Why pick 2016 Tacoma DCLB over F150 DC (supercrew)

Looked into the dimension of each and just by looking at the # full size f150 isnt that longer than DCLB but I'm sure driving experience would be much different.


2015 F150 SuperCrew 5.5' bed 4x4
--------------
Overall length: 231.9" (or 19.32 ft)
Wheelbase: 145"
Cab height: 77.2"
Ground clearance: 9.4"
http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/exterior/


2015 Tacoma DCLB 4x4
--------------
Overall length: 221.3" (or 18.44 ft)
Wheelbase: 140"
Overall height: 74.6"
Ground clearance: 9.3"
http://www.toyota.com/tacoma/ (download brochure)

 

I compared all the full sizes and the F150 and Tundra were both my favorite pretty much a tie! Ford has really turned around with their build quality

 

10.5" is quite a bit, in my opinion. I'm just picturing turning radius, garage parking, and parallel parking. 10.5" is the difference between my Tacoma fitting in our garage and not.

I was looking at the F150 crew cab short bed 4x4 yadda yadda, but just couldn't get over how it felt sitting inside. Felt like an oversized hoodie. Or sweat pants. On occasion they're great, but I wouldn't want to deal with it daily.

 

Tacoma>Ford, I understand where you are coming from. When I am DD for my buddies they complain about the space in the back seat, I then pull over and tell them they are more then welcome to take a cab or Uber to where they want to go. One thing you won't get with the F-150 is dependability, sure some people have had good/great experiences with them but many, many people fall victim to being broken down on the side of the road. I've noticed a lot of former Toyota owners coming back after buying a Ford because they simply got tired of maintenance and repairs they have to do to keep the thing on the road.

 

There is a fairly sizable group of F150 owners on TW and none have had issues that I can recall.

And I've never seen a new F series on the side of the road, driving 37k so far in just about 2 years.

I must have missed the hoards of stranded drivers.

 

Since they spent every dime on maintenance and repair, maybe they're all at the homeless shelter - that would explain it.

 

I have drove them back to back...there is a difference...most noticeable is the power of the F150 with the 5.0...have driven the 3.5 ecoboost too...HOLY CRAP! Sizewise...it isn't much...at least to me. I used to drive 2.5 ton dumps and Tri-Axle Mack dumps for a living. Anything smaller than that feels like a toy to me.

 

I've had my 14 F-150 SuperCrew Ecoboost since last October. Have 25k trouble free miles. I too was in the same position as the OP. Bought the Taco initially because I liked to wheel, didn't have kids and didn't tow a heavy camper. Well, got a bigger camper the Taco didn't like at all (still well within the tow rating) and the wife got pregnant. The back seats are not even close. Had 4 adults in the Taco and the two in back complained. You can fold your legs in back of the F-150. The Ecoboost also tows like a monster. Throw a tuner in it and you've increased your power by ~90hp/100tq.

As far as resale, the Taco def wins there. However, most people compare resale to MSRP which you won't come close to on a domestic truck. That being said, I paid $33k for my truck with leather and HID's (sticker was 47k). Won't win a resale award but I'm not underwater either. For whatever it's worth, my Tacoma was rattling quite a lot when I got rid of it at 21k. No rattles whatsoever now after 25k.

 

YEAH RIGHT.

 

You can get a nicely equipped F-150 CrewCab XLT for the price of the 2016 Tacoma DBCB and have much more legroom. However, the Ford will come with the crappy Sync2 infotainment system that sucks 50% of the time. Also, if you go Ford get the 2.7L if mpg is a concern.

 

Since you asked me directly....

I had a 2006 DC SB for 9 years, 140,000 or so miles. Here's my experience with that.

• Rear seats good for kids, ok for adults, not so good for dogs. My F150 seats fold up, allowing the dogs to sit on a rubber floor mat. The Tacoma's rear seat backs fold down, making it higher (and harder) for the dogs to jump in. The plastic backing is slippery, and doesn't really hold liquid.
  
