Who actually likes their 3rd gen?

Well, I'm on my 3rd 3rd gen Tacoma now, I must love it

 

I like my truck and also think they are overrated. It's good all around but doesn't necessarily excel at anything. I have no intentions of changing to something else but probably would've been happy with a few other models as well.

 

Bump!
A lot of posts with issues here.
Love the 18 I just got but TW makes me worried about it!
Post up and vote your opinions help!!!

 

Mine spins the tires just fine. Long hold of the TC button plus S-2 and it hoons just fine. (On a private road....) KDmax9.0 as well. If it's in powerband it slides around.

 

I like your third gen.

 

I've owned nothing but Toyota trucks for a very long time. My first was a 1987, 2001 (totaled in a crash), 2005, and now a 2022. My 2005 went for 17 years and had 270,000 on it when I traded it in and I still got $10k from the dealer. Overall, I can't say that I've ever thought my Tacomas were "great" trucks, but when it comes to reliability and trade in value, they are without a doubt the kings and that's always a top priority for me.

My new 2022 SR5 is a bit of a love/hate relationship and if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the Gen 2 trucks. The new V6 just seems pokey and sluggish to me and the transmission is well behind the competition. Mine hangs up between gear changes quite often, usually between 1st and 2nd. Quite often when I've been coasting around 30mph or so, I'll go to get back on the gas and its like the truck seems to be in neutral for a second or two. And granted, I have a 4X4 with 4 doors and a long bed, but I'm lucky to get 20MPH on the highway. I definitely need to upgrade the suspension as it is way too soft and has a crazy amount of body lean in the turns. Hitting a bump while going 70 around a freeway curve can almost result in a loss of control for a second or two until it stops bouncing.

On the plus side, I'm really enjoying all the new tech features, but these are common to most modern cars/trucks, so maybe that's no big deal these days. The interior is really nice and the seats are bit more comfortable than my 2005, so that's a plus. I'm actually thinking that this might just be a temporary truck for me if the new 2024 proves to be a big improvement. I just hoping it doesn't end up looking like a mini Tundra, because I really think that once again, Toyota really missed the mark on the Tundra. I'm just hoping it has a more enthusiastic power train and more competitive gas mileage. Also, being 6'4 and having to drive with my seat all the way back, I really hope Toyota adds another inch or two of travel to the steering column adjustment. Even all the way out, I end up driving with my arms fully extended, which gets tiring on long drives.

 

You should hold a seminar and charge $50 a head and only give that advice. People who follow that advice would bow at your feet and thank you 17 years down the road. Well done.

 

I love my truck and it’s better than I imagined. No gear hunting, seats are comfortable and the engines powerful enough for me.

 

I bought my 2005 SR5 in 2011 with 93k on the odometer and drove it until 262k. Insurance gave me $11.5k when it was totaled after paying $16k back in 2011. I'd hoped to repeat that again, but the price difference between new and used was too slim this time around. I'm digging the 2023 so far. I haven't owned it long enough to have anything irritate me too bad beyond not being able to figure out the automatic high beams the night I picked it up.

 

I have owned a 1st gen (brand new 2001 TRD OR 4x4 5mt) and a 3rd gen (brand new 2020 TRD OR 4x4 6mt). The third gen is a superior truck in most ways. The first gen being smaller, and an extended cab vs a double cab made for a better wheeler. I sold the 1st gen in 2003 and bought a 2wd Ranger to take out to the desert.

 

I do generally like my 2022. I do have concerns about sea of plastic parts on the 3.5 L I guess time will tell if it is as bullet proof as the 2.7 and 4.0 L engines. I have no issues with the transmission and the overall build quantity. I am thinking of selling mine and getting another 4Runner as I believe the engine, transmission and overall build quality is superior to the current Tacoma.

 

I believe that's my problem, the 2nd gen had low end torque so it didn't require much throttle so I'm still light footing it on the 3rd gen and expecting it to spin

 

I’ve owned three Gen 3’s and they’ve all been great. The early teething issues from ‘16-‘17 gave these trucks a bad first impression that took a while to overcome. That said,Toyota stepped it up and corrected most of the early issues on the fly so even if you bought a ‘16 today it’ll likely serve you well. Keep in mind a lot of folks beat the crap out of these trucks and still get Camry reliability.

Items like shifting points and seating position are mostly personal preference and Toyota offered flashes & powered seats. The GR series is proven. If you overlook some mismatched panels and keep an eye out for rust there’s no reason these trucks won’t last you until the next ice age.

Gen 3 will get even more love after the next one arrives not because Gen 4 won’t be great but because like 4Runner fans a lot of people buy Tacos because they’re tough & intentionally old fashioned. I’ll hang on to my leaf springs & drums.

 

I only wish it came with a front locker. Other than that, it's miles ahead of it's competitors. It's the benchmark.
Oh and they keep trying...

 

I like my 16 well enough, much better then my 06. Sometimes I run up against it's limitations and wish it had better brakes or a higher GVWR, but that is more an issue of my expectations then the truck itself. A few times a year, I could maybe justify a full size. The longer I own property the more I wish I could comfortably tow and haul, but I had only had apartments when I bought this truck and was into lightweight tent camping with my dog, and it's perfect for that. It also did well for me on a month long solo cross country trip last year, but with two people it might have been a stretch.

 

My 2019 is my fourth Toyota truck ( 88, 97, 01, 19). I wanted a Ram 1500 but it was a lot more cake than the Tacoma.
No regrets here, you can never beat the miniature ruggedness of a Toyota.
My favorite was the first, an 88 Xtracab V6 4x4 SR5. The seats/interior in that truck were outstanding........I think they were the same as the Mk2 Supra seats.

 

I totally agree. Coming from a 4th Gen T4R into the Taco, which I have not driven much because I put it in storage for the winter while I drive the T4R one last salt season, I will not hesitate to get a 5th Gen if the Taco disappoints. I doubt it will, but I do think the 4runner is better overall.

 

It serves the purpose we bought it for. We have an Audi SQ5 that rips so I don't care about performance. I do care that I haul brush and yard waste to the compost site, pick up furniture or other over-sized stuff when needed, and it is my driver when I have to do a road trip because my wife wants the Audi with her. It's not perfect but either am I.

I also have a 2005 at our summer place in Wisconsin, because we commute back and forth fall/spring in the Audi. It has 185K and is fairly trashed but it is a solid runner and works great for going to the dump (we don't have garbage service), pulling the boat around, and paying a visit to the hardware store when I don't feel like pulling up in a German luxury car with out of state plates, which is all the time.

 

My 2021 MT Tacoma is the first 4x4 truck I’ve owned since my 1989 Dodge Dakota. I’ve had a number of cars in between, including my wife’s grocery getter, a Lexus GX460. The Lexus was what steered me towards a Tacoma. I really like it. I’m not sure that I’d change anything other than fuel economy. It’s got everything I need, it’s fun to drive, it looks great, and it’ll get me through the winter and spring muck in southern Indiana no problem. I’m planning on keeping it until it falls apart.

 

It was the clear option when I put down my deposit on Black Friday 2015. Only choices were the Frontier and the GM twins. I had a frontier as a loaner for a couple weeks that showed me a midsize truck could be a real versatile buy. The Frontier had much of what I was looking for except the turning radius was similar to a full size truck at the time. I went to test drive a Colorado but the sales guy didn't seem interested in going for a test ride plus I really wanted a sunroof. The diesel wasn't available at that time either which could have stayed my decision.

Looking back, I should have test driven a Tundra to see if it would've been an option.