New owner observations

Hello, Tacoma World!

New member, longtime lurker. I only have a few posts. I thought this would be handy for any people out there like me going from a full size half ton to a Tacoma. Last vehicle was a 2008 Ram 1500 Quad cab with a 5.7 hemi 4WD short bed SLT. I am 6'2 240lbs. I have a 20 minute one way commute to work, live in CT, and NEED to get to work when the weather is bad. I also work 2nd shift, so I drive frequently at night. All this being said, I bought a 2010 TRD off road DCSB 6spd with 113k on it. I am very happy with the truck. If you're on the fence about buying one, I urge you to read on.

-Traction in the snow is great. Firestone destination AT's, and a leer cap (weight) help a great deal.

-Stock headlights (offf road model specific...LED tail lights too) are better that most factory lights I've had. Visibility and brightness are quite good.

-clutch is tight, many people who drove standards from the 80's and 90's (like myself) may find that it's not as forgiving as most. The engine seems to "rev match" to some degree and it makes for a strange driving dynamic at first.

-4wd switch doesn't light up. Guage cluster lights are always on. No dash indicator for fog lights. No light in console or glove box. If you are my size and wearing a coat, you WILL open the console every time you put your seat belt on due to the position of the open button. Headlights need to be on to use the foglights. Front turn signals SHOULD be the driving lights, but on a 2010, they're not. Be aware that there are a few important subtle differences between the early and late 2nd gens.

I know there are mods on this forum to alleviate ALL of these shortcomings, but I thought anyone shelling out the "Tacoma Tax" prices these used 2nd gens demand would want to know some quirks in one post, rather that roaming all over the forum.

Until next time...rock shit from the cockpit.

 

lol i chuckled when you mentioned that damn console. got a runner now and that latch is in the front now.....

 

A seat belt extender will help a lot with that issue, buy two and put one on the passenger side, so if you put anything heavy on the seat it won't trigger the seat belt alarm. Its also the mod for turning off the seat belt alarm.

 

I have been driving stick for around 10 years and pretty much all of it was in a corolla. When I got my Tacoma it gave me flash backs of learning to drive in the first place. The clutch was so different it was painful first week or so.