Toyota Needs to Step Up!

I would 100% percent buy a 25K Tacoma with a 4 cyl. 6 spd. and 2WD if it got 27 on the hwy. Like they used to. (5 lug)

 

It wouldnt shock me if at some point if Toyota offers some small lower priced unibody pickup based off a Corolla or Camry.

 

Mine still gets 27 on long highway hauls....

 

It won't me either. Seems unnecessary to have to go to that extreme (cough 5 lug) but hey, they don't haven't wanted to put a little zinc in the frame anyway so maybe that's the way to go. Mine doesn't exactly like carrying a 1000#s. You know yourself racing unibodies they can be stiffened up quite a bit.

 

the 5 lugs got it regularly on the hwy.

My thought is it was a mistake to just build the Prerunner and drag down the CAFE average with a heavier truck when 1/2 of them sold were 2wd.
Average person didn't give a crap that it could be jacked up like a 4WD.

Of course if the idea was dig deeper in our pockets, everything is according to plan.

 

Tacoma is king no need to step up .. all the other manufacturers have to put a bunch of add ons to compete with Tacoma .

 

Fist, I think OP seems to think that the majority of Tacoma owners are off road enthusiasts that primarily bought the truck to leave the pavement as frequently as possible. This is not even close to true. Thus Toyota build the Tacoma so it CAN be taken off road and do better thank other stock offerings. If modded properly that performance is increased.

Everyone else abandoned the midsize market due to lack of ability to compete. A good number of the non-Toyota sales are "fanboys" of the brands or the folks willing to try out the newcomer/returning contender. Tacoma still has just shy of 50% of all midsize sales as compared to all the others combined.

As for your saying the average does not want the Prerunner, you may be correct. I know in my case I specifically wanted a Prerunner when I bought my previous Tacoma and bought one. It was exactly what I wanted and able to do everything I asked of it.

My new Limited has the higher Prerunner stance as all Tacomas now do, even though they dropped the label. I love the truck and though it is a 2w drive, as I wanted, it has completed everything I have asked of it easily. I leave the pavement only when required, and live in FL so little need for 4x4 outside of a few occupational uses and play. In the almost 4 years I have had it there has been a good amount of hauling material, trailers, as well as family. It gets roughly 5MPG better than the 04 did with a LOT more bells, whistles and comfort.

We all have our "wants" and feelings about what looks good. Toyota has done a great job making a truck that conforms to the majority of us while keeping it dependable with amazing resale value.

I would pay a premium to get the higher clearance and would not be interested in a "low" truck like the older base 1st gens.

 

Us older folks can't climb that high anymore.

 

Thats going no faster than 60 i assume.

 

Or a prius based That thing gets like 45 mpgs and has a bed for home depot runs, it will satisfy 80% of TW haha.

 

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that look is in store for the Tacoma too.


edit: BUT that's not far off from an '82 VW truck, which outside of looks, (and i don't care anymore) WAS a great little picking up stuff runner.

edit 2: Yea, i can go back to that. It's not far off a original Courier, which is exactly what I'm asking for.

 

4th gen taco bra

 

Jeez, 40 yrs. full circle?

 

Hookers and ketamine

 

That seems counter intuitive

 

Those little guys were not bad at all.

 

You just can’t handle your horse tranquilizers like a man

 

wouldn't know, never done it