2018 TACOMA TRD OFF ROAD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISION

Exactly I think manual is better for hill country, auto shifts down to 4th at any small incline, I just don't know where they ever got the fuel economy? Going down hill or perfectly flat and no headwind . Just stating the obvious.

 

If I drive my truck at 60mph in 6th turning 2000rpm with no wind, I can average as much as 23mpg over the course of a 20 mile trip. But I'm like most people... I drive the interstate in the wind and the speed limit is 75mph. In a headwind I'm lucky to make 16mpg.

Modern MPG numbers are simply not realistic and that's not unique to 3rd gen Tacomas. My 2011 SR5 AC 4x4 was supposed to make 21, but I never saw more than 18.

 

My 2013 got better fuel economy at 70. Used to average 18-20, and even on a trip to Maine I got 23 mpg and that's using a calculator for my fuel economy. Either way it's 42000$ spent.

 

Your salesman does not know his own product. This makes no difference and is extremely bad advice for a new engine and drivetrain. The transmissions ‘learning’ of your driving habit is continual, not a one-time event, so what you do in the first few weeks is irrelevant, unless you always plan to drive that way.

Go back to your dealer and ask for a discount because your salesman was a moron and your piston rings are now scored from an improper break-in period.

 

I have a 2016 V6 Auto that shifts crappy, otherwise I like the truck....I've been eyeing a couple of real nice TRD Sport and Limited Tacomas at my local dealer....This thread had snapped me back to reality....Toyota has done nothing to fix this issue so there is absolutely no reason to trade up to a 2018....Thanks a million OP!

 

True story I have the 2018, a turbo would have been nice addition, or my master technician at dealership said trd supercharger should have been offered but the Atkinson cycle won't let it work properly.

 

I have babied every vehicle I have owned including the school district vehicles checked out to me. I come from a Ram Limited with a 3.91 axle ratio and an eight speed transmission that wanted to break the rear tires loose with the slightest acceleration off a stop. I buy the Tacoma and learn I have to MASH the accelerator pedal DOWN to get it to go which it will. I followed the good advice from the forum to DRIVE the truck so the transmission would learn which it has. I have 10,000 trouble free miles on the Taco. I also have the ShiftSense Pro which has helped up shifting tremendously. I would love to have the OV Tune but must wait. Toyota could learn something from these after market programs.

Making the adjustment from a Hemi to a V-6 is on me. The Tacoma has to downshift to keep the rpms in a range closer to the power band. Peak torque comes on at 4,800 rpm and peak horsepower at 6,000 rpm. With this information and knowing that sixth gear in the AT is .58:1, I understand why the transmission so willingly downshifts going uphill and/or into a headwind at highway speed. It doesn’t start turning 2,000 rpm until 80 mph.

I made a trip from Seattle to Oklahoma City last week in our 1995 Jeep Wrangler soft top/doors, AT and a gutless 4 cylinder. 2,200 miles. This Jeep was bought new for our daughter when she was in high school. Wore ear plugs most of the trip. I saw countless Tacomas of all generations on the trip which made me want to get home to mine. This truck is quickly growing on me and I hope it stays in the family for many years like the old Jeep.

 

Part of the issue is both 5th and 6th are overdrive gears and the ratio difference to 4th is almost 800 RPM from 5th. 5th is only slightly lower than 6th, truck sees a hill and has to downshift all the way to 4th, accelerates, then back to 5th and then struggles again, hence the dance. Add in bigger, heavier tires and you just increased your overdrive ratio even larger. OV tune made a huge difference for me but had toyota actually split the difference between 4th and 6th with 5th, I suspect most of these complaints would dissappear.

 

My dealerships #1 tech rode with me, said that it's not right but they are all that way? Wtf, he is opening a case, called Toyota to see if there's a fix, obviously not. So he says I'll need to take my truck for another test drive and mark all the points where it holds the gears and down shifts excessively etc. This is so Toyota can use this to hopefully fix, or redesign future trucks. He says don't hold your breath on a fix for my truck. He stated that there's a lot of people bringing them back to the dealership and complaining. He offered to take a new truck out and see if it was the same? He said to compare them, but it would be the same, stating that it doesn't mean its right. I know this has been said before and all of you that don't agree, don't get butt hurt and save your negativity on something else! There are a lot of 3rd gen owners that aren't happy and we have a right to want it fixed properly, Toyota is still replacing frames? Why! People complained and they addressed it! Who knows maybe they will address this issue?

