Seriously looking at 2020 TRD sport, have questions for the experts

I'm 6'1 and 180 My seat is set all the way back and it's really to far away. One notch up is best! 2013 sr5 base!

 

2020 TRD Sport here. I'm 6'2" and I don't even have my driver seat all the way back, if I do my arms can barely reach the steering wheel (even with wheel positioned fully back). Cab is comfortably compact, feels more like a normal road car than a big truck in terms of space, which I don't mind at all. Back seats are a different story, with front seats positioned for tall people sitting in front, back is pretty cramped.

It's my first Tacoma coming from an F150 and I am very happy with it for my needs.

 

Will have to post Me on the on ramp on the way home tomorrow to end this theory! Body roll potty hole​

 

Thank you all for your time and thoughts I truly appreciate them all. Tons of great advise to mull over.

I guess I should have stated that the reason I wasn't looking at a full size truck is gas milage more than cost, yeah a tundra isn't that much different but in the wonderful state of Washington where there is close to $.70 a gallon tax I need to watch that cost where I can because I hit 30,000 miles a year easily. I will definitely test drive as many as I can and see how it goes. I know a new tacoma has a ton more room than any of the pre 1995 trucks I had and those were not that bad...but I was a younger man then. 58 yrs old so the old bones whine more than they once did.

The ultimate would be keep the CX-5 and buy a tundra but that isn't in the cards, trying to reduce the # of vehicles I own at this point in life.

 

I'm just stating what every says about the softer OR suspension vs the sports stiffer suspension causing more lean/body roll when cornering. I liked the softer OR suspension on road, I didnt care for it as much of road as I felt it bounced to long and should have settled faster. Its really just all personal preference. I dont even have my front sway bar anymore so I have plenty of body roll when cornering. I still drive to fast and nothing in my suspension is stock anymore besides my LCA's.

 

I am 6’2”, and 215lbs, with a 34” inseam, I came from a 2015 GMC Canyon. The Canyon had a more comfortable cab, was quieter, and had much better fuel mileage, however, there were always surprises. Like my ex-wife, it always seemed to have nagging issues, and could never be trusted. There were intermittent electrical issues, AC problems, weird transmission noises and rough shifting, steering issues, and began to develop consistent rattles and creaking noises after about 15k. My current wife called it the “death wagon”, and would not drive it after the power steering started to malfunction intermittently and we were told by the dealer that it wasn’t considered a safety issue as you could still steer the truck manually. At 85,000 miles it began to use motor oil, and again, we were told by the dealer that is was considered “normal” for that model of engine. Other than that, it was a fine truck.

As far as the Tacoma goes, with the power seat, it is quite comfortable, even on long trips. I have driven as much as 550 miles in a day, and not felt too fatigued. I can’t say it is as comfy as the Canyon, but it’s certainly bearable. Gas mileage is probably my biggest beef with the Taco, it runs about 5mpg less than the Canyon on the highway, and there is no excuse not to have at least an 8 speed transmission in a modern vehicle these days. Other than that, I’m pretty pleased with my DCSB OR, especially off road.

 

I don’t think you would be happy with the fuel mileage on the Taco, especially if you drive over 70mph, I run about 5mpg less on the highway than I got with my old GMC Canyon.

 

6'4" 260 lbs here. I fit and it was OK for a 2000 mile drive. However, every ass is different. Test drive.

Deal breaker is teenagers fitting in back seat. If the are small teenagers that's fine. If they are large teenagers then a few hours is max in back seat.

Personally, my kids are grown so it was just my wife and me mostly. Every now and then I took people with us and they were fine for an hour or so. It's tight back there tho.
My Tundra has more room in the back seat than most NY apartments lol.

 

The Tacoma gets terrible gas mileage. Every full size is better.

I bought the Tacoma because of how it looks. I knew the gas milage sucked

 

That right there is my big fear with buying GM. I looked at a Cruz and there were a ton of issues with that GM kept blowing off, then I looked at an equinox...same crap. service bulletins up the ying yang and GM turned their heads. I bought the CX5 instead and had zero issues ever, traded that on a second one I am driving now...same deal, no issues ever. My first toyota pickup was an '89 and went through 2 head gaskets with under 10k miles on it. I had zero issues with the dealer replacing parts until it was resolved, wasn't even the dealer I bought it from. Toyota seems to at least try but maybe I got lucky.

