Tacoma - Fun to Drive?

Don't really understand your thread but I'd avoid the 2nd gen manual trans like radioactive waste, weak clutch weak trans / gear ratio is shit, & as far as the highlighted statement above....pssshtt, your a mere child age wise & ken block has nothing on me....

 

I traded in my stage 2 '11 WRX for my Tacoma. Absolutely miss that car, fast, agile, great in the snow. Tons of power for a DD. But I am in the process of selling my jeep, and needed something with ground clearance. Got sick of having to dodge every little thing and cracking the low bumper on frost heaves. If I could have both, I would. The Tacoma just can't match what I am used to for fun. Maybe the supercharger would help, but for the cost to only gain like 60 hp that's kind of disappointing as well. Bottom line, it's really what you are used to. Coming from my JK, the Tacoma is fun to drive.

 

Another former WRX driver! You know what I miss the most? Making a right on red in the rain. Zero drama 100% of the time. With the 6speed, I have to gently get rolling in 1st, shift at 2k rpm and then gun it, all while hoping my slow ass doesn't get hit from behind by oncoming traffic. I really wish Toyota had given us the same set up as the FJ -- manual trans FJs got full time 4WD and auto got part time.

I wouldn't recommend buying a tacoma for the "fun to drive factor," but it is more engaging and raw, especially with manual trans, than some other trucks.

 

Depends on how you define "fun". My Tacoma is always fun.

 

Wait, what? Is this a thing? Are all manual trans equipped FJs full time 4x4??

 

When my dad bought his in 2007 (don't know for sure about the other MYs) that was the case. Manual got full time 4WD and auto was part time 4WD.

 

100k and 0 issues for me on the first model year which is probably the most likely to have issues. People always harp on about how unreliable the 6 speed is and I've only ever seen people have an issue with the TOB. The reverse gear is high and the 6th gear isn't high enough but that's my only complaint.

I don't have an issue drifting around in the snow/rain. Do the 2005's not have TCS/other electronic nanny systems?


As for the fun to drive it's not that great on the street. It is fun as hell though off road.


Imo it's a trade off. You can have a car that would be wicked fun on the street but can't offroad or a truck which will be fun off road but mediocre on the street. I sometimes think about trading my truck in for a car so I can use it for it's intended purpose much more but then I have nightmares about trading my truck in for an M3 or something haha.

 

The TOB issue is a design flaw. It made me lose faith in the supposedly indestructible character of the truck. Haven't had any issues since the TSB, but it does make me wonder what else is going to fail due to a serious design oversight.

As for spinning, when you're used to having AWD, any wheel spin or traction control interference feels like shit. That's just my opinion though, and I am aware that wheel spin can be avoided with proper clutch/throttle action.

I chose the Tacoma because I was tired of worrying about steep parking lot entrances or curbing my wheels. With the taco I don't have to worry about a thing (except wheel spin lol).

 

Like iron, I too used to drive a Honda Fit Sport and really enjoyed it. But I'm over 50 (heck, I may even be over 60) and since I put a lot of miles on it, with that taut suspension and 50 series tires, it just beat me to death. Wound up trading it in when I bought me wife a new Camry Hybrid, which meant that I took over the old Camry Hybrid. It was a much nicer, albeit boring car, but not nearly as much fun. I've been lusting after Tacomas for the past 3 or 4 years and I finally pulled the trigger last September. Every time I see it, it brings a smile to my face. Rides pretty good, pretty nimble in its own way. I look for places to go so I can drive it. I've put 8500 miles on it in 5 1/2 months.

 

To be fair your going from an AWD pretty hardcore sports car to a truck. The gearing is vastly different because it has different goals.

Truck wants to be low geared when hauling to get the load moving without raping the clutch and for crawling ability off road. Weight distribution is huge also.

The taco seems to handle it a hell of a lot better than my ranger did but that's not saying much lol. I can make the right hand turn onto the free way easily in my Taco in the Ranger I could not give it any gas at all turning right or it would just spin like crazy even with new tires.

 

Look at the Raptor or the Chevy Reaper!

 

The reason I mention avoiding the manual is only because of what I've seen for myself & a couple local members have had clutches drop out on them already with less than 50k & no they don't drive like 16 year olds with their first beer buzz either..haha.. Actually pretty conservative, one member has gotten an attorney & is pursuing the CA lemon law seeing how he's looking at having to get yet another clutch... From my own experience driving a members 6 speed, I was pretty dissapointed with the lack of low end crawling ability , meaning this.... Every 4x I've had that was manual trans. you could put it in low range,then into 1st gear ,get out of vehicle & basically walk along side it while it idled along, any 4x worth its salt , this shouldn't be a problem at all My Dodge Power Wagon did it (1972) My F250 Ford (also a 72') did it, my samurai did it & my 83' 'Yota sr5 crawled along at idle without stalling also, as far as the '05 Tacomas, pretty sure they had the motor mount issue

 

Wasn't the LUX clutches at fault for that? I thought I saw somewhere on here that the Aisin clutch worked well but the LUX made clutches were bad.

I'll have to find an empty parking lot and try the crawling thing. I made sure to triple check my engine mounts after I heard about that and they seem good no rust peeking out or anything in that area either.

 

Automatic sure would make the choices easier...my local dealer has a whole bunch of autos on the lot...including a silver/grey TRD doublecab 4x4 leftover that he'd love to sell me.

 

Yes, it's a fun truck. No, you won't be carving out any canyon roads in a tacoma, but it rallies.

Not sure what you mean - crawling up a grade, small obstacles, or in a parking lot? Was able to idle up some pretty steep grades today in Low/1st without really touching the clutch at all..

 

Most of the time I can engage the clutch slowly without touching the throttle pedal and it'll crawl around in 1st in 2wd. Especially on cold starts when the RPM are high. I doubt it would work on a hill though.

 

Stock, no fun at all. 'Yota failed to include a happy button. Unplug a wheel speed sensor to truly disable traction control, and pull ABS #2 and it gets more entertaining.

 

I never had a problem from my limited 4x4ing. I was on some really steep sections and in 4 low I never had to rev the engine at all to get it going and was super easy to crawl up the rocky sections.

 

Do the 2005's have TCS? I never had any problems at all kicking the ass out in the snow this year

 

Some do, some don't. Mine had all the widgets, but it is an anomaly. I purchased it in Germany, so it had all kinds of crap the stateside trucks didn't have. I've since disabled every last bit of it.