2016 Build Quality & Test Drive Thoughts

Just got back from test driving a 2016 DC Sport at a dealer here in Los Angeles. I currently have an 06. Here are my thoughts.

- Overall the trucks look better in person than in pictures.
- The sport I test drove did seem sluggish off the line like others mentioned. My 06 Tacoma seemed has much more pep off the line
- The overall build quality seems very cheap. I was poking around and trying to wiggle/move things and everything seemed like cheap plastic, thin metal, and everything moved easily with the slightest push with my hand.
- The front bumper seemed very fragile. I put my hand on it and pushed lightly and it felt like I was going to rip the thing off.
- The material on the doors(some sort of fabric) seemed like it was not even glued to anything. I rubbed my hand over it a few times with slight pressure and you could feel it bunching up and moving.
- the rear double cab seats have very flimsy hinges. When I folded the rear seats flat I slightly twisted the seat because it felt cheap to me. It felt like if it got pushed or twisted with more force it would bend to break the hinges.
- I know this will sound very like I'm being too picky, but the little plastic volume knob on the entune display was super cheap and smooth plastic. It just felt extremely cheap.
- the doors of the little compartments in the bed looked like they were a slightly blue plastic. Everything else in the bed is black and then you have these blue plastic doors. It just looks so odd to me. You could not just use black plastic so it matches and looks like it belongs?

In general the truck just seems very cheap to me.

Those are just my thoughts on my test drive today. Those of you that have test driven what do you think?

 

"In general the truck just seems very cheap to me "
Toyota wants to beat the Colorado at their own game perhaps

 

what do you expect for a measly $40,000?

 

Read write-ups that say the interior bits feel good. So who knows?

 

We've seen the quality of the front end bits from the craigslist post. It's all cheap plastic so that when you smash it off road you can just replace the skins. Mixed review on the interior. Some say it's improved and nice other it's really cheap. Pretty much universal reviews on the motor, feels gutless off the line until you get into the rpms. I'm finding very few reasons to go with the auto tranny.

 

That cheap plastic front end is actually there for the newer and quite stringent ped impact regulations.

http://www.safetyresearch.net/blog/...ill-make-global-changes-car-design-inevitable

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_safety_through_vehicle_design

http://www.caranddriver.com/feature...rian-protection-regs-make-cars-fatter-feature

 

Welcome to TW OP

 

Did you use the ect power button? I'd be shocked if this truck loses a zero to 60 to the 2nd gen. Even if it doesn't have the throttle response off the line

 

Are you going to keep your 06 or move to a different vehicle?

 

Many new cars are coming with that kind of plastic in them.

 

That's good to know. Maybe charlie will stand a chance next time. And we'll all have an explanation when people ask why our front ends are such flimsy plastic.

 

Also that's why the grill/front end is so tall. Spreads out the impact surface.

 

or people can just pay the f*** attention to what their doing. Maybe look away from their phone and watch traffic when they cross the street? I bet if they survived an impact, they would update their status from the back of the ambulance "just got my ass run over"

 

Freakin' truth man! But the government always feels like it has to legislate for the lowest common denominator.

 

Agree with OP regarding the interior. In pictures the interior looks good but when you start touching the plastics and fabrics they are cheap feeling. Seats feel no better to me. The plastics also look extremely scratch and scuff prone as compared to 2nd gen

Reminds me of the Kia rental I had. In pictures the interior looks great but when you sit in the vehicle you realize how cheap it is.

 

Sometimes it's the drivers some times it's the pedestrians and other times it's both of them.

What if it's "no one's" fault and just a truly unlucky situation? What if you were the podestrians in that truly unlucky situation?

Would you rather get hit by a vehicle that is made to better the podestrians' survival rates or one that podestrians' survival rates are thrown out the window?

Toyota and other are doing their best to battle stupid. You can't make people smarter but you can make the things people use smarter.

 

Didn't steven hawking warn about this?

 

Pretty damning review.

I'd really like to hear some feedback about the MT tranny. The improved interior and improved tranny made me wait for 2016. Maybe a mistake.

 

Negative news always spreads faster and deeper than positive news. It's both human nature and the nature of the internet. And subjective things are just that....subjective. And never forget what they say about opinions. Drive one and come to your own conclusion.