truck drives @1000rpm once get up to city driving speed ...is that normal?

How can I like this twice? Ok. I get the hate on some of us third geners...I see it now...

 

Honestly, I am sorry you're disappointed by how the truck drives. Nobody wants to own a vehicle that doesn't perform to their expectations. However, I believe your expectations for this midsize truck are not realistic. Toyota pickup trucks (Tundra excluded) have always been dogs when it comes to initial power. My old 1992 Toyota pickup was nothing for acceleration or torque, but it had the venerable 22RE 4 cyl., which is notorious for reliability. That thing went 230k miles until I sold it, stock transmission shifting smooth and engine still ticking. My current 2006 automatic is rapidly approaching 200k miles and is nothing down low in 5th gear and 1600 RPM with 33 inch tires going 55 down the road. But when I need it, I know my truck makes peak torque at 3200 RPM, and that 4th gear will get me there. What Toyota vehicles lack in power, they make up for in dependability to get job done.
I think your 2016 Tacoma is just another continuation of this line of dependability, also taking aim at better gas mileage. Therefore I don't think it is realistic to expect your small block V6 with the technology out of the Prius from Toyota to perform like a Chevy 454 big block stroker motor from Detroit.

Best of luck to you, the locking diff. is well worth it.

 

right on so your a 2nd gen owner ???? you dont even own a 3rd gen and your trying to argue about 3rd gen topics..... you must really know what your talking about..... the 2nd gen has a total differnt motor by the way not even a 6th gear. ive driven many 2nd gens. try driving your truck going 35 mph in 6TH gear which u dont even have and then come back and talk to me.. the 2nd gens from my experinace barely rest at 1k . ,more like 1200-1300rpm . big differance when in high gear and pushing on the gas looking for response .... i un ingnored you so lmk please tell me more about your non in exsist 3rd gen drives

 

i still really like a lot of things about the truck... def having some quality issues as in the all hood adhesive all seperated already after 1k miles and a few other rattles and whistles .. the transmission r-d delays and stuff already adressed in the new TSB dont even bother me that much. because im just doing slow movements anyway... i dont feel i have high expectations on my truck either i baby my stuff i feel i am a very defensive non aggressive driver... hense why the ect button is to way extreme for me .. but when this new auto constantly is doing erraticthings that dont make sense its fustrating. to do it all again i would have waited 4 months for a Manual trans. i still may trade in for a manual if i get my transmission fluid checked and new TSB and my issues stay the same.... from some of the peop[le i hear whith the same problems as me say they're truck is '' a completly new truck after the tsb. especially people whose trans fluid was low as well...... aloha seth

 

Just get the manual. Those of us with manuals never seem to complain about power/torque. I usually cruise around 2500 RPM, shift at maybe 3k. Push it 3-4k when I need to get up and go.

My combined mileage is 18.5 and my 30 mile highway commute in the morning gets me 20-21 mpg. I'm happy with the small sacrifice in mpg.

 

Mine runs around 1500 rpms at 55mph

 

I'm wondering if some of us are experience different things with our transmissions. I agree completely with the OP on the lack of throttle response at slower speeds. Seems like others aren't quite understanding the severity of it. This makes me think it's not happening to them. Just this morning, I pulled out of my garage on the way to work, felt like I was starting off in 6th. The only way to get the truck moving would have been to stomp the peddle to the floor and that should not happen.

It's not about power or torque, the truck has plenty in ECT. It's something to do with the programing shift points or throttle response, etc. I don't think most of us complaining about this expect V8 performance. I do expect at least similar performance to my wife's 06 Highlander with a 3.3 Liter. I expect the truck to move like it's in the proper gear without me having to jack with it, it's an auto for goodness sakes.

I still love it, I just hope there's something that can be done.

 

what about driving city? when driving at resting speeds anywhere from 25-45 range?? see all my othe toyotas will mostly rest at lower speeds around 1200-1300+ rpms... mine will up shift where i would think it would rest from around 1200- 1300.... to barley rest at 1k... then when u need some responce the only way is to push gas harder tso it downshifts (sometimes 2 gears down) .... so then the truck screams when the power band kicks in.... but oh then.... then once again as soon as u let off the gas a bit... intantly it will go back up to overdrive and rest at 1k...... i drive non agressive, i am on the more defensive style driver... not having high expectations on this truck at all

 

If you want it to stay out of 6th gear and not drop to 1k rpms around town , put it in S5. If you want it to stay out of any of the OD gears around town use S4, that's why the truck gives you those options.

