TW Scaring Me Out of Pulling Trigger on a Tacoma

Get the Tacoma, Only issue i have is i have a moonroof and I'm 6' 2" so i have only a couple of inches of head room but i fit just fine. only thing that i had to do maintenance wise is i changed the front brakes with 50% life on the old ones. bought new tires. and standard oil and tire rotation. pull the trigger man you wont regret it. And dont listen to these sissy lalas saying that the 3rd is shitty because it is not. there all picky asshats.

 

Ford superduty has that as an option.

 

Hey, OP,

Most of the user experience is going to be based on how you intend to use this truck. I got my OR DC 4x4 in August. I am getting close to 40 yeas of age and you'll find out in a second that I am a pretty boring person. If you would allow, here's a boring person's perspective. In my 20s I had wanted a 4Runner. Instead of getting one I stuck with sub 20k cars in hopes of one day finding myself in a 4Runner. Prior to purchasing the Tacoma, I started a couple of years ago researching about off roading and the 4Runner.

I found out that the 4Runner is a truck. That led me to learn more about the differences between a car and truck. With a truck, it is utility-centric. A car, on the other hand, (including most SUVs) is designed to be comfortable and handle well. That said, a lot of people go from a car to a Tacoma expecting the Tacoma to a car.

I also think what has happen with the Tacoma is that it has become a compromise between a truck and a car. When this happens, it becomes polarized. The truck people wont be happy about the car qualities. The car people wont be happy about the truck qualities.

For, me I am happy with my Tacoma because I am using it for its truck qualities. If someone needs a mid size truck for a bed, this is a great platform. I see a bunch of old homes that are in need of modernizing and thus see a market for more people in the trades. These used trucks (along with the Tundra) will get sucked up by trades people that need a reliable platform. This is where I think the resell value will hold.

I cant say that about my 4x4. I went new because it was not much more and I am assured that the truck wasnt beat up before it was sold to me.

Some points about this truck:
a. the transmission is a compromise between power and gas mileage. i live in CA and gas is price so i am good with this compromise.
like many of said, the power is there if you need it. it is just a little delayed. i am sure folks will mention OVTune as a way to improve performance. again, this is a truck. it is heavy and best to let it roll a little before slamming on the pedal; and leaving a little room in front to coast down instead of braking to slow down.

b. it seems like a lot of folks are not aware of the different portions people have. someone who is tall might be taller through their legs and when they sit the height is not a bother. also, i found that seats on cars 2016+ are uncomfortable because they designed them to mitigate whiplash. they push the head rest forward and it is very uncomfortable for me. i found a lumbar pillow has helped a lot!

the seat material is pretty sub par. i noticed it on my brother's 2nd gen. it pills. with less than 1000 miles on the ODO the seat started to pill. that's the truck feature for you ;D

c. i've seen on the forum that the leaking brake light issue is likely to be resolved by 2018. toyota has a different part number for the brake light now

d. i prefer the truck to have few electronic sensors. it's out of my control but i dont like having TSS, BSM, and parking sensors. they are more things to break and i dont care for them. i have bsm and parking assist turned off. TSS errors is something to look out for because it is new to Tacoma as of 2018

e. i wished the tail light has amber turn signals. i have been reared twice and it makes me nervous not to have ambers. it seems that amber is more noticeable. i have tried to find aftermarket replacements with amber but have yet to see them. i am looking to mod my tail lights now.

edit: would i get this truck again? depends on if i need the bed. if not, I'd likely get a 4Runner

 

Most of that is just griping about what we wanted from the new generation.
The truck is great and I think most people are happy overall.
The 3rd and 2nd have have different engine and trans so they drive different.

Some of the drawbacks make the Tacoma better off road...
Less cabin and leg room = better on tight trails and better ground clearance.
A 2-3" lift and good tires and you can go just about anywhere.

The truck is 90% the same as the 2nd gen but with small upgrade all over to make a littler better overall.
I would have one but my 2nd gen is paid off and only has 78K, but I'm getting ready for a new truck...

 

I was very hesitant to purchase the Taco. Between the smaller interior, the complaints on this website and the hate from the likes of Consumer Reports, I really was hesitant. At 1,100 miles so far I'm happy with the truck.

I'm 6'1" and I found the interior to be OK as far as ceiling height and visibility. My head hit the ceiling in the Taco with a sunroof so that was out, so if you're tall make sure you see how you fit. My wife is really short and doens't like that she can't raise the seat, but that doesn't bother me. I have two kids in the back. Fits them OK, but their feet do touch the seats which doesn't happen in a full size. But it's manageable.

Maybe my truck already had the latest software or whatever, but I think the transmission is fine and acceleration is good. It's an automatic... they all kinda suck compared to driving stick. If you really want maximum control just get a stick. But the automatic is fine, and quite versatile in that you can run it in D, D+ECT, S with restricted gears, S and selecting every gear like a manual w/o a clutch, and of course combining any of the S modes with ECT. Find what feels good for you and stick with it. Love driving in "manual" and holding revs... this truck really moves when you're up above 3k, 4k, 5k.

What else...... I like the interior.... and the radio! First, I have an SR5 and the interior has nice buttons and dials that are easy to reach and not fiddly. I can do everything with gloves on no problem which is great. My radio has physical buttons on the side instead of touch screen ones which I prefer. I think the plastics used for the dash and doors/consoles feel good and not overly plasticy or cheap. The tech is there, but it's not terribly intrusive. For instance I can easily turn off lane departure warning, and even when it's on it's just a tiny icon on the dash. Same with automatic cruise and auto high beams.... press of a button turns these features off and you don't have to fiddle with them. The steering wheel controls and menus make a lot of sense to me - it didn't take me long to understand how to use it all, and it's all very intuitive with the exception of the steering wheel volume buttons which should have been switched with the seek buttons.

