Biggest Problem With Tacoma Owners

Laugh... you should see me on the jeep forums. I become the *toyota* sleeping giant. Defender of vehicle hatred!

There's no right or wrong oppinions on vehicle preference. We all have our own reasons for buying what we do and why.

If Toyota would've put a solid front axle on a 90's or newer V6 truck, I'd probably have that instead of the wrangler. I'll admit, I love the open top Wrangler. Jeep (Wrangler) does have the offroad history (military jeeps)behind it and the fact its got more aftermarket support pretty much why Jeep is sooo popular for offroading and the 'following' of enthusiasts. Just don't ask about the reliability. Toyota (corp) is trying to get involved in the offroad market - it's just a damn shame they didn't do that a LONG time ago when the FJ40 was around. Now that...is an awesome toyota!!

 

Ever since I was a kid I wanted a Jeep, but things like a wife, kids, career, the litany that "it isn't practical", etc., kept me from getting one for decades.....until the year Y2K, that is. At that time I traded in my loyal and trusty '89 Toyota pickup (pre-Tacoma) 4x4 which had served me well for 11 years on a '00 Wrangler Sport. Biggest mistake I ever made. It wasn't practical. Just last month I 'made my amends' and sold the Jeep and got my '08 Regular Cab 4WD Taco, and couldn't be happier. Not so much bashing Jeeps, if a guy is an enthusiast they are a lot of fun and there are a bajillion things you can do to them in the way of mods (and who could possibly not love a Wrangler with a Viper engine???), but if you are more like me, a regular guy who isn't big into off-roading (except for the occasional jaunt to a camping/fishing/hunting site) or just the whole "Jeep thing", and are looking for a fun but also practical outfit, seems to me that the Taco is an infinitely better choice. And the Jeep with the 6cyl. engine is a real gas hog, worse than the worst of the production Tacos.

But this isn't meant to be a Jeep bash, we were talking about the wave. Well, when I had my Jeep I wasn't even aware of "the wave" for a long time, but then noticed occasionally that some people in Jeeps would wave (I was probably one of those slack-jawed types dazedly looking back with a puzzled expression on my face), so I'd wave back but generally didn't instigate the waving thing, not being much into the whole Jeep thing in any case.

I ride motorcycles and motorcyclists are pretty good about waving, probably 80% or so of them do, and I participate. Kinda fun. I've also got a Prius and people in Prii will often wave to other Prius drivers. Okay. But now you're tellin' me I oughta wave to Taco drivers? The other day I was in the Taco and waved at a Prius because I forgot which vehicle I was driving momentarily. This could get real confusing if I start, as my age continues to catch up with me, waving at motorcycles when I'm in the Prius, Tacos when I'm on the bike, motorcycles when I'm in the Taco, and Jeeps when I'm in any/all of the above. I'm so confused!!

 

yeah, i use to own a jeep and it was cool to wave at other jeepers. now its like when I'm driving I see other tacoma drivers and they don't even acknowledge you. Pretty sad. Maybe we should get like a sticker (or some sort of vehicle marking) specifically for this forum that way we can wave at other member in this forum.

 

I don't think ND was trying to be disrespectful, or anything, and I am pretty sure that the "Jeep Wave" is pretty much a CJ, Wrangler, TJ thing. I've driven and riden in Cherokees, Liberties, and Wranglers, and the only one to have ever been the recipient of "the Wave" was the Wrangler.

And I do have to mostly back ND on there being only one good reason to buy a cj/wrangler/tj, and that being off-roading, well that or you are working at the Jersey Shore for the summers while yoyu are in college, and then down there everyone has a Jeep.

As for the Tacoma wave. I've been one of the ones who is guilty of trying to get it started, and without any success at all. Keep in mind that the Jeep dealers tell new owners about the wave, perhaps we should forward this thread on to Toyota Corporate.

