Quality between Tacoma & the competition

I like my Tacoma and bought it because I finally wanted a 4X4 and the full size Chevy was too much $. My previous truck was a 1999 2WD GMC and it was nearly flawless for 163,000 miles. With a personal history like that I have to call BS on most of the stuff I hear. The paint was going to shit after 13 years in the Arizona sun, and I just got tired of it after 13 years. And, like I said, I wanted 4WD.

All this slamming Chevy is hard to understand and at times I think many here at TW are just plain anti-domestic based on some BS that they read on an internet forum.

Now where is that flame suit........

 

^ I get your drift...

 

The Colorado has not been out long enough.... But I would have test drove one if it was available when I got my Taco.

I've owned 2 GM vehicles (Vette and Conversion van.) The Vette lost a transmission with 48k and was replaced under warranty. Not another dime spent on it. The Van was sold with 48k and I had to replace the radiator due to a cooling issue and the rear air had to be repaired. Overall, not bad... Just like Toyota better.

 

I am still the owner of a 2006 GMC Canyon with the I5 engine. Right after my warranty went out at 100,000 miles, I began to experience rough idling and finally NO idle. For about 6 months, I drove that piece around by having a foot on the brake AND gas pedal when I was pulled up to a stop sign or red light. Soon, the cylinder head issue reared its ugly head and I was forced to either scrap the truck, or install another engine; which by the way, I finally did. I don't know how or why GM got away without a ton of Lemon Laws at their headquarter doorstep. I have since driven the Canyon about 75,000 more miles with more issues popping-up on a weekly / monthly basis. During the span of nine years I have replaced every bulb in that truck thirty times over. I have installed a power window motor and regulator on the front passenger side. I have replaced the drivers side switches for the power windows and door locks. I have had to install twice, the blower motor resistor and finally the entire blower motor harness. The truck has for the last 5 years, thrown check engine codes varying from thermostat / coolant temperature sending unit to low catalyst and a few other erroneous engine lights. For some reason, I now have a pool of water under the drivers side floor mat, so I am suspecting a windshield seal leak or some leak deep in the confines of the crew cab. I now drive this truck on an average, 20 miles a day and about 320 miles a month.

I've owned three Toyota trucks so far in my life:

A 1983 SR5 4WD S/B with the 22R engine and a 1987 SR5 4WD E/C with the 22R-E engine and my current 2014 DC PreRunner SR5 V6.

The '83 and '87 trucks never saw the dealership shop or any repair shop in their existence. So far, I am very happy with my '14 Taco and even though many folks agree that Toyotas are not "trouble-free", they are a long ways off from the troubles that the new owners of Chevy and GM are beginning to gripe about. I've owned mostly GM and Toyota products, and the Toyotas were and are more enjoyable vehicles.

 

Kaizen is not working, apparently. I have heard from people working at Toyota U.S. that things are totally dysfunctional there now.

 

pardon my ignorance, but, que?

 

151k miles and going strong. Drives like brand new.

 

I think the GM to Toyota quality comparison is very simple. So far there have been zero 3G Tacoma issues reported compared to hundreds of 2015 Colorado issues.

 

There has officially been only one recall on the GM twins. There have been an above average number QA or manufacturing issues. Are they getting better? Not sure yet, but I keep watching the forums and news.

I really want GM to get their shit straight with their quality issues. I think that when the Colorado and Canyon are viable competition, Toyota makes an even better Tacoma. I want a price war to start and drive down the over-inflated prices of these mid-sized trucks, similar to what has happened on the FS trucks (at least in Texas - there's a glut).

I just don't know if we're going to get it.

 

If you look at what fully loaded mid size cars are going for these days, you won't think the Tacoma is that over-inflated in price. Also, a fully loaded Subaru Outback will set you back about the exact same amount as a fully loaded TRD Tacoma.

Anyone who says you can get a full size truck for the same price is kidding themselves. A comparable full size from the same company who makes a mid size, will be about 10k more. Unless they're comparing a fully loaded mid size to a bare bones stock full size.

