of now (according to the trip computer), I am getting ~21 MPG in rural driving (i.e. drive 2-3 miles, make a turn, drive 2-3 more miles, make a turn, etc). I'm happy with that since that doesn't include highway driving at a constant speed.

10. I was unaware when I bought the truck, but only learned of it when I read the owners manual. The outlet in the bed can go to 400W with the engine running and a push of a button under the steering wheel. I still have to check the Amp rating - but 400W is a nice feature.

I do have some complaints through - the front seat should be adjustable pitch wise and I don't understand why the payload is only 1100lbs using a 4 leaf package. Heck - the Ranger uses a one leaf package (one leaf!) and gets 1650lbs payload. Payload wasn't a deal breaker for me since the most I haul in the bed is mulch and I'll be limited by how much I can hold given the size of the bed before I am limited by the weight.

If I had to rank the mid size trucks - obviously the Tacoma comes out #1. The Colorado would be #2 and the Ranger should be #3. If the Colorado didn't look so big (to my eye) and if Chevy had the reliability/track record of Toyota, I may have went that way. If the Ranger looked better, didn't have the vibration, and didn't have a bench back seat (really Ford??) - then maybe I would have went that route. However - for both the Colorado and Ranger - that's a lot of ifs and maybes!
Click to expand...

Bravo. Bravo.

Welcome. Come, sit by the fire with your brethren, tis a cold season out there amongst the foul and wretched self-hating Tacoma owners. We wage war at dawn, so FEAST!

silverflash · May 24, 2019

i must say, i get overwhelmed by a sense of quality everytime i drive "Sandy". This is not something i have felt since my 2007 xterra "Nessie". Good vibes, good vibes!!

FitzTaco84 · May 24, 2019

Tehcoma said: ↑

How do you enable this?
Click to expand...

I can’t remember exactly how to get there in the navigation settings... but you have to enable “Trace Route” or something similar.

Then everywhere you drive will leave red dots. It is very helpful when you are on forest roads or trails which don’t show up on the gps map. I always keep it on.

silverflash · May 24, 2019

pryan144 said: ↑

I can’t remember exactly how to get there in the navigation settings... but you have to enable “Trace Route” or something similar.

Then everywhere you drive will leave red dots. It is very helpful when you are on forest roads or trails which don’t show up on the gps map. I always keep it on.
Click to expand...

i got to try that!!! traceroute? like the unix/windows command?

WSchafer · May 24, 2019

Am I the only one that really likes the 3.5? It feels smooth and solid, and I feel like I have more than enough power when I need it. The Tacoma feels like a rocket compared to my old 5.0 f150.

Taco_chris · May 24, 2019

Thanks for sharing OP. I think others, like me, choose the sport over the offroad because of the 6ft bed + manual transmission package. The diff lock, crawl control, nicer wheel/tire package would be great but not more important (to me) than the long bed in manual. Different strokes! Glad you like your truck. They are sweet.

silverflash · May 24, 2019

i only got the offroad because of the tires and the stiffer shocks really. i kinda need that where i go sometimes. the sport has the smaller sidewalls as they are 17s i believe- i would have had to swap them out for 16" wheels and tires for about what, 1800$? so the offroad was the best choice for me.

JNG · May 24, 2019

ruknight4ever[OP] said: ↑

Umm.. ouch! I wrote the post because I was surprised how my experience with the Tacoma was so vastly different from all the reviews on YouTube from Edmunds, TFL, KBB and the like. They all ranked the Ford and Chevy over the Tacoma, and made the Tacoma seem like a truck from 2007. I felt compelled to stop the madness - and it seems like I created more!

I don 't see how my old version of Sync 3 can be compared to Entune. However, please note that my version of Sync didn't have navigation. Entune also seems snappier than Sync 3. Sync 3 gets amazing reviews online, and I'm just surprised Entune rarely gets any press. Maybe part of the reason I like Entune so much is that I was expecting very little. I also like the free navigation on Entune - knowing it doesn't use data like Apple Maps is a plus.