As for motorcycle waves... It seems to becoming less commonplace with each passing year, and I think that has more to do with motorcycles becoming more commonplace ( 5 new ones last year in the work parking lot "to save on gas") and so there is less of a brotherhoodlike bond bettween bikers these days.

I ride a standard frame Japanese bike, so yes, I have been snubbed by some of the hardcore Harley owners, and I regularly get snubbed by the bullett bikes, but atleast most of the Harley owners and most of the Japanese cruiser owners that bought the bike for the freedom not the fuel savings still wave.

 

I also ride motorcycles and the wave is standard for bikers around here and most other places. I wave at other Tacoma's and some wave, some don't, some try to tell me I'm #1. Isn't that what the one finger means?

I don't know, but I think its a location thing as well. I'm originally from a small town and we waved at everyone, so it's in my nature. Around here anymore people can't wave because they're to busy talking on a cell phone and running a red light to be polite and freindly.

I agree with Roland and think Toyota ought to run some TV adds with lots of waving like the boating lobby.

 

Do your pinky fingers get sore from pushing the 'shift' key so often while typing? Sorry had to ask, haha.

 

My nose is too high up in the air to be able to wave at other drivers. Can you guys gimme some rep please?

 

I think "the wave" has alot to do with lifestyle as opposed to vehicle. I've gotten the wave from CJ's before while I was in my Tacoma, but that CJ owner could also see that I had just gotten off of some trails. If I see a modded Taco, I'm more likely to wave. The mods show that the driver has some interest in their truck. Not knocking stock vehicles, but you just can't tell what kinda wave you're gonna get.

 

I tried to wave today, the guy looked at me like WTH who are you? do i know you?

 

In Canada, all Tacoma Owners wave at each other all the time! Sometimes I just get sick of waving!!!

 

I will have to agree with you somewhat, the Wrangler is cramped, no room for storage and very little room for passengers. I have 4.88 gears in my TJ and get around 10 mpg at the best, but that is small price to pay for such a fun ride and I dont drive it everyday ( Thank god for a job w/ company car!). The ride on my TJ is great even with a 4'' lift, guess that has to do with the coil springs vs leafs. Sometimes I think the wife likes driving the Jeep more than the DC Taco, and my 4 year old thinks a Jeep ride is better that a spongebob marathon! So ndcouch you make a valid point, if I am going to the woods to play bet the bank I will be in the Jeep. But for those long road trips or to pull a trailer with 4 Polaris Sportsmans in tow I will be cruising in comfort of the new Taco Sport.

 

If you see my response a ways back - I didn't take it as disrespectful. I wasn't necessarily talking about the *wave* but overall capabilities of all the jeeps. There are many different jeeps and they're just as capable (or more so) than anything Toyota has. Some of them are just as comfortable as anything Toyota builds also. It's a personal preference. Everyone has their own oppinions why they wouldn't buy a jeep or wouldn't buy a toyota. That's what makes the world go around.

The jeep wave is only the Wranglers.....
As for the Tacoma wave - It won't catch on. There's not enough *enthusiasts* -atleast not in my area. The Jeep wave goes back a long way and has a lot of history. The motorcycle wave is LIVE & kicking with goldwing owners (and the old cruising bikes). My Dad owns a Goldwing and he's a diehard enthusiast. Mom & Dad are cruising across country from PA to UT this May with a group of diehard enthusiasts. Must be nice to have endless vacation days.... and its' their 2nd time doing that.

There's the Corvette wave also.... and that's alive & kicking. Some people just don't know about it while others stick their whole entire arms out the window and wave frantically (that is cool!).

And like I said.....I defend Jeeps on the toyota forums and I defend toyotas on the Jeep forums.

 

Once again Mav has my back! Thanks Mav but i dont think i offended Jan in the first place. But you're gettin some "got my back rep" anyway

 

exactly why most people don't wave, and when im driving in certain areas i wouldn't chance throwing up some sort of unique wave, that could get you shot at