When I compare looking for my FJ40 compared to when I looked for a TJ it was shocking. For my FJ40 the major decisions were...do you want a square or round bezel, ambulance doors or lift gate...fuel tank under the seat or under the tub, simple stuff no drama. you pick your year based on the above choices and if it was remotely taken care of it ran forever...beat the hell out of you when I drove it but it would climb a tree. I sold if because I had this wild hair I wanted a better ride so bought a TJ. Researching different TJ years you literally had to hone in on specific year model and pick your poison on what you were willing to be okay with blowing up...cracked heads for these years, oil pump drive assembly issues for these years, bad transmission control modules in later years and none of it Jeep would stand behind. Of course not all would have issues but the fact a company continues to put out crap and doesn't seem to care is a tad concerning. Of the big 3 it seems Ford is the only one trying to get their $hit together. I know Toyota too has had their moments but they have had a hell of a lot less of them compared to Chrysler and GM it seems. When I start my old tired 1994 Toyota now I just turn the key and go I never even consider it would leave me stranded, never have. I know that thought would always be there with a GM truck

I would never expect a mid size pickup to be an amazingly spacious comfortable ride but for $40+k I kind of hope they would try! lol My truck experience is all with the 89 - 94 xtra cab pickups so I am sure a test ride in a Tacoma will be like a dream come true.

AND...the biggest mistake of all is I have already spent hours and hours reading through hundreds of posts here seeing all these freaking amazing trucks you all have so I just plain old WANT ONE now regardless.

 

I drive roughly 27500 miles a year and averaged right at 20mpg when it was stock. With a lift and 33’s I’m down to 18mpg highway. If there was a hybrid Tacoma I’d trade mine with a quickness.

with the mileage we do, it’s more important to drive something you like than just something that makes practical sense

 

OP, I wanted to take the time to share my thoughts to see if I can help provide some input that you might find useful. Keep in mind, I am not one of the experts here -- but I am learning every day. Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion but I hope it helps:

1) Everyone is different but my father in law has short legs and a long torso (he's not 6' 4" though, closer to 6' 2"). He did not like the Tacoma. Legs were fine but with a longer torso found he was sitting up too high and didn't like the visibility. Plenty of other folks here that are as tall as you and are comfortable in their Tacoma so it is best to sit in there, adjust the seats and see if it works for you. My guess is that you will find it a challenge in most vehicles and the Tacoma will be no better but certainly no worse. Viewpoint: Average.

2) Based on my own experience the seats are pretty good. I've taken a few long drives with the family in my new 2020 TRD OR and have to say no problems. Everyone's level of comfort is different, of course, but I think you will be pleased with the seats, for the most part. One other thing to consider -- the seats matter but so does the suspension. The suspension on the OR is wonderful (just my opinion) and that helps with long term driving comfort. I am in NY and our roads are so bad you wouldn't believe it. Overall, I think you will be okay. If you want to try some bad seats with a hard suspension try a BMW. Since I got my new truck I rarely drive my X1. Love the car but it shakes your bones on long drives. No nerve damage and teens should be okay. If not, that is what the truck bed is for (I kid, I kid). Viewpoint: Good.

3) Read through the brochure. It has a detailed look at the differences between the models. I like all of the models but I think the SR5 is the better value. That is just me, of course. In fact, I wanted to get an SR5 and only ended up getting the OR because it was available at a good price and SR5s were scarce (sadly for me!). I think an SR5 with added Bilstein's (not that much) is a really good value and a truck that will take you pretty much anywhere you are likely to go.

Link (look at page 26 for the comparison):
https://www.toyota.com/brochures/trucks

I might be one of the few who reads through the brochure for this info but to be honest I need to!

As others have suggested the only way you will know is if you drive the truck for an extended period of time. Best of luck to you!