After I wrote the review.. I knew to suspect some folks defending their Sports. I could have easily bought one - I'm in it for the comfort though. I agree with one of the posters that the Sport is more connected to the road. The truck felt more "upright" to me as I drove it (in a positive way). I felt the Sport ride was a slight downgrade from the F150 and I didn't want to make that sacrifice. Had I bought the Sport, I'm sure it would have felt fine to me after a weeks worth of driving.

I never had an issue either of my F150s (outside of 5-6 recalls combined). But, like some here, I have friends that own 15 year old Tacomas with 180k+ miles and all they did were brakes, tires and fluids. I don't know many Fords/Chevys with that reputation.

Ok Toyota marketing - it's pay day. Where's my check? LOL
Click to expand...

TW can be a rough place. Welcome to TW and congrats on your new truck!

Aldo98229 · May 24, 2019

WSchafer said: ↑

Am I the only one that really likes the 3.5? It feels smooth and solid, and I feel like I have more than enough power when I need it. The Tacoma feels like a rocket compared to my old 5.0 f150.
Click to expand...

I am fine with the 3.5. Yesterday I drove to/the trailhead on 2-lane Mount Baker Hwy.: whenever I needed to pass I mashed the gas, the transmission downshifted, and the Tacoma pushed forward, quickly and without hesitation. Can’t ask more.

sd1uh8as · May 24, 2019

Welcome to TW. I share a lot of your sentiments as well. Entune functionality is fine coming from a guy that lives and works at the tech capital of the world. Only problem with it is the UI but functions are there.

Inferno! · May 24, 2019

WSchafer said: ↑

Lol Tacoma World is the only forum where someone can say something nice about the vehicle the community is based on and people think they’re being paid to do so.

I owned and loved my 2013 F150 for 6 years, at about 70,000 miles she started to fall apart. I also took a look at all of the midsizes and the Tacoma won for me hands down, and I was never a Toyota person beforehand.
Click to expand...

HA! I was going to say something similar. If you post complaints you're shredded and if you post glowing comments your teased and pointed out as fake. I love people.

gmiller · May 24, 2019

Enjoyed your write up.... I've owned two gen 2s and 2 gen 3s.... have liked them all.

OmahaJeff · May 24, 2019

Nice writeup and I heartily agree, with the minor exception that this truck fits me PERFECTLY.

I almost got a Sport because those were the only MT's they had at the time, plus the colors were nicer, but when a Cement Gray OR with a manny became available, I jumped on it. With the horrible roads around here, especially just after winter, I really appreciated the tire and soft suspension.

OP you didn't mention if yours is an MT or not (unless I missed it), but I will say I enjoy rowing through the gears 99% of the time (when I'm not stuck in stop and go traffic).

I concur I'm fine with Entune--the stock Entune Premium (non-JBL) stereo is OK, but I'm thinking of upgrading the speakers.

I also think the powertrain is awesome and does everything I need. 0-60 in 7 seconds, being able to offroad and tow almost 7000 lbs, and manual tranmission make quite a nice package.

JNG · May 24, 2019

WSchafer said: ↑

Am I the only one that really likes the 3.5? It feels smooth and solid, and I feel like I have more than enough power when I need it. The Tacoma feels like a rocket compared to my old 5.0 f150.
Click to expand...

No you are not the only one. Mines just fine as well.

skiploder · May 24, 2019

JNG said: ↑

No you are not the only one. Mines just fine as well.
Click to expand...

x2

TacoBuffet · May 24, 2019

skiploder said: ↑

x2
Click to expand...

x3

And I have had the oh so "amazing" 4.0L, the 3.5 is just fine, alot of never happy / ridiculous expectation 3rd gen owners here...

JNG · May 24, 2019

TacoBuffet said: ↑

x3

And I have had the oh so "amazing" 4.0L, the 3.5 is just fine, alot of never happy / ridiculous expectation 3rd gen owners here...
Click to expand...

Yup. Toyota tried to make a midsize truck that would appeal and work well for a variety of owners. Toyota got more right then they did wrong.

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2019 Tacoma TRD Offroad - An Honest Review from a Ford guy

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