Upgrade Gen 2 to a Gen 3

Do you honestly believe that different vehicles tested on different days in different conditions with different drivers in possibly different locations are going to be more consistent than side by side testing?

And while TFL is not as prestigious as C&D, do you think that they would "hack edit" a video to purposely sand bag the 3rd gen?

They get paid by views just like C&D gets paid by selling magazines.

If you start deliberately skewing results, viewers and subscriptions leave.

I would say that the posted video was a "typical" scenario of day to day driving, the main point being that BOTH trucks were under the EXACT same conditions, and if anything a better driver would have widened the lead of the 2nd gen since he was napping at the start.

I have zero doubt that the 3rd gen would have caught and passed the 2nd gen if space were available to let it wind out, but normal driving doesn't see you keeping the accelerator floored for that long without either a fast driver award or a visit to the local constabulary hang out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bagging on the 3rd gen. It's a MUCH nicer truck than the 2nd gen with an interior that is light years better and I personally find it to be a better looking truck (though the front seems bulbous from certain angles).

I just wish the 3rd gen had more power where it is readily accessible instead of having to wind it out so much.

I would like to see a side by side test of manual transmission trucks.

The 3rd gen would likely be fastest there since you could rev it and keep it in its sweet spot. The 6 speed auto really neuters the 3.5 off the line.

 

I test drove a few of each generation, went with the 3rd gen hands-down... zero regrets.

 

Definitely take the test drive. I bought my 2009 without a test drive and have no regrets and almost upgraded to a 3rd gen. Then some folks here urged me to test the 3rd re: engine and tranny. I took their advice and I am so glad I did. I can't live with the bizarro trans behavior but there are plenty of folks that don't mind it. This is a serious case of YMMV. So I am waiting to see what drops in 2018 but good chance my replacement will not be a Tacoma, unless Mr. T surprises me and fixes the Tacoma drivetrain.

Here is the car and Driver road test. This I believe is from 2016 and Toyota has implemented a couple of tranmission TSBs since then. But the trans in 2017 I drove a month ago behave *exactly* as described in this test.

http://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/tacoma

 

I would hold onto your 2015 for a couple more years and see how the 3rd gen problems iron out. There are enough threads about the same issues over and over on here to sway me away from a 3rd gen until then. That's just this forum too. I'm sure there are plenty more people who aren't on this forum that got out of their 16' or 17' for the same reasons mentioned in the 3rd gen section. You've said it yourself, people are trading in their 16s and 17s for other vehicles. People are even trading in 16's for 17's in hope of riding the issue.
I just know I'd hate if I traded in my 2015 for a 3rd gen just to get plagued, like others here have, with reoccurring issues. Toyota will make plenty more 3rd gens, but once you trade in that 2015 that you love, it's gone, and Toyota isn't making any more.