Overall comfort and ride impressions of the new gen

What is the overall comfort and ride impressions of the new gen (driveability, wind noise, steering weight, suspension cushioning, etc.)? More truck-like, car-like, somewhere in between?

I used to drive around in a late gen Jeep Wrangler manual transmission which was very truck-like, not very enjoyable as a daily driver and now I'm in a late gen Subaru Outback auto which is very car-like and from a driver's comfort standpoint superior but lacks the ruggedness of the Jeep. Wish I had both. Are the new Tacomas a good balance of both?

 

Never having owned a 4x4, and coming from a 2010 Mustang, I can say that MY Tacoma's ride is very comfortable! I am 6'4" and weigh around 215 lbs.

Now, everyone is different when it comes to comfort and I prefer to drive fairly close to the steering wheel. I find the seat to be very comfortable, especially the bolsters. I have plenty of headroom and can see out of the truck very well. I don't find the cab cramped at all and have plenty of seat adjustment left if I need to move it further back.

As far as driving impressions...I have not had any trouble with my truck as far as rumblings, bumblings, vibrations, etc. I have no doubts that others have had problems, but my truck has been wonderful! The steering response is very lively and the suspension absorbs bumps nicely without being too bouncy. The steering wheel is actually one of the most comfortable I have ever had the pleasure of wrapping my grubby mitts around.

Overall, for a truck, I would say that the ride is spirited and lively, at least by truck standards. I have to drive a full sized Ram at work every now and then and think the Tacoma has a magnificent balance of car/truck ride characteristics, basing it on the Ram/Mustang driving impressions. I don't have a need for a full size truck and find them to be much too cumbersome and weighty for my intended purpose.

My truck was built in April of this year in Texas and has the tow package. It has a little over 500 miles on it.

 

Truck is very comfortable. I had both a 2005 Tacoma and a 2007 Lexus IS250 before coming to the 2016 Tacoma. I loved the IS but with this new Tacoma, I honestly don't miss it. There is quite a lot of improvement over the 2005 taco I had with the new generation. I've made more trips of 6-8 hours than I can count already and never once have I become uncomfortable in this truck. The transmission issues have been somewhat annoying but hopefully that has been improved after my visit to the dealer this week (I get the truck back tomorrow). I've a little over 15,000 on mine already and overall I've been happy with it. If the transmission reprogramming actually comes, I won't have any complaints

 

Taken my '16 DCLB OR4x4 on two long trips, one which was 1600 miles. Both trips, the truck performed great.
I came from a lifted Avalanche which was fairly smooth. I notice the rear end of the Taco is a little bouncy at times, but that's a leaf sprung truck, so no worries.

Even though I'm not used to a higher revving v6, the motor seems happy in the higher rpm ranges (2500-3800.)

On the 1500 mile trip, I did get a little uncomfortable at the end. Going to look into putting shims under the front seat mounts for a little more leg support. Around town, it is great.

 

I have had a variety of lower end cars recently (VW Beetle, Gen 2 Prius, Gen 2 Forester) and the Taco has the best seats by far, based on how far I can drive without taking a break. Ride comfort, wind and road noise are equal or better to those cars too; well, maybe the VW and Sube had a slightly better ride when new. The Taco (TRD OR) is smoother on washboard than the Subaru. There's more body roll and vaguer handling, but straight line stability and resistance to crosswinds is fine.

 

The truck is extremely comfortable, I'm 6'3" and have plenty of room. The seats are really comfortable and all of the gauges and controls are easy to reach. The steering is nice and tight and almost feels like you're driving a car but you'll have a little more body roll due to the higher center of gravity. Its extremely quite even on the highway, almost too quite where you can hear little squeaks but my new tires have a nice humm to them so its a good balance. For what you described it will be a good balance ride wise, not being as rough as the jeep or other trucks but not too car like either.

 

The Wifes 2014 Jeep Sahara is a comfortable ride but I like my Taco better. So yes, better than a Jeep but maybe not as much as a Cadillac. The ride is far better than my 08 Taco.

