What truck did you come from and how does the Tacoma compare - Not bashing

I didn't come from another truck to my tacoma. I'm still driving both

 

I came from a 2017 Ram 1500 Big Horn with the 5.7L Hemi. I LOVED my Ram, but I didnt need the power or size. I used it to pull a food trailer that I sold. It was a BEAST, I had a lot of upgrades: Full exhaust, K&N Ram air intake, 2/4" drop, leather, navigation, parking sensors, back-up camera, Power fold mirrors, auto-dimming mirrors, LED bed lights, 22" OEM SRT-10 wheels, billet grille, touchscreen, & blackout emblems. But, at the end of the day, I didnt need that much truck; not to mention i drove to work & back over 60 miles a day, with 89 octane & 27 gallon tank, it wasnt quite the gas saver my Tacoma is. On the other side, I feel the Tacoma resale value is WAAAY better, but it does lack in some options my Ram offered for a similar price. But I love my Tacoma & it drives so smooth.

 

Traded in a 03 Suburban and 06 CRV

The Suburban was a POS. I really liked the CRV. Great size, fuel economy, utility etc. But I was planning on moving, wanted to consolidate to one vehicle. So the Taco meets in the middle of those two, plus I've always wanted one and finally pulled the trigger and is my first new vehicle.

 

First I had a 1982 Toyota 4WD pickup, then a 1995 Chev S10 2WD pickup, then a 2000 Dodge Dakota 4WD, and now my 2018 Taco.

 

I miss my old 2001. It was a beast!

 

My last truck was a '98 Ranger that I ordered new. It lasted me 20 years. It was truly an awesome truck. The reason I am ordering a new Tacoma is in the hope that the Tacoma will live up to that Ranger. From what I have read, I think it will.

 

02 ranger. What a piece of crap. I had a 95 Mazba b2300 2wd (ranger) before that which was great. But the 02 ranger 4.0 4x4 was a turd.

Stepping into the tacoma was like being born, a whole other world. How nice

 

Came from an '87 that I built with a SAS, 5.29s, TrueTracs F&R, 57" Ford rear springs

Then sold it for something more civilized, a 1985 SR5 4Runner:


I kept the 4Runner and bought my Tacoma. 2018 TRD Off Road 6MT:


My impressions?

- The Tacoma has more power
- The 6 speed is damn nice
- The A/C works better
- It rides nice
- It's somewhat simple compared to other new trucks

and....
- The clutch feels like im using someone elses leg to operate it. Total vagueness
- It gets shit mileage for the measly torque output at normal rev ranges
- The engine tuning feels like I'm driving the truck pushing the gas with a fucking stick
- The rear locking diff is a cruel joke to only work in 4Lo
- The configuration on these trucks makes ZERO sense. You can't get a basic model with a manual and 4WD. Or even an access cab with a manual in a TRD OR? And no 4cyl manual? W.T.F.


In summary, the Tacoma won't likely be half the truck the old ones were. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not overly impressed, and especially for the money the damn thing costs. They managed to make a cool truck with a manual transmission on paper, and then made it miserable to drive. I'm gonna tinker on it some and see how it goes. I ain't sold on this thing just yet.

 

If you want to improve the clutch feel, this thread is for you. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mt-accumulator-delete-mod-adm-and-bs-thread.568303/

There is a guy in there that is making premade kits for pretty cheap.

 

I took a trip to the mountains with my wife and two dogs. The road I took wasn't bad but there were a couple of spots where I bottomed out. The ground clearance on the Ridgeline is horrible. That trip got me thinking that Ridgeline was not the right fit for my needs. I should have thought of that before I bought it but I got sold. I especially was sold on all the positive reviews online about the new redesigned Ridgeline. The Ridgeline is super smooth and quiet on the road, drives like a car for sure. There is a significant difference on how it drives vs the 3rd Gen Tacoma. I'll be honest I like how my Tacoma drives, especially after the new suspension lift and bigger wheels & tires. It drives like how a truck should, in my opinion. Keeping that black clean was a major pain point for me also. I'm very happy I have the Silver Sky now.

 

I came from a similar truck to you a 2006 GMC Regular Cab Short Bed Z71 3.73 5.3L it was in mint condition when I sold it, no rust or marks on the body etc.

Driving Experience: Powertrain control / management is garbage on the Tacoma compared to the GM. Transmission hunting etc. as is talked about ad nauseum in these forums. I just hope the transmission lasts, it shifts (up / down everywhere) probably 5 to 10 times as much as the GM did per mile and shifting is what generates heat and kills a transmission. It is also impossible to gently accelerate from a low speed role in the Tacoma, the transmission down shifts and the truck takes off like a shot. The Tacoma is slightly noisier than the GM at all speeds. Handling is slightly worse on the Tacoma but I think that is tire related in my case. Braking is slightly better on the Tacoma, likely due to the reduced weight. Ergonomics are equal. Visibility is equal. I do not like the Tacoma cruise control intervening on downhill over speeds in an attempt to control the over speed by downshifting. The GM would free wheel which I preferred. I do not like the parallel parking / backing into my garage surging in the Tacoma, partly due to the power steering loading the engine and the PCM trying to compensate. My GM was rock steady at low speeds, AC on, wheels being turned it didn't matter. Again I'll put this under the powertrain management is garbage category.