• Good offroad ability, tight turn radius, relatively narrow (compared to the F150 that required Ford to rebuild their assembly plant to widen the lanes to fit the new truck).
• 110v inverter in the bed. Good concept, horrible implementation. How many people on here had modded it to put an outlet in cab, where its useful. Tacoma required you to run a cord through the back window if you wanted to charge a laptop or tool in the cab. (F150 has 2 110v outlets in the cab.)
• RUST! By 2014 it needed a new frame. And new fuel tank straps (one had broken already). Tailgate and rear bumper rusted through the year before. Locker actuator rusted out god knows when. I hadn't used it in a long time.
• Non-illuminated 4wd switch. WTF Toyota? You illuminated the same switch in the 4Runner! (Meanwhile every.single.switch.and.button in my F150 is illuminated, except the seat controls.
• Engine burned oil, fouled cats. One cat/exhaust manifold was $900 dealer cost, $1600 retail, plus labor. I was afraid to ask about the other when the second trouble code came up. Traded it before getting it fixed.
• 5ft bed was always too short. I added extra D-rings to compensate, stacking things higher and strapping them down. But every piece of pipe, lumber, or baseboard radiator to fix our house hung off the back. F150 has a 6.5' bed, with taller sides so when the tailgate is down it sticks out further, supporting a full 8' of whatever I have loaded. (Ford also put D-rings by the cab so I didn't need to add my own.)
• Plastic cleats. Several people have broken the Toyota plastic bed cleats with ratchet straps. The Ford ones are molded metal, locked into a metal plate, bolted to a metal frame. Much more solid and confidence inspiring.
• I got 17-18mpg (typically 17.8ish MPG) with a 4 liter V6 Tacoma. My wife's Pathfinder with a 4.0 V6 putting out 30 hp more than the Tacoma gets 18-19MPG. The F150 gets 18-19mpg on average, in the low 20's on long trips under 65mph while being 1,000lbs heavier, 3ft longer, over a foot wider, and a couple inches taller (Tacoma had a 3" lift) while putting out 129 HP and 155ft-lbs of torque more than the Tacoma. I can tune the F150 and/or add an exhaust to supposedly improve that even more. Nothing I did seemed to change the Tacoma, other than towing. That dropped it to 14MPG.

To people saying the Toyota will hold value I laugh. In some places, and for some model years, maybe. I was offered $3,000 by 2 dealers to trade my Tacoma. I was finally offered $8500 by one with a Toyota bodyshop, and they were going to replace the frame under warranty before selling. But they didn't know about the failing AC, oil burning, 2 fouled cats, broken E-locker, or any of the other reasons I wanted to trade it.

Things my Ford has that the Tacoma didn't, and if I added them myself:

• Bed lights! Both in the 3rd brake like, and LED ones by the tailgate. -Added to the taco
• Puddle lights in the mirrors. These come on with unlock, door open, AND when I turn on the cargo lights (in cab switch, and in bed switch)
• Mirror spot lights
  
• Heated mirrors. Added them once, one mirror broke, never re-did the mod.
• Auto dim center and driver mirrors
• Turn signal mirrors
• Stereo with BT, Aux in, CD, SD card reader, Sirius XM. -Added aftermarket just to get aux-in for Pandora/etc from phone
• Tilt meters, power distribution graph, hill descent control, rear locker that works in 2wd mode, auto tranny with manual mode, 90% of it's 420ft-lbs of torque available at 1500rpm all make it better offroad. -Had to mod the Tacoma to use locker in 2wd, unlike the Prerunner models. Figure that one out.
• Sunroof! Always wanted one of those.
• Power sliding AND defrosting rear window. Taco used to get ice build up on the back window.
• Rear camera to see hitching up trailer.
• 1700lb load capacity va Tacoma's 1100 (had to rebuild Toyota leafs because they couldn't even handle that, and now there's a recall pending)
• Factory remote start with auto climate control (when it's hot the AC comes on, when cold the heat comes on)
• Horn honks with double tap of lock button on fob to confirm it locked, single tap is silent for not waking the neighbors. Also, I can keyless lock while a door is open instead of waiting for my wife.
• Keypad on door allows me to lock expensive to replace key in the truck when running, swimming, etc.
• Factory spray in bed liner isn't slippery like Tacoma composite bed (glad it came with the rubber mat)
• Step in tailgate is easier on the knees to get in the bed
• Trailer harness in the bumper instead of under it. -Had to relocate the Tacoma's 2 weeks after I got the truck when I torn the damn thing off on a trail
• Map lights over mirror, reading lights over both rear doors, all independent AND on/off with door/switch. I can actually see shit in this truck at night, no shadows from the seat backs.
• Center storage bin, media bin, and glove box all illuminated. Center bin and glove box are lockable, and the center bin is 4x larger than the Tacoma's. It also makes a comfortable arm rest, whereas I had a gatorade bottle in a cup holder in the Tacoma because the arm rest was too short to support my arm.
• I'm 5'11". I typically move seats back to fit me, and then up 1-2 notches to not squish someone behind me. In the F150, I actually moved my seat FORWARD to be comfortable! With the front passenger seat in factory position, I have 4-5 inches of knee room, AND room up front to put bags around the passenger's feet. A full sheet pizza can fit on the completely flat rear floor, with room for wings, and nothing gets on the seats. Or carpet thanks to factory rubber floor mat.
  