Used the bed this weekend and it's good. I like the compartments on the sides... throw some rope in there, crappy yard gloves, stuff like that. And the metal tie downs and movable cleats are great. I was moving furniture this weekend and got the cleats in place, strap stuff down like you're tying up a boat, works great and I really like it. I also like that the bed is more accessible than my full size; I can actually reach stuff in the back without climbing on the tire.

Wish list? Wish I had heated seats for my ass. Wish there was a little more room in the back seats for the kids. Oh, and would it have killed them to put auto up/down windows on all 4 windows? Considering they throw them in a $20k HR-V it's kinda lame they left them out. But none of this stuff is deal-breaker material.

 

I was between a Tacoma and an f150.. msrp on a decently equipped f150 was easily in the 50s, anything in the 40s was similarly equipped to the tacoma. I got my truck for 37 with everything I wanted equipment wise.

I was driving an expedition when I got the Tacoma.. the 3.5 Ecoboost was great but if you think the Tacoma is shift happy, that 10 speed never stopped.. it also was a bit of a slug until the turbos spooled.

 

Love my Off-road, been many places but, OVTune made me love it more. It hauls balls, offroads like a BAMF and has things the 2nd gen doesn't. A little patience, research and smart thinking has made my truck my daily and I love getting great mpgs with so much power. If any 3rd gen guys are reading this, get the TSB 0062-18 or 0052-18 if you haven't yet. If you are OVTuned you know what I am talking about

 

Wouldn’t buy an 18 or 19 with the massive safety sense or whatever mounted on the front windshield. The Tacoma’s already have a weird blond spot issue and that thing takes up even more window space. Just my opinion!

 

Yeah but remember its not hard to negotiate $10k off MSRP on an F150.


Interesting perspective on the 10 speed. I have not yet test driven one but I want to.
I’m interested in testing out the new Eco Diesel.

 

I have a 2018 Sport, so I have a skewp and the monitor/camera, and its really not that bad.
Now, if it did help me spot blondes that would be great, I wouldn't care if they are weird.

 

Blond spotting is more of an issue for me in the Spring. You know, the first warm weather after a long cold winter... keep your eyes on the road!

I recently traded my ‘05 in on an ‘18. Both black DCLB TRD Sports. The ‘18 has a few more bells and whistles, needs the suspension and tires upgraded, I am super happy with it.

 

I traded in my 2015 for a 2018 and have no regrets. I had Katzkin leather seats installed and they're comfy as hell(to me and my passengers so far) I don't miss the kazoo sound my 2015 made on the freeway when it was windy. I noticed a slight difference in the transmission but not close enough for me to have a real opinion about it. My 2015 was a TRD Offroad where as my 2018 is a TRD Sport. I enjoyed the suspension of the Off Road a bit better, though I didn't test drive any 2018 Off Roads so I don't know how they compare. All in all, I love my 2018. Make sure you check the rear bumper though. The left side of mine sticks out further than the right(which seems to be common). Taking it to the dealership tomorrow.

 

I lost money as always. I let the camper shell, lift, wheels, tires and Prinsu go with it.
Didn’t have factory wheels and tires or suspension anymore. Didn’t want the cap laying in the yard for a year with 20 questions a day about it from online buyers just to let it go for $500.
Prinsu was through bolted so it lives there now...
I traded it for $24.5k and got the pro for 38k.
Had 56 or 58k miles on the 16 and Pro had 8k. They were asking $42k for the pro.

 

Sorry I’m not about to read all this but there is a thread that was recently posted (maybe a week or 2 lol) which did a break down on the gears (d, sport ect) Its a good read. I came from a 16 yr old sport trac so I knew going in it was going to feel different than what I got used to. So I just gave it time to get a feel before complaining and requesting TSB. As of now I don’t plan on going that route as I don’t feel it necessary… imo.

The only true issue I’ve had in 2 1/2 months 2k is a couple times the rear brakes/parking break engaged was seized kinda. Traced it to washing the truck and letting it sit for a period of time. Maybe seize is harsh because it was more of a jolt but still. Pandora was finicky to connect but this will be a non issue since it’s removed but I connect with bt since and no issues. I think the problem was the phone was still connected to the WiFi as leaving

I would suggest to tell the dealer to not wash the truck when they tell you they are going to get it ready. When I washed it within the first week I noticed scratches. And do a thorough walk through before you leave.

I would buy it again. Hell I bought the used sport trac because I couldn’t afford a used Tacoma at the time. That resale value was strong keeping it out of range for me

 

Just buy a damn Ridgeline. If you don't already know, you probably never will.

 

Yep. I bought a 17 ridgeline and liked it for about 5 days. Back to a tacoma.

 

Got a 18 TRD Sport 6spd and love it. Spent a lot of $ with new lift, exhaust, wheels and tires but I was looking at Raptors so in the end I saved $30K and got a truck that is fun to drive, very capable off road and practical enough as a daily driver. I'm only 5'10" so I fit in the truck just fine, even with a sunroof. I highly recommend the OVTune and free flowing exhaust as it really makes the engine come alive. This truck is a great platform and affordable enough to add upgrades and aftermarket parts. Love seeing the variety of customized tacos on the forum. This is my first Toyota so I will see if the dependability reputation holds true.

 

Its a worthless full throttle uphill test run by a couple guys on a You-Tube channel

 

You question the journalistic integrity of Mr. Truck??!!

 

Do you have a moon roof? This is my biggest concern.. but I'll hopefully be sitting in a Tacoma with a moon roof this week. I sat in a friend's Sport (no moon roof) a few weeks ago, and the head clearance seemed fine.. but I am looking to get a TRD Pro and if the moon roof is a no go, I'll have to find a 2018 model.