Two Days and 170 Miles With My New Taco - Impressions

No complaints, first of all. I did a lot of research, saw less than flattering reviews of the Taco in recent months, read extensively through this forum and knew what I was getting.... Exactly what I wanted!

I picked it up Wednesday morning in Elizabeth City, NC and drove it home to southern Virginia Beach (Pungo). Took it to work (20 mile round trip) twice, counting this morning.

2023 SR5 Double Cab 4x4 V6 AT in Magnetic Gray Metallic. Tech package, puddle lights (very cool), some Apple Cords, all weather mats and I sprung for the OEM bed mat while at the dealer (very thick-very nice).

The truck is AMAZINGLY and SHOCKINGLY quiet going down the road. Nothing like I expected. Yes, it likes to shift a lot. But there's an immediate sense of why it's doing that and it deals with economy. I don't find it annoying because it's very smooth in transitions. Right now I'm getting 24.5 mpg and I normally experience mpg much higher on any car than the Monroney stickers indicate because of my driving style and the fact that my commute to work is 45mph zones with very little traffic and only a few stoplights. I'll manually calculate mileage when I fill up and I suspect it's more like 23mpg. Computers in all vehicles tend to be on the optimistic side in my experience.

I love the color and the design/color of the stock SR5 rims. In gray, they are a great match.

I also (like many people on this forum) love this truck because it IS OLD SCHOOL in many ways. No turbo BS, no fancy shit for the most part, drum brakes (yes, I'm a fan), and a plain old 6 speed automatic transmission. No, it's not a rocket, but I don't drive like that anyway, plus it's in break-in right now. It has plenty of pull to get moving and it's SMOOTH and quiet.

VERY PLEASED at this point. I have a tonneau cover, step bars and some seat covers coming over the next few days and will put those on. Beyond that, I don't mod much and I never go off-roading. I plan on doing the first oil change around 1,500-2,000 miles because I'm OCD like that and then every 5,000 or six months.

***Edit.... I may plasti-dip the emblems or buy the blackout kit because I like that look.

***Ok, another edit.... I knew about seating positions being strange and I have adjusted the driver's seat so it's comfortable for me. The weird part is getting in and out of the truck. I'm 6' and have the seat at its lowest position, so I'm not crouching or bumping my head getting in. The weird part seems to be how close the bottom of the steering wheel is to the top of the front edge of the front seat. My legs rub against the bottom of the steering wheel while I'm getting in. Need to work this out a bit.

 

Yeah I'm 6 foot 5 and have the same..
Still enough leg room...Something you just got to get used to...It's not a full size rig like my 05 4 door duramax..I've had mine for 6 days now..Ordered a 3 inch lift...Next set of tires I'll go up a size...Yeah loving my 3rd generation taco

 

Same thing here with the knee bump getting in and out. I’m 6’2” and even though my Tacoma is an SR with only a manual seat, I find I have plenty of leg room.
After 25+ years in a Superduty, the Tacoma does take a little getting used to.

 

I'm 5' 10'' and found getting in the gen3 tacoma somewhat tight vs my old tundra, otherwise its a better truck for my needs.

 

Congrats on your purchase! I really like that color and setup. My first toyota truck was the same color back in 92. Personally, I think for the price....I really like the style and functionality. Most of all I just really enjoy driving it. Mine is heavily modded, but that's because I got the bug when I got my first FJ Cruiser. You don't need to do anything to yours and it will still be awesome!

 

Nice. Post the pic in the MGM thread!

 

Congrats on the new truck.

I agree with all of your statements. Recently got back into a Tacoma last week, celestial silver, SBDC Sport. Im 5’11” same deal rubbing the wheel, in and out.

Love the Tacoma for it being a Tacoma. It will not do sone things better than my old F250, but it is much better than the old truck in many ways.

 

Thank you! I'm going to get some better pictures this weekend after I wash her. It's coated in yellow pollen right now to the point you'd believe Toyota just came out with bumblebee yellow or something as a paint color.

 

Same with the knee bump. I also bump my head sometimes on the way in. I'm only 6'1.

 

If you did not know, the steering colunm is adjustable.

 

Yep adjustable to a cool 12mm of telescopic action.

 

Yup, telescoping and height. I could avoid the knee thing if I flipped the wheel up when I got out and down when I got in, but that's even more of a pain. First world problems, you know!

 

I think the reason that you find yourself “very pleased” at this point is because it’s a great truck. Now do yourself a favour and close your Tacomaworld account and don’t come back. That should ensure future satisfaction.

 

Well, it might help some people.

 

Congrats on the new truck. I'm 5'8" and have to work on not bumping the steering wheel while climbing in. I've had 1/2 tons my for years and the smaller cab takes getting used to.

Puddle lights?

 

Light up the area underneath the truck under the doors. For whatever is worth seeing there in low light.

 

Congrats on your new truck, it looks great! I got mine back in September, first Toyota truck and I really like it. 6 foot here, and same with steering wheel, but not a big deal. That is probably my only negative on the interior is that I wish it had some more extension to the telescope on wheel. Drives and shifts so smooth, and for a truck, handles real well. I always had full size trucks, and I drive a Freightliner every day for work, so I really enjoy the sporty size of the Tacoma. Plus the Tacoma is pretty well thought out for usefulness as a truck. It isn't perfect, but as the old song goes"it's close enough to perfect for me" Hope you have many enjoyable miles in your new ride!

 

I find it a little rough around the edges. But then I took it on roads that would kill road vehicles and the truck made up for my ineptitude. Sometimes you need to go beyond pavement.

 

Congrats, it's a beaut! I agree about the stock rims and truck colour and think they look great! I'm (impatiently) waiting for the exact same truck as yours. The dealer sends me weekly ETA updates on its arrival and it's slipped a week to first week of May. So for now, I'll revisit this thread and admire what's coming my way.

 

Congrats- I like the choice on color, package and options b/c it’s everything you need and nothing you don’t. Sad to say but if you throw some extra packages on a Tacoma these days you could quickly be staring at 50 large.

Early on, try to drive as you normally would; Sounds like odd advice but the tranny will attempt to “learn” your typical habits and adjust its shift points accordingly. When it works, it’s smooth, but sometimes it feels like it’s arguing with you and, as you’ve probably already seen, can be a source of agitation for some. Great share and good luck!