 

Subarus down here cost a lot less than I've seen them in snow states. Demand isn't there. They tried to sell some in Abilene - no one bit, and they left.

I oughta just go to used car lots, snatch up a bunch of 3-4 year old 4x4s, and sell them up north.

 

True but the Big 3 (Dodge, Ford and GM) had some year end rebates that would make someone considering a Tacoma or Frontier reconsider and get a fullsize for similar price, 34k OTD for my brand new 2014 Sierra Doublecab Z71 4WD with allstar package (dual auto climate control, touchscreen Bluetooth, tow, 18'' wheels, etc.) My 2015 Tacoma Doublecab TRD Sport with less tech but loaded cost the same.

 

Yup, this is where I'm at. I'm looking to get a new truck in about a year or so. There are some great compact trucks available now, but for the same money (and not much worse MPG) I can get so much "more" truck when you factor in those rebates. Of course "more" is a relative term, and bigger isn't always better. But unless the smaller size of a compact is a real selling point for you, it's easy to look at those bigger trucks and think...hmm...

 

My Sierra got 21 in the city and 25-26 on the highway from a v8. It rode like a Cadillac and had anything anyone could want. I just missed my taco too much and switched back. And both cost the same new.

 

Yup. I had an '08 Outback 3.0R with every option available. MSRP new would have been 34k, which is about dead on to what my '11 TRD Sport 4x4 would cost new.

Many people here have an Outback and a Tacoma in their driveway. They may well be the two most popular vehicles, and for good reason.

 

Did you trade a vehicle in for that 2014 Sierra, or pay cash? I was looking at Silverado's in 2013 myself, paying cash without a trade in, and couldn't find anything close to that price with a Z71 package around here even after rebates, everything I looked at was around low to mid 40s after rebates and everything.

 

No trade, financed through GM Financial, I can show you the sales contract if you'd like. Had 2 friends buy Silverados in the same month, on base is a sea of new Silv/Sierras now. It was truck month in October 10k in rebates.

 

I believe you, and that sounds like a great deal on the Sierra. But how much interest will you pay GM in the end of the loan if you pay it off fully? I was paying cash with no loan or trade when I was looking, so less likely to get a deal on the truck because they're not making money anywhere else.

I could have gotten 10k in rebates on a F150, but to get one with the FX4 package how I wanted it would have still been near mid 40s after the 10k rebate. Then to get 1/3 or half of the 10k rebate, they said I would have to finance a minimum amount through Ford at some astronomically high interest rate and make like 3 payments minimum! My Ford salesman said I can just finance to get the rebate, then finance through something else or pay it off after the first few payments. I really thought that was deceptive and would prefer a smaller rebate without being sucked into their financing program, and have to deal with getting out of it right away.

 

From 1974 when I started driving to 1985, I was a Mopar guy. A couple of Dodges. Not bad cars, a couple of issues, but they were OK. In 1985 I bought a Chevy and was all Chevrolet until 2013. I went with Chevy because they had a car I liked, my neighbor was my salesman, my friend was a mechanic at the local dealer, and the local dealer was 5 minutes from my house. I had no complaints with any of my Chevy's other than a couple of minor things under warranty and between my wife, son and I we had 8 of them in that time frame. After my dealer closed (got the rug pulled out from under him by GM after 50 years) and we moved south, I now have a '13 Hyundai Santa Fe and my Tacoma. so far, no complaints on either. Quality is good on both. We'll see how the reliability goes after some miles and time. I guess the moral of the story is you can get a lemon no matter what you buy. Just have to do your research and hope for the best.

 

My rate was 3.9% for 72 months no money down. From what the dealer told me GM gives them the rebate money, so the dealer still makes a profit since basically they are selling the truck at MSRP in the end. Not familiar with Ford, my dad ended up refinancing his Raptor 3 months after he purchased it since ford gave him some crappy rate with no deal being it was a Raptor and he has near perfect credit.