Auto Trans in the mountains

Welp, I hate to say this, but I sold my Tacoma. I really felt there's a fundamental engineering flaw with the truck. When the engine produces no usable torque below 2k rpm (being generous), and the transmission absolutely can't wait to get the RPMs below 2k for fuel economy reasons, I feel there's a fundamental problem here. Sure, ShiftSense gets the shift points to hold into the powerband, but wait a second, this is an issue. Why? Because, it's a band-aid on a $37k truck. This is a big BULLSHIT flag in my book. Not to mention, the engine is generating torque in regions where my nose bleeds at the frequency of 4600 rpm. This is a big BULLSHIT in terms of engineering. Trying to be Nascar? , F1? , MotoGP? - sorry Toyota, you're not.

I picked up a 2017 Chevy Colorado 2.8 Duramax that produces effortless torque at 2k RPM. I get to high speeds without even knowing it. Towing will be effortless. Driving in mountains is effortless and I never even notice the transmission shifts. I doze off due to the truck being fucking bored at the challenge. Off Road? I visit trail heads for strenuous hikes. Yeah , some remote, but I never plan to take a machine where I can hoof it and enjoy a good hike.

Here's the thing, the Tacoma forums are more entertaining than the Chevy forums, so don't banish me. Or if you do, at least let's have a beer and agree on our differences. Adieu

 

Congrats on the new Truck, no use being unhappy and hopefully you did not take too much of a financial hit in the process.

 

Goodbye and enjoy the Chevy. Life is too short to have a vehicle you don't like if you can afford to get a different one.

 

Not hating, but most trail heads here in the PNW you can get to with a normal sedan or at most, a subaru. But yeah, can't tow much with one compared to a diesel. Cheers and enjoy in good health.

 

Interestingly I have no issues in the mountain passes here. Went over with stock tires and went over with 33" tires. Felt fine the both time; zero complaints. I think the truck feels better with the 33"s actually...geared a little more aggressive now.

 

Yeah, exactly. I meant I don't need an off road monster for things I plan to do. I don't know how many people do serious enough off roading that warrants a new $37k rig to get the paint scratched up by vegetation and such.

 

I just have an issue with the engine revving high to get anywhere in the mountains. I felt exhausted after driving in the mountains with the Tacoma. I loved the truck otherwise, just wish it could pull a mountain pass without a shit fit fight with the tranny. I know there's modifications to do, but not worth it to me if the truck as it's engineered can't handle the mountains without raising a fit. Could be I'm used to torquey motors. Fair enough though, I respect everyone's opinion of the Tacoma, it's a good truck otherwise. Just not for me.

 

Nope. I live at 5100 feet its a regular cab so a bit lighter..... get a bit of a running start. Just towed 3,000 pounds of fire wood up a 6 degree slope at 50 in third. several times a week I go up and over a 6 mile long hill that maxs out at 7 percent with a speed limit of 60. It will take it at 65 in 4 th all day long if you hit the bottom at 70. Or, you slow to about 55-60 mph. The 2.7 gets its power at a higher RPM so if you keep it at 3 k or above in forth you are golden.

112 k miles of the rocky mountains in CO, UT, ID, MT, and WY the Cascades etc says differently..... you just have to know the RPM ranges. Now if there is a head wind.... thats another beast. The only time It drops below 55 on the steep grades is if you get stuck behind some one, there is a head wind. Then I end up using 3ed between 50 and 60 or so. It will tow a trailer up that same grade at 50 in third no problems.
LoLo pass, Teton pass, Tioga pass in yosomite, stevens pass in the cascades, rt 5 from reading Ca to the Ca or border Snoqualmie Pass through the Cascades, 80 from denver through CO. once you get up over 7/ 8 percent or 7-8k in elevation things start to slow down a bit.

All the same story in this truck with that motor, and that five speed.

 

I see a lot of talk here about how the 3.5 is a "puny" engine, but no one ever mentions that until 2004 the biggest engine a Tacoma came with was a 3.4 with 88 less horsepower. I get that some of you might be disappointed with the way the new truck feels under power (I'm still coming to terms with the transmission). Yeah, the 4.0 was great, I drove a 4Runner for years so I know what it was like, but there seems to be a small, very vocal segment of posters on this forum who have taken the attitude "I drove 60mph up a mountain while hauling a trailer, and this piddly little engine kept shifting me up out of 6th gear, it's unbelievable that it can't hold 6th. Stupid wimpy engine."

