Constant Shifting

You're free to buy something that you like to drive, it's what I did.

Btw, it still drives the same in S4 and S5 as it would in Drive with one small difference, it only uses 4 or 5 of the 6 gears.

Why do you need 6 gears available all the time? Is bumping the shift selector left, right forward or back from time to time too hard?

 

The problem is that the vehicle shifts all over the place on roads that barely have any hills. The 405 from OC to about wilshire area in LA is relatively flat and the trans shifts at every slight rise.

It's a shitty design and combination of underpowered engine and trans with bad gear ratios that's a perpetual feedback loop. It reaches set speed then upshifts to a gear that's too tall to maintain that speed so it slows and then downshifts....repeat.

I have a 2011 ram 1500 hemi that had plenty of power to hold whatever the speed is set at, that being said it does wander a bit but the taco suffers.
The taco replaced my 93 pathfinder and it's definitely a huge improvement but has a lot of short comings.

 

Congra

I would love to do that if it was a gear selector. It is not. It is a gear limiter. I do use those functions in the appropriate situation, such as maintaining a speed going down a steep grade or towing. I have never driven another vehicle that requires me to shift out of any overdrive gear on small gentle grades that I can ride my bike up without shifting a gear. It is obvious you don't understand what we are talking about or your Tacoma does not behave odd in this situations.

 

Your truck shifts a lot, right? Just making sure there is not some deeper meaning to this thread.

 

I understand perfectly that you and others here bought trucks you don't like how they drive. I don't understand why you would do that but you made that choice and are mad at Toyota for it.

Been driving Toyota trucks for 30+ years so I'm pretty familiar with them, spent 3 months driving 2nd and 3rd gens before I committed to the truck I chose. I also took the time to learn about the trucks and try the different modes to see why they're available. I also took the time to try them for myself before purchase.

I didn't base my decision on marketing, resale or reputation, I made it in everything I like about truck. One if those is how it drives and the ability to reconfigure under certain changing conditions.

Sounds to me like you didn't do the same.

 

Sounds like a giant assumption on your part. If you would read the posts instead of just commenting I stated exactly why I bought the Tacoma, even with its shortcomings.

 

Then live with your decision and learn from it.

 

Thanks for the great advice! Awesome contribution!

 

Go back and read your own post #32 in this very thread.... you wanted a manual but couldn't find one when your Jeep died so chose the AT instead and are now another guy dissatisfied that his automatic truck shifts automatically.

 

If there was one I would have bought it. My last 5 cars have been automatics and I have missed shifting. That is why I would have got a MT over the AT. Not because the Tacoma AT shifts poorly.

 

Did you drive any other trucks like a Nissan or the GM twins to see if their autos were more to your liking? If not why not?

 

I drove Canyon and Colorado multiple times in the months leading up to purchasing the tacoma. I looked at the Nissan but felt it was too outdated for the price so I did not test drive it. When comparing everything I felt the Tacoma was the best buy when I bought it.

 

Did you consider or test drive the 2nd gen?

 

Seems to me that the 3.5 engine is under-powered. It's down shifting because it simply lacks the power it needs.

 

Difference in 5th and 6th at that speed is about 300rpms.... gearing is very closely spaced so it will toggle on inclines if you let it.

Or just take one away and the truck runs just fine.

 

The 3.5 is NOT underpowered. The engine has a shit-tonne of power, as anyone who’s revved it up knows. Positively roars. The issue is the Transmission is trying at all costs to keep revs low, because low revs save gas. When the low revs, in high gearing, can no longer keep up with the reuquested cruise controls speed, it downshifts to gain speed. If the transmission was not trying to maintain as low revs as possible, none of us would be having this conversation. It’s not a case of the 3.5 not having balls, it more a case of the balls not being allowed to drop.

Press the ECT button and help your truck through puberty.

 

Drove my friends 2nd gen and looked at a few used ones. When it came down to it the interior looked like it was designed a decade ago and the cost of a low mileage 2015 was almost the same for a 2016.

 

Regardless of how the 2nd gen or the GM twins looked, which drove the best to you when compared to the 3rd gen?

 

3rd gen felt the best, then a toss up between the canyon and 2nd gen, then the colorado.