Auto Trans in the mountains

Did you decide you would not own one on the 4th test drive or were you thinking that each truck might drive differently? Good to see folks are driving these before purchasing them now.

 

US gallons, 10L/100km. My average over 3 years is 19.12mpg.

 

I spend a lot of time in the NC mountains and have 0 issues as well. Only time I have noticed a strain is when I'm pulling a trailer loaded down with dirtbikes and gear.

 

Mirrors mine

 

You have a Nissan Frontier?

 

May as well

 

details, details. Takes too long to read the whole post before responding

 

Some of you really need to let go of the old school motor tech!
This is not an 80's inline 6 red lining at 4k and making peak power at 2000 rpms.
Few modern trucks are in non high revving vein (think diesel).
The 2nd gen made 266 ft-lbs at 4000 rpm, while the 3rd makes 265 ft-lbs at 4600, not that big of a difference. Plus it is designed to operate within its designed limits. I did a test a few weeks ago, ran up the west side of the Eisenhower Tunnel three times, once in auto, once in S3 and once in auto ECT. Auto was annoying (back and fourth between 3rd and 4th seemingly at the wrong time every time) and gas mileage appeared terrible. S3 seemed best overall, at times it needed to be bumped to S4 to not overrev, but the stability of not hunting seemed to have best effect on mileage. ECT was better than plain auto, but not much better and still suffered gear hunt.
You don't want to drive all day long at 4k plus (mostly due to annoyance), but it is okay to do and isnt going to kill the life of the engine. Also, if you're hauling a load, towing a trailer... slow down, chances are your trailer tires are only rated up to 65 anyway.

 

Thanks for the test data. Any idea what would happen if it was in S4 and ECT? I haven't tried, but can ECT be used in S mode? If so, maybe the two together get close to ideal. Or, as you said, put it in 3rd and shift to 4th if/as necessary.

 

Seems like most modern truck have peak torque at roughly 4000.

 

I also have a 2016 Tacoma Limited and it may be the very WORST truck I have EVER owned!! Just unreal!! Will not hold a gear. Dangerous upshifting when down shift is needed. AND, I was just told by Toyota that they "have done all they are going to do to address these problems" That IS a quote that I got on a phone call today from corporate Toyota!! NOT kidding!! Go away boy, you bother me!! Let me assure you Toyota--I have not even started.
EVERYONE knows that these 3rd Gen Tacoma's are flawed, if not dangerous, in a very real way. The service departments all know it. They gave me the numbers to call and said--maybe you can get something done cuz we sure can't. Does this company even have a soul. I think not. Let's go places--really??!! Where? Like back to the dealership where they just look at you with a blank stare and say they have no idea how to make the truck safe and drive able and that they get NO answers or help from Toyota. Lets go places....you bet I will....right to any media outlet that will listen and share this story to protect the public from this kind of onerous and negligent behavior.

 

Dude, you really just need to learn how to drive it. Putting it in D and leaving it there will not make you happy. Either learn it and spend the extra effort, or get rid of it!!

G.

 

Weeeeell... I didn't read through it all lol but driving manual transmissions for over 7 years, I'd say keep it in 3rd and slow down. It'll drop the revs.
Also, I used to Race at the tracks back in the days and would rev the heck out of the cars, running high temps, for long periods of time and 7 years later over 120k miles it's still kicking. Don't sweat the high rpm thing much, your not running it up in the mountains 24/7 anyways.

 

I hear ya Gary Member but, I was a pro racer for a while (track and dirt) so I do know my sheeeet around a vehicle and I also know when one just blows!! My crew chief would just put this one back in the transport and say bye-bye.
This one blows,especially after being told to take a hike by Toyota after I tried to give solid feedback for potential improvements. They just don't care.
Back to Ram/Ford/Honda/Chevy/GMC etc....... Always positive response levels from there. At least someone who actually wants to make a product better.

 

I drove two used '16s and a new '17 while just out playing with my brother--we get together now and then and after lunch often go "car shopping"--i.e. taking test drives in interesting vehicles that we have little to no intention of buying.--we're old, WTF else do we have to do?

