Concerned about possible new 2017 SR5 V6 purchase

Hey guys here's the deal,

Had a 2004 Tacoma TRD dbl cab that I loved but traded with 8K in for a Highlander as the kids got too big for the rear seat area. Fast forward, kids are in college with their own vehicles, Highlander ended up with paint issues and I was considering trading in my beloved (NO issues) 2012 Camry L 4cyl with 25K for a 2017 left over SR5 V6 Tacoma dbl cab which would run me $20K out the door trade included. After reading the many post on this forum, I am concerned about the many issues regarding the newer generation Tacoma. Wife and I are considering moving to a smaller home in the near future so a pick up might come in useful since she doesn't want me to dirty up her 2015 Venza with 10K. Some honest opinions would be appreciated here as I have been a Toyota fan for some time but have never seen so many complaints true or false regarding a Tacoma. As you can see my vehicles always got used infrequently so I never went the long haul with any of them, however the pick up purchase will be different. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

I think you might find that the crowd that frequently posts on a forum for their specific vehicle are also the type that might be a little hyper critical of things that may not be that big of a deal. My personal experience is still currently limited because i have only put 3,000 miles on my 17 DCLB OR, and still stock but I have not had any issues. It has already hauled wood, pulled trailers, been used as a shuttle vehicle for whitewater kayaking and mountain biking (on and offroad shuttling), you know, truck stuff. And it has been great. I wish I got better MPGs, but it is true to what they claimed, and i didnt buy it to be a super efficient prius. Just like your 2004, the leg space in the back seat still sucks though.
I am coming from an 84 4runner which was pretty rough around the edges so i guess take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

when you see someone getting out of a 3rd gen in a parking lot ask them their opinion of their truck. when they say they love it then ask if they know of this forum, there answer will be no.
read between the lines.

 

73k miles on mine. Get it.

 

I think half the people complaining expect a truck to be smooth and quiet like your Camry. No problem with my Tacoma acts like a truck should.

 

1 year, 12,000 miles.. Love my SR5 dbcb 4wd..Enjoyed it much more the last 6 months after I stopped reading TW everyday.. I enjoy this site but found myself looking for all of the issues people were reporting. Had a few issues with Entune and Bluetooth, but most of those cleared up when I upgraded phone to android 7.0

Now I just use it as intended, a truck and enjoy it..

 

I have done that before, and its like anything else, several seem to like and enjoy them but had 1 guy say he hated the auto trans and if he had it to do over again he would have got a stick instead, and my UPS guy did not like his and traded for a Tundra.

 

I am still confused as to why Consumer Reports ragged so badly about the truck.

 

Consumer Reports is a company full of sh!t... it claims to be an independent non profit company but you can't even go to their website to see what their reports are. Where's the business in that? I understand that you don't have sponsors and you need $$ to run that data. why not charge those companies to use that data and not the actual consumer?

 

Some love theirs some don't. A good idea to ask some locals that have them about theirs.

 

I think they have a weird way of rating by taking customer feedback and their own road test and coming up with whatever. The only thing that ever bothered me was every single Toyota and Lexus Model they tested finished above average except the Tacoma, so that wipes out the conspiracy theory of money being behind it. I bought the truck because I wanted it and had 3 prior Tacomas with no issues so a magazine rating does not hold too much water.

 

The complaints have a direct correlation to the increased price point.
If i has a dollar for every time someone’s complaint was followed up with...
“for a 40k truck”

 

Welcome to Tacomaworld. Do two things:
1. Look at Tacoma Sales figures (hint: 2016 sold 191K Tacomas. 2017 sold 198K Tacomas. Both are record Tacoma sales)
2. Test drive, test drive, test drive.

 

OP - go test drive a truck and put it through it's paces.

I've owned trucks for 17 years now and my current Taco is my first Taco. Starting out on a drive the truck drives like a truck. In the mid to upper rpm registry my truck runs better and smoother than any car I've ever had. It's very responsive to the pedal.

If you find yourself going up a hill at low rpm's just put it in "ect". To me this is like taking it out of overdrive, which is what Ford calls it. They have a button too.

This is the best car I've ever owned.

 

I have a 17 SR5 V6 and no regrets or buyers remorse.

 

Like others have said in posts where someone would ask for opinions, go drive one for an extended test drive and be very critical about the engine/transmission combo....see if you can live with the constant shifting and lack of low rpm torque...It won't change much from that first test drive even though they claim it has some sort of mysterious adaptive learning built into the transmission that supposedly learns your driving style...seems the harder you drive it the better it shifts but the gas mileage goes south of 20 mpg pretty fast...Mine seems to be pretty solid other than the crazy shifting...

On a side note, I got a 2003 RAV 4 from my mom in June of 2017 and I've only put 300 miles or less on my truck since I've been driving the RAV everyday....It drives so much better, engine/transmission wise that is, it never hunts gears.

 

I love my 2017 4x4 V6 after the Transmission TSB update, but the truck off the lot should have most current TSB.

 

Op - I need to mention that my truck is a 4 cylinder. The one that seems to be a perceived "problem" is one of the two 6 cylinder variations (the one that supposedly gets the same gas mileage as the 4 cylinder).

I will admit that the Consumer reports article did somewhat affect my decision to keep my choice simple and go with the 4 cylinder engine. It has slightly more horsepower than my 6 cylinder 2001 Ford Ranger. However it way outperforms the old Ranger. And the gas mileage is better.

I bought the 2016 year model, which was the first year of the 3rd gen, but the 4 cylinder engine was used in the 2nd gen, at least that is my current understanding.

In short, this truck fits my needs and so far has exceeded my expectations.

 

I was one of the unlucky ones who got a problem truck, and I eventually traded it off I was so unhappy. My experience is only a small portion of owners; most are extremely happy and love their trucks. I hated to get rid of it because I did really like that truck.
Test drive many different models and configurations, make sure you like it. If you can get an overnight or weekend test drive, do it, and go from there. Only you know what you like and what you are looking for in a truck. Don’t be scared off by negativity, but be aware some vehicles (like any mass produced product) can have problems.
I hope you get a truck you really like!

 

Buy a Tundra or F150. You'll thank me later. Or better yet test drive all 3.