 

I used to climb a 5 mile hill each day with about a 7 percent grade, on my way to work. Not a great place for a rolling start either--stoplight at the base. Man that truck would hardly go. Rode in my friends trdOR v6 just like my truck and was sold

 

What year was your truck ? Was it the 2.4 or the 2.7. Did it have stock gearing and tire size ?
From a stop is hard no doubt. The hill / pass I drive most often goes from 25 to 35 to 45 to 60 over about two miles so you have some run up. Sure, if you are staring from a stop you will have to really flog it to get it up there. I added my 2 cents in since the OP was talking about driving in the mountains at highway speeds. So if you are already doing 40-60 MPH.... was sorta where my context was coming from.

There are some decent clips of the 2.7 vs the 4.0 acceleration both manuals on flat ground. The 4.0 is just a hair faster to 60 but then pulls a lot harder and faster above that then the 2.7. The 4.0 no doubt pulls better then the 2.7 up hill.

I sorta see the 2.7 in terms of useable power and acceleration as WAY better then the 3.0 and 2.4 comparable/ about the same to the 3.4 with a slightly lower tow rating and not as good as the 4.0 for going up hill at 80 MPH, or towing more then 4,000 pounds. Other then that I would rather have the 2.7 for all sorts of reasons. I would take either one of them over the new 3.5 that they have now..... but that is only because I want to want and see how it does long term.

 

Mine was a 2015 4x4 5 speed with a campershell(weight). It was a pig. The 3.5 makes MUCH more power compared to it. Driving to my father's cabin on about a 5 percent grade for about 30 mines, I can climb it in 4th at 2200 rpm where my 5 cylinder was at in 3rd at 3500.
The RPMS don't bother me though. I am concerned about the long term reliability, but I don't foresee that being an issue.

 

Here is the key to success and happiness for a mountain road-trip (having done many already in my 3rd gen AT)

Action #1:
Remember your truck defaults to "economy mode". Before any mountain road-trip or mountain commute, switch on ECT mode immediately as per the Toyota manual recommendations. Be thankful you have "economy mode" for driving around town or in flatter areas, and don't whine about having to push the ECT button (for Christ-sakes you have a push-button start anyways with an auto).

Action #2:
When approaching a very large hill or steep grade, kick the lever into S-mode. This is equivalent of "OD off" on other brands. I drive a F350 with a giant engine for work, and the engine still lugs in the mountains if I don't hit the "OD off" button. My wife's Camry requires the same action on steep grades. All autos typically require some driver input on steep grades.


There you have it. 2 steps to happiness: Switch ECT on at the start of the mountain drive, and shift into S-mode on steep hills. The rest is gravy. Realize all "auto" transmissions require you to operate them correctly, which is why you are given the buttons to do so. I can't fathom the argument of "the auto doesn't work so I'll get a manual"........is pushing that ECT button, or shifting into S4 once in a while really more work that clutching your MT in stop and go traffic?

 

For what it's worth...my 2012 2.7 ran up hills great at 80. Redlined that truck twenty times a day. 163,000 miles. Planning to trade her in for a 2017 3.5 fairly soon. Would have kept that truck forever. But had a bad ground.

 

Ive been driving in the mountains all week. Other than some lack of power after shifting into the next gear, I have not experienced this type of behavior in shifting you are talking about. As a matter of fact it seems to act similiar to any other vehicle Ive driven up here with 6 cylinders or less. I also have been using S mode more than usual and the truck responds accordingly.

 

Right between a black cloud and the patch of road i was driving over.

 

Just trail pinstriping. Not hard to get off; see my sig

 

I really don't understand all the complaints. Mine has about 5000 miles now and it drives fine. I went over Trail Ridge Road (google it) again recently as well as up Cameron Pass (slow, windy, uphill road) and really didn't have any issues. Coming out of corners on Cameron I'd step on the gas a bit (not mash) and it would downshift normally and pick up speed just fine. On TRR I did use the S mode more because of the traffic and slow speed so just put in 3rd and left it most of the way up and down.

Driving around town lately it takes off fine from a light and speeds up well. I will say it didn't do that so well when new so I think the transmission does learn or otherwise improve as everything breaks in. If you have been using ECT all the time then your transmission probably isn't being allowed to learn.

My gas mileage has been pretty consistently 21-22mpg / tank. I commute about 30 miles each way mixed highway and town plus normal around town driving.

I'm coming from a 3.6L Outback which had plenty of power. I used the manual mode on that in the mountains too at times. Few cars are going to rock mountain driving, but the Taco does fine if you take the time to let it break in and learn to drive it right.

 

This pretty much exactly describes my experience, I don't get all the anxiety over this from others?