 

I just took my Taco on it's first longish' trip. My wife and kid to Yosemite. It wasn't super far for us ~ 250 miles, but the truck drove, handled and preformed perfectly. I actually enjoy the 'stiff' body on frame feel.

It's my daily driver, but I would not hesitate to take the family out on a long trip.

 

I'm the same: 6'4 and 215. I find it comfortable overall, but the steering wheel is a bit too far away. Do you have this same problem or do you sit up closer? If I go too much closer I feel like my knees hit the dash.

 

It's a very nice truck ride and rides like a nice truck. Hope this helps.
Better then any other Tacoma I've owned.

 

Overall I really enjoy my '16. Coming from an 08 2x4, I especially like the higher ride.

Only thing that's taking some getting used to is the suspension. Initially it was really bad but then I realized the guys filled every tire to 38 from the dealership. Letting the air out to 32 seemed to help quite a bit but the ride is still very tight, almost like sitting above the wheels in a school bus sometimes. Is this just the 4x4 or are they all like this?

 

We have a 2016 Forester and a 2016 Tacoma..... The ride in the truck is a tad stiffer, but is pretty comfortable for the most part. I'd image better than a Jeep.

 

It's still very truck like in a lot of regards, but it's solid and smooth riding. At least the TRD OR has a very well damped suspension, I can't say about the SR/5 or Sport. The rear end can get upset going over bumps in mid turn, but such is life with nothing but an empty truck bed, solid rear axle, and leaf springs. It is very level going around turns with minimal body roll, but it does tend to push the front when you take it to the limit. The cabin is quiet, and I have plenty of room despite having a 6'1" frame. The seats are a lot more comfortable than a Corolla, but I think my Camry overall is a little more comfortable on long road trips. I still don't mind driving for 8-10 hours in the Tacoma though, so I can't complain much. Yes, I've had some minor driveline vibrations that seem to not be uncommon with Tacomas of all years, but at least to me they aren't that bad or bothersome. Maybe if everything else wasn't so smooth and quiet I wouldn't notice the driveline vibrations at all. Still, I really like the truck and I'm happy with it.

I'd suggest just going and driving one yourself and making up your mind. Perhaps you can get them to let you take it on an extended drive.

 

I have always found it more comfortable, for me at least, to be as close to the wheel as possible in any vehicle I drive. I usually have the seat situated where my knees are just a few inches from the dash.

Luckily, with the push button start, I now also don't have the nuisance of the keychain dangling down from the dash and dancing on my right knee.

 

For being what it is, a 4X4 body on frame truck, I find it very comfortable and stable driving down at highway speeds on pavement and off road.
I wasn't expecting this level of comfort and was immediately sold on it.
Cheers!

 

Overall ride quality is good. Could be better if they fixed the drive line vibration and droning noise at highway speeds. Seat comfort is OK, not spectacular but certainly acceptable. I have found my lower back tends to get a bit tired on longer trips (3+ hours) YMMV. Seems pretty stable in the curves at hwy speeds, obviously if you lift suspension or add plus sized tires it will change that feeling quickly. Handles really well on rough roads off pavement which is one of the primary reasons I bought it.

 

Why don't you just go drive one and decide for yourself. People can't really tell you if your going to be comfortable in the truck.

 

I think it's hard to tell much from a 20 - 30 minutes test drive alone so I'm OK with people asking for experienced opinions and understand why they would ask. When you hop in a brand new vehicle, you're kind of in shock & awe mode trying to take everything in around you. There are plenty of distractions plus the salesman trying to make small talk with you or explaining crap to you (often incorrectly) about the vehicle's options. My buddy owns a GM dealership here in AZ and he usually offers for me to take the truck home overnight. I was very close to buying a Canyon from him but couldn't get over the approach angle and required mods to bring the truck up to a functional capability of the TRD OR Taco. He understood my desire for the Toyota.

 

It`s a truck, I did not expect it to be as comfortable of a ride as it is but it has exceeded my expectations.

 

It's the most comfortable and car like of the five Toyota trucks I've owned, it's also the biggest. In order to really answer your question however, you really need to climb into one and take it for a drive to see if it's comfortable to you.