Gas Mileage: Tacoma is excellent, 50% better than my GM in all areas (city or highway). This is the #1 reason I went with the Tacoma and it has proven to be excellent. I am very happy about this.

Interior: The Tacoma is 10 years newer so it is better tech-wise (USB, instrumentation, etc.). Both trucks get poor marks on noisy plastic / rattles and buzz noises. Comfort is the same. I think there is more storage / cubbys with the Tacoma. Sound system is better in the Tacoma. Overall I am pleased with the Tacoma interior. I prefer the Tacoma hand e-brake to the GM foot e-brake. Although I do not like the cruise control logic I do like the cruise control fucnction better in the Tacoma. They have a tap off. In the GM I had to tap the brake pedal which I hated to do or power off thus losing the resume speed. I love the Tacoma fixed floor mats, that is a plus. I like the Tacoma having the headlight / fog light control on a stalk better than the GM dashboard controls.

Offroad: NA

Misc: I like the tailgate on the Tacoma better (soft open and better latch system). Maintenance is equal so far, spark plugs are miserable in both vehicles, engine oil change is simple on both. I don't mind the oil filter cartridge in the Tacoma, same as old GM's (60's) I have owned, we have come full circle on that. Paint quality seems the same so far (very good in both cases), light scratches are easily polished out in either vehicle. The Tacoma heater is really good, it is hot and the system blows heat much faster than my GM did. I don't know if they have an aux. electric coil on the HVAC or the engine warms up quicker but I like it. Dealer experience pre and post sales were terrible for Toyota and GM so equal there. Night time lighting is equal. Recalls are even score right now one for the GM and one for the Toyota. Warranty issues the GM scored better (zero issues and warranty trips to the dealer in ten years) so far 2 issues on the Toyota (but required 8 trips). Toyota has fixed everything but still... the GM was better. Post warranty remains to be seen. The GM had a few repairs (starter, axle seals, oil sending unit), time will tell on the Toyota... so far zero but it is only 2 years old.

Overall I am happy with the truck except for the powertrain controls.

 

That 87 tho....

 

I had your Doc Brown qoute stenciled on the passenger fender! No shit!

 

Hey all,coming from a 98 T100 ex cab 4WD SR5 auto.Had just under 300k on that truck.Wish I would have kept it for a ranch/dump hauler but got rid of it cheap.Had it’s share of problems and didn’t want to address.I owned it 10+years and it was a very good truck.I commute a lot so My 16 OR is very comfortable And also super reliable.68k trouble free miles later and no regrets on my 3rd gen.Such a huge price difference though,got my 98 T100 for under $10k and drove it 220k miles over 10 yrs.3rd gens are expensive but compared to other trucks out there they are a good deal! people don’t seem to have a problem spending $50k + for new trucks these days.Off Road my OR is really nice and can handle much more than the T100 Thanks to all the new upgrades.Mostly the rear locker cause I don’t use the Crawl Control much.Ill try and post up pics of both Trucks!

 

Didn't even come from a truck, came from a Subaru Outback which was a great overall daily and city car. Having significantly improved offroad capability and space is awesome. Miss the good fuel economy and ease of parking, but overall really happy.

 

2012 1/2 ton Silverado

Only problem it ever had was a faulty sensor that was covered by the warranty.
Other than that, There’s never been any other problems with it. It’s been a really good truck.
Still own it. The boy drives it. It’s about to turn 100k miles.
Gets about the same MPG as the Tacoma, but has a lot more power. Just not as fun to drive.

 

I came from my trusty '07 workhorse FJ. FJ had about ~200k miles on it and I was the original owner for 11 years. In all those years and miles I replaced: Tires X2. Brake pads X2. Alternator X1. Spark plugs X2. Battery X1 (maybe X2?). So all in, I only fixed 1 broken thing, the alternator. Everything else was maintenance or consumables.

That's. Toyota. Reliability. Or at least if was for me, and that's what brings us back.

After 200k miles, you pretty much know your vehicle to the inch and 1/2 mph. It was very drivable around town. It was reasonably comfortable on the highway even if it did make a bit of noise (air profile of a brick of course). It would pull 5k around town no problem, but you did have to pay attention when on the highway because getting from 50mph to 75mph took a lot of skinny pedal and white stripes to get there. I really miss the back cargo space; we kept the seats down and 5 dogs in the back was no problem. Height was easy too, just pull open the door and they all just ran right up. I really liked the manual transfer case. That thing would pretty much go where you pointed it (for a stock vehicle of course).