The last 3rd gen I drove was a neighbor's '17 DCSB TRD-OR he had purchased in late-December/early-January last; it had just 2800 miles or so when I drove it. He traded it on July 12 for a nice, very clean 2015 DCSB TRD-OR with just 34k miles. It is none of my business so I haven't asked, however I think he traded even. He's a retired fellow like myself and had had a '07 TRD-OR he traded in on the '17. I know he probably paid cash for the '17 but after just 6 months he could not take the "seriously flawed powertrain" (his words) and "traded up" (also his words).

I had re-torqued the carrier nuts a couple/three weeks before as he did not want to risk having it confiscated. It was misting just a tiny bit and most of the nuts required 1/4 to 1/2 turn to get to 18 lb·ft, a couple needed 3/4 and almost 1 turn...

 

In 1962 Avis Car Rentals began an ad campaign citing that they were "#2" as compared to Hertz--so "we try harder". It could be Toyota has spent too much time as #1?

 

Gotcha. My wife and I do that too but almost always performance sedans and sports cars, never trucks . Since I had to have a truck, it came down to the new gen Tacoma or go full size. Just couldn't do with the dated 2nd gen. When I buy a TT might go to the F150.

 

I guess I am genuinely "old" now, as I do not find my '09 to be at all "dated"--what am I missing?

The engine starts, and shifting the 5-speed auto to "D" gets me where I need to go with no bogging or incessant shifting. I do often manually downshift when stopping, or if needed when "going". The shifter is so much like that in my SL500 (also a 5-speed, but with a 1st gear lockout for "winter" driving, and two reverse ratios) it's a bit uncanny:



If the aforementioned "dated" issues are just lack of "tech" and gadgetry do not feel any need to respond, as my feeling is that's all just a bunch of stuff to become outdated and/or break someplace "down the road" (pun intended).

When shopping last year I drove a Ridgeline. Very comfortable, reasonably powerful, and which probably would have met 100% of my needs--however I wanted a truck, not an SUV that was 'sort of" a truck. To be brutally honest Toyota has moved the Tacoma dangerously close to the SUV line.

It's almost like "New Coke" which was Coca Cola's marketing department's freakout because Pepsi was gaining on them fast and they lost touch with their base. It is also considered one of corporate America's biggest blunders; almost immediately replaced by "Classic Coke". If Toyota keeps freaking out and insisting on "SUVifying" the Tacoma there will be a uni-body Tacoma in 2020--which would no doubt increase sales volume because most Tacoma buyers (like me) do not really need a truck (I'm just old and wanted one).

It will be interesting to see how it all goes...

 

I live 24 miles from town. I take all of my rigs to town on occasion. The last 22 miles is just country roads, slightly rolling hills, very little traffic, with just one stop sign. Just for the fun of it, I measured how many times each vehicle shifted gears in these last 22 miles with the cruise controls set at 63 mph (60 mph posted.) I didn't count coming to a stop and starting from the stop sign. Here are the results:

Mini Cooper (manual transmission): 0 shifts. My wife's Honda CRV (automatic): 6 shifts. '96 Dodge Dodge 1 ton (automatic): 2 shifts. 2016 Toyota Tacoma (automatic): 38 shifts.

The rpms on the Tacoma ranged from around 1500 rpm to just under 4,000 rpm while driving this stretch of road at steady speed. What I really hate is when it downshifts on a slight downhill. I suppose this is not a problem from Toyota's point of view, but the jerkiness from all this just gets on my nerves and causes me to continually re-ask myself "Just why did I buy this truck?".

The truth of it is I bought it because I needed a vehicle that both my wife and daughter could drive that worked well on marginally maintained roads when it snows. They both refuse to drive manual transmission cars, The CRV has very little ground clearance, and the Dodge has a snowplow and 4 tire chains mounted on it all winter). The Tacoma works very well for this original purpose, but what a frustrating transmission! If I am going anywhere in the summer, it is my last choice of all my vehicles to use. (it also gets the worst gas milage of them all... well it is tied with the 1 ton)

 

That's my experience in New Mexico. I don't notice it.