When will the Taco get a "Drive Mode Select" feature?!!

ok, I previously had a 2017 Taco TRD OR 2wd auto and loved most of it except I hated the constant shifting, the feeling of no power off the line and I had to rev the crap out of it to feel the power which only comes on at higher rpms (& NO that ECT button isn't a cure all)......don't get me wrong, I'm NOT bashing the 3rd gen at all....I'm actually thinking about getting a 2020 TRD OR 4wd MANUAL in the Cement color......but why can't the engineers at Toyota just update the current Taco with the "drive mode select" feature that's in some of the Lexus cars???.....

my 2015 RCF has it and in "Sport Plus" mode it's a real beast......granted it has 467hp but I can also "baby" it and keep it in Eco mode for better mpg or normal mode for regular city driving....it's a win, win, win for everyone!!…..some want more HP, some want eco......am I being too logical??….can it cost that much to add this feature?? this would be huge improvement and would convince 2 geners to upgrade to new Tacos......are you listening Toyota???!!!


Here's how the brochure words it....."Drive Mode Select enables more responsive or efficient driving with a simple turn of the switch"

 

Honest question. How is that different than the ECT button? The description is nearly identical in the Tacoma literature.

 

https://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdriv...de_Selector_to_select_driving_mode_Gen_10.dcr

the above video explains it best......I leave my RCF in "sport" mode almost all the time which makes the engine more responsive....."sport plus" mode does that and also tightens the steering and firms up the ride for more of a racing feel...

this feature could be easily custom adapted to the Taco to suit more buyers.....I love the feel of the 4.0L motor off the line and the lower end power but would like better gas mileage....I could have the best of both worlds with this feature!

 

In short, because they don't have to. Making 0.25 million sales per year, means they're doing just fine.

Secondly, it's a truck, not a car. It's not going to perform like a car, and frankly, the majority of owners don't want it to.

I know those aren't satisfying answers, but they're the truth.

 

Normal -- OD
Sport mode - ect
Snow - start in 2nd gear
Mud - Trac off
Sand - ....air your tires down
Rock - A Trac + locker


Eh. Works for me. I think they just assumed some truck people would like their already capable truck to not have the price jacked up by "added features" that are already there .

 

I agree with what you're saying......but I would bet I'm not the first one who really wants the performance of the 4.0L motor and the 2nd gen tranny in a 3rd gen Taco.....I think this feature would do just that.....until then I'll just keep my 2015 PRO.....for now......it's almost 2020, I want my cake and I want to eat it too!!...LOL

besides, if people aren't happy with the 3rd gen motor and/or tranny then why are they buying the OVtune and the pedal commander?!…..I'm not really sure exactly what those products do but I'm sure it's similar to what Lexus is already doing with their "drive mode selector".....Why not just have it built in and warrantied by the factory?!

 

Don't glorify that 4.0L too much. What little more it has down low, it lacks up top....

The 3.5L is no slouch. I have the same motor in my 2008 IS350 and it can churn out plenty of power down low and up high. The 3.5L in the Tacoma has been neutered. I believe this has been done to meet emission and performance requirements, set by the feds. Same reason the 4.0L is going away, and why you'll never see a V8 in a midsize truck.

While it's not perfect, the OVtune has done wonders for this engine/tranny package. With further development, they'll get it dialed in to perfection.

Enjoy your 2015, but don't expect great leaps and bounds from Toyota. They're not the edgy jack rabbit, they're the slow and steady tortoise.

 

Sleep it off, you’re drunk

 

I believe OV has sold about 4000 tunes. That's about 1.5% of 1 years sales figures. Hardly a great amount. Engine/tranny complaints are very localized to TW. Hang out on the Tacoma reddit forum and you hardly ever hear someone complain. Even less so in the "real world"

I'm not defending the performance of the motor, but more or less putting into perspective the scale of the complaints. They are hardly noticeable on Toyota's radar. To them, it's the same quantity of people that want a lowered truck, or a convertible model.

 

Add this and that and the next option and the option after that, and the next thing we know it's a $50k+ midsize truck.

 

Right. Haha

Can you add all the features found in soccer mom SUVs to my pickup truck sail boat fuel hauler?

 

Dude, you've got 1,149 messages, it's time to get an avatar. Helps me identify you regulars. Fortunately I recognize your activity, but only because of your name and because I love that show. I'm team Bobby though.

 

again, I agree with everything you say......I had a 2014 GS350 F-Sport with the 3.5L motor and an 8 speed trans.....was a blast to drive!....I'm just putting the idea out there so that maybe, just maybe Toyota or even Lexus might pick up on the positive feedback and introduce it in a future model.....how do we know they aren't following this site and looking for ideas to update their already awesome Taco??!! Who's to say Lexus won't step up to the plate and come out with a "luxury Taco" that might include this feature??

 

hardly.....I'm just putting the idea out there so that maybe, just maybe Toyota or even Lexus might pick up on the positive feedback and introduce it in a future model.....how do we know they aren't following this site and looking for ideas to update their already awesome Taco??!!

 

In that case... @Toyota_the_Company...

Make a luxury Tacoma with the old 4.7 V8. Be sure to work out all of the bugs people have complained about, including,
windshields, loose u-bolts, bad paint, rusty this and thats, power seats, better stereos, rear discs, metal bumpers, sunroofs without diminished headroom, wife proof body armor, indestructible diffs, etc... and because it was all my idea, give me one for free.

 

agreed but I could care less about a moonroof on a truck.....I'm 6'2" and a moonroof doesn't work well for me because it makes the roof lower......get rid of that and let me choose how the truck drives using a dial mode selector.....and plenty of guys are paying way over asking for TRD PROS....if you build it, they will buy it (If it's a Taco)!

 

Just requesting that will increase the price by $5k. Let's not go crazy, we need more of the A La Carte options.

 

I wouldn't mind an eco mode that gave like another mpg or something.

 

If anything, I think they should introduce a 7/8/9 speed tranny like some of the other toyota/lexus models that use this drivetrain.

Many of the competitor midsize trucks have more gears, giving them better gas mileage than the Tacoma. I'd like to see that.