Honestly, if I hadn't been so fixated on getting a weekend 2-door, I'd probably still be in the FJ and Macan. But I couldn't have the FJ and 2-door since we take my vehicle everywhere. 2-door just isn't that much fun for her, and the FJ wasn't quite the vehicle to take on the town for a nice evening and show. It's a good thing I didn't have a 4-car garage, else I might have argued myself into keeping it.

So...traded the FJ for the Taco in preparation for trading the Macan for the right Cayman when it came along. I miss both the Macan and the FJ, but enjoy the pair I have now more. But back to the FJ vs. Taco. If it were just me, and I had a separate 'nice' vehicle, I'd be hard pressed to trade a one owner FJ for a Taco.

And the side story... Macan vs. Cayman? It's closer than I thought. The Macan was a great commuter, really great commuter and daily driver. Over 3.5 years, I ended up paying about $475/month. I got about 64% back when I traded it in. That's cheaper than leasing. I drive the Cayman GTS with a manual when I get the itch. Sometimes 3 times a week. Sometimes every other week. It's nice knowing I can walk out to the garage and roll the cover off of it and go listen to some hardcore flat six soundtrack.

 

2007 Nissan Frontier

Something went wrong around the 70K mile mark, can't remember what. The dealership wanted $2,000 to fix it. Luckily my extended warranty covered it. Something else was also going wrong with the front-end before I traded it in.

I was really happy with it otherwise. I thought it was more comfortable to sit in. Had I not discovered the ECT button on the Taco, I'd prefer the way it accelerated too. It's just so out-dated. Overall I love my Tacoma more, but the Frontier was perfect for my needs. Not a bad little truck for a daily driver.

I paid off the Frontier. Went to the BMW dealership with some buddies one day to test drive cars for fun... you know the rest... Literally a week after trading it in I regretted that decision. The BMW was fun to drive but gave me nothing but problems. After 2 years I swapped that for my Taco.

 

Came from a 2000 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD 4x4 and 1999 Jeep TJ.

Tacoma blows doors on both. Sure, the 2500 could and did tow a 5th Wheel to Yellowstone and Alaska, but the damn thing never worked right... lights continuously flashing at me, ABS computer didn’t work, brake sensors failing which required the replacement of the entire hub, the dreaded fuel gauge didn’t work half the time and the fuel pumps kept going out requiring the bed to be removed to change it. The damn TJ rode like garbage. My ole’ Broncos rode better with the bad bushings, bad springs, and rotten steering boxes. Ever experienced death wobble?

The Tacoma in comparison has been the best damn thing in my book since they started slicing bread and putting it in a bag. She’s like the ole song: faster cars, younger women, older whisky and more money. Sure, the Tacoma ain’t no BMW, but I didn’t expect a BMW. And she ain’t no Hemi —but I didn’t expect a Hemi from Toyota. What I expected and what I got was sumptin younger, sumptin a little more elegant, a little smaller, a little more sporty, and hopefully a little more reliable and dependable. Then again, my expectations might be lower than the gender disfophic, tampax ridden, you owe me, gas mileage of a Prius, what do you mean I don’t start at 100k a year and where’s the blue water and white buildings Snapchat and Instagram crowd?

And yea, I might be old, onery, and mean...

 

I traded 16 F150 FX4 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost with every option. Basically a Platinum without massage seats. It had it’s share of issues; oil leak which took 2 visits to fix, leaf spring noise TSB which also took 2 visits, sunroof creak TSB, lug nuts deformed and had to replace, and tire pressure sensor. Everything was fixed under warranty and I had 28,000 miles. Even with the issues I would buy another.

Truck was extremely fast. I traded 2015 Mustang GT Performance Pack for the F150. Before that I had a 13 and 14 Rubicon. Long ago I did have a 05 TRD Off Road that had to have all the cab mounts replaced. The F150 had tons of room and was great on long trips and will miss that aspect.

It sucked parking downtown where I work. Off-road it rode extremely rough although it got through everything. Because it was so wide it couldn’t go where a Jeep or Tacoma can without scratching or damaging.

For an everyday driver I’m loving my Pro. It eats up rough pavement with no rattles. I can fly over dips in the road where the Ford would almost go airborne. I haven’t done much Off road yet. I’m also happy with the engine. It pulls hard from like 3300 to redline. I have no issues with transmission. It settled down after 1000 miles.

The reason I got the Pro was we bought a leftover 18 SR5 for my son and after a week I kept wanting to take it instead of the F150.

It probably comes down to the Tacoma being a compromise between a fullsize and a Jeep.

Overall the Tacoma to me has a solid feel. I like the heavier hydraulic steering versus the numb electric steering found in most, not all, newer vehicles. I appreciate the coilover front suspension with upper A arms compared to everyone else’s McPherson strut setup. I grow up racing cars so notice bump steer, camber, and caster up front. With that said it does drive like a truck but in a good way and for some reason I like it more than I ever would have imagined.