The TSB has lessened the climbing to 5th and 6th while in D so it holds 4th gear longer but it will still access the OD gears 5 and 6 for fuel economy, just not as aggressively as before having the TSB done.

As for acting like any of your other Toyotas, did they have a six speed transmission with two OD gears or just a 5 speed? They will drive differently as you're finding out. S5 effectively turns it into a 5 speed.

 

1000% agree. im dont have a crazy expectations on this truck... this non my first tacoma or toyota.. my family has ownde them all without a problem ever that wasent resolved . i have long history with toyota... thats why i made this post to really try find out if my truck is not normally driving..... i dont wanna have to sell this thing . i love so much about it. im really hoping that when i get my transmission fluid checked and the new transmission tsb... im one of those people who report that the truck drives completly differnt... fingers crossed

 

fully i agree with everything u say... my 2nd gen was a 5 speed so i do understand that i have 2 overdrive gears now...i almost always drive in s-4 or s-5.... and use ect some times too ....with the rpm/ mpg u speak of i toatlly agree. .....the only way im getting good gas milage with my truck is when im coasting at 1k and i dont need any power whatsoever, only coasting.... barely touching the gas. but when it starts up shifting and downshifting all the time just to wanna rest at 1k and im trying to drive in traffic and need a little reponse . when it downshift contantly im getting bad mpg with in in the confusion of changing gears all the time... i think its burning more gas then if it was just resting at a rpm where theres accually some responce without downshifting 1 or 2 gears.... like i said . im waiting to get the new trans tsb. i hiope it goes away after software update.

 

good to hear!!!

 

It will be less aggressive when going to the OD gears but it will still climb to them eventually in D if you lay off throttle. If you need it to respond when in OD gears the truck will still act the same way, sluggish to respond until it kicks downs a gear or two as you press the throttle unless you mash it.

So yes, your truck is driving like everyone else's but getting the TSB makes it less drastic.

 

thanks.... honestly even i little differance will go a long way for me i think...... its the quik back and forth,... back and forth gear switching contantly is whats killing me. there no way it can make sence for even mpg. if i just rested in a normal 1200-1300 rpm im willing to bet my truck would be getting better milage then always downshifting just to up shift again. for just a little bit of reponse

 

The Mpgs seem to be improving, I've got about 800 miles since the TSB reflash and my daily 20 mile commute each way has gone from 19.5 mpg to almost 22 mpg in the same traffic conditions. Just be advised right after the flash the truck will feel more responsive. As it relearns your driving habits the responsiveness tapers a bit but the climbing quickly to the OD gears have lessened in D for me.

Truck does seem to have more low end as it stays in the lower gears longer but it will not eliminate the sluggish response if you're already in a high gear like 5 or 6. The only way to stay out of them is to use S4 or S5.

Since the TSB I haven't experienced any worse performance but I'm still letting the truck relearn my driving style so I'm not using ECT or S mode for the first 1500 miles.

 

Stupid thing running at 1000rom

 

looks like its at 1100 rpm.....lolz.... 100-200 more rpm would be be perfect rest . i wouldnt mind if it did go to 1k to save some gas once once its realized im just coasting here and there ....but seems for my trucks ultimate goal is stay at 1k and it wants to get back there as fast as it can. even if i just floored it and it downshifted 2 gears... let of the gas for a split second... intantly will upshift right back to 1k... so it creates a up shift down shift up shift downshifting if i need any responce

 

Has the TSB been applied to your truck?

 

im waiting on my trans TSB from dealer..... my vin is one the trucks listed in tsb. fingers crossed for the love of this truck i hope its a improvment when i get it !!! staying positive

 

I think you'll be happy with the improvement, the shiftiness is reduced but understand the truck still will lug when it climbs to those higher OD gears. It's how it gets better mileage.