• People used to, apparently, not see my Tacoma. I can't count the number of times people cut me off, or tried changing lanes into me. In the F150, most drivers move right when approaching me (and I'm centered in the lane).

Honestly, I *LOVE* having a bigger, more comfortable, faster, more powerful, more stable, more fuel efficient truck, and I won't be looking at Toyota for a long time. NONE of the 4 Toyota's I've traded over the years lived up to KBB's lowest numbers (had to fight to get enough for my Rav4 to cover the $6k I owed, $2k lower than I expected), they ALL burned oil, and Toyota has some of the most retarded engineering I've ever seen. Seriously, why do the 4Runner and Taco have the same 4WD switch, but only 1 is illuminated?? Why did they have 4WD, VSC, and CC turn off on the Rav4 when an emissions code come on?? Why is the Tacoma one, if not the ONLY, pickup without a god damn cargo light in the bed?!?

Between past experience spanning 4 Toyotas (Tercel, Corolla, Rav4, Tacoma), lack of resale value, copious amounts of rust, lack of improvements in later models, and all the extra stuff in the Ford I never looked back.

 

Furthest home run ever hit.

 

Lol

 

Also, FWIW, my eldest daughter WANTED to learn to drive the F150. She was afraid of the Pathfinder and the Tacoma, thinking they were big and complicated (especially the Taco's 6 speed). However, I guess size didn't matter after 1 ride in the SCREW 6.5ft bed F150. May have had something to do with the turbos throwing her back in the seat. haha

 

Loved your honest, detailed post. The problem with this off the charts partisan web site is that some rabid fan boys do not objectively
evaluate the truck market and continue to quote old negative remarks about any other truck except the Tacoma. I have had 2 tacomas, and 2 tundras. Currently I have a prius and a rav4 . All have been good vehicles, but none have been perfect. Including the tacoma's .
I just looked at a 2016 trd off road sb, sticker 35.7...I don't know what packages it had, but with their current size and pricing you are now in full size territory. If you want to buy a Tacoma, go ahead. But don't be conned into thinking its an "investment" and will never to have any work done. Simply is not true. They do have good resale value, but You would really have to look at the entire deal to see how that really compares to the other brands . For example, Toyota does like not like to deep discount like the other truck brands, so you could quite possibly pay more at the sales end and that would negate some of the value at the trade in side.
I like the looks of the new truck, including the grill. To me, its about time they spent some money and updated a very old platform .

Get what ever truck you want, they are all now pretty good.

 

XLT/Lariat/KR/Plat?
What pkg?

I take it its the 3.5 EB with that 6.5' bed

 

Thanks. After 9 years with it, and making this thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cheap-free-mods.4838/#post-45403 I think I know a few things about making up for Toyota's *ahem* faults. Or lack of engineering.

I've had my F150 about 7 months now, 5,000 miles. It was $52k (sticker) with moon roof, max tow, spray-in liner, 302a, spot lights, and maybe a couple other things thrown in. (What the hell right? Getting into payments again, don't want to spend 9 years adding/wishing for features, might as well get what I want god damnit!) With trade it was $38k financed. So around $11k more than my Tacoma, and around $3k over a new Tacoma.

