new 3.5L engines are weird

same here

 

this is a dumbass argument because a 30 minute test drive is nothing compared to weeks of really driving the truck

 

let me ask you a question, if you were selling one of your vehicles would you let it go for a 2 week or more test drive? of course not, so why would Toyota allow anyone to take a $45k truck on an unlimited test drive till your satisfied with it, they could sell within the time frame your test driving it, also what if you decided not to buy it do you get a free vehicle for the amount of time you tested it? Also you don't have to buy it after a 30 minute test drive you can always come back and test drive it again and again and again till your satisfied. no one allows anyone to test drive a vehicle with unlimited amounts of time get real.

 

It is very tough to get the full driving experience of a new vehicle in 30 minutes. I always get that "sensory overload" experience when I drive a vehicle that I am not familiar with. Everything is new and you won't pick up on the more subtle issues until you have driven the vehicle several times under different driving conditions.

You really do have to drive them for several hours, maybe even days, to get a solid feel for how the vehicle operates.

 

if someone came to buy a vehicle I was selling and told me Im not buying it till ive had it for days/weeks test drive I would tell them to GTFO. its a fairytale idea to even think private sellers/dealers allow for days or even weeks of a FREE test drive its never been the norm when buying cars.

 

Couldn't agree more. I usually go to different dealerships and test drive the same vehicle. It would be pretty unreasonable to hold the salesman hostage for a day-long test drive for a purchase that may, or may not materialize. This is why I go to different dealerships where they won't recognize me as a tire-kicker.

 

I really don't think they mind it if you come back a few times to drive it because of the high cost of any new vehicle, people get a little antsy when it comes to big ticket purchases. Its kind of like saying I want to buy a house but I need to live in it for a few months for free till I can really get to know if ill like it enough to buy it, its a fairytale logic devised up by people that think someone owes them something and they don't have to take responsibility for their own decisions if something falls thru.

 

I test drove a Canyon, and knew pretty quickly I did not like the way the transmission shifted.

If I had more time, and I was not satisfied with any of the other options, I might have tried another Canyon, but first impression was it was not for me.

When my wife needed a new family sedan we test drove many many vehicles, and I remember we were able to make a decision quickly if the vehicle was right for us. When we drove the Forrester, we knew right away it was "the one". That was 2001, and it is still in the family, 200k miles still going strong.

As @CookieMonster said, most dealership's won't allow extended test drives on new vehicles. I for one would not be happy buying a new vehicle that already had a few hundred miles on the clock.

Fwiw

 

I can usually tell in a 15- 30 min test drive if I am gonna like a veh or not. I usually put the car through the paces do a little bit of stop and go, some highway, some cruise control, and then some slow speed stuff. If it sucks it's gonna suck.

Are people saying that A- yes they did test drive prior to purchasing and it drove fine and B- after you got home and drove it some more it turned into a pos all of a sudden?

 

The engine and transmission complaints should be easily apparent after a 30 min test drive.

Too many people fell in love with some romantic idea of owning a Tacoma and talk themselves into it thinking that the "transmission will learn me in 1000 miles."

Many also have unrealistic expectations. The truck has plenty of power. It's faster than the last. It tows more than the old full size trucks, but it ain't got the power of a modern full size.

 

My thought also.

People who have owned numerous pickup trucks before the 3rd gen probably have more realistic expectations, and might not fixate on some of these fit and finish issues.

The engine/ trans debate- not sure what that is about since I like the way this thing drives. It is quirky from time to time, just not enough for me to consider it a flaw in engineering.

 

It's really faster than the 4.0 trucks? That seems at odds with virtually everything I've read, but in full disclosure, I haven't driven a new one either.

As for the powertrain, I like the fact that I can get up to highway speed in my 4.0 and not have the tach go much over 2K to get there. It may sound coarse and run out of steam at high RPMs, but in 95% of real world conditions, I think the 4.0 5 speed combo is dialled in very well.

 

Maybe faster after the ovtune is installed.

 

This man speaks the truth ^^

Personally, one of my favourite things about the truck is the "dieselesque" sound of the engine. I love it.

 

I beg your pardon -our Subaru OB is waaay more quiet than my 17 Tacoma!! Do you own both? --I doubt it!

 

My son has an Impreza. My parents have a forester. Your doubt is noted and discounted.

 

Same.. a 20 or so minute test drive will tell you a lot. I test drove the 4 banger and within minutes said hell no! It was Gutless. To each their own however..

 

You mean like, take personal responsibility for a decision we later regret?

 

I have noticed the engine chatter (though it does not concern me) and wonder why my Lexus es350 with the 3.5L 2gr is quiet as a mouse?

 

Why did you base your purchase on one test drive?

Are you that scared of salepeople that you committed after the first visit?