 

There is NOTHING wrong with the new transmission. The powertrain has been set up like it is for longevity.

I do believe YOU dont like the way the truck drives, but here is some key points for you:

YOU bought the truck.

YOU test drove it (if you didn’t, thats also a fail on your part).

YOU decided it met your needs.

Learn to live with the decisions that YOU make without blaming others for your fails.

I feel bad for Toyota. Seems like the new customer base is nothing but a bunch of entitled cry babies. Instead of being thankful for a kickass product, people resort to throwing tantrums online because the product isn't custom tailored to them.

I really dislike this “new generation” of people. So quick to cast blame with zero accountability.

 

Must be your first truck? I am far from a entitled cry baby, as I stated my 2013 Tacoma drove the way it was supposed to! Trucks build power and torque in lower rpms cars build power in higher rpms! I don't live in flat country like Texas or the Lower states, so I guess it's my fault. Maybe I should move to be happy lol not. I did test drive my truck, all seemed ok. Bought the truck drove it short distances to and from work. Then after a week or so driving further distances you find the problematic discussion we are having! Go to dealership and they feed you with some bs. Then I found Tacoma world and well I'm not the only one finding that their is a issue. If you're happy with your truck great for you. I utilize my truck as a truck and have found it's nothing like the past 6 Toyota pickups and my Tacoma! It's a hybrid truck if anything, how's that! Again I say if you're happy with how your truck is great but as I said Toyota didn't change tundra and tacoma frames without a reason? No of course not people brought it to their attention and they stepped up! Hopefully they can and will do the same with the 3rd generation Tacoma! This is coming from a loyal Toyota owner. I have had 8 different Toyota vehicles so I can say that they fell short on the motor/transmission for sure! "This is coming from a truck owner who uses their truck as a truck".

 

It's your first Tacoma with two OD gears so it's not going to drive like your other trucks. You don't want it to run up to the OD gears 5 and 6 then use S mode.

Your others trucks also canceled out the OD gear, it was called the "OD off" button but you probably never used it.

 

You want torque / grunt / low end in a Toyota truck, buy a Tundra next time.

I think Toyota is trying to differentiate between the two models more, when the 2005 Tacomas came out they were too much like a Tundra at the time. I think Toyota decided to move some of the Tacoma buyers up the chain to bigger trucks if they need more power at the bottom end .

Pick the truck that most meets your needs, both do their jobs very well.

 

For what its worth, I also don't experience any issues with the transmission.

 

The automatic transmission works exactly how it's supposed to work. The engine works exactly how it's supposed to work. I think the two paired together was a big SNAFU on Toyota's part, but other people will say different. Additionally, most people on here don't live where I live and don't have to combat normal 30mph sustained winds. So they'll never understand why I hate the new automatics in the trucks.

Long story short, you're fighting a losing battle. I agree with you that it sucks, but there's nothing anyone can (or wants) to do about it, because the truck is actually running exactly how it was supposed to run.

 

Until the transmission performance starts to affect sales, they probably won't change a thing. Based on the monthly sales numbers it hasn't.

 

Who is going to turn down free low end torque and better shifting? Doesn't mean I have a problem with the way it is now.

 

If you already bought the truck why would Toyota be interested in fixing what you don't like later for free? If people don't like it from the beginning they'll buy something else and the trucks would sit on the lot. Until that happens they'll keep delivering what keeps selling now.

 

Wtf

Engineering is engineering and the bean counters and epa regulators forced the bad tuning and poor gearing on consumers.

Sadly consumers do not know until it’s too late and are stuck.

Has nothing to do with generations of people. Has to do with Toyota really screwing up on the 3rd gen.