It was gamble either way for me: Do I risk going back to the same company with repeated frame failures or go with a company no one in my immediate family has ever dealt with on a brand new body style? I considered the 2.7 for MPG, but it's new. New body style AND new engine made me too nervous. Plus, it's kind of a midlife crisis. A truck with 365hp and 420ft-lbs of torque in stock format, before mods......excited me a little. (I still light the tires up at 20mph for shits n giggles, though I know I'll pay for it with new tires sooner than I want.)

But it really was all over once I test drove it. It was between that, and maybe the Nissan Titan XD with Cummins. I had no idea when the XD was coming out, or how much it would cost. Meanwhile I was facing $4,000-$7,000 in repairs for the Tacoma. (That included $400 in parts NOT covered by Toyota for the frame replacement.)

The Ford isn't perfect. Sync2 pisses me off on a weekly basis. Randomly "indexes" my SD card preventing me from using it, or voice commands, until done, and it starts back on the first song when done. Randomly drops BT connection to my phone, even though it's in my pocket, and not walking 30 ft away. For the most part though, it's stable. And seems to be better after I fixed all my MP3 tags and file names. I like being able to change the wallpaper on the touch screen. Helps keep me from getting bored, and the kids think it's cool.

Kids LOVE the sun roof, and always want to be the one to push the button to open it. Being able to pick them up at friends' houses in the dark, and light up all the way around the truck with the cargo lights, puddle lights, and spot lights is nice. I can see to find a bike and load it in the bed. Or light up a back yard with the spot lights.

Example:

 

XLT 4x4 3.5 Eco with 6.5" bed, Max tow (with 3.55 locking axle), FX4 offroad package, 302A, twin panel moon roof, mirror spot lights, rubber floor mats ($95 vs $400 for weathertech seemed like a steal), spray in bed liner.

If I recall, the 3.5 adds $1,000-ish, liner $475, moon roof $1200..... So clearly you could get one for less.

 

your Tacoma sounds pretty clapped out. I'm surprised you got $8500.

 

I have had a '08 Tundra DC SR5 4x4, a '11 Tundra Crewmax TRD OR 4x4, a '13 Tacoma DC TRD Sport 4x4, and now have a '15 F150 SCrew XLT Sport 4x4. If your main concern is space/comfort in the back of the Tacoma, get a fullsize truck. Even the DC Tundra was more comfortable than the Tacoma for adult passengers due to the seats in the Tacoma being too close to the floor to sit comfortably for a long period of time. I also think the Tacoma was the least comfortable from a driver's perspective as well. Any of these 3 trucks are great trucks, the Tacoma just didnt have the space I wanted/required. Another space scenario, is the way the seats fold down to accomodate putting my dog's kennel in the back. With a medium kennel and my daughter in the back of the truck, there was literally no room for anything else in the cab. I loved my Tundra's, but my '11 being wrecked, and the crappy gas mileage I was getting (14 combined on a 70 mi daily round trip commute 30/70 city/highway) is what drew me to the Tacoma. It was only marginally better at 18 mpg over the same trip. And ever since I bought the Tacoma, I missed the space of my Crewmax.

When the new F150 first came out I really liked the looks of the truck, and I was intrigued by the AL body and new 2.7L ecoboost engine. When they finally started to heavily discount them I finally took a trip to the dealership to check one out. I was a little skeptical about the 2.7 and how it would handle that big of a truck. After the test drive though I was sold on it. It doesnt have that raw power like the 5.7 in the Tundra but it effortlessly moves the truck around, and feels quicker and more powerful than the Tacoma. And the big plus is that I was averaging 22 mpg on my daily commute before putting bigger wheels and tires on it, and after the sneaker upgrade I am a touch over 20 mpg's. I am still a fan of Toyotas and will most likely have one again in the future, but I am extremely happy with the F150 so far. And as they say, this thread is useless without pics:

2008 Tundra


2011 Tundra


2013 Tacoma


2015 F150