Looking for experiences from previous Gen 2 - I4 owners.

I'm preparing to go from my 2007 I4 Access Cab, to a 2016 4x2 TRD sport.

I've now test drove a TRD 4 by 4 Sport, and a TRD 4 by 4 off road. Both of them, gave me a completely foreign ride experience compared to my current truck. My I4 may not be powerful, but it always seemed to pull from a red light well enough. The the 2016 seems to have have plenty of top end in highway traffic, but seems so sluggish off the line and in town. I feel like I'm torturing the poor thing putting my foot into it in these situations. I haven't been able to find a 4x2 to see if that is any different.

I've read a lot of threads on here about the 2016 being a little weak on the lower end, and the transmission learning curves and problems. I'm just wondering if anyone had an I4 has gotten used to the 2016 V6.

 

I had an '06 TRD Sport 4X4.... This truck is way nicer then the 2nd gen. The tranny takes getting used to... It's a good tranny...YOU have to learn what it will do and then respond accordingly...!! The 6 speed auto is nice for MPG, but can be used in a lot of different ways once you learn what to do. (Providing the tranny IS full of fluid)...!! This issue must be THE biggest issue with the tranny...(lack of fluid).

The '16 has lots of power, maybe more than the '06, but the tranny is trying to save you MPG's....

I'm totally in love with my '16 now that the tranny has been filled up by me!!...and greased the zerks, filled the diff.

Go for it man.. Toyota has to catch up to this shit soon, and if they don't.... do it yourself and you'll have a great truck..!!

 

I went from a 2014 5 spd 4x4 2.7l to a 2016 trd off road 4x4 auto. I agree that the 4cyl seemed to have more grunt off the line and a lot more of linear power delivery. I am slowly getting used to the new auto. Like Over60 said you just have to learn when the truck wants to shift and realize it is just trying to save you fuel. I've had the truck for about 3 weeks now and today was the first time I drove the truck and really didn't think about how it was shifting. Also if you do use the ECT mode the shifting seems more "normal" to me although fuel mileage suffers tremendously...Not something I do regularly.

 

I love my 2016 DCSB SR5 4X4 V6 more than my 2015 2.7L 4x4. 278hp is more fun than 159hp and I gotten better gas mpg too.

 

I sold my 2013 DCSB TRD Sport v6 Auto 4x4 Towing and bought a 2016 DCSB TRD Sport v6 Manual 4x4 Towing.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with my 2013. I loved it, in fact. I was planning on keeping it forever. But then Toyota had to go and completely rebuild the Tacoma from the ground up. RIP my Wallet.

Old parked next to the new:


As soon as I saw the 2016s I started doing my research. Seems the #1 issue was the auto Transmission so I knew I wanted manual. So because of that I can't really comment on 3rd gen Auto issues.
I absolutely love having a Manual transmission again. I play a game with the MPG and try to get it as high as I can. I'm at the 21-22MPG to/from work range now a days.

Probably the main thing I noticed between the new and the old is that I went from listening to wind noise on the 2013 to engine noise on the 2016. Seems those fancy little wind vortex generators do a number on wind noise. But apparently the wind noise was louder than the engine in my 2013.

 

So basically, my 4x2 I4 automatic Access Cab is as rare as the dealers are leading me